Rick Moody's Boys

One of the first things that struck me about this short story was the flow of it. I feel like it was almost more song lyrics than a story since it has that sort of flow to it. It seems that every other story in this book I read is more like poetry than an actual story. However, that isn't to say I didn't enjoy the structure. I found it to add something to the writing, making it easier to read.

The repetition struck me as almost necessary to the structure since it gives all these ideas a common ground. Another thing that I also thought was necessary was that it didn't actually read like a story. There's a huge difference between reading "There was once a boy who entered a house and (insert the actions here)" and "Boys enter the house, (insert action here)". It makes the reader feel like they are present at the time that the action takes place - and it very well should, considering the fact that it is said in present time.

All of the actions are, in my opinion, also essential to the message as a whole. The one part that struck me as completely sad was the mention of the boys holding their sister's hand after she is diagnosed with (I'm assuming) leukemia. It's sadness seemed accentuated by the fact that most of the story itself is full of trivial things that boys do. The second part that really chewed at me was when the narrator talks about the father of the boys dying. I think the message he was trying to convey was this: the true test of manhood comes from being completely on your own without your family.