My Favorite Murder

(strange website, the link won't take you directly to the right page but if you search "My Favorite Murder" on the site linked it should come up)

Can an author employ the use of entirely too many adjectives? My Favorite Murder is proof that yes, too many adjectives can be used.

Now, I think I'm a pretty erudite guy, I like language and I like to think I have a pretty good grasp of the English one but having to read a story with a dictionary on-hand may have taken away from the story a little. Maybe I just don't have as firm a grasp on the language as I thought but words like saturnine and avarice are a little obscure. However, knowing them now makes my life a little richer and I do like to learn new words.

Despite all this lingual confusion, I must confess it was a good story. Dark, in a word, strange in another, but interesting, perplexing, and good nonetheless. Basically the description of a really terrible way to die, which admittedly is kind of funny for those of us not being pummeled to death by a ram, this story is presented with a very strange, sometimes confusing, always funny nonchalance. I didn't know what to think when I finished. It was funny, but I had a hard time discerning between sarcasm and the machinations of a twisted mind. I don't know about you, but never having had any experience with murderers, I couldn't really tell if the protagonist really was pleased about adding insubordination and treachery to his record or if he was being sarcastic. Knowing the character both seem likely.

To the story's credit, once I moved away from my innocent murder disliking hang-ups it was funny. I was in the mood for a chuckle and I got it. The concept of someone being acquitted of a crime because of another that was so much more heinous tickles me. To add to that the way he commits his avuncular murder is also quite funny. Tying someone up like a pendulum in a bag and coxing their own ram to attack said bag is ironic and makes for a comical mental picture. And despite being confusing at times, the way the protagonist describes the murder is off beat that I found myself amused by the casual account of such an abominable event.

In short this is a well written story, my gripes about over-use of adjectives is a moot point because I love adjectives and it added to the story's comedy. The story was confusing and by no means perfect but it was definitely a worthwhile read.