Sunday, 11 February 2024

The Birds and Other Stories - The Apple Tree


 RATING: GOOD

SPOILERS!!!

A man has lost his wife, Midge, recently and we discover that there was little lost love between them. We discover that Midge was too house proud and very fussy about her routine. Midge's death was quite unexpected as she got a chill which turned into a pneumonia, which killed her. The man admits not missing her at all, and he also thinks about the time when a landgirl worked in the house and Midge cuaght him kissing her.

The man starts thinking that one of the apple trees look like Midge in some way, and he starts feeling hostile towards it, which is incomprehensible for his gardener and housekeeper. When the gardener cuts a branch off the tree and puts them in the fireplace, and the man thinks that the smoke is choking him. Then the housekeeper makes jam with the apples, and he thinks that it is unedible, and then he orders the gardener to remove all the apples.

When in the pub the lady who runs it says that they have little kindling, the man offers to bring her some, and he cuts the apple tree and takes it to the pub. Happy, he returns home. It is snowing and in the garden he stumbles on a root of the tree and falls, breaking his leg. The man can't move and he realises that he is going to die outside, frozen to death.

I think this was a very original story. I loved it. 

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Mansfield Park 2(Chapters 3 - 16)

 SPOILERS!!!