(WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD)

Katherine Mansfield’s short story “Je Ne Parle Pas Français” is narrated by one Raoul Duquette, an aspiring French writer. Duquette is perhaps one of Mansfield’s most fascinating characters. He is the only first-person narrator that she ever used in any of her stories, making this story by far one of her most interesting.

An analysis of a first-person narrator should seem easy considering that he is the character through which we see the entire story. However, the reader’s knowledge is narrowed to only Duquette’s own perceptions. So, it is actually somewhat more difficult than it first would appear.

As the reader only sees the world through Duquette’s own interpretations, we must come to understand why he interprets the world in the way in which he does. In doing so, we may better understand his interactions with those in it. In the end, he is a man of many flaws and one who only ever really shares himself through his writing.

Raoul is very imaginative and very high on himself. As confident as Raoul is in his writing skills, and from his writing it is easy to see why, he is, in fact, a lonely man. Raoul describes himself as a true Parisian, born and raised. He says that he has no family and likes it that way. Raoul has forgotten his childhood completely, save the vivid memories of his family’s laundress. “Bury it under a laundry basket instead of a shower of roses and passon outré,” he writes of his past.

The only other detail which Raoul offers about his past is that he was “tiny for my age, and pale, with a lovely little half-open mouth – I feel sure of that.” From these vague details, it is plausible to believe that he was certainly not a favorite son. It also seems he had a fairly unhappy childhood.

Our narrator says that his life truly began as soon as he moved into his first apartment. Who he is now did not exist before that moment. “I date myself from the moment that I became the tenant of a small bachelor flat,” he declares. “There I emerged,” he writes importantly, “came out into the light and put out my two horns with a study and a bedroom and a kitchen on my back.”

For the first time in that apartment, Raoul found he was finally able to define himself. He would be an aspiring writer who would write a book to “stagger the critics.” His writing talents are certainly never in doubt, especially with the way he tells his own story. It seems that he has made somewhat of a decent living thanks to his talents. Yet, aside from his writing, he seems to have very little else happening in his life.

Raoul goes into quite a bit of detail about his appearance, likening himself to “a little woman in a café who has to introduce herself with a handful of photographs.” He blames this on his “submerged life.” He reveals himself to be a very imaginative and very sensitive man, as well as a romanticist. It is here that he makes it very evident that he is definitely a loner; he feels quite brilliant and important for his writing, but that is all.

Beyond that, Raoul simply drifts through life. His livelihood exists only in the exquisiteness of his works and within his own imagination. He is still, in a sense, the same little boy as which he began. But, he has learned to simply move on, and not live in the past. This practice has indeed helped him to create at least a solid literary career.

After his rather lengthy introduction, Raoul tells the story of what made the café at which he writes this story so special to him. It is about the first real friend he ever made. He orders whisky, even though he despises it, for the mere fact that he firmly believes he must to write about an Englishman. This Englishman, Dick Harmon, is his first real friend. Drinking his whisky rather disgustedly, but thoughtfully, Raoul writes about how he met Dick. They met at an editor’s party where Dick was the only Englishman, making him easily stand out. Raoul instantly found Dick absolutely fascinating.

When Raoul asks the host about him, he discovers that Dick is a writer himself, making a special study of modern French literature. By chance, Raoul just happened to be a “young, serious writer who was making a special study of modern English literature.” Upon learning this, it was Dick, apparently already aware of him, that as Raoul put it “made the first advances.”

It is curious how Raoul seems to refer to Dick not as a buddy and more as a sort of romantic interest. Then again, considering the evidently hermitic nature of Raoul’s existence, it is wholly unfair to blame him for feeling otherwise. Anyhow, the two instantly became fast friends, having very much in common with their profession and favorite topics of conversation.

When the two meet for dinner, Raoul reveals things about himself to Dick no one else knew. These presumably include things he does not even tell the reader, and Dick becomes his confidant. Whether Dick really takes much of what Raoul’s sense is anyone’s guess. They were both rather drunk at the time, by Raoul’s admission. But it is still a huge deal for Raoul because he had never found anyone else who he was so comfortable in being with.

As Dick leaves in a rush for England to take care of some important business, Raoul feels insulted Dick did not inform him sooner. After receiving Dick’s letter a couple days later, he doesn’t get another letter until many months later. By that time, Raoul has almost forgotten all about Dick, consistent with his “rule of not looking back.” Before he meets Dick and his lady friend, Mouse, Raoul practices a part in front of his mirror. This is to make himself out to be much more successful than he really is.

When he meets Mouse, for the first time in his life, he finds himself truly fascinated with a woman. It is a sad ending to the entire deal, after what happens between her and Dick. Although it seems entirely possible that Raoul and Mouse could have continued their relationship, the extreme awkwardness of the situation made him never go near their lodgings ever again. For all that he has consistently done to leave the past behind, he can never stop thinking of Mouse.

When Raoul sees the phrase “Je ne parle pas Français” inscribed in green ink on the bottom of an otherwise pedestrian piece of paper, he is overtaken by the echo of the memory of his first true love telling him those exact same words. It is a sad story, and one is left to wonder what will become of poor old Raoul.  Will he ever be able to just move on like he has so many times before?

Are you into thrillers, action, and suspense novels? Here are 14 hand-picked novels we think may whet your action and suspense fiction appetite!

As the full might of the American intelligence community is mobilized to stop it, the CIA's new director must confront a web of threats both at home and abroad, from a resentful White House chieftain, to a cunning Israeli spymaster, and the fearsome commander of the Iranian Quds Force.

In Moscow--after an oil trader with ties to the Kremlin is found burned alive in his Geneva home--an aide to Russia's adored and despotic president is caught between opposing powers. At one side is an eccentric billionaire with lofty dreams of reorienting Russia toward the West, and at the other is the autocratic strongman whose ardent quest for resurgence has brought Russia into a risky, open confrontation with NATO.

In Lebanon, the Syrian civil war that raged for years across the border has reached its bloody climax. Yet in its wake, a new menace comes crawling from the shadows to feast on the remains. A brilliant CIA officer in Beirut, working desperately to penetrate an exhausted Hezbollah, is first to recognize the danger. As she begins calling on deaf ears, it is only a matter of time until the drums of war start beating again in the Middle East--and now with the greatest terrorist the world has ever known leading the charge.

Warping the line between illusion and reality, amid a labyrinth of characters, plots and counter-plots that span the globe--from the halls of the Kremlin and the suburbs of northern Virginia, to the slums of Beirut and the back alleys of Tehran--comes a story of intrigue and betrayal, life and death, setting a collision course toward a firestorm that will consume thousands and blind a superpower.

Then the Captain drops a new assignment on their desk: an affluent Bay Area lawyer is missing. The man’s wife stomps into their office screaming about a contract she found hidden in the backups of their home computer. A contract with a seven-figure payout, and an incriminating Exhibit A.

Following the trail of both the motorcycle rider and the lawyer with Kandy complaining, “We’re homicide detectives, there should be a body,” leads to a vintage motorcycle club called the Ton Up where lips are sealed, a yacht harbor on the coast where riddles run deep, and a midnight roadside confrontation that ends with a splash. As the trails twist they soon find that these people and places have one thing in common:

A violist named Mylin. Who plays in an all-female orchestra called The Girls of the Orient. And, unbeknownst to her, is the subject of a fine-art photographer’s latest collection.

From San Francisco to Mexico, the treacherous cliffs of the Pacific coast to the desolation of Nevada’s high desert, Tune Up moves like Kandy’s turbocharged Mini through a foggy landscape of false identities, fake romance, and frenzied chases, as Qigiq realizes one picture really can reveal more than 1,000 words.

As he covers an intense season of high school football, Jake is blown away by the passion everyone has for the sport. But as the new guy in an alien, insular town, he’s also running up against the old-boy network. That’s making it difficult for him to get answers about murky financial dealings and a dubious school redistricting decision that just so happens to have brought some of the best players in the state to perennial powerhouse Dolphin High, which had fallen from dominance.

Three Yards and a Plate of Mullet is a thoroughly entertaining flashback to 1980s Florida. Uniting the worlds of high-stakes high school football with newsroom drama and eccentric characters, it follows our intrepid young reporter as he works to make it in the business he loves while finding his way around a peculiar culture.

He holes up at The Watergate on a senator's dime and enlists a call girl as his unwitting ally. But with the media eating Trent alive, he doesn't have long before they catch him. From the tony clubs of Georgetown to murders on Capitol Hill, The Intern has all the twists and turns of a classic DC thriller, with an added comedic flair.

He immediately meets a damsel in hitchhiking distress who says her name is Mona. Her presence persuades him that the bright lights and dark clubs of Chicago might be his kind of town. So on a summer Saturday night they settle into a fancy hotel overlooking the beaches of Lake Michigan.

On Sunday...Mona disappears.

But she leaves behind more than a sweet memory that involves Tommy in a brand new cash flow problem he never imagined. While trying to sort out how to stay on the right side of the law and get back on the road, he meets a young criminologist who helps him, a DJ who doesn't, and a librarian who teaches him about the city, women, and the art of the makeover. After truth and lies are stirred like a blue martini, being assaulted by a pink monkey, and witnessing a drive-by shooting that drowns a Ferrari--Tommy is desperate to help Mona.

If he can find her.

As his investigation progresses, he unravels a plot that, if not stopped, will result in the untimely and murderous deaths of tens of millions of people. Bai Tide is Bai’s greatest challenge yet. A mission that will take him from the windswept beaches of San Diego to a whiteout blizzard in the foothills of Pyongyang, and make him question everything he thought he knew about working in the field…and about himself.

With a little dry humor and some heart-stopping tension, Michael Kravitz wades into the drama of a post-EMP attack. It is the story of Ben Randal, his family, his neighbors, and some quirky friends coming together with some old-fashioned values and hope as they struggled to survive in this sudden and unprecedented crisis as Boston Darkens.

Love autobiographies and memoirs? Looking for something new to read, or looking for a gift for a fellow book lover? Here are 7 memorable memoirs worth reading!

From the age of seven to seventeen, Michael, with his mother and sister, journeyed along his own underground railroad, desperately searching for a way to free his family from the sewers of society.

Michael learned death was a big part of youth homelessness. Education was not. To survive, he had to become something more. Caught in between two worlds- his dreams vs. his reality- violence, gangsters, hunger, poverty, and sorrow marked his daily life.

Michael vowed to change his fate through getting his high school diploma. He never hoped to dream that not only would he graduate from high school but also from a prestigious California university. This is the true story of a homeless boy, marked for prison or worse, who fought against tremendous odds and persevered to achieve academic and professional success.

Throughout childhood, Anlor struggled to hold her world together and in many ways succeeded: she became an accomplished young tennis player, competing even at the level of the French Open. However, in addition to her autism a dark history hung over her family—a history that she did not fully understand for years to come. Without yet having a name for her world-shattering condition, Anlor headed to a new life in America. But she now had to contend with the raw basics of survival in a new culture, speaking a new language, and without support from her family.

Through incredible effort, Anlor was able to parlay her knowledge of the French language into a job teaching in the notorious South Side neighborhood of Chicago, one of America's most violent. Anlor married, had a child, and even dreamed that she might be able to pass as a neurotypical person. The grim toll of daily compensating for her autism and “pretending to be normal” proved too great a challenge and Anlor’s life imploded. She spiraled downward into a kind of hell, losing her marriage and her beloved son.

Desperate, Anlor moved west to California, where she found a mysterious and ancient tradition of spiritual practice from the Far East—zen. Through this profound meditation and community she was able to slowly rebuild her life, this time with honest acceptance of the challenge she faced. The path took her through extreme emotional and physical duress but—at last—led to proper medical diagnosis and treatment of her autism. Today, Anlor works to help people understand her way of being, and the value of basic meditative practice in living and thriving with autism.

Surviving Mental Illness helps break through the fear and stigma of mental illness and focuses on how to find health and happiness. The author shares her personal journey: the heartbreak and challenges of bipolar disorder, and the joy of making her way back to mental health. Through her own story, she shows that help is out there, and with a little faith, recovery is possible. My faith in G-d has led me to recover in ways you cannot imagine. Life is having faith to overcome any obstacles, and that is what my recovery from mental illness is all about.

In the novel One Groovy Summer you will experience plenty of comedy, romance, adventure, and nostalgia. This was a time of great change. There was the Sexual Revolution, the Civil Rights movement, the Vietnam War, and Hippies everywhere. It was a truly memorable trip. So come along for the ride. It's going to be One Groovy Summer!

The characters include the seventeen year old son of a Boer president; a young shipbuilding dock worker and his military nurse girlfriend from the industrial north-east of England, and a young Canadian soldier who volunteered for Canada’s first campaign outside its borders. Involved too are such illustrious British participants as Winston Churchill, Field marshal Frederick Roberts and Generals Kitchener, Ian Hamilton and Robert Baden-Powell among others. Boer leaders involved include Generals Christiaan de Wet, Louis Botha, Koos de la Rey and Jan Smuts. 

The reader is guided through the various twists and turns of the first major British conflict of the 20th century from its beginning through to its end. The naivety and excitement of combatants in the lead up to and beginning of the Second Anglo-Boer War was contagious. It pulled many naïve young men into the maelstrom of combat. The failures, frustrations, disappointments, disillusionments and sufferings soon emerge. It is a tale of imperial arrogance and determination, of stubbornness, innocence, love and loss experienced in a rugged and alluring land far from the heart of the British Empire.

Whether it's for a birthday, Christmas, or any other special occasion, historical fiction and nonfiction lovers always enjoy the gift of a good read! Here are some historical fiction novels and nonfiction books worth checking out and giving as gifts!

Facing the horrors of slavery, she triumphs by gaining freedom papers for her maid Emma's enslaved husband and son. Brianna and Edward escape with them to San Francisco. There she becomes one of the most sought after madams in the gold rush parlor house trade. But will her fame and pluck be enough to save Edward from the Vigilante noose? This is the first book in the American Madams series.

His boring and uninteresting life is transported into a magical life of excitement and adventure through explorations of rural ranch life, fishing in remote lakes, and the Gulf of Mexico. A Scout Master provides the opportunity of a life time for these wonderful new experiences, but is there too big of a price to pay? Only the boy can answer this question as he seeks the truth.

What is lost when identity is concealed? What price is paid? Tom’s emotional story unfolds against the backdrop of the Cincinnati race riots of 1836 and 1841 and the oncoming Civil War. In a place and time beset with racism, hate, jealousy and violence, the novel’s characters forge deep evolving loves, friendships, and loyalties as they move towards freedom, their ultimate goal.

This is the author’s imagined story of her own maternal ancestry.

Centuries before Iniki struck, the land belonged to Kauai's royal family. The lush coconut grove along the Wailua River was home to Queen Deborah, the last reigning monarch, whose remains have never been found. Rumor has it that she walks the halls of the resort.

After more than two decades, corporate New York lawyer, Abby Parker has been hired to acquire the property for a wealthy land developer. Abby soon discovers that the Heritage and Cultural Association is not the biggest obstacle to stand in her way. Within hours of arriving on the island, Abby finds herself on a gurney, in the back of an ambulance. Abby may have bitten off more than she can chew.

The Cold War is raging. Mendel falls for Sara Cavanaugh, the engineer responsible for a controversial tower under construction on a sacred site. If completed, the tower will communicate globally with the American nuclear submarine fleet. The Binyan patriarch and his brilliant son are in a generational conflict over the tower and the son’s future.

Spiced with magical realism and mysticism, The Seed Apple (a follow up to Greene’s Lost and Found) is a mysterious, funny, moving novel by a critically acclaimed author.

The grieving, confused son can no longer keep this apparition from his wife and kids—and opens the door. The Marine finally declares why he is there: to straighten out his stray son—and bum a ride to see his dying mother in a 1942 Sioux City, Iowa hospital. The son needs to take his family to Sioux City in the year 2000 to attend his father’s funeral. So the young father and the old son take their battles back to World War II on a trip across a wartime America towards death and an elusive reconciliation.

An emotional journey through paranormal realms, Expect Deception is a fast-paced, suspenseful tale of what happens when US Navy psychics pit themselves against their Nazi counterparts.

byLyn Lomasi,Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff

Christmas is the season for giving. Make your gifts count this year by touching hearts with these world-changing true stories. These  will inspire, help people relate to one another, and perhaps even help some change the world themselves.

Michael learned death was a big part of youth homelessness. Education was not. To survive, he had to become something more. Caught in between two worlds- his dreams vs. his reality- violence, gangsters, hunger, poverty, and sorrow marked his daily life.

Michael vowed to change his fate through getting his high school diploma. He never hoped to dream that not only would he graduate from high school but also from a prestigious California university. This is the true story of a homeless boy, marked for prison or worse, who fought against tremendous odds and persevered to achieve academic and professional success."

The famous revolutionary thinker, inventor and futurist known to all as Bucky twice sweeps the author off her feet: First as a young girl visiting Fuller's 1969 World Game in Carbondale, Illinois and then again as a fledgling journalist in 1982 Chicago. High atop Michigan Avenue Bucky takes her cosmic surfing in an animated lecture about the remarkable possibilities for humanity to succeed beyond our wildest dreams. She promises to share his ideas with the world, which is the passionate obsession in an inspiring coming of age journey.

Readers get a charming introduction to an important historical figure as well as some uncommon sense prescriptions for humanity's success. 

This book gets readers out of their comfort zones to find their own voices to speak truth to power. Discovering Bucky's ideas is like finding a new engine under the hood of your car.  "

of being the next kidnapping victim degrades how many Nigerians live their lives.

Captive Market takes the view that if we understand the way kidnappers think about kidnapping it might be easier to get people out of kidnapping situations. It uses first person kidnapping stories and interviews with hostage negotiators and peeks into the twisted and bizarre world of kidnapping insurance."

Barrett & Ivan: Something About Him by A.D. Ellis

Despite the curve balls thrown at him throughout his childhood, Barrett Kenner is now a successful musician. The only thing missing is romance.

Ivan Romanov killed a man to save his sister’s life. Although he has served his time, Ivan’s past left him with baggage far heavier than the meager belongings he carries out of prison.

Barrett clings to the memory of a fervent kiss, a kiss that Ivan tries to pretend meant nothing. When the two men finally accept their feelings for each other, life should be smooth sailing, but the past still lurks in the shadows.

Can Barrett and Ivan protect their love and their lives, or will dangers from long ago be more than they can withstand?

**This is a male/male romance meant for ages 18+ due to adult language and adult situations.**

Read the teasers below:

About the Author

A.D. Ellis spends the majority of her days loving and wrangling two school-aged children and a husband before heading to the inner city of Indiana to teach a challenging group of alternative education students in grades third through sixth. Most days she hits the gym after school in hopes of running and lifting away the stress and headaches of the day before picking up her children and squeezing a whole day’s worth of loving and living into the too-short hours before bed. It’s no wonder Ms. Ellis lives for the slower, easier days she gets to enjoy on breaks from school.

Growing up in a small farming town in southern Indiana, A.D. is grateful to her mother for passing along the love of reading. With her nose constantly stuck in a book, Ms. Ellis became accustomed to friends and acquaintances snickering and shaking their heads at her love of reading.

A.D. never dreamed of being anything but a teacher, although there are certain times of the year when she laments her career choice. Ms. Ellis had a story idea floating in her head for about a year. After persistent prodding from a friend, A.D. put pen to paper and began writing her first story in October 2013. From that moment on, she was hooked. Taking the people and stories from her head and sharing them with readers is a scary, exhausting, rewarding, and fulfilling experience which A.D. plans to continue until there are no more stories banging around in her mind.

A.D. Ellis’ work can be found on both iBooks and Amazon. Please contact her on Facebook, Twitter, or her website.

iBooks bit.ly/ADEllisiBooks
Amazon author.to/ADEllisAmazon
Facebook www.facebook.com/adellisauthor
Twitter www.twitter.com/ADEllisAuthor
Website http://www.adellisauthor.com

Brody & Nick: Something About Him by A.D. Ellis

Army specialist Brody King is a successful and respected soldier. With only a year left in his commitment, he devises a plan to help him save money—a plan that requires him to marry.

Nick Ferguson is working toward college graduation and his community services management career. With his lease about to expire, he’s more than willing to take Brody up on his crazy marriage scheme.

A solution that seems quick and easy turns into more than either of them ever anticipated. When Brody’s fears and insecurities surface, he makes a decision that may push Nick away forever.

Can a fake marriage built upon friendship withstand the obstacles of an uncertain future?

**This is a male/male romance for ages 18+ due to adult language and themes.**

Read the teasers below:

About the Author

A.D. Ellis spends the majority of her days loving and wrangling two school-aged children and a husband before heading to the inner city of Indiana to teach a challenging group of alternative education students in grades third through sixth. Most days she hits the gym after school in hopes of running and lifting away the stress and headaches of the day before picking up her children and squeezing a whole day’s worth of loving and living into the too-short hours before bed. It’s no wonder Ms. Ellis lives for the slower, easier days she gets to enjoy on breaks from school.

Growing up in a small farming town in southern Indiana, A.D. is grateful to her mother for passing along the love of reading. With her nose constantly stuck in a book, Ms. Ellis became accustomed to friends and acquaintances snickering and shaking their heads at her love of reading.

A.D. never dreamed of being anything but a teacher, although there are certain times of the year when she laments her career choice. Ms. Ellis had a story idea floating in her head for about a year. After persistent prodding from a friend, A.D. put pen to paper and began writing her first story in October 2013. From that moment on, she was hooked. Taking the people and stories from her head and sharing them with readers is a scary, exhausting, rewarding, and fulfilling experience which A.D. plans to continue until there are no more stories banging around in her mind.

A.D. Ellis’ work can be found on both iBooks and Amazon. Please contact her on Facebook, Twitter, or her website.

iBooks bit.ly/ADEllisiBooks
Amazon author.to/ADEllisAmazon
Facebook www.facebook.com/adellisauthor
Twitter www.twitter.com/ADEllisAuthor
Website http://www.adellisauthor.com

Brian & Jase: Something About Him by A.D. Ellis

Jase Rafferty grew up hiding his sexual curiosities—until he meets Bryan Keating. Bryan’s sexuality is no secret, and being deployed overseas together allows the two men to forge a solid friendship. The sexual attraction is undeniable, but after one lust-filled week, they must go their separate ways.

A year later, a chance meeting gives them one more weekend together, even though they know Jase can’t risk his military career or his family obligations to be with Bryan.

Several years pass before Jase finally accepts the desperate longing in his heart and body. But when fear and hatred threaten to tear them apart, Jase must make a tough decision, one that he isn’t sure he and Bryan can overcome. Together, they must choose to weather the storm or say goodbye forever.

**This is a male/male romance meant for ages 18+ due to adult language and adult situations.**

Read the teasers below.

About the Author

A.D. Ellis spends the majority of her days loving and wrangling two school-aged children and a husband before heading to the inner city of Indiana to teach a challenging group of alternative education students in grades third through sixth. Most days she hits the gym after school in hopes of running and lifting away the stress and headaches of the day before picking up her children and squeezing a whole day’s worth of loving and living into the too-short hours before bed. It’s no wonder Ms. Ellis lives for the slower, easier days she gets to enjoy on breaks from school.

Growing up in a small farming town in southern Indiana, A.D. is grateful to her mother for passing along the love of reading. With her nose constantly stuck in a book, Ms. Ellis became accustomed to friends and acquaintances snickering and shaking their heads at her love of reading.

A.D. never dreamed of being anything but a teacher, although there are certain times of the year when she laments her career choice. Ms. Ellis had a story idea floating in her head for about a year. After persistent prodding from a friend, A.D. put pen to paper and began writing her first story in October 2013. From that moment on, she was hooked. Taking the people and stories from her head and sharing them with readers is a scary, exhausting, rewarding, and fulfilling experience which A.D. plans to continue until there are no more stories banging around in her mind.

A.D. Ellis’ work can be found on both iBooks and Amazon. Please contact her on Facebook, Twitter, or her website.

iBooks bit.ly/ADEllisiBooks
Amazon author.to/ADEllisAmazon
Facebook www.facebook.com/adellisauthor
Twitter www.twitter.com/ADEllisAuthor
Website http://www.adellisauthor.com