History and Wax by Jfalkon

[Graeme]

History and Wax by Jfalkon

 

Brian's life was history; literally and figuratively.

 

 

:nuke: :nuke: Spoilers Below!!! :nuke: :nuke:

[Graeme]

Like Brian, I'd seen those movies with the hero riding off into the sunset. It made the ending of this story that much more poignant for me. It had never occurred to me that sometimes those heroes rode off because there was simply nothing else for them to do....

 

Thanks, Jfalkon. This is a short story that's really made me think.

[Dolores Esteban]

I first thought that the story was a cliche story, deliberately written as a cliche story. the setting sun, the tears streaming down his face, a happy relationship ended by a heart-attack....

 

Then I realized that something unexpected can make a cliche a very real and very serious experience. And a very personal experience.

 

Another very good story!

 

 

[kitten]

Okay, maybe I'm not good at spotting cliches but this appeared to me to be a very original story told in a very matter-of-fact style. At first I thought that style was at odds with the tragic events described, but then on second thoughts it seemed that they were an excellent counter-balance. In fact, the style totally matched the dusty melancholy that one feels in such a museum.

 

As with any good story, the ending seems open to different interpretations depending on the reader's own personality and life experiences. Was the ride into the sunset a ride of victory or defeat? My own personal feeling is that it was a good thing. Though belated, Brian is taking the chance of a fresh start. For so long he has been buried alive in the dusty old town, but now he is getting away from the dusty old life, created by his father and grandfather. Now at last he can start his own life.

 

Kit

[C James]

Very evocative, especially the ending. My read of it was that Brain was, in effect, trapped in the museum; he'd become just as much a fixture there as the statues. Their demise allowed him a new start. I also very much liked the "riding into the sunset".

[jfalkon]

Thanks eveyone! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[Ieshwar]

I loved this story, especially the imagery. The double entendres were great. The part where the wax statues were melting was really touching and well done. Great job. 

 

Take care,

Ieshwar

[Tiff]

The ending was cliched, but I think it was fitting for this story. You didn't overdo it and it wasn't overwhelmingly cheesy. I really liked this story in spite of it's lack of dialogue, action, and even much of a plot. It was a short piece but you really focused on a man who was living, but not really living. His father died, his lover died, he kept the shop open even if he wasn't making much money off it and it was hard to sustain because it was all he had left. It was all he had to cling to, to make him wake up every morning.

 

That's why it was so sad for him--and the readers, such as myself--when the AC broke down and the figures were melting. Like you wrote, they were his friends, "people" he had grown accustomed to seeing everyday and without them, his life was a bit more lonely. Btw, I loved your graphic desciptions of the melting figures, using great adjectives. It really helped with the imagery and I could almost see the melting figures myself, as if I were there! Great work.

 

I really sympathized for Brian. Sure there were cliches, such as the lover dying from a sudden heart attack, but that's also reality. People die unexpectedly and leave loved ones behind. And the loved ones always can't recover. It seems Brian didn't really recover too well and he knew that on some level, hence he knew his behavior of apologizing and mourning the wax figures wouldn't be considered normal, lol.

 

A deeper meaning and true personal emotions; I really enjoyed this story.

[jfalkon]

Thanks.

I have to admit the "death in the family" idea is not a new one. It just seamed like the simplest way to make the character suffer. I was more interested in describing his reaction.