Review: Powerful Story of Animal Cruelty
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 16, 2014
One of the most shocking true examples of animal cruelty forms the basis of "Noose," a powerful, sad short story by Ernie Lindsey. In rural Tennessee in 1916, a circus elephant killed a trainer who had probably been mistreating the animal. The circus owner then staged a public execution of the elephant, witnessed by thousands of people, in which the elephant was hanged using a construction crane.That much is fact, and, if Lindsey had merely written an article describing the events, it would have been a good piece. However, he has done much more. The execution of the elephant is only the backdrop for a coming-of-age story involving Roy, a teenage farmhand with a love of animals and another type of love for Emily, his boss's daughter. Roy learns a lot about human nature, from the reactions of his own family and those attending the execution, most of whom believe they are actually handing out justice to a malevolent creature. Roy's own feelings are far more complex, and he grows up a lot over the course of a few days.In a story that's less than 20 pages, Lindsey does a great job of showcasing the nature and feelings of the local populace, and his description of the events surrounding the actual execution are harrowing. This is a masterful short story, that works both as a depiction of a sad historic episode and an exploration of a young man's character.My only caveat with this story is the cost and the length of the story. I got the book for free as a promotion and on the basis of its literary quality, it would easily rate five stars. However, the story apparently sells for a dollar normally, and I question whether there's enough value in a story that can be read in ten minutes to justify the cost. In fairness, I question paying the money for this one story, so I deducted a star for that. If, however, you are willing to pay a dollar for an excellent 15-page short story, then I wholeheartedly recommend "Noose."