The Connoisseur by Frank Banta
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"The Connoisseur" by Frank Banta is a science fiction short story written in the early 1960s. The narrative explores themes of desire, value, and the complex interplay of human relationships within a speculative setting. The story presents an unconventional and thought-provoking view on the idea of marriage and the value assigned to individuals. The storyline follows a protagonist who enters into a negotiation to "purchase" a young girl named Lisa from her
father, using various valuable items as currency. As the father and daughter barter, Lisa’s innocence and growing awareness of her own value come into play. While Lisa appears to be merely a prize in this transaction, she ultimately asserts her individuality by refusing the initial offers, leading to a surprising conclusion that raises questions about agency and respect in relationships. The story combines dark humor with a critique of social norms, all set against a backdrop of a fantastical spaceship and its crew, making for a compelling reflection on human nature and the concept of worth. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Banta, Frank |
|---|---|
| Title | The Connoisseur |
| Series Title | Produced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, May 1961 |
| Credits |
Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 76.0 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Science fiction |
| Subject | Short stories |
| Subject | Space ships -- Fiction |
| Subject | Bride price -- Fiction |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 60991 |
| Release Date | Dec 22, 2019 |
| Last Update | Oct 17, 2024 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 310 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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