Aftermath by John Kendon
Posted: November 10, 2007, 05:29:43 PM
I think he did it as a lesson to the children, so they would learn not to make a game out of war, but another person may find another answer. This story is a good one for that, making you decide for yourself the gardener's motivations.
In terms of form and construction, this is a complicated story. It's an aftermath story, told in flashbacks, where the hero has already faced the conundrum and done what he chose to do, and we're just figuring it out what happened as it goes. For me, that had the effect of slowing the pace more than I would have liked, but it did make me interested in figuring things out. It also made things a bit confusing, but not terribly so.
All in all, a good one for making you think.
Nate
In terms of form and construction, this is a complicated story. It's an aftermath story, told in flashbacks, where the hero has already faced the conundrum and done what he chose to do, and we're just figuring it out what happened as it goes. For me, that had the effect of slowing the pace more than I would have liked, but it did make me interested in figuring things out. It also made things a bit confusing, but not terribly so.
All in all, a good one for making you think.
Nate