Reviewed by Kate
Bands of Gold
Reviewed by Kate Bands of Gold
Michael, the narrator of Bands of Gold, tells the story of his marriage to Sonia, a beautiful woman who fails to see the love he holds for her behind his cold facade.
Michael has a consistent voice, and I get a very clear picture, both of his self-defeating behavior and the delusions he practices. However, I also think that the breadth and depth of his story is too much for the short format. To get through 20+ years of lead-up to the finale, Michael has to do a lot of telling of events.
To generalize a bit, for a short story to operate with maximum effect, one incident, with some backup circumstances if the author feels it necessary, should be picked as the focal point. In this story, the event, (that I won't reveal, but it comes near the end) which provides the catalyst for change in Michael's life, doesn't have any logic with reference to the rest of the story. If this were a longer work, the event could stand as one in a progression, but in a short story... However, if the author chose to start the story with this happening, and tell the in-depth story of what happens to Michael afterwards, that would make a good short story
Reviewed by � Kate
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