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Post by sturgeon on Aug 18, 2021 12:25:19 GMT
We Need to Talk About Tricksy.
I like this cap. It treads familiar ground - an imaginary friend whispering mischief into our otherwise innocent protagonist's ear, a sort of Twilight Zone metaphor allowing for voices-in-your-head mental illness to be treated lightly - but it does so with bounce, and humour, and a weird little twist in which the imaginary friend becomes visible to others for long enough to get our hero into some particularly deep trouble.
The harmless-ish pranks in the story are well pitched and creative. The high school social pecking order, and later the factory working environment, rely heavily on stereotype, but are nonetheless deftly drawn. Tricksy, the imaginary friend, is perhaps underdeveloped as a character, but serves the narrative well enough. The ending, I felt, could have been stronger. Are we to believe from the last line that Tricksy has reappeared?
As I said, I like this cap. But do I LOVE it? Well, it was amusing, I was entertained, but on New Year's Eve, when I'm nursing a glass of spiced rum by the hydrothermal vent, as I see the clock spin slowly toward midnight, and I'm looking back upon my year, reflecting upon the events that nudged me along destiny's meandering path, I doubt that this capital will light in my mind. Does that matter, for a piece intended to provide brief mirth and no more?
Today, for me, I'm afraid, it matters. My vote is a reluctant no.
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Post by bulldust on Sept 1, 2021 20:59:54 GMT
The Bulldog is determined to catch up. So, here we go with “Imaginary Murders”.
At first, when I read this it felt like we were dealing with an incarnation of the devil. I mean the initial act of arson and repeatedly causing bodily harm to people seems pretty drastic. I was almost expecting Dale, the main character, to transform into a psycho killer by the end of the cap. However, Dale is battling his imaginary friend and the urges to make mischief and not Satan’s will.
This imaginary friend, Tricksy, is an asshat though.
The cap continues to follow Dale as he grows up and has to fight the ideas Tricksy suggests to him. And when he finally blows Tricksy completely off, he unleashes vengeance.
Yeah, this was amusing. I think part of me wanted to see one of the cops have an equally annoying imaginary friend pop up at the end just to add an extra punch to the cap. But that’s just me.
I think this cap could do with ramping up the humor a little. Although I was amused.
I’m going to say yes, although I think the Monkey will disagree. Let’s call in the tie-breaker.
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Post by rockefeller on Sept 26, 2021 18:59:57 GMT
Apologies for the delay in getting to this. Pursuant to promises made when Mrs. Rocks (who likes to travel) was hospitalized, we've been on the road, to the West Coast and back, crashing with friends in Peachland, my son in Vancouver, but mostly motels. Wi-fi everywhere, of course, but no adequate stretches of uninterrupted time. Northern Ontario's all winding hills and trees. Then prairie all the way to the Rockies (yes, Rocks was in the Rockies). Doing 115 kph on 1-West, a hawk or some other bird dive-bombed our sunroof near the Alberta/Saskatchewan border, shattering a perfect hole dead center that I repaired with Gorilla tape from a Canadian Tire in Medicine Hat. A week later, Ms. Rocks tore a nickel-sized hole in her forearm climbing into someone's motor home, that, because of the warfarin, bled for a couple days despite serious bandaging (neither fucking Shoppers Drug Mart nor the fucking nearby Kelowna walk-in medical center carry styptics). The zillions of homeless in Vancouver seem less organized than those I remember farther south, and probably make visits to ER triage hell. Ambulances forever wailing.
It's like every province is trying to out-stupid all the others re the rona. Manitoba has electronic road signs when you enter saying if you're not vaccinated you have to quarantine for 14 days (instead of just driving on through, which we (more or less) did). BC started the vax-passport nonsense a week before Ontario. Saskatchewan had no mask mandate on the way out, but did on the way back. BC's McDonalds and A&Ws are exempt, but no one else's. Happily, all their washrooms are accessible. And between my prostate and her Lasix, we've peed in most of them. Now just chilling in a beachside cabin in Sauble Beach, with time to read and write.
The cap in question is very well penned, I'd almost say technically perfect. Saw no nits, even in the first 20 or so pages which I read with care. Some great similes. Because of the strong UK vernacular, I expected a UK setting, but which was never specified. In general, from a plot standpoint, it's fairly familiar and predictable, and repetitive. Boy meets evil, imaginary "friend" on a boring family vacation who inspires him, over ensuing years, to perform malicious acts. The ending, which I won't spoil, is unexpected, but because of how long (i.e., how many scenes/incidents) it takes to arrive there, loses some of its punch. Sort of a YA Twilight Zone episode that didn't know when (or how) to quit. I'd suggest the rule of three might apply to this work. Let Tricksy (the evil, geriatric ghost) evoke from Dale (the introverted, unpopular boy) only three misdeeds, the third being the twist I said I wouldn't spoil.
As is, though, no. Almost, but not quite.
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Post by rorschalk on Sept 28, 2021 21:49:01 GMT
Rox, I went and killed off your wife when I knew you were on a roadie!? What a maroon I am. Bulldust, as I recall you wanted to cadge this cap for your own devices...do your worst! Adieu.
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Post by bulldust on Sept 29, 2021 16:23:08 GMT
Moo Rorschalk! Point this VC the Bullmeister's way. Moo, moo, bwa, ha, ha...
Rocks, please stop poking Mrs. Rocks with sharp objects. It's bad enough she has to put up with your funky ass. Enjoy the road.
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Post by rorschalk on Sept 29, 2021 19:28:05 GMT
Don't mind if I do. Where am I sending him?
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Post by bulldust on Sept 29, 2021 20:17:57 GMT
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