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The Fall of the House of Usher - Edgar Allan Poe [SHORT STORY] - ★★★★☆
Okay, so after seeing two films based on this short story (Corman's exquisite colour-radiating masterwork with Vincent Price and Epstein's French Impressionist tour de force masterpiece) I decided to read this short story in its original form (in English). However, firstly I stumbled upon a version of the story rewritten, so it's easier to read for those who still study English. I started reading and thought, hell, man, it's trivial, where are all the beautiful quaint and obsolete words. I'm no fool to read it in this form, so I went around and started reading the original version. And what a version it was. It contained some words I've never heard in my life before. That's why I decided to read in English. I mean, my Polish is perfect, reading in Polish will not improve my language skills. Reading in English however... Moreover, the opportunity to read the book in its original language... not to mention that for some reason reading in English is much more pleasurable and I feel much more interested in reading in general. The language used in the story creates a very grim and dark gothic atmosphere and I found the character of Roderick much more tragic than in the movie adaptations. Also, it's nice to see the difference between the book and every film based on it. If I'm not mistaken Epstein changed Madeline and Roderick into a couple, whereas Corman remained faithful to the original (which didn't stop him from introducing a cheesy subplot). All in all, an amazing read.
White Nights - Fyodor Dostoyevsky [SHORT STORY] - ★★★★☆
I'm a little bit unsure about this one. You see, I'm new to reading. I'm starting from short stories, because they're much more accessible given their shortness (just imagine trying to start from a 1000 page book; it's just like trying to become a movie buff by watching Satantango). I've seen 3 adaptations of this short story and I believe two of them are absolute masterpieces (these would be Cafe Noir and Bresson's Four Nights of a Dreamer) whereas Visconti's White Nights was almost as amazing. In other words, after seeing those amazing masterworks of film it surely was a weird feeling to confront their very source. I could immediately spot the differences in all of these. For example, the Dreamer's character in the short story seemed much more neurotic and the whole stuff felt much more melodramatic than any adaptation (especially Bresson's, who paradoxically by removing any emotions made the film the most emotive). You know, this guy immediately bursts into crying etc. But what about my uncertainty? It's just that the book didn't blow me away as the movies did. I know it's a terrible thing to say. Prejudice in art can be the worst thing you can imagine, but the truth is that even though I really liked the book, maybe even loved it, I don't really know how much of this enjoyment had its roots in me actually loving all these film adaptations. That's why I'm not suer if the story deserves four or five stars. Either way, it's amazing.
Patriotism - Yukio Mishima [SHORT STORY} - ★★★★★
Now that's what I call a masterpiece. I don't care if I've only read like 10 short stories in my entire life. This is a masterpiece! How could you say it with such a tiny knowledge about this branch of art? Well, I said the same thing about Werckmeister Harmonies back when I didn't know much about cinema, and here I am, 5 years later and it's sitll my favourite movie ever. I'm not claiming this will be my favourite short story forever, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was. What did I really love abuot it? It's style, of course! Looks like my 'style over substance' belief I got from cinema fits literature perfectly as well! It's just that the use of words in this short story is so sublime and poetic, it elevates it to the highness of work of art. The story itself is simple, but very interesting, too, especially for non-Japanese. It's a compelling look at the history of Japan, its culture, but also themes much more universal. It's especially striking to me as an European, because its main theme - ritual suicide - is something incomprehensible. Here suicide was always seen as something shameful and sinful. In Japan it was perceived as an act of regaining honor. It shows how different our cultures are. The fact that Mishima commited suicide himself and that he wrote about the act so profoundly and idealized it adds another layer the the whole. In a word, a total masterpiece. I've seen the film based on the story before (directed by Mishima himself!) and loved it, but this short story may even outdo the film. By the way, I read this as well as every other short story I'm writing about here in English.