I know it’s been awhile since I gave you anything new. But you must know by now, that I love a good horror story! I couldn’t resist taking the time to record this one for your Spooky Season enjoyment. Did you know that Bram Stoker stole, and married, Oscar Wilde’s girlfriend? And even though Oscar was not happy about it, they remained friends. They met at school where Bram studied Mathematics. This story is about a student of mathematics that steals away to study uninterrupted in a far away town. It is said to be one of the best English ghost stories ever. Oh, and, trigger warning… if you don’t like rats, don’t listen to this one.

Our story today is dedicated to all the authors out there. It is a delightfully fun jab at the ever tumultuous relationship between authors and reviewers. Back in her day, the only reviewers were the journalists of certain publications. Nowadays, every one is a reviewer. Which gives a review even more impact and influence. Whether good or bad. But, as you will see in this story, the politics and engineering of getting and giving reviews has not changed. Enjoy!

It’s about marriage and divorce, women and men, and the complexity or simplicity of relationships. I love Wharton’s adept turn of phrase. She can say so much in one little sentence. For example, “It was so delicious to cry over imaginary troubles!” or “Womanlike, she wanted to turn her disobedience into a law.” While Wharton was not considered a feminist, her sympathy with her female characters and their situations in society reveals so much insight and understanding of feminist issues. Did you know that 1/3 of her 86 short stories center on The Marriage Question? And in her stories, she exposes the consequences of abortion, illegitimacy, economic dependency, and the double standard of sexual morality. Not bad for a woman who doesn’t consider herself a feminist.