Poll

Blast! I want both of these to go through.

Trevor, if you go with the idea of next year's madness including four stories from particular authors, the loser of this matchup would be a good contender.

As good a short story exponent as Wolff is, Borges is doing something else altogether.

Can someone explain to me what the heck "North American Martyrs" was all about? I liked "Lottery" a lot, but I could be swayed to change my vote. I'm convinced there's more to Wolff's story than I got from it; I just can't identify it without some help.

Thomas, I didn't read much more into it than an assertion of self by an individual that has let too many trod over her and take advantage of her. There is a Jane Curtin reading of the story on YouTube that might help. Curtin's reading with the background audience laughter is pretty good.

My choice is for "The Lottery..." , but I wish it had been matched against Shirley Jackson's, "The Lottery," for I think that would have been a great discussion.

You're right, Sam, that would have been nice. I didn't even think of Shirley Jackson when putting this together, but she's has some great stories out there (ones I like much more than "The Lottery").

I'm with Lee here. I love Wolff. I went through his work all in one shot about ten years ago, and I hold it all very fondly.

But this is Borges. He's just doing something else

Yes, he's fencing unworthy opponents of every class, institution, bureaucracy, civilization, pantheon, theology, and school of thought using a laser sword from his hallucinogenic kingdom. Is there one sentence that isn't satirical?

I am one of Borges's unworthy. Following his tortuous logic is torturous. I cringed when I saw this on the list. I just want to read a pretty little story with pretty little language. I'm a pretty little simpleton compared to Borges. He's so extra, homework, and it's hard to think of his work as "stories" rather than treatises.

Thankful for Lottery's relative brevity. Remembered very little of it from previous readings, but was reminded of Saramago, who aims similarly at similar targets, but is fun to read, though I laughed unexpectedly several times reading Lottery. Ah, maturity.

I also read Martyrs several years ago, and as I was reading it today, the story and drive all came back, as well as the feeling in my brain, and made me feel human again after Borges.

I'm voting for... wait for it... readability. Okay, begin shrieking! I can't hear you. Mary and I have removed our hearing aids.