[This blog completely spoils the story.]
The name of the game here is subtlety. You might miss what is going on if you aren't paying very close attention. I sure did. I had to reread it once just to figure it all out. It wasn't a big problem. It's pretty much a 5 minute read.
The story relates the tale of a successful writer who has just finished his new novel. He ships it off to the publisher. It's picked up by a postman, who is also a fan, and delivered to the publisher. A man there reads it and loves every single word of it. It's then approved and then put into print, making exactly one copy. It is then bought and taken home to be enjoyed by a single man. As it turns out, this man was all of the characters in the story... and that is why this is a sad tragedy.
The interesting aspect of this tale is that you may not actually notice it's happening. The only major clues are that everything seems to be happening too quickly... and that the man at the end seems to have a lot of different costumes that he had been wearing that day.
The tragedy of the story is that the man has apparently failed to make a living for himself as a writer, and because of that he seems to have recessed into his own imagination. Inside his mind, he is living his dreams of being a popular writer which causes this terrible cycle to go on and on until he either gets help... or dies. This one hit kind of hard for me.
"Pattern for Survival" is a competently written short story with novel aspects to its writing, and I do recommend it. It's very short and interesting in the way it is constructed. I really liked it.
This blog was written on April 25, 2023.
Thank you for reading my blog! Did you enjoy it? Either way, you can comment below, or you can email me at tkwadeauthor@gmail.com. Also stop by my Amazon.com listing by clicking this link: https://www.amazon.com/T.K.-Wade/e/B07BQK9RTZ
Check out my books! Thanks!
The author turned his personal anxiety into a masterful creation. Such is the acme of skill!
ReplyDeleteHe did, and he was even subtle about it!
DeleteIt's always a fascinating read when an author uses his own personal fears as inspiration. The closeness makes it all too real.
ReplyDeleteHe really had nothing to worry about honestly. He really was quite good and successful.
DeleteDesperation may twist one's dreams into a perceived reality. People can want something so much that they believe it has been achieved. Some would rather live a lie than face the truth.
ReplyDeleteIt's a defensive mechanism that that is actually a sign that things have gone really bad.
Delete