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"The Fence" by Jordan Shelbourne (Unrequited Love)
10, 10, 10
"The Fence" by Jordan Shelbourne (jordan@u36.com). Guest Review by Sandman (sandman@bitsmart.com). A little background before I begin. I had just come off reviewing three straight pedo pieces; and while I think I can analyze a pedo story (I simply read it like an ingredient label), I hardly have fun doing them. Worse, I suspected that since I wasn't bitching and moaning about having to do these reviews I might by default become the official pedo reviewer for the CR (like gag me with a chain saw). Sandman, pedophilia connoisseur - pretty disgusting isn't it? So I decided to make my own luck with my next review. Celeste usually sends us stories to review, but she hasn't objected yet to a review I fired off of my own accord. The trick to this is to pick something (preferably good) that has almost zero chance of showing up in the review anyway - either because it's too long, too fringe, or too obscure. So it was with extraordinary excitement that I greeted "The Fence" -- It's short, it's damn good, and it most likely would never be reviewed in the CR (more on that later). "The Fence" begins with these lines: "There was one moment, I never loved him more. I never owned him less." What follows is a verbal snapshot, described in painstaking and loving detail. The narrator and the narrator's object of affection are building a fence. The narrator is of course hopelessly in love with the man, but the man knows nothing of this - they are just friends. Therefore the act of building a fence becomes a metaphor for sex, love, and union in the narrator's descriptions. The author uses symbolism and imagery to create an extraordinarily erotic scene out of ordinary manual labor. There is not one sexual act depicted in this story, yet it is perhaps one of the most genuinely erotic stories posted this month if not this year. The two characters of course are both men. This is why it probably would not appear in the Review. I suspect most women who read this story will identify immediately with the narrator and the unrequited love. Actually that's probably sexist, I believe this story could work for ANYONE who's ever loved someone from afar. This is my third triple ten review. "Dick Thruster" made me laugh. "Wendy" made me think and introspect, but "The Fence" reminded me that while love may be wonderful and sweet, it can also be cruel and uncaring. Read this story you'll be glad you did. Ratings for "The Fence" Athena (technical quality): 10 -- Perfect, loved the symbolism. Venus (plot & character): 10 -- Perfect, unrequited love at its most tragic. Sandman (appeal to reviewer): 10 -- Very Recommended. |