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Monday, October 03, 2022

Reader's Diary #2047 - Conrad Aiken: Mr. Arcularis

 I heard of Conrad Aiken's short story "Mr. Arcularis" in a Irish Times list called "The 10 Most Terrifying Short Stories Ever Written."

It's not terrifying.

I doubt anyone one feel otherwise. I suppose there's a certain discomfort in the idea of not knowing you're dead (this is a spoiler, but I think most readers will have figured this out long before the reveal) but terrifying is a stretch, at least the way this story is told.

It's fine, nonetheless, with a foggy melancholy for most of the time, but a certain peacefulness at the end.


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