Saturday, September 19, 2009

R. I. P. Short Story Sunday 9/20

By Water by Algernon Blackwood

Published in Day and Night Stories, 1917.

Algernon Blackwood is an author who is not well known today.  This story focused on a man who is given a prediction that he will drown but will not realize he will drown.  He is leaving for to work in the desert before his wedding.  Understandably, his fiancee does not want him to go.  He points out that the desert does not contain large bodies of water.  In the classic tradition, you know the prediction will come true.  The question is how.

Blackwood’s writing is very descriptive.  The drawback to his style is that he talks about the action instead of showing it.  I think it would have been a better story if we had seen the action through the eyes of the main character.  Still it was worth reading.

I would recommend this to others.  Blackwood deserves to better known. 

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