What do you think?
Rate this book
Through the Tunnel
Vacationing at the seashore, a young boy's endurance is tested to the limit when he tries to swim through an underwater tunnel.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 1989
19 people are currently reading
280 people want to read
About the author
Doris Lessing
464 books3,239 followersDoris Lessing was born into a colonial family. both of her parents were British: her father, who had been crippled in World War I, was a clerk in the Imperial Bank of Persia; her mother had been a nurse. In 1925, lured by the promise of getting rich through maize farming, the family moved to the British colony in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). Like other women writers from southern African who did not graduate from high school (such as Olive Schreiner and Nadine Gordimer), Lessing made herself into a self-educated intellectual.
In 1937 she moved to Salisbury, where she worked as a telephone operator for a year. At nineteen, she married Frank Wisdom, and later had two children. A few years later, feeling trapped in a persona that she feared would destroy her, she left her family, remaining in Salisbury. Soon she was drawn to the like-minded members of the Left Book Club, a group of Communists "who read everything, and who did not think it remarkable to read." Gottfried Lessing was a central member of the group; shortly after she joined, they married and had a son.
During the postwar years, Lessing became increasingly disillusioned with the Communist movement, which she left altogether in 1954. By 1949, Lessing had moved to London with her young son. That year, she also published her first novel, The Grass Is Singing, and began her career as a professional writer.
In June 1995 she received an Honorary Degree from Harvard University. Also in 1995, she visited South Africa to see her daughter and grandchildren, and to promote her autobiography. It was her first visit since being forcibly removed in 1956 for her political views. Ironically, she is welcomed now as a writer acclaimed for the very topics for which she was banished 40 years ago.
In 2001 she was awarded the Prince of Asturias Prize in Literature, one of Spain's most important distinctions, for her brilliant literary works in defense of freedom and Third World causes. She also received the David Cohen British Literature Prize.
She was on the shortlist for the first Man Booker International Prize in 2005. In 2007 she was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.
(Extracted from the pamphlet: A Reader's Guide to The Golden Notebook & Under My Skin, HarperPerennial, 1995. Full text available on www.dorislessing.org).
In 1937 she moved to Salisbury, where she worked as a telephone operator for a year. At nineteen, she married Frank Wisdom, and later had two children. A few years later, feeling trapped in a persona that she feared would destroy her, she left her family, remaining in Salisbury. Soon she was drawn to the like-minded members of the Left Book Club, a group of Communists "who read everything, and who did not think it remarkable to read." Gottfried Lessing was a central member of the group; shortly after she joined, they married and had a son.
During the postwar years, Lessing became increasingly disillusioned with the Communist movement, which she left altogether in 1954. By 1949, Lessing had moved to London with her young son. That year, she also published her first novel, The Grass Is Singing, and began her career as a professional writer.
In June 1995 she received an Honorary Degree from Harvard University. Also in 1995, she visited South Africa to see her daughter and grandchildren, and to promote her autobiography. It was her first visit since being forcibly removed in 1956 for her political views. Ironically, she is welcomed now as a writer acclaimed for the very topics for which she was banished 40 years ago.
In 2001 she was awarded the Prince of Asturias Prize in Literature, one of Spain's most important distinctions, for her brilliant literary works in defense of freedom and Third World causes. She also received the David Cohen British Literature Prize.
She was on the shortlist for the first Man Booker International Prize in 2005. In 2007 she was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.
(Extracted from the pamphlet: A Reader's Guide to The Golden Notebook & Under My Skin, HarperPerennial, 1995. Full text available on www.dorislessing.org).
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
Read
December 20, 2021Doris Lessing tem para mim uma qualidade notável (inerente a todas as narrativas que dela conheço): é uma exímia narradora dos ritos sociais e familiares.
Sejam provações que partem de assunções erradas e preconceitos dirigidos aos seus personagens, estigmas que envolvem papéis e funções atribuídos a um determinado género ou, neste caso, a conquista da maturidade, Lessing é sempre uma minuciosa defensora da emancipação pessoal - masculina como feminina.
O seu talento reside em pegar, neste conto, num evento aleatório e banal e transformá-lo num ritual de passagem quase místico (da infância para a idade adulta) através de um pequeno grande desafio autoimposto pelo seu herói.
O pequeno Jerry tem por objetivo uma proeza que vê intentar (e suceder) alguns rapazes mais velhos.
O desafio é imemorial: a superação dos elementos e da natureza, e o domínio sobre si mesmo.
Após a vitória sobre o desafio, o neófito já se encontra num nível superior do culto - conquistou a sua independência: é agora um adulto.
Sob camadas, Lessing é pródiga a trabalhar a narrativa. Alguns dos seus constituintes, por exemplo, remetem para o secretismo e a paciência como elementos de maturidade; outros para a alienação, o alheamento ou a solidão como elementos de caráter eufemístico.
Não gostando de me apelidar de fã dos chamados coming-of-age novels, faço particular menção a casos como este, na obra de Lessing, de Harper Lee, Dickens ou Sylvia Plath.
Sejam provações que partem de assunções erradas e preconceitos dirigidos aos seus personagens, estigmas que envolvem papéis e funções atribuídos a um determinado género ou, neste caso, a conquista da maturidade, Lessing é sempre uma minuciosa defensora da emancipação pessoal - masculina como feminina.
O seu talento reside em pegar, neste conto, num evento aleatório e banal e transformá-lo num ritual de passagem quase místico (da infância para a idade adulta) através de um pequeno grande desafio autoimposto pelo seu herói.
O pequeno Jerry tem por objetivo uma proeza que vê intentar (e suceder) alguns rapazes mais velhos.
O desafio é imemorial: a superação dos elementos e da natureza, e o domínio sobre si mesmo.
Após a vitória sobre o desafio, o neófito já se encontra num nível superior do culto - conquistou a sua independência: é agora um adulto.
Sob camadas, Lessing é pródiga a trabalhar a narrativa. Alguns dos seus constituintes, por exemplo, remetem para o secretismo e a paciência como elementos de maturidade; outros para a alienação, o alheamento ou a solidão como elementos de caráter eufemístico.
Não gostando de me apelidar de fã dos chamados coming-of-age novels, faço particular menção a casos como este, na obra de Lessing, de Harper Lee, Dickens ou Sylvia Plath.
February 28, 2021
Un relato corto que muestra el primer paso fuera de la infancia, lejos de la protección maternal, de un niño de doce años. La excusa: pasar buceando un túnel submarino.
El joven Jerry de vacaciones en la playa de un país extranjero desea más que nada alejarse de su madre, descubrir mundo, probar a hacer cosas de mayores. Cuando ve cómo unos chicos mayores pasan buceando un túnel subterráneo, su mayor afán se convierte en conseguirlo él también, como en la prueba de fuego que marca la salida de la infancia, el dejar de ser un niño.
Con esta prueba Jerry descubre lo que es capaz de hacer, pero también la soledad que implica el crecer, el dejar de estar bajo el paraguas protector de su madre.
El joven Jerry de vacaciones en la playa de un país extranjero desea más que nada alejarse de su madre, descubrir mundo, probar a hacer cosas de mayores. Cuando ve cómo unos chicos mayores pasan buceando un túnel subterráneo, su mayor afán se convierte en conseguirlo él también, como en la prueba de fuego que marca la salida de la infancia, el dejar de ser un niño.
Con esta prueba Jerry descubre lo que es capaz de hacer, pero también la soledad que implica el crecer, el dejar de estar bajo el paraguas protector de su madre.
November 15, 2011
Rite of Passage
Through the Tunnel by Doris Lessing. The New Yorker, New York, 1995.
Doris Lessing perfectly captures the awkward age of adolescence the time period where one is caught between childhood and adulthood. Lessing wonderfully portrays the fears involved with branching out into the unfamiliar adult world, along with the accompanying fear of parents to let their children leave the nest. As a young reader, new to being on my own, I found this story really hit home for me.
The author flawlessly captures the feeling of younger child longing for the acceptance of the older children. The of Jerry is reminiscent to the younger brother trying to catch up to his older siblings, tagging along and trying to prove his worth, and almost always getting hurt because of his stubbornness. On the flip side she captures the abject feelings of rejection when Jerry is welcomed by the older boys only to be ignored when they figure out he is foreign. He cries uncontrollably after being left behind as the boys swim through the secret tunnel. But the rejection just makes Jerry determined to prove his worth.
I truly admired the abundant metaphors contained within this short story. By far the most intriguing, was the portrayal as the older boys as foreigners whose speech was not understood by Jerry. This can be interpreted as a representation of how foreign and alien the adult world is to a child. While on the cusp of manhood, the adult world is still a mystery to him. Another interesting allusion was that of the two beaches. The safe beach frequented by Jerry’s mother is an obvious representation for childhood safety; it is warm and sunny with safe waves. The rocky beach inhabited by the older boys is a symbol for adulthood; it is rough and intimidating but intriguing to the almost man Jerry.
Coinciding with Jerry’s struggle to swim through the underwater tunnel and be recognized by the older boys, there is the mother’s struggle to let her child grow up. It is obvious that in the beginning of the story the relationship between mother and son is tense, Jerry is on the brink of adulthood and his mother is not prepared for this. She does let her son leave the safety of her side for the rocky beach, but at the first sign of trouble, in the form of a bloody nose, she recalls him to her side in the nursery like beach. In an act of rebellion the boy strikes out on his own to the rocky beach without his mother’s knowledge. He succeeds in proving himself, but in a twist fears he will be unable to swim back the way he came, perhaps a metaphor for innocence lost.
All in all “Through the Tunnel” is a charming story that perfectly captures the determination of a young boy trying to prove himself a man and a mother’s fear of letting go. It’s a quick read but it particularly resonated from me as someone who recently “left the nest”. I would defiantly recommend this rite of passage story to any avid reader.
Through the Tunnel by Doris Lessing. The New Yorker, New York, 1995.
Doris Lessing perfectly captures the awkward age of adolescence the time period where one is caught between childhood and adulthood. Lessing wonderfully portrays the fears involved with branching out into the unfamiliar adult world, along with the accompanying fear of parents to let their children leave the nest. As a young reader, new to being on my own, I found this story really hit home for me.
The author flawlessly captures the feeling of younger child longing for the acceptance of the older children. The of Jerry is reminiscent to the younger brother trying to catch up to his older siblings, tagging along and trying to prove his worth, and almost always getting hurt because of his stubbornness. On the flip side she captures the abject feelings of rejection when Jerry is welcomed by the older boys only to be ignored when they figure out he is foreign. He cries uncontrollably after being left behind as the boys swim through the secret tunnel. But the rejection just makes Jerry determined to prove his worth.
I truly admired the abundant metaphors contained within this short story. By far the most intriguing, was the portrayal as the older boys as foreigners whose speech was not understood by Jerry. This can be interpreted as a representation of how foreign and alien the adult world is to a child. While on the cusp of manhood, the adult world is still a mystery to him. Another interesting allusion was that of the two beaches. The safe beach frequented by Jerry’s mother is an obvious representation for childhood safety; it is warm and sunny with safe waves. The rocky beach inhabited by the older boys is a symbol for adulthood; it is rough and intimidating but intriguing to the almost man Jerry.
Coinciding with Jerry’s struggle to swim through the underwater tunnel and be recognized by the older boys, there is the mother’s struggle to let her child grow up. It is obvious that in the beginning of the story the relationship between mother and son is tense, Jerry is on the brink of adulthood and his mother is not prepared for this. She does let her son leave the safety of her side for the rocky beach, but at the first sign of trouble, in the form of a bloody nose, she recalls him to her side in the nursery like beach. In an act of rebellion the boy strikes out on his own to the rocky beach without his mother’s knowledge. He succeeds in proving himself, but in a twist fears he will be unable to swim back the way he came, perhaps a metaphor for innocence lost.
All in all “Through the Tunnel” is a charming story that perfectly captures the determination of a young boy trying to prove himself a man and a mother’s fear of letting go. It’s a quick read but it particularly resonated from me as someone who recently “left the nest”. I would defiantly recommend this rite of passage story to any avid reader.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 2, 2022
dumb jerry
May 26, 2015
Written by the British author and 2007 Nobel Prize winner, Doris Lessing, this rather intriguing and thought-provoking short story, originally published by The New Yorker in 1955, revolves around the English pair, mother and her son, vacationing. The exact location of the beach where the main action takes place is not in any way specified but it could be gathered from the text that it is surely set in a foreign country.
Jerry is at the beach with his mother, a widow. One day he goes swimming to the new beach, far away from their usual spot. There he meets a group of older boys, obviously foreigners. Jerry tries to communicate with them but they speak different language. Boys show him the tunnel under water and after they leave him it becomes Jerry’s fixation to go through the tunnel. Will he succeed?
Focusing mostly on Jerry, plot is fairly simple. Characters are somewhat one dimensional. It could be said that Jerry’s key character determiner is his devotion. Once he decided he wants to go through the tunnel he made all the preparation to make that happen. He is stubborn but at the same time determined, a typical attribute of a boy coming of age.
Despite the ostensibly simple plot, this short story contains several fairly big metaphors within itself. Allegory of older boys whom Jerry is not able to understand, illustrates how foreign and peculiar adult world is to a youngster. Another great image is one of two beaches. One beach is familiar, where his mother is and the other is dangerous and unknown. Jerry is fascinated with the second beach, a symbol of adult world and of the inevitable – growing up.
On the whole, this is well worth reading since it opens up theme very close to the young public. As someone who recently left the “safety” of home’s nest, I felt really closely attached to the story. I would most definitely recommend this story to everybody of age between 9 and 19. An interesting, fast paced, captivating and easy to understand piece. Give it a try.
Jerry is at the beach with his mother, a widow. One day he goes swimming to the new beach, far away from their usual spot. There he meets a group of older boys, obviously foreigners. Jerry tries to communicate with them but they speak different language. Boys show him the tunnel under water and after they leave him it becomes Jerry’s fixation to go through the tunnel. Will he succeed?
Focusing mostly on Jerry, plot is fairly simple. Characters are somewhat one dimensional. It could be said that Jerry’s key character determiner is his devotion. Once he decided he wants to go through the tunnel he made all the preparation to make that happen. He is stubborn but at the same time determined, a typical attribute of a boy coming of age.
Despite the ostensibly simple plot, this short story contains several fairly big metaphors within itself. Allegory of older boys whom Jerry is not able to understand, illustrates how foreign and peculiar adult world is to a youngster. Another great image is one of two beaches. One beach is familiar, where his mother is and the other is dangerous and unknown. Jerry is fascinated with the second beach, a symbol of adult world and of the inevitable – growing up.
On the whole, this is well worth reading since it opens up theme very close to the young public. As someone who recently left the “safety” of home’s nest, I felt really closely attached to the story. I would most definitely recommend this story to everybody of age between 9 and 19. An interesting, fast paced, captivating and easy to understand piece. Give it a try.
January 2, 2017
“Through the Tunnel”, by Doris Lessing is a story about a boy named Jerry, and how he matures over time. Jerry wanted to be included in a group of older boys. He thought they would accept him if he could swim through a tunnel underwater. For Jerry, movement through the tunnel is a passage from the immaturity of boyhood to the maturity of adulthood.
December 24, 2019
As somebody who regularly devours novels that are hundreds of pages, I sometimes have trouble getting into short stories. This one was not one of them. Although short, the story gives you just enough background and characterization to get you invested into the relatible narrative.
The main character is an 11 year old boy who is on vacation with his widowed mother. He sees older local boys playing at a feat of physical prowess and determines to prove to himself he can do it also.
This feat requires him to stretch himself and even put himself in peril.
Much can be learned from this story about life and psychology.
I first read this story as a boy, and it was one of the few I remembered as making an impression on me. Although reading it as an adult brings back nostalgia, it is clear to me it is a story that can stand on its own without nostalgia propping it up.
I recomend this story to all people old enough to read it except maybe those children who are especially sensitive to peril and/or blood. These depictions are brief however, and the reader is soon reassured.
The main character is an 11 year old boy who is on vacation with his widowed mother. He sees older local boys playing at a feat of physical prowess and determines to prove to himself he can do it also.
This feat requires him to stretch himself and even put himself in peril.
Much can be learned from this story about life and psychology.
I first read this story as a boy, and it was one of the few I remembered as making an impression on me. Although reading it as an adult brings back nostalgia, it is clear to me it is a story that can stand on its own without nostalgia propping it up.
I recomend this story to all people old enough to read it except maybe those children who are especially sensitive to peril and/or blood. These depictions are brief however, and the reader is soon reassured.
January 1, 2022
No estoy exagerando si digo que me pareció emocionante. Es tan, tan cotidiano, pero en esa simpleza alcanza algo muy sublime.
February 14, 2025
4.75
An effective, vivid and tense short story.
An effective, vivid and tense short story.
July 22, 2015
This story was just perfect. I felt completely immersed (pun intended) in this young boys adventure. I think it really sums up our struggle as children to push for the goals in out sights, and not to give up regardless of the obstacles we face.
I felt so linked to the character that I actually held my breath whilst reading.
There was just the right amount of excitement and danger, and such beautiful prose. I really deserves an extra star from me.
I felt so linked to the character that I actually held my breath whilst reading.
There was just the right amount of excitement and danger, and such beautiful prose. I really deserves an extra star from me.
September 9, 2012
this book is a good book. although it has a very gory ending, it is good and easy to understand.
This book is about a boy named Jerry who discovers a tunnel underwater. He tries over and over and over again attempting to get in the tunnel and through it. will he succeed? (SPOILER:yes)
This book is about a boy named Jerry who discovers a tunnel underwater. He tries over and over and over again attempting to get in the tunnel and through it. will he succeed? (SPOILER:yes)
July 22, 2016
Out of the series of short stories I have been reading recently this one was one of the more promising, however I still felt that it lacked excitement but instead ended in a rather generic and predictable way
January 8, 2019
It is nothing extraordinary. It does have some elements of surprise that make it just interesting enough for the reader to keep reading till the end but it's not much. I was a little disappointed and was expecting more from this Nobel laureate.
July 15, 2018
The short story "Through the Tunnel" by Doris Lessing told about the young English boy, Jerry, who came with his mother for a summer vacation to the sea abroad. The author described in the first paragraph these two people: the mother walked on in front of the boy, carrying a bright-striped bag and the boy who stopped at turning off the path and looked down at a wild and rocky bay.
Next morning Jerry asked his mother to permit him to go and have a look at the rocks there. She agreed. He was an only child, eleven years old, she was a widow. She thought that he mustn't feel he ought to be with her.
Jerry went down to the rock, he jumped into the sea, he was a good swimmer. He dived and when he appeared on the surface, he noticed a group of boys. They spoke a language which he didn't understand. He very much wanted to be with them. He was so glad to see that one boy noticed him and smiled. They shouted cheerfully at him and when they understood that he was a foreigner they proceeded to ignore him. Jerry was happy to be with them.
Next time Jerry saw one boy dived into the water and didn't come up. Jerry yelled in warning, the other boys looked at him idly and turned their eyes back toward the water. After a long time, the boy came up on the other side of a rock and shouted triumphantly. The other boys followed the example of the fellow, and Jerry understood that they swam through the tunnel in the rock.
The idea of going through the tunnel intrigued Jerry. He had passed several classes at a diving school. He thought he must learn to control his breathing. He counted the time being underwater, Jerry exercised his lungs as if it was the goal of his whole life. At night, the boy dreamed of the water-filled cave in the rock. His nose was bleeding.
He continued training. The boys made a pause while he counted a hundred and sixty. He thought that now if he tried, he could get through that long tunnel, but he was not going to try yet. The author wrote, "A curious, most unchildlike persistence, a controlled impatience, made him wait."
He understood how dangerous swimming through the tunnel could be. He was frightened but he said to himself that if he did not do it now, he never would. Eventually, he did it. It happened in the morning, he went to the beach and swam through the tunnel. When he came to the surface, he saw "the local boys diving and playing half a mile away. He did not want them. He wanted nothing but to get back home and lie down."
He told his mother that he can stay underwater for three minutes. The mother looked at him closely. She noticed that his face was pale, he was strained. His eyes were glazed-looking. She was worried. She was ready to argue against his underwater swimming, "but he gave in at once. It was no longer of the least importance to go to the bay."
A reader can assume that when the boy becomes an adult he would be recognized for the great achievements. The idea that if you set your mind to something, then you can accomplish it - was expressed in Jerry’s desire to getting through the tunnel and as a result, he did that. After Jerry reached his goal, he no longer felt the desire to demonstrate it or to be congratulated by the other boys. In the case of Jerry, the tunnel symbolizes the passage from childhood to adulthood. In the story of the boy who went through the tunnel, the author represented people who are able to overcome difficulties.
Here is the link to the text of the story:
http://bclearningnetwork.com/LOR/medi...
Next morning Jerry asked his mother to permit him to go and have a look at the rocks there. She agreed. He was an only child, eleven years old, she was a widow. She thought that he mustn't feel he ought to be with her.
Jerry went down to the rock, he jumped into the sea, he was a good swimmer. He dived and when he appeared on the surface, he noticed a group of boys. They spoke a language which he didn't understand. He very much wanted to be with them. He was so glad to see that one boy noticed him and smiled. They shouted cheerfully at him and when they understood that he was a foreigner they proceeded to ignore him. Jerry was happy to be with them.
Next time Jerry saw one boy dived into the water and didn't come up. Jerry yelled in warning, the other boys looked at him idly and turned their eyes back toward the water. After a long time, the boy came up on the other side of a rock and shouted triumphantly. The other boys followed the example of the fellow, and Jerry understood that they swam through the tunnel in the rock.
The idea of going through the tunnel intrigued Jerry. He had passed several classes at a diving school. He thought he must learn to control his breathing. He counted the time being underwater, Jerry exercised his lungs as if it was the goal of his whole life. At night, the boy dreamed of the water-filled cave in the rock. His nose was bleeding.
He continued training. The boys made a pause while he counted a hundred and sixty. He thought that now if he tried, he could get through that long tunnel, but he was not going to try yet. The author wrote, "A curious, most unchildlike persistence, a controlled impatience, made him wait."
He understood how dangerous swimming through the tunnel could be. He was frightened but he said to himself that if he did not do it now, he never would. Eventually, he did it. It happened in the morning, he went to the beach and swam through the tunnel. When he came to the surface, he saw "the local boys diving and playing half a mile away. He did not want them. He wanted nothing but to get back home and lie down."
He told his mother that he can stay underwater for three minutes. The mother looked at him closely. She noticed that his face was pale, he was strained. His eyes were glazed-looking. She was worried. She was ready to argue against his underwater swimming, "but he gave in at once. It was no longer of the least importance to go to the bay."
A reader can assume that when the boy becomes an adult he would be recognized for the great achievements. The idea that if you set your mind to something, then you can accomplish it - was expressed in Jerry’s desire to getting through the tunnel and as a result, he did that. After Jerry reached his goal, he no longer felt the desire to demonstrate it or to be congratulated by the other boys. In the case of Jerry, the tunnel symbolizes the passage from childhood to adulthood. In the story of the boy who went through the tunnel, the author represented people who are able to overcome difficulties.
Here is the link to the text of the story:
http://bclearningnetwork.com/LOR/medi...
November 23, 2020
even though i couldnt find “england versus england” here in goodreads, after that short story, this is my second one from the author. though i liked the first one better, this is also one that i will not forget in a long time, with the feeling of epiphany at the end, it had me sob from the very first lines. i’m willing to check out the other works of the author after my 3rd term in university finishes, in other words; when reading them is no longer my academic responsibility. not that i don’t enjoy academic readings, i do, but reading for your own enjoyment is something else and the author made me want to read them for my own enjoyment ~~
November 16, 2023
The universal desire, on some level, to conform to social pressures and be a part of the fun others are having, mixed with that eternal headstrong masculine urge to prove we're stronger than what nature can throw at us (even if the uncertainty makes it likely to kill us) are nailed in this short. An engaging enough read, but despite its plainness it touched on a sense of nostalgia for those times where we did dumb things to prove our worth to others and to our selves, and they were our only concerns.
April 4, 2020
Some of the best stories are about ordinary events in the life of ordinary people. A blip in the commonplace which could have gone unnoticed bit doesn't.
A young boy attempts a swimming feat on his summer holiday. Tension surfaces between a couple as they share a bottle of wine. Three contractors ogle at a woman sunbathing on the roof...Doris Lessing brings out the vagaries of human behaviour in her short stories.
A young boy attempts a swimming feat on his summer holiday. Tension surfaces between a couple as they share a bottle of wine. Three contractors ogle at a woman sunbathing on the roof...Doris Lessing brings out the vagaries of human behaviour in her short stories.
August 3, 2022
The story is outstanding.
The plot of "Through the Tunnel" involves 11-year-old Jerry struggling to locate and swim in a secret underwater tunnel. After spending several days locating the gap, then practicing breathing exercises to hold his breath, he succeeds in traveling the tunnel through to the other side. The plot is focused on two main conflicts: overcoming one's limitations, and humans versus nature.
The plot of "Through the Tunnel" involves 11-year-old Jerry struggling to locate and swim in a secret underwater tunnel. After spending several days locating the gap, then practicing breathing exercises to hold his breath, he succeeds in traveling the tunnel through to the other side. The plot is focused on two main conflicts: overcoming one's limitations, and humans versus nature.
May 5, 2017
Atravessar um túnel debaixo d'agua que só garotos maiores que ele ou adultos conseguem, torna se uma obsessão para um garoto de 11 anos. .mas para ele essa travessia vai significar muita coisa; a independência em relação à sua mãe e a sua entrada no mundo dos adultos.
December 5, 2020
Easy, engaging read that leaves you thinking.
A great short story, vivid description and sympathetic characterisation enhance the simple but powerful plot. Themes of loneliness, the power of love, adolescence and adventure underpin this great little story!
A great short story, vivid description and sympathetic characterisation enhance the simple but powerful plot. Themes of loneliness, the power of love, adolescence and adventure underpin this great little story!
August 16, 2022
This short story is fast paced and gripping. Close 3rd person of an 11 yo boy, it twice (or 3 or 4 times?) switches, seamlessly, to the mother's thoughts. Lessing's capacity to take us on this frightening journey is sublime.
February 14, 2025
An abundance of unnecessary adverbs, plain adjectives, and the characters and thematic elements were rather boring. Cut off the first four pages or so and the exciting journey through the tunnel would have atoned for some other transgressions.
September 11, 2017
it was okay.
December 9, 2018
Coming of age symbolism at its absolute finest. A must read for teens.
Read
October 10, 2019It was pretty decent
October 27, 2019
This short story provides in a descriptive manner the story of a boy who wants to accomplish a feat that he has seen older boys do.
January 16, 2020
very good book
April 23, 2020
Very good to demonstrate the use of descriptive language for students.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews