Time Enough at Last by Lyn Venable

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Author Venable, Lyn
Title Time Enough at Last
Note Reading ease score: 83.0 (6th grade). Easy to read.
Credits Greg Weeks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net
Summary "Time Enough at Last" by Lyn Venable is a short story originally published in the January 1953 issue of IF Worlds of Science Fiction. The narrative follows the theme of human desire and the ironic twists of fate, particularly focusing on one man's longing for solitude and time to indulge in reading. The story explores post-apocalyptic consequences where characters find their ambitions and desires confronted by the harsh realities of survival. The plot centers around Henry Bemis, a bespectacled bank teller with a strong yearning to read books, often thwarted by his demanding life and overbearing wife, Agnes. After a catastrophic event reduces the world to ruins, Henry emerges from the destruction to find himself in a desolate landscape, bereft of civilization and loved ones. Initially overwhelmed by sorrow for those lost, he soon discovers the remnants of a library, filled with books he has longed to read. In a moment of bittersweet triumph, Henry settles down to read, only to accidentally break his glasses, rendering him unable to see the text before him. This poignant twist emphasizes the irony of finally achieving his dream, only to have it slip through his fingers, underscoring the story's themes of longing, loss, and the futility of human desire in the face of overwhelming circumstance. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Language English
LoC Class PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature
Subject Science fiction
Subject Short stories
Subject Books and reading -- Fiction
Subject Nuclear warfare -- Fiction
Category Text
EBook-No. 32633
Release Date
Most Recently Updated Feb 18, 2024
Copyright Status Public domain in the USA.
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