Story of the Day: The Lake by Ray Bradbury. On a windy September afternoon, just as they are set to move away from Michigan to a new life across the country, 12 year-old Harold visits the lake to say his goodbyes. A year before, hed witnessed the drowning of his best friend, Tilly, whose body was never recovered. Then, a decade or so later, newly married to a woman named Margaret, they return, as part of their honeymoon. And the memories come flooding back. From the magnificent collection, The October Country, and much anthologised, this is one of my top five Ray Bradbury stories, and most days its my favourite. His first published story, and the one in which he claims to have finally found his voice after years of trying, it is a love story of sorts, a beautiful and sad first-person account of two defining moments in a mans life. The language is soft poetry, the passage of time (always a challenge in a short story) is handled with sublime skill, and the result is as close to perfection as you could reasonably hope to find. Do yourself some good and read it. lghs.net/ourpages/auto/2013/3/1/55741734/The%20Lake.pdf
Posted on: Thu, 07 Nov 2013 10:14:18 +0000