X-STATIC

by zygotenmycoffee

Posted to Stories on 2003-04-10 10:28:00

Parent message is 423029
this piece definitely feels like an excerpt from a larger work. it’s strength resides in the voice of the narrator; it is reminiscent of Dostoevsky’s “Underground Man”…it has that same manic, stream of consciousness fluidity, yet it doesn’t sound derivative because you have embedded your own unique perspective & voice into it.

I am a big fan of novels/prose with an unreliable narrator/anti-hero such as the one you have created here. These type of pieces allow the reader to delve into the protagonist’s mind & see how he/she interprets the world around him…& as you read along, you begin to wonder what events are real & what events are actually twisted fragments of the protagonist’s warped sense of reality. And because of this, it’s easier for the author to manipulate & twist the narrative into whatever direction without upsetting or jeopardizing the reader’s ever-so-fickle suspension of disbelief. this makes for fresh, provacative prose, especially since every reader, whether they like it or not, will see a little piece of him or herself revealed in the protagonist’s words & actions. Matter of fact, this has already happened for me when reading this small fragment you have crafted. That’s why I couldn’t resist responding. I had to encourage you to continue working on this because I really like what I have read so far & I think it has tremendous potential for much more.