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Review #4835646
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Lone Ole Cowboy Open in new Window. [13+]
All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.
by Dan Hiestand Author Icon
Review of Lone Ole Cowboy  Open in new Window.
In affiliation with The WDC Angel Army  Open in new Window.
Rated: 13+ | (4.5)
Access:  Public | Hide Review (?)
Greetings, sir!

Why, what happened to your novel? I almost forgot who you were when I started noticing this story floating around the sidebars and the Please Review page. I'd fanned you a while back because your novel looked intriguing. Funny, I can see the items from your Biography tab, but they're not in your main portfolio page. How'd you do that *Confused*

First off, I had no idea where this was going. You draw us along and keep us at the edge of our seats, hoping against hope that the protagonist we've come to sympathize with will find a peaceful resolution. I love the careful, minute, highly specific and thoroughly grounded details like the Wawa gas station or the Teddy Swims t-shirt. Not only do they provide an instantly relatable and realistic setting, which makes the "ghost" all the more unusual and the twist (within the twist) more surprising, but they also show us the protagonist narrator's keenly observant and sensitive character, which creates emotional depth and connection.

As the paranormal element rolled along, I suspected maybe it would be a twist like An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge. The way it did end, "not with a bang but a whimper," was quietly satisfying and also sad and yet hopeful, as we watch our lone cowboy driving into the morning light and making the "right turn," which is an excellent ending note.

I also appreciate your genteel, old-fashioned writing style... The 13+ rating (lower than one might expect) is well deserved, for although you deal with murder and infidelity, there's nothing crude, graphic or upsetting here. It has a strongly classical and literary feel, with layers of meaning and significance in the themes. If I had discovered this as a kid in one of my literature textbooks, it would have been a story that grew up with me; each time I read it, I would have come out with a new perspective or realization. Those are the best kind of stories.

Your formatting is a bit... It looks like you upload Word files directly to the site. I like the elegant divider at the top, but I'll give you the recommendation I give everyone here: Size 4 Verdana font, by using {size:4}{font:Verdana} at the beginning of your item. You wouldn't want my pal Jack of Diamonds Author Icon (who I think would enjoy this) to give you his trademark line about a "used car contract..." *Wink*

Yes, this was a well written and thought-provoking story. I see a lot of myself in the narrator: someone who lets opportunities slide and relationships sour by sheer apathy and lackadaisical lack of ambition, making the theme all the more poignant. I'm glad I found this.

Take care, thanks for sharing, and keep writing *WingL**Heartv**WingR*


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   *CheckG* You responded to this review 09/15/2025 @ 7:54pm EDT
Printed from https://shop.writing.com/main/my_feedback/action/view/id/4835646