Saturday, June 17, 2023

SHORT STORY REVIEW: "The Undertaker’s Apprentice" by Hana Gammon from South Africa for the Commonwealth short story prize

Gammon’s regional prize winning short story (read here) for the African region to Commonwealth’s short story prize seems to be a coming of age story with nostalgia for a childhood innocence that was lost.

The story explores a poignant relationship of a group of children with two adult men, sharing life’s mysteries and death’s confusions.

Unlike some stories which spell out everything for the fear of being misunderstood, Gammon shows no fear and leaves one mystery to the reader’s imagination: what exactly is inside the undertaker’s “black box”?

I couldn’t figure it out myself and it may be because I am not smart enough for her wit although I am not too worried about it.

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2 comments:

  1. Anonymous6:11 AM

    I also couldn’t figure out what was inside the box

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    1. Khilath Rasheed - journalist and blogger from Maldives11:12 AM

      It reminded me of the case when I watched the movie "Seven" several years ago. The climax of the movie left me wondering whether it was the severed head of Gwyneth Paltrow or the murdered body of her unborn baby inside the box that Kevin Spacey presents to Brad Pitt. I was quite impressionable at the time and didn't have the heart to find out the answer. It was only years later that I got the Internet to answer this question for me. 😕

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