The Ledge

by Lawrence Sargent Hall

Genres: Short Stories, American, Classics

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1959

Reviews

[David Reeves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay. It was 8 pages. A short story in the Island Journal volume 34. Wow. Best 8 pages I have possibly ever read.

[Marc Gerstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit challenging to visualize the unfolding scenes but that might be a thing about me – I’m the sort who believes that if the good lord intended for humans to commune with nature, he would not have created air conditioning or the Discovery Channel. Anyway, the unnamed protagonist of this award-winning short story (the first O. Henry award, issued in 1960) is cut from a different mold. He is a hard-ass lover of the outdoors and irks his wife by taking off on Christmas day with their son and the son’s cousin to go duck shooting from an offshore ledge that juts out from the water.

He shows the kids plenty of sincere tough love, perhaps exacerbated by frustration over having forgotten to bring tobacco. They stay a bit longer than they really should have in order to increase their kill, But when it’s time to head for home, it turns out the skiff (small boat – I had no idea and had to Google it) drifted off, too far off, apparently stranding them on the ledge.

And then . . . that’s all; this is a spoiler-free review.

[Edward Mcauley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't want to say much about this short story, The Ledge.

I'll say this, technically it's an easy read. Yet, as you'll find, it's anything but an easy read. I've read this several times; the natural environmental beauty Hall evokes does not disappoint and, his story's poignancy does not wane.

I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did.

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Boring af until they all started drowning.

The back of this story has a blurb that’s like “oh it was rejected by esquire and the New Yorker but later selected as one of the best stories of the century!”

But it was probably rejected because it is boring af until they all started drowning. It’s not like it was establishing important character to make us truly feel for these characters before they started drowning.

Well some of it was but some it was just like. Brown Cow Island description idk.

Also I was meant to read this for class last week but I didn’t oops and I just made up some points in discussion based on skim reading. But since I had a physical printed copy I decided I might as well actually read it so that I can add it to my goodreads.

[Flo Colton · Rating 5 out of 5]

'So they waited, marooned in their consciousness, surrounded by a monstrous tidal space
which was slowly, slowly closing them out. In this space the periwinkle beneath the fisher­man’s
boots was king. While hovering airborne in his mind he had an inward glimpse of his house as
curiously separate, like a June mirage'

A hidden gem of a short story x

[Tim Nason · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ⭐️ An arrogant man makes a terrible mistake. John Updike thought the story a classic, included it in The Best American Short Stories of the Century (1999, 2000). A good one to discuss for its portrayal of gender, nature and community.

[Erin A · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best short stories that I’ve ever read. It’s July and I’m shivering from the cold, dark sea beating against the soul of the fisherman.

[ugly Korean · Rating 4 out of 5]

You could cut ties with all the lies that you’ve been living in. And if you do not want to see me again. I would understaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand.