I found this short story at the e-zine flashfictionmagazine.com.
The author of this funny piece is Christian Weir.
Length: Short (a 5-minute read)
Genre: Humor
Stick around to read my review. Or, go here to read the story (and then come back to see if we agree!).
General Impressions
This story had me wondering for a hot second whose side the author was on: Phil (husband) or Wife (she apparently doesn't have a name). In the end, I realized the author and I were on the same team, and I loved the story!
Q. How's the hook?
A. A character known only as "Wife" holds her spouse's life in her very hands. That's an attention-grabber for sure. But this is a comedy, not a thriller -- the light mood (reflected by the food-based theme) is apparent right away. If you like funny short stories, you should read this.
Without giving too much away, I can say that the hook left me asking one big question: Does Phil deserve his fate?
I also wondered if the story would continue to be funny beyond the first paragraph. It did not disappoint. I love a good food metaphor, and this story uses food not only as the setting (yes, the setting!) but also as a major plot device.
Q. Is the premise interesting?
A. Phil's head has popped off his body (we're not told how it happened) and is now bobbing in a slow cooker of stew. The stew is tended to by Phil's wife, named Wife.
If you're okay with suspending your imagination, this fun fictional romp is worth your time.
Q. Did I enjoy the main character?
A. Phil is a husband who has not necessarily lived up to his marital potential. While I can't say I like him, I can say that I enjoy him. Even as his head swelters and swims in a vat of hot stew, he refers to his wife as "dowdy as ever." The nerve of a husband referring to his wife as dowdy! This raised my hackles a bit (as was the writer's intention, I'm sure).
Through this and other observations made by Phil, the writer develops Phil's character. The reader begins to understand that Phil has some inherent spousal flaws of which he is (probably) not aware. Yes, Phil's character may be considered somewhat of a trope. Think Fred Flinstone, Ricky Ricardo, maybe even Homer Simpson a little bit.
Still, although Phil's a bit of a stereotypical jerk, he is also pretty funny. For example, when he realizes he may not get out of his predicament (head in a Crock-Pot) alive, he thinks, "Why me, though? I was the one who bought her the damn slow cooker."
Phil follows this up with an equally funny retort to his wife that reflects his thoughts about the "stew" and also about his wife's state of mind toward him: "A little salty, perhaps." Yes, Phil, your murderous wife is feeling a bit salty. Yes, we have puns in the house.
So to answer the question, "Did I enjoy the main character?", the answer is yes. Specifically, I enjoyed watching him be his deplorable self and then go down in a vat of stew prepared by his unhappy partner, Wife.
Q. How's the writing style?
A. The style is quick, crisp, and witty. The author uses sparse dialogue, and the short exchanges between spouses advance the plot while entertaining the reader.
There was only one part I had to read twice: the bit about "Trip Advisor" left me scratching my head at first. Upon second reading, however, I understood what it was implying, and that understanding only made me hate Phil more!
Q. Did the story ending satisfy me?
A. The last paragraph concludes with a zinger of a statement from Phil that serves as a "capstone" to summarize pretty much his entire marriage. So yeah, the ending did satisfy me because it helped me hate Phil all the more.
I do wonder if the last sentence of the story was intended to reflect the last words spoken by Phil. That part was a bit murky for me. The concluding paragraph states, "I rolled my eyes a final time before uttering my final words..." It would have been nice to know for sure what those final words were.
All in all, I enjoyed this story. The writer swiftly established a dynamic between spouses and put them in an outlandish yet sadly relatable situation.
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