Review: basically simple
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 05 20, 2012
This short story is extremely well written and well paced by an author who clearly knows her craft. The more unexpected therefore are all those little editorial problems (typos, grammar oversights, etc.) that spatter it here and there.Characterization is excellent in depicting three authentic looking individuals, all of them losers in their non tragical but everyday, relatable way: their lives are not messy but they simply fail to achieve any real accomplishment due to lack of sensitivity, focus, drive or strength.*** *** MILD SPOILERS MIGHT FOLLOW *** ***What fails to convince me is that behind  the finely woven smoke there really seems to be a very small fire.Dana and her brother Sam lack drive and focus to do something important of their lives -a situation shared by approximately 95% of human beings, I am afraid-, they know it and yet they are unwilling to compromise, to tame their own fierce indipendence to come closer to that something.Sam, especially, is at 17 an enormously talented painter, but he has had the misfortune of falling for the man who wants to help him become famous. Sean, this man, is another kind of loser because by not realising realising he cannot just ignore Sam's feelings and still be on his side, he cripples his own efforts of making a real artist of Sam and of becoming through him someone important in the fine arts world.The ending is quite an open one. The three characters are still very young and simply decide to stall; we can only imagine what will become of their lives though we may reasonably presume that none of the three will accomplish anything memorable.*** *** END OF SPOILERS *** ***The core of the story seems to be that it is not worthwhile to radically compromise in one's life, not even to achieve one's goals. The metaphor of the raccons that accept to be tamed to get their food seems to me quite transparent.Understandable and important as this principle might be -and surely a worthy topic for a work of fiction- it seems to me that all that refined pacing, that thriller-like gradual discovering of hints and tidbits that leads Dana to understand the truth of the relationship between Sam and Sean is over the top, exaggerated for such a self evident, basic principle.It seems to me it would have been more pertinent to give up the rather futile attempt at suspense, to make the sentimental situation between Sam and Sean clear from the start and to develop the story from there, having them come to terms with their feelings and decisions. It would have been more difficult, of course, but it would have given the story a depth worth the excellent literary packaging.