A Reaping

"A Reaping" by E. F. Benson is a reflective story that considers connections between people, self-examination, and the relationship between living and dying, as seen through its characters who are struggling with being sick and what it means to be alive. The book starts with a dinner talk that shows different ways people think about being healthy or dying, which leads to deeper looks into these ideas. A storyteller shares a dinner they had with two friends. One is very concerned about getting sick; the other is happy even while facing a fatal illness. This makes us wonder about what life is truly like, what pain means, and what it means to be human. As the storyteller listens to them talk, they start thinking hard about how important life is and how important the small things we do everyday are. This is contrasted with small concerns about health with awesome things like music and art. The story switches between being funny and thoughtful, setting up a complicated look at how characters work together and asking us to consider the meaning of being alive.