HOW TO TALK TO GIRLS AT PARTIES

This is a fairly long short story for a single class. But it deals with something relevant, yet foreign,  and fantastic, yet everyday. Found it after I had been thinking about sarcasm, ”the joke is on you” and the ”been that done that”-attitude that human beings sometimes have… I don’t really know what to make of it, but the story is somehow intriguing and I felt that it somehow could be something for us. I might be wrong, but I went with it.

 

  • To say something heartfelt, what’s the risk, what’s the reward?
  • To say something sarcastic what’s the risk, what’s the reward?

What stays with you from the short story? Why? Publish below. Why do you think it got nominated as the best short story in 2007?

31 reaktioner till “HOW TO TALK TO GIRLS AT PARTIES”

  1. If you say something heartfelt to a girl , the biggest risk can be that the girl will denied the compliment. The reward can be the opposite that the girl will open up more for you, cause she sees that you are a kind person.

    If you say something sarcastic there’s a risk of the girl thinking that you’re just a jerk who never sees the positiv things in life or the reward can be that she thinks you’r funny ,so she will open up more you.

    Gilla

  2. The really the first thing I thought of was how they described the typical British suburbs with it’s terraced house especially as it’s in East Croydon, a part of great London. Neil, on Enn, said that he has never rally spoken to girl the last few years, or really since the they were like eleven. This is probably why the girls are so weird. For example when one of the girl who Enn never had met or really liked said ”The last tour, we went to sun, and we swam in sunfire pools with the whales.” This is to show how he interprets what they’re saying or what they wanted to say, because he sees them as aliens. It can also be that he became intoxicated by alcohol or poisoned by some type of drug, if we look what happened in the last part where his senses disappeared and didn’t know what to do.

    It think this story got nominated because it shows another side of the parting youth were not everybody likes to drink or have the experience to be more then friend with other people

    Gilla

  3. to say something heartfelt has the risk to be too close, if the girl doesn’t want to but if she wants then it could be a really nice thing for her, making her blush or something like that. to say something sarcastic to a girl could make her think u meant something bad, to maybe be mean, but if its successful then she might laugh or think that u are funny.
    This story was just too weird for me, how the girls just talked about bullshit and i did not quite understand what they were talking about, this story just felt like all the girls in this story was demons trying to charm them or something.

    Gilla

  4. A thing that stood out and something that I remember is the weird music. The protagonist thought it was some kind of music from Germany, while it in fact was alien music. To him girls are alien and foreign and the way they speak and the music they like is like in another language. He has a hard time connecting to the girls on a personal level. I think the short story got nominated because it makes you think. When you’re done reading it you take your time to think about the things happening in the story. You can also have your own theory on why the girls are portrayed like they are. The writer doesn’t specify why he decided to portray girls like aliens so you have to think about it yourself after you’re done reading the story.

    Gilla

  5. Different things is heartfelt for different people of course. To just go and get water for someone could be something heartfelt because even though you don’t even know the person, in this case, you are doing something good because you want to make the feel good. Enn also just talked to girls who sat alone which probably made them feel good even though he had no interest in them, which in a way is a heartfelt thing

    Gilla

  6. To say something heartfelt, what’s the risk, what’s the reward?
    The risk is that if i say something to a girl i like and she does not feel the same way i will be left heartbroken. the reward is if she does feel the same way and then i will feel so good and will achieve something and i will have grown some balls.

    To say something sarcastic what’s the risk, what’s the reward?
    The big risk with saying something thats sarcastic is that they could take it serious and feel bad of the thing you say, for example if i say to a girl who gave you that necklace from your side hoe. they could take it serious and be sad because you are saying that they aren´t loyal to their boyfriend. I don´t know any reward if not they take is as a joke and laugh about it.

    What stays with you from the short story? Why? Publish below. Why do you think it got nominated as the best short story in 2007?
    Nothing stays with me with the shirt story because I don´t really be emotionell about story´s if isn´t a person tells it in real life. I think it nominated the best because it talks from the heart.

    Gilla

  7. The strangest part about this short story is how the writer decided to end it. Most of the time the pace was very slow and suddenly they ran out and the story ended. Personally I think that was a good decision by the writer, it gave a bit of a faster pace to the story. The reason I think it was nominated is because you emerge in the story, it feels like you are were the protagonist is and especially because the story had such a slow pace. Because of this you can really follow the story and fell for the protagonist.

    Gilla

  8. One thing that seamed very strange to me was that all the girls that he talked to spoke of a bunch of nonsense. One girl talked about learning in the sun and another talked about her sisters who were in stasis. The thing that bothers me is that he reacted like they were talking normally and about normal stuff. I got very confused in the end, I didn’t understand want happened to Vic at all. It was very strange and i think that I missed the point of the story.

    Gilla

  9. If you say something heartfelt to a girl the risk is she can say no to your compliment and she will careful what she will be saying to you in the future and she will be on guard what she will be talking with you but the reward is that if you are something good about her like you have nice eyes, you are looking beautiful maybe she won’t notice it but in time she will be a nice person to you and in time her love will grow stronger and stronger for you.
    If you say something sarcastic to a girl the risk is he can be offended because maybe she thinks its a nice ”joke” even if it is sarcastic. And the reward is she will maybe laugh att your jokes and she will begin to love you.
    Why this story became the best is because it showed you can love person even if you spend a little time with them but once you find they are HA GAY you don’t like them for a reason and thats weird just because they are gay or trying to be a women doesn’t mean you have to stop to love her

    Gilla

  10. What ill remember from the story is mostly Enn and Vic friendship. It’s the typical charming ladies boy who have a shy and non-talkactive friend. I see that friendship a lot of times in american movies but nearly never in life.

    It got nominated probably cause how many people have read that short story. Who would´nt be interested in a party story were you get to know how it feels to be the awkward guy who have that charming friend who takes all the ladies. The radius of readers age are pretty huge.

    Gilla

  11. What stays with me is the definition Enn gave of what a poem is ”you can tell it’s poetry, even if you don’t speak the language. You can hear Homer’s Greek without understanding a word, and you still know it’s poetry.” I really think that this is true for most of us. We can tell what things are even if we don´t understand it. A woman screaming for help can be heard in any language just from the tone, an outburst of happiness as a kid opens their present on Christmas Eve can be understood by just looking at them. Most of think that there are many things that tear people apart and that we are in essence different, but by the level of understanding we have for another, by just being human, tells us that we are much more alike. I don´t know where I got this from but the whole story and his way of defining a poem just triggered something in my mind. It could be my affection for Japanese music, and the way I enjoy it without actually not understanding that much and the likeness between my listening and the story that made me feel and think this way.

    I think it got nominated because it is such a different and thought-provoking story in the way that the ”girls” talk of themselves and their universe. You think, at the start, that it would be a normal and usual story about some guys going to a party, but it turned out so different and the way the characters are depicted are just insanely detailed and genius. It brings life the story, which without them is kinda dull and boring. The scenery fits the mysterious nature of the girls, with the dim light and they not really know where to go and just strolling down an alley. The abrupt ending and the way they flee as Stella watches them and with her ”I bet an angry universe would look at you with eyes like that.”. The excitement in the unknown and the way the story and characters and developed is the reason I believe that it was nominated

    Gilla

    1. — Continuation

      The risk of saying something heartfelt is that the reaction will not be equal. The awkwardness and disappointment of affection and trust not being returned is the risk and may cause irreparable heartbreak. The reward is that if it is returned you can almost be sure of a relationship worthy of true love, in the case of this story. Happiness ensues and a rush of adrenaline is to be sure of.

      The risk of saying something sarcastic is that the joke will not be understood or seen as unreasonable, unfitting or too mean. The feeling of instant disagreement and being pushed out of friendship if the sarcasm was to strong in this one. The reward is that you give an instant message regarding the topic that is accepted and seen as a smart and funny thing to say.

      Gilla

  12. If you say something heartfelt to a girl the risk can be that you don’t sound like you mean it and then the girl doesn’t take it seriously and she might think that you are just some idiot who wants to get to bed with her. The reward can be that she likes what you say and thinks that you are nice person.

    If you say something sarcastic and it’s not funny or the girl doesn’t get it you make your self look like an idiot. The reward can be that the girl thinks you are funny and that you don’t take everything too seriously.

    What stayed with me was that the girls spoke about weird things in the party and I didn’t really understand what they were talking about. I believe this was nominated because I makes you think if this is like a real life story or a fantasy story.

    Gilla

  13. when you say something heartfelt to them they may not open up yo you but if you do it in a sarcastic when then she may open up more to you.

    i think it got nominated because of the poems in the story that makes it hard to understand but it also becomes more mysteries.

    Gilla

  14. The risks would be if you spent a lot of time emotionally preparing to say something to someone and it doesn’t reach said person then I would be left heartbroken. Though if it does reach said person and she/he feels the same it could be the best thing you’ve ever done. So when saying something heartfelt it’s all about comparing the risks and the reward.

    To say something sarcastic could mean you hurting someone else. Whether that person sees through the sarcasm or not. Only by saying something sarcastic the other person could grow feelings. Also if they do find it funny etc. you would feel great about saying it.

    I was left thinking about what those girls actually were. If that one girl was left from a human experiment or if the other girl was from another race/planet etc. I think this short story was nominated due to the normal feeling it sent off at first, very easy to relate to, but then there was a big plot twist.

    Gilla

  15. The thing that really stuck with me is ”They’re just girls,” said Vic. ”They don’t come from another planet.” and ”She wasn’t a–” He stopped.” They thought that they we’re just foreigners, but they might just be form another planet.

    I think this long short story got nominated, because while it’s interesting and you can have a lot of discussion of what you think about it. You also have no clue of what actually is happening, you can make guesses but there is not really a confirmation. The ”girls” talked in very weird way, and what they said could be interpreted in many ways. I’m certain a dedicated individual could make a background story for this ”alien race” just by breaking down what they said. If that is even the case.

    Vic thought he was the predator, and that they were the pray, He might have been wrong.

    Gilla

  16. The risk to say something heartfelt is getting heartbroken, getting turnt down or judged by other people.
    The risk to say something sarcastic is people taking it wrong and not understanding it’s sarcasm. Also the risk to say it with the wrong tone or at the wrong time.
    I didn’t take anything with me from the story because honestly it was really bad and not interesting at all. Maybe it became famous because of how weird, bad and amounts of quote-able lines there were.

    Gilla

  17. Don’t trust girls before you se them naked. You can never trust random girls you meet at partyis because you don’t know them and you can never trust somebody who is drunk.

    Gilla

  18. To say something heartfelt to anyone leaves you vulnerable. If you say something you truly mean you may get bullied for just that thing, and thats the biggest risk I think. Saying something heartfelt to a girl for example may give them the impression that you are open towards them, and that will make them open to you. And that is the biggest reason for love, in my opinion. Where there is trust and affection there will be love. For example in the story all the girls told him about themselves and their stories, they opened up to him and told them everything. He on the other hand almost didn’t say anything.

    To say something sarcastic brings the risk of being misunderstood. Someone may think you are not sarcastic and take your comment in a bad way, starting an argument or something. On the other hand almost everyone of my friends use sarcasm in a funny way. The danger with using sarcasm in a funny way is that you might say too much or be sarcastic too often, which will take out the humour out of the joke. The reward might be that someone thinks your really funny and that will make them like you.

    The thing I take from the story is the use of the girls stories. They explain to Enn that they are aliens from outer space. This might mean that Enn is feeling alienated towards the girls and that is the reason they are telling that story, although at the end when Vic is so scared and flees from Stella I think that they really are aliens who are studying the human race or something of the kind. The fact that Enn doesn’t react to the girls stories tells me that he really thinks that they are aliens from another dimension or something like that.

    Gilla

  19. The risk of saying something heartfelt is that you will make the other person feel embarrassed and nervous. But if that person already has a positive opinion of you that could make them like you more.
    The risk of saying something sarcastic is that you could seem dumb and not funny. But if they find your sarcasm funny they will like you more and want to be around you more often.

    All the girls in the story behave really weird. The author tells the story 30 years after it happened and the details might not be on point. Maybe the girls did not really say what they said, it’s just how the boys understand and interpret the meaning.

    Gilla

  20. I think boys don´t say anymore to girls that there name is beautiful, I haven´t heard that and as he says it was 30 years ago this happened. I think why it was nominated best story is because it´s a interesting story how in the old days boys tied to talk with girls and it hasen´t change much in the years.

    Gilla

  21. To say something heartfelt, what’s the risk, what’s the reward? Depends on how well you know the person, but I think it is most times a reward, except if you say something kind of creepy to a person you just met and they think it is just creepy thats the risk, being a creep.

    To say something sarcastic what’s the risk, what’s the reward? You never know how well a person can handle sarcasm, sometimes they will take it seriously and personally, that is the risk, the reward is that sarcasm makes you feel good at is often times funny.

    The think that stays with me is that I know something weird is going on but I have no idea what, the girls seem like they are from another galaxy and this shows from Vic’s reaction after what happened with Stella, even if I didnt really get a clear answer I was still interested and intrigued.

    Gilla

  22. The risk of say something heartfelt is probably to get rejected or get laughed at for being honest with that person. When you really want to say something really nice to someone and then they start to laugh at you. That´s a risk you will have to take but it might be worth it. The reward can be to get a girl home with you. But if you have a good self confidence you can always reject you own honesty which could save you from the awkwardness.
    The important part of sarcasm is to get the audience to understand it. Otherwise it would probably get awkward and they might get angry. The reward could be giving the audience a good laugh.
    A creepy and odd feeling because of the she male part. Also unlucky for Enn who did not get the chick he talked to.
    I think it got nominated because it was a pretty strange story.

    Gilla

  23. To say something heartfelt is taking words from the bottom of your heart and speaking those words with feeling but you must mean it. If you don’t mean it at all you’re just there to hurt that person giving them false hopes and such meaning that you are a bad person. If that person accepts your heartfelt words that might make them like you and believe what you say.
    Sarcasm can lead to many things and as long as they know you are sarcastic it’s alright, but if you are sarcastic but not showing and just wanting to take advantage of that person it’s a really bad thing. You can’t keep on making lies about a person and roll with it, it won’t lead to a happy ending.

    This was a really unusual kind of story, there were a bunch of girls in a party and every girl he talked to spoke really unusual. The first girl he talked to had six fingers and she spoke a lot of nonsense but in the mind of the lead character she spoke natural to him. He understood her and could speak to her normally without thinking she was weird. While his friend Vic already had it going with the first girl Stella and went in to the bedroom with her but that was one great mistake of him and lead the story to an even more mysterious ending.
    The thing that stays in my mind the most was the ending, and the quote ”Her clothes were in disarray, and there was makeup smudged across her face, and her eyes — ” Something must have happened there and we will never know what. This really gives off a creepy feeling to this story, there’s just too little information of the girls and that street. They might be some unidentified creatures based on how they speak, taking advantage of guys entering the wrong party and keeping them there forever when they end up in bed.

    Gilla

  24. To say something heartfelt to a girl, the biggest risk could be that the girl will not agree with you and she will maybe ignoring you for the rest of the party. The reward of it could be that the girl will open her eyes more and will starting liking you.

    To say something sarcastic to a girl, the biggest risk could be that the girl is thinking you’re a jerk who never sees positive things in the life. The reward of it could be as I said. The girl will open her eyes more and will staring liking you.

    A thing that stood and something I remembered is the bad music. The protagonist thought first it was a music from the Germany, while it was actually alien music. To him girls are aliens, foreign, the way they spoke and the music they like is in another language. That’s my thought. But, I think the short story got nominated because it makes you think how to get a girl in parties and the feeling. When you’re done with the reading you will get a feeling about the story afterwards. That’s why it got nominated in my opinion.

    Gilla

  25. The risk of putting away your hard shell-manliness and open up to someone to say something nice isn’t a huge risk, the “worse” possible thing is that you get a no, (unless it’s a crazy woman that kills you). But if you’re just polite there shouldn’t be a problem.
    The reward can actually be everything; it can be a friend for life, a partner for life and even just to get laid.

    When you say something sarcastic you have to be really clear that you’re sarcastic, otherwise they can misunderstand you and think you’re a total jerk. But if you do it properly it can be a great thing to break the ice. It can also bring joy to the other person and even make them laugh.

    What stays with you…:
    Doing things you don’t usually like to do can actually reward you later. So you should put yourself in situations that you’re not comfortable with to learn that it can be good 😉

    What stays with you from the short story? Why? Publish below. Why do you think it got nominated as the best short story in 2007?
    Because the problem with men afraid of talking to women has excited for a long time and we need to know that they aren’t Martians and this story explains it.

    Gilla

  26. To say something heartfelt involves putting your emotions into the open, it makes you vulnerable. But the possible reward can be worth it. If say, you confess to a girl. If she doesn’t feel the same way, you’ll be shut down. But if she does, you’ll be glad that you did.

    To say something sarcastic is usually just a way to joke, but it can sometimes be a way to mask what the person actually feels. The risk depending on what way you were sarcastic, can make you seem like an asshole, create misunderstandings (if they take it literally and not as sarcasm) and might even break someone else’s heart. But the rewards in those cases are the fact that you’ll be able to keep your emotions relatively hidden and not become vulnerable. But in most cases, where its just a joke (and the other people knows it), is just that it (in most cases) will be seen as funny.

    What stays with me from the story is the fact that they’re in a bizarre situation. It starts of relatively normally, Enn and Vic is on their way to a party, nothing really unusual about that. And when they arrive at a party, it starts of normal too. But as time goes on, Enn interacts with these not so normal girls. They speak in riddles and metaphors, talking like they were aliens. My reaction was at first that this story had taken a weird turn. From two guys arriving at a party and trying to pick up girls, to one guy, with no experience in conversing with girls, getting into ”conversations” with girls talking about them not being from the planet and such (i wont get into more detail regarding WHAT they said, since even after trying multiple times to actually pick up what the heck they were on about, i couldn’t. They were speaking gibberish. Moonspeak). It’s all in the eyes of the beholder though. We only get to experience this story from Enn’s perspective. Since he had no earlier experiences in conversing with girls, who knows. It may just have been him interpreting what they said wrong, since he doesn’t know what to say. Or those girls may have just actually been insane….. or aliens…. who knows.

    I feel like it got nominated best short story for it not being what you’d first expect. I expected your typical ”guide” on how this guy with no girl experience fails horribly to pick up girls, and then succeeds. Or something like that. Then it took the bizarre turn and i didn’t know what to expect. It’s honestly a pretty good read.

    Gilla

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