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Hen, His Wife (1990)
Hen, His Wife (1990)
1990 | Animation, Comedy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
My Wife Is a Hen!
Wow! I have to say that even though I have watched lots of surreal shorts over the years, none of them quite compared to how weird this short was! It was interesting to see an animated short that is about domestic problems and one that has so much symbolism to it. There are so many different interpretations about what is really going on in this short and what kind of message it's trying to send to the viewers. So it would be almost impossible for me to describe to you about what I think the ulterior meaning behind this short really is. But, I'm going to give it my best shot and tell you guys what I think that this short is trying to say.

My Interpretation:

So apparently, the couple has been happy together until the husband's friend comes in and tells him that his wife is a hen. Now, it's quite obvious to the audience that the wife is a hen, so how come the husband didn't notice this until his friend told him? Did the wife looked way different when she and her husband first met or did the husband just ignore the obvious signs over the years? So, when the husband finally notices that his wife is a hen, he turns her out of the house. Maybe the husband was more upset about his wife deceiving him for all of these years and that's why he turned her out because she had betrayed his trust in her. So, the husband tried to live life the way it was before, but he missed his wife and he starts hallucinating his situation. It was then that he called her over the phone and begged her to come back to him. But then the ending comes up and... well, you have to see the ending of this short for yourself!

I just loved the way that Igor Kovaliov weaved this bizarre world as all the characters look so strange, what with the blue colored husband and the humanoid hen wife. And let's not forget the half human, half worm pet that the couple has! I also loved the fact that there is so much symbolism and random moments going on in this short as it made the narrative so disoriented yet creative at the same time!

I was a bit thrown off by the mysterious plot of this short. I wasn't sure what to make of the situation that happened between the couple or the various symbolism that jumped out at you with no warning. So, there were times where I was a bit confused about what was really going on and I even had to read several different interpretations from other people who have seen this short in order to understand what was really going on in this short.

Overall, "Hen, His Wife" is a great surreal animated short that gives us a more literal description of marriage problems and anyone who loves watching Russian cartoons or just really weird shorts will definitely enjoy this short!
  
The Ocean at the End of the Lane
The Ocean at the End of the Lane
Neil Gaiman | 2014 | Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
8.4 (47 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Ocean at the End of the Lane is the first work I’ve read by Neil Gaiman – and I love it. This short novel tells the story of a young boy. He discovers a sort of magic in the world around him that blends in a delightfully haunting way. The real star of this book isn’t the boy though. It’s the Hempstocks.

This piece of fiction is a quick read and harbors elements of fantasy and horror in a world much like our own. The house at the end of the lane is a bit removed from the rest of society and, to a homegrown, country girl like myself, oozes a rural familiarity. This house, being the home of the Hempstocks, is the source of everything surreal in The Ocean at the End of the Lane and through the little boy and his friend Lettie, we see an entirely different side of things. A place where a child learns morals (such as lying, obeying, etc.) in the most horrifying ways.

I found The Ocean at the End of the Lane nearly impossible to put down – in fact, I only paused long enough to shower and take a brief nap. I refused to sleep until I had turned the last page. It’s nice to see several elements of fiction in play, especially with how Gaiman foreshadows and references certain odd incidents that take place in his story. My next Gaiman read will be American Gods, which I received as a gift from Dad.
  
Her Body and Other Parties: Stories
Her Body and Other Parties: Stories
Carmen Maria Machado | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry, LGBTQ+
9
6.0 (8 Ratings)
Book Rating
Short fiction is hit or miss for me. I think it's actually a harder genre to write than long, sprawling novels. You have to be concise and hard-hitting, and Machado certainly achieves that in her collection here. Her stories are lush with description, beautifully vague and precise at the same time. These stories hit me on a visceral level. And they really span run the gamut: from a retelling of an urban legend ("The Husband Stitch," which plays off of the story about the little girl with a green ribbon around her neck--you know the one), to the centerpiece of the collection, an offbeat, surreal "parody" of Law & Order: SVU entitled "Especially Heinous: 272 Views of Law & Order: SVU"). Each one had me stopping after I finished, rereading certain passages, and pouring over the text again. I never do that! I'm a speed reader! But these stories demand that you take your time.

At its heart, Her Body and Other Parties is about women--especially queer women. Machado brings something of herself into each of these stories, or so she has said. The storytellers are often unreliable, but never in a degrading or dismissive way. We see stories overlapped with stories, creating intricate layers of narrative. This is not a book for a casual experience. It demands your attention, and it's good enough to deserve it. A masterful blending of prose, horror, comedy, and magic realism, Her Body and Other Parties will be read in universities for years to come. Mark my words!