Review: Strangers on a train.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 5, 2014
Short stories fascinate me. I have a tendency to ramble, stroll around aimlessly, linger in my writing which is obvious in my reviews, but shorts require a careful cultivation of the specific words that tell that specific story in the designated length. It's the restriction which makes every word matter yet a talented writer manages to convince the reader that there were never any guidelines at all.Jack takes a regular train ride while fixating on a fellow passenger who shares the subway bar with him on the trip. Their journey isn't any different than any other that he's taken. It's the same rails, same cars, same train, but Jack uses the beautiful woman at his side to make the trip a true journey. He's transported back in time to when he was a younger man who did spontaneous things, traveled Europe, played guitar, and had affairs with women who left him with memories which will last him a lifetime.He calls the woman Florence because her looks hint to a Spanish or Italian heritage; he can't seem to broach the awkwardness of a first meeting to ask for her real name. It's charming to see Jack struggling to think of his past while trying to appreciate his present at the same time. His reminiscences of a languid youth coupled with his reality of a harried adult make for an interesting paradox of a person. It's hard to imagine this man who can't even say 'hello' to a beautiful lady whose hand is close enough to touch on the same bar once traveled through Italy with nothing more than a backpack and a guitar.Life takes us all in strange directions though, doesn't it? We're rarely the same person we were after six years have passed us by. Six years of living as an adult have changed Jack.I loved his story, his thought progression, and I loved how it all ended though honestly? I would have still loved the piece if it had been left open to a missed encounter with the pair of them -Jack and his Florence- parting ways at the train station, two ships sailing the same waters, passing in the night. It gave me a nice laugh since I've had that experience myself.Overall this piece's point was to make the reader appreciate the small meetings in life since one never knows who'll change one's life, who will result in a beautiful memory, or who will be a missed opportunity for something better.Five stars for a luxurious train ride which felt far longer than it's actual length.***Note: Review based upon a complimentary copy provided to This Redhead LOVES Books in exchange for an honest review. I have since purchased the piece to make it a part of my permanent library.***