The Decapitated Chicken and Other Stories (Spanish, 1937 - 1945; English 1976) By Horacio Quiroga

Well, it was the title that caught my eye: The Decapitated Chicken and Other Stories by Horacio Quiroga. Who could resist? My eye caught the title when it was mentioned in a post on a friend’s Facebook page. I had to investigate. At first I thought it was a joke, particularly when I heard it described as a classic of Spanish literature. But yes, it is.

The book is a collection of short stories written by Horacio Quiroga, who was born in Uruguary, and spent much of his adult life “across the river” in Buenos Aries. His passion however was for the far north Misiones region of Argentina (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misiones_Province ). The Misiones is a tropical environment, the edge of the vast jungle that dominates much of central South America. It’s called the Misiones because it was “founded” by Jesuit missionaries – Pope Francis incidentally, from Argentina, is a Jesuit.

There are 12 short stories in the collection, best categorized as gothic. 

All will unnerve you.  Many of Quiroga’s stories have lead characters that are animals. Imagine Charlotte’s Web or Animal Farm, but written by Edgar Allan Poe. Another three or four of the selections detail individuals at death’s door. The Raven would have many friends in Quiroga's works.

The Decapitated Chicken, the title story, is short. It involves allegedly human characters, and is utterly gruesome.This is not bed-time reading, but I can’t tell you why without giving a spoiler alert. There is also superb a short story about a boy named Juan Darien who is actually a tiger. He returns to his tiger self after being witch-hunted in his village.  

My favorite from the collection is Anaconda, though now having read it I’ll probably have nightmares for years. It details the convening of a Congress of snakes and vipers (yes, there is apparently a difference) to devise a plan of attack against four humans who are plotting against them, trying to make the jungle safe for humans.  The Congress includes an Anaconda, the “top dog” among South American snakes, and a King Cobra, transplanted from India, who plays the same role in the “vipers” contingent.  They will eventually battle for control.

Talking animals or not, Anaconda is neither a children’s book nor a zoology study.The book is an allegory on the political history of the region, in much the same way as Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, or even The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum.  I must confess however that South American political history is not one of my strong suits.  And in all honesty, I’d much rather be tied down by a bunch of Lilliputans than surrounded by snakes and vipers.

Recommendation:  If one a student of Spanish language literature, yes; if one is an Edgar Allan Poe fan, definitely; but if one has a problem with snakes and vipers, maybe not.

The General Danced at Dawn (1970) By George MacDonald Fraser

 

George MacDonald Fraser (1925 – 2008) was a rather well known author in the United Kingdom, though I had never even heard of him until receiving The General Danced at Dawn as a gift from a friend recently, with the recommendation “I think you’ll like it.” He was absolutely right.

Fraser was a veteran of the Highland Regiments, having served throughout the British Empire, including India, North African and the Middle East. His prolific writings chronicle life in the armed services. He apparently was/is widely popular in the UK as the author of a series of books known as The Flashman Papers.

Fraser’s character development is just amazing! He’s invented some staples of modern British literary pop culture including: an extremely colorful soldier named Private McAuslan, dubbed “the Dirtiest Soldier in the World;” daft Bob; and their commanding officer Dand MacNeill, who serves as the narrator throughout. And of course, the book wouldn’t be complete without the appearance of Regimental Sergeant-Major Mackintosh, the very archetype of a British military commander, one who could conduct an armed invasion without wrinkling his kilt, then insist on breaking for tea when it was over. His soldiers however, are more likely to favor whiskeys of the Scottish variety, and scoff at that American concoction known as “borboun” – sacrilege indeed.

Much of the narrative is in “the northern dialects,” a.k.a. Scottish-Gaelic, and virtually incomprehensible to anyone who believes in vowels. These tracts often brought my reading speed down to about one syllable per minute. The multiple (varying by clan) dialects play a significant role in these stories, and are completely enjoyable once you stop resisting them, it’s not English per se, not even Old English, get over it, but do read it.

The collection contains 9 short stories. Reading them in sequence is important to the character development. All are good, particularly the title story The General Danced at Dawn. My favorites though are the two concluding stories: Guard at the Castle, when MacNeill has to contend with “the Dirtiest Soldier in the World” while presenting guard at Edinburgh Castle during a visit by “the royals;” and McAuslan’s Court-Martial, a story written around a pillow fight at the Highland Games. 
 
Great Stuff!

Gray Mountain (2014) By John Grisham

I may have my proverbial “library card” taken away from me for admitting this, but Gray Mountain published last year, and read by me last week, is the first John Grisham book I’ve ever read. Despite the predictability of its plot, add me to his fan club. Gray Mountain is a quick read, because the writing makes you want to turn the page.

The lead character is named Samantha. She’s a career climbing, workaholic attorney specializing in commercial real estate deals at a major Manhattan law firm … and she makes a more than a compensatory salary. But she’s also an aspiring attorney, not a partner, so when the meltdown of the financial markets strikes in 2008, it leaves her and many of her colleagues unemployed. I’m not shedding any tears so far.  

She ends up deciding to ride out the recession by working at a legal aid clinic in Appalachia, as an unpaid intern, but only until she can return to NYC and rejoin Big Law.  

Problem is, she’s never set foot in a courtroom … never tried a case – hasn’t a clue about litigation. In fact, while she’s well versed in multi-million dollar real estate contract deals, she’s never even thought about the legal problems faced by “ordinary” folks like those in Brady, Virginia – the heart of coal mining country. They have issues like divorce, domestic violence, contested black lung disease claims, over-zealous collection firms, housing evictions & foreclosures, and endless other problems that are about day to day survival.

Samantha, city girl, rich girl, is at a loss.

Mattie, the nuts & bolts Attorney who heads the Mountain Legal Aid Clinic, begins to educate her intern. Mattie has seen it all, and while she is cautious and realistic, she’s not particularly afraid of anyone.

Oh yeah, the other plot. Mattie’s nephew is in fact a hotshot litigation attorney – with a personal axe to grind against the coal companies who are strip mining his birthright away, and who he holds responsible for the death of his mother and so many others. He views successful legal settlements or judgments not so much as bank deposits, but as social justice.  

Of course, he ends up dead.

Will Samantha stay in coal country when her internship ends? It’s the crux of the book, never a forgone conclusion, and you aren’t going to know until the final chapter.

Recommendation: Definitely. First, it’s a great book written by a master storyteller. And second, it’s an education on black lung disease, strip mining, jobs versus health, union busting, and how the system is stacked against the little guy, with the near complete collusion of government. Work in a social service agency? If so, this is your book.