This story was featured in The Best American Short Stories 2019, edited by Anthony Doerr
The Opening
Therese
Julia found it in a pile of old stuff. She didn’t want it so she said she would give it to Therese.
I love this as an example of starting in medias res. We dont know what it is of who they are, but THEY do.
In medias res means in the middle of things but it doesn’t necessarily mean a car chase or a fight. In the middle of a conversation where the participants know their world better than we do, counts too.
And the author doesnt make us wait too long. In the next sentence we learn what ‘it’ is.
What was she supposed to do with that? These said—a beaten up old book with nothing in it but blank paper.
We still dont know much about the world, but the next line gives us a clue.
Well, you like to do handwriting, Julia said.
Between the foreignness of handwriting and the lack of conventional punctuation, I’m already getting the sense that this is not our world or at least our time.
I’ve been plunged into this world, however, and I’m intrigued.
The Plot Thickens
The next section of the story begins with a new subheading. I love this kind of thing. It’s an indication that the author is taking the short story form seriously: it can do things other types of writing can’t, and ‘making the reader work for the meaning’ is one of those things.
(It would drive you crazy to have to work this hard for 400 pages of a novel, but I’m willing to play along for 15 pages!)
We learn a little more about Therese’s world, but never in a way where it feels like the author is stopping to spoon-feed the reader. Only things that makes sense in Therese’s thoughts, appear on the page.
Even, as it turns out, things that don’t make sense in Therese’s thoughts…which turns out to be a major point of the story.
It soon becomes clear that Therese is not normal because she is…imaginative.
This is clearly not our world, but it’s close enough to be a little terrifying.
The End
The story never really explains what the titular ‘third tower’ is (or why it’s the third), or what exactly happens to Therese in the end….but I was OK with that.
This a story were not much actually happens (a girl goes to the city for medical treatment) and in which lots of questions are raised (are those really fireworks she’s hearing in the night, or is this a society at war? It certainly seems repressive enough).
And yet I was swept along on emotion. I wanted certain things for the protagonist. I wanted certain things NOT to happen. I got upset when I thought bad things were happening, and happy when I realised there was hope.
Writer’s Notes
I kind of loved this story, even though I can see how some people might find it frustrating and wish for a novel explaining the whole world. But then again, as you know, I love short stories precisely because they are able to set off little ‘what if-‘ bombs in my brain.
I don’t know that I’d have the patience to read a whole story about this world—the author would have to have a really compelling plot line. This is more like a thought experiment: What if it was bad to have an imagination? What if a world like this evolved in our near future?
Sometimes it’s (more than) OK to write a story that is little more than an invitation to a thought experiment. Of course, to do it well you must, as Deborah Eisenberg does, give the reader a character they can care about, specific details of the world, and enough intriguing hooks and answers to keep them satisfied.
But you don’t have to answer every question or supply a detailed, photo-realistic painting of the world. Embrace your inner Impressionist! Daub colors on the canvas and allow the reader to step back and fill in the gaps.
Discussion
Can you think of some other ways to start a story in medias res?
Do you always wish the author had written a novel, when you’re left with questions at the end, or are you happy to say ‘yup, that was a short story’ and let it go?
Let’s discuss:
I loved this story and will remain determined to unlock the title !!
In my understanding, this very creative girl has the capacity for brilliant and colorful word associations and she is put before physicians who are far away from seeing this as at the very least genius. Alas, the ending line is yet another WORD TEST !! Implying the continuation of her “treatments”. I thought it was interesting that one scientist did allow this sort of word excitement to be useful in marketing !!! Yes !!! I guess so; not to mention poetry and all forms of art
Im especially sensitive to this story as I too was hospitalized at the Boston Naval Psychiatric Hospital in 1972 . I was a student doing a dual senior high and freshman college year, a tremendous honor
I was hospitalized and diagnosed with schizophrenia. i am now 70 years old . The treatments were identicl to teres’ . The medications were debilitating. What I learned was to keep mouth shut, never to involve others in my “visions”. These were and are giftes often misunderstood as abnormal and dangerous. I’ve been a poet ever since and I apply my word journeys to my writing .
Thank you for brining this story and writer to our attention !!!
In her story “The Third Tower,” Deborah Eisenberg depicts a sick seventeen-year-old girl. She is suffering from hyperassociative disorder according to the doctor that is trying to help her. The story begins with two characters Julia and Therese. They seem to be friends and it appears as well that they both live together with other girls, possibly in an orphanage home. The reader can denote that the story takes place in a small town away from the city and every time any of the girls go to the city, they seem to be amazed at the glistening towers and monuments, not to mentions the gorgeous people as the author describes them. Even though it is not in the story, one can think that a traumatic event occurred to Therese at a young age and this led to her mental situation. However, it is interesting to read that the main character Therese has many good attributes that make the reader wonder if she is that sick. Therefore, this story gives hints to readers that Therese is not mentally sick and that she is going through a temporary depression or a temporary mental problem, unfortunately, the main character is not receiving the right treatment for her problem. At the end of the short story, readers can realize how the main character is improving in her mental health. This is my interpretation of this short story, hopefully, it helps anyone who has questions.
The title of this story drew me in. I am not certain why precisely but it had appeal. I liked the change of character voice throughout the story structure wise – through this change of POV I was able to learn more about what was going on.
I love stories that have holes that my brain has to connect.
One of the lovely features of the BASS collections is the author commentary in the back. I recently learned of this feature after years of reading the collection. The author wrote the title first and then constructed the story around it.
I agree Julie – I do not think I would have the patience to read a whole novel of this world. There would have to be more about it. I think short stories lend themselves well to the story line that is not tied up into bows.
This is my kind of story!
Yup, I love reading the author snippets in the back. Sometimes they’re kind of useless and don’t say much, but mostly they give you a little insight into the process, which is fun.
I think we might like the same kinds of stories! I need to catch up on posting these. I’ve fallen behind!