Snowed In by Peter Conrad

[Nigel Gordon]

This story by Peter Conrad on Castle Roland starts out exactly as one would expect. Two men stuck in a cabin in the mountains. The, as about 50% of stories with this start we find that they used to be best friends who drifted apart at school. It is then that the story takes a twist from the trope. Whilst hiking in the woods they come across a party of kids who have got lost in the snow storm. Conrad's development of the story is interesting and unusual. It is well worth reading, though be warned it is a long read. Personally I would have split it up into four or six chapters instead of what Conrad has delivered. It is, though, worth the effort to read. You can find it here:

https://castleroland.net/libraries/snowed-in/

 

[Rutabaga]

3 hours ago, Nigel Gordon said:

It is well worth reading, though be warned it is a long read.

Unquestionably you speak from experience concerning long stories . . . .

🥴

R

[Cole Parker]

Good one, R!  😁

[Merkin]

Thanks for the suggestion, Nigel.  I'm reading it now, and enjoying what is for me an unfamiliar cultural perspective on familiar themes.  It's quite complicated, isn't it?

 

[Cole Parker]

What language was this originally written in?  Anyone know?

C

[Merkin]

Can't be positive, Cole, but early in the story Reiko, lost in the woods, had just completed a training course with 'The German Red Cross'. 

[Cole Parker]

And he makes a mean stollen.  Perhaps you're right.  Some of his idioms certainly aren't American, and I doubt they're British, either.

C

 

[Nigel Gordon]

On 3/16/2022 at 9:35 PM, Cole Parker said:

What language was this originally written in?  Anyone know?

I suspect it was originally written in English but by somebody whose first language is German. The reason I say this is that when reading it, I find that it has they rhythm of German. If it was a translation from German to English, I suspect that rhythm would have been lost. Though I could be wrong, it could have been originally written in German and had a very good translation. 

[Cole Parker]

I noticed the rhythm, too, but don't read German and so onlyh knew that it suggested some other natigve lalnguage.

[Nigel Gordon]

On 3/19/2022 at 3:31 PM, Cole Parker said:

I noticed the rhythm, too, but don't read German and so onlyh knew that it suggested some other natigve lalnguage.

I don't speak it or read it, but spent over six years working in German speaking areas of Europe, so got a feel for the language.