Review: Every Reader's Fantasy... or Is It?
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 8, 2012
SPOILERSThis short story has a definite Twilight Zone feel to it. While I was reading, I could almost imagine the scene being played out in glorious black and white on my television screen. I am a very visual reader anyway, but not all authors can do this, so kudos to Mr. Hobbes for crafting the story in such a way as to bring it to life for me.In addition to this, Mr. Hobbes has tapped into a fantasy that I'm sure all voracious readers have: to actually have the words on the page spring forth and become real, to allow the reader to live the book, not just read the book. He sets up the bookstore as a place that we would all love to visit. Who wouldn't pay a dollar a minute for such an experience? The reader in me delighted in the idea.The ending was predictable, but it did not prevent me from enjoying the story. Once I knew which book she had chosen (it's never mentioned by name but it's obvious) the buildup to finding out whether or not she would decide to go into the reading room was more dramatic than Strauss's discovery at the end. I would have enjoyed not knowing what the book was until Strauss picks up the bloodied book and reads the title.I give it four stars overall. This is a story that any fan or horror or dark fiction will enjoy.