Charlie's a great guy, if a little annoying. For a title character, he's a piece of work. (enjoyed the factoids) Enough background is shown to reveal the man as harmless, loveable and a bit eccentric. Of course, every story needs a foil, right? Enter the professor. The way he insists on pronouncing his name, says it all. He is bloated, pompous and full of himself. Yeah, just the kind of guy we love to hate. Sadly, the ending proves that sometimes, nice guys do finish last. I was slightly puzzled with Charlie, slipping on the book and dying. Accident? Intent? Was the professor culpable? Anyway, this story is entertaining with a dash of humor thrown in.
This story is fast paced, bare bones and to the point. Not a bad style considering most readers don't want to mess around with fluff. The subject matter is familiar and appeals to parents always out to protect their children. I like the fact that the premise of a vacation gone wrong lulls the reader into a false direction. I assumed scenarios of crazy cab drivers and botched plans, not the actual ending. Several images jumped out. ex. 'I went back to bed but not back to sleep' Nice work of showing the worried Dad. Another one was at the end. ex. 'Again and again and again.' Simple words that convey a gruesome act of swinging the pipe. I only had a couple of minor stumbles with the piece. The first was 'Phil was his room mate.' I was slightly disoriented with the paragraph and re-read several times. The second was 'Destination a seedy little bar...' At first, I assumed the bar was named, Destination. Minor nit picking, I know, but not distracting from the effect of the story.
Just like a bottle of Beam and a well oiled shot gun, this story has a familiar and homey feel. The writing is tight and phrasing, vivid. ex.'Planet earth could fall off the mantle straight into the sun and he wouldn't give a damn.' Aah, nice teaser! Emmit's in the middle of total chaos and the reader gets a promise of 'long as he had time to do one last thing.' What? Don't leave me hanging, man! This story has promise, nice job. Loved the large type, hated the color.
This story is a fun read. While short, it's focused, tight and to the point. Anyone love cookies? Oogi does. The lead character obsesses over the sweet treats and leaves the reader to wonder at his mental stability. This story isn't meant to deal with weighty subjects, however. It's just a breath of fresh air during a busy day. Enjoy and be entertained. I have a feeling that Oogi and his cookies will be just fine.
I seldom hand out fives in my reviews but this one is a five plus. The writing is vivid enough to feel the gritty sand and searing heat. Great lines such as 'camels grumbling quietly in their throats' are the norm rather than exception. This writer makes it look easy. The set up is perfect with camel boys burden of dealing with ' tourists with an abundance of baggy skin.' Although the piece is short, resolution comes when a mysterious stranger appears. With kindness, he restores the most important thing to the camel boy, his name. Any reader will want more after this one. Don't miss it.
Good info in this article and just the thing for a newbie like myself. I've been around for a week and am still lost. It's good to see that some things never change, reviewing is the best method of pushing one's work. Michael, the bassman
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