Creative Writing- Short Story Review

I chose to review The Tree Line, Kansas, 1934 by David Means in the New Yorker. This story was published on October 25, 2010.

David Means is an American writer that lives in Nyack, New York. His short stories have appeared in publications, including Esquire, The New Yorker, McSweeny's and Harper's. They are frequently set in the Midwest or the Rust Belt, or along the Hudson River in New York. He includes among his influences artist Edward Hopper who is also from Nyack, New York. (wikipedia)

At the end of the second paragraph, I enjoy the way the author chooses to describe the feeling that Lee has in regards to that of being able to "turn back into a normal person" once he retired. You get a feeling for exactly the sacrifice he had to make to be successful in his career of being an FBI agent. In addition, an agent who often went on stakeouts. The author also suggests Lee maintained a strong psychological balance to endure his career. The author implies that Lee spent most of his career thinking the way others might think. You get a genuine sense for how an agent would envision his life.

The sense of imagery presented throughout the story enabled the reader to imagine exactly the setting of the stakeout. The examples given in the story are solid. The images presented, such as them lying in the grass, peeking behind trees, taking frequent breaks and being utterly impatient waiting for something that may never come, really show the reader the story.

I did not enjoy the way the author itemized the thoughts of the breaks Lee had. They did not seem to have a relevant order or chronological thought, which, when itemizing points in a story usually have a more emphatic relevance.

The ending of the story left the reader unsure to exactly what happened to Lee's partner Barnes. We know with Lee's recollection after years passed, he is sitting on his porch remembering the conversation. This fact proves that he survives. More of a concrete ending would have made the story wrap-up nicely and wouldn't have left me wondering if his partner survived the stakeout.