The Man with the Lapdog
by Beth Lordan
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At a glance:
- Author: Beth Lordan
- First Published: 1999
- Type of Plot: Domestic realism, psychological
- Time of Work: The 1990’s
- Setting: Galway, Ireland
- Characters: Lyle, Mary, Mark, Laura
- Genres: Short fiction
- Subjects: United States or Americans, Traveling or travelers, Dogs, Love or romance, Twentieth century, Marriage, Death or dying, Fantasy, 1990's, Vacations, Terminal illness or terminally ill, Western Europe or western Europeans, Ireland or Irish people, Retirement
- Locales: Europe, Ireland, Galway, Ireland
The Story
Lyle, the man in “The Man with the Lapdog,” has been living in Galway, Ireland, for two years after his retirement. He does not particularly like the Irish people, who he thinks stand too close, but there is a lot about Ireland he does like: He likes going for walks and he likes being a foreigner. Moreover, he feels displaced and distant from his Irish wife.
One morning he meets an American couple on one of his walks with his dog. Although it is March, not the regular tourist season, Mark and Laura are on vacation for three weeks. The couple is friendly, and...
(The entire page is 1447 words.)
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