Reading Corner | How to talk to girls at parties
A short story by Neil Gaiman
I have been in a bit of a slump this week, so I am glad I picked a short story for my blog: even if I didn't feel like reading, this was short enough that I could do it, and in turn, I was able to push myself to write this blog entry. (I used to be a really avid reader, and the “Reading Corner” is a way for me to get back into reading regularly, and also, by declaring which will be the next book, to hold myself accountable and blog about it once per week).
But back to the book, which can be read for free on Neil Gaiman's website, though Amazon has beautifully illustrated versions of it. The story starts with a funny premise: the main character, Enn, is a teenage boy who can't talk to girls and thinks they are like aliens to him; Enn, together with his friend Vic, ends up in a party where all the girls are actually aliens.
Asides for the funny premise, the story itself is both sad and poetic. When Enn talks to the girls-aliens, their words are nonsense to the main character's (and our) human ears, but a certain melancholy and loneliness transpire from them. They are travelers and explorers and, like the stories of most travelers, their stories speak of faraway places, memories that are both beautiful and filled with sadness, and of lonely days spent wandering.
The story is a fascinating combination of horror and sci-fi, with the dreamlike quality so many writings by Neil Gaiman have, and I have definitely enjoyed it. I am now curious to watch the movie inspired by this story, though I am afraid most of its poetry will be lost.
Next on my list:
- Dead trees give no shelter, by Will Wheaton
~ Melyanna