Sunday, January 1, 2017

Fable, by Charles Yu

Read this issue
(Slipstream Metafiction) Once upon a time a man’s therapist asked him to write a story about himself, his family, and the strange world he lived in, with its dragons and lawyers, witches and doctors, and the darkness closing in. (5,981 words; Time: 19m)

Rating: ★★★☆☆ Average

"," by (edited by David Remnick), appeared in issue 05/30/16, published on by .

Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)

Pro: The writing is beautiful. It’s a touching, painful, story, and it’s fairly clear what reality underlies all the symbols.

The man is seeking a path away from the pain he feels, haunted by recurring thoughts that he’s wasted his life. He finds that at the end, when he realizes he’s prepared to love his son and care for him forever.

Con: Nothing really happens in this story. Nor is it clear that anything has actually changed inside the man; it’s just as easy to believe that he alternates between telling himself he’s okay with his situation and telling himself he’s wasting his life. There’s no reason to believe there was a breakthrough other than the narrator telling us so.

Other Reviews: Search Web
Charles Yu Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB

No comments (may contain spoilers):

Post a Comment (comment policy)