Discuss Madrigal's story "Silence!", in this thread.




Spoilers below!!!





Spoilers below!!!





Spoilers below!!!

I found this a difficult read. Fascinating, but difficult. I kept remembering a statement I had read many years ago: The majority is always sane. I went through this story with that in mind because, for the life of me, I couldn't work out who was sane....

Chase Hex: A man whose life seemed to revolve around letter writing and being left handed. At least I think so -- it's hard to be sure with Mr. Hex.
Marcus Dean, psychologist: Someone who seemed well suited for the role. It appears that he has his own challenges in life.
Mrs. Hex: Only a minor character, but one that was well drawn in only a handful of words.
Deborah: Who listens to Marcus Dean, psychologist's appointments. It could be that she does it because she's extremely curious, but it may just be that she needs to, to learn when her boss cancels appointments without notice.
88734: A brief appearance by the man with a gun. The man who craved the gun because it gave him a 'feeling of protection and secured survival'.
James Judy: It was sad. We didn't really get to know James Judy. He seemed a kind man, madly in love with Chase Hex.

One line in particular I found extremely poetic:

There was fantastic imagery through out the story, and it would have been thoroughly enjoyable for that alone. But the story itself was great, raising questions about what is reality and what is perception with almost every word.

Thanks, Madrigal!

This story explores the world of "mental disorder", "insanity", or whatever word you deem acceptable to describe a mental state that doesn't allow an individual to interact "normally" with the world by shaking the storyline and traditional narration. After twenty lines, I gave up trying to understand what was going on and let myself go with the flow of the events happening. Artaud came to my mind.

Hearing and sounds, writing, time, frequency: they're explored in a dream-like manner, which makes you doubt your senses. Daring and cleverly obsessional.

Very cleverly done, a story with rich imagery that explores the variations of psychology. Imaginitive, unique, and very clever, Maddy!

Very interesting decent into the broken Psyche of one Chase Hex, The staunch left winger who finds after one terrifying night his left hand paralyzed. There are many questions opened onto the reader and many more answers woven with finesse into the plot. Chase's hyper sensitive hearing, an overbearing form of compensation for his total lack of discerning whether or not an intruder had broached the sanctity of his and James Judy's residence. The paralization of his left hand, a physical extension of his left winged beliefs in convict rehabilitation and possible execution.

Above all else the broken, fragmented narration that gives the reader supreme insight into the decaying world of Chase Hex, and his unwillingness to sully his left hand any further.

Marvelous and fascinating Maddy.

Thanks!

Steve

I don't know what it is about Maddy's writing that always pulls me in...

I was honoured to see a sneak preview of this piece a couple of weeks before the Anthology was put online. As usual I read it several times, and - as has already been said here by several other reviewers - wasn't sure exactly what was what. But, then again, I've come to expect that from Maddy.

Even though confused, I found this piece - like so much of Maddy's other prose - a compelling read. He seems to be able to describe that thin line between sanity and sanity so well, that had I not chatted to him on quite a number of occasions - both online and by email - I would worry about his own sanity!

I'll probably re-read this and others of his writings again in the future and still come away utterly flabbergasted, totally confused, and completely impressed!

Well done, Maddy, and thank you.



Marty

I'm trying to work out if this means I'm insane...