A Spark of Reverie
Reverie Flash Fiction, #1
by
Suneé le Roux
I never really pictured myself as someone who enjoyed short stories, and much less flash fiction, but I think that’s something I might have to reevaluate. I found I really enjoyed this collection – once I learned to take the time with it.
This isn’t a big book, but it’s also not the kind of book you just breeze through. I didn’t quite get this at first (I’m new to this, remember), and I dug in and read a good chunk of the stories in just one sitting. Shouldn’t have done that.
I found I enjoyed the stories much more when I read them one by one, the last thing I did before turning off the light at night. That way, the idea of the story stayed with me, and the little story grew in my head and became a much larger experience.
There’s the woman who’s hunted in the forest, turns into a tree, and pulls the mist to her in order to escape.
There’s the princess who finds dead princes all over her castle.
There’s the hungover dude who wakes up to find his apartment invaded by leprechauns who thinks he’s a rain god.
There’s all kinds of awesome ideas that come in the form a tiny seed you plant in your head so it can grow. It’s not a book to just blunder through and add to the pile.
What I’ll whine about:
It took me forever to get through this book, or so it felt.
What I’ll gush about:
I once heard this author describe how someone told her that reading flash fiction was like watching a trailer to a movie you knew you’d never see. This was meant as a complaint, but I think it’s actually quite a beautiful way to describe the wonder of flash fiction.
Many of these stories really cold be trailers, or part of trailers. They create that kind of wonder and anticipation at what’s to come, and what happens next. Sure, I can see how someone might find that frustrating, but that someone is not me.
Me… I love it.
It’s amazing. It’s all the good stuff of epic awesome stories, condensed into a few minutes worth of reading, and the rest plays out in my mind.
Final Words:
If (like me) you’ve not previously read or taken any interest in flash fiction, this is a great introduction.
