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The Man
A thrilling morality story unfolds, pitting a mysterious, schizophrenic homeless man against his unsuspecting adversary. Their briefly shared past, though insignificant to one, is the other’s entire focus that pushes him onto a homicidal path that has no forks and one destination.
22 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 11, 2013
About the author
Abraham Lopez
14 books34 followersAbraham spent his formative years in rural Colorado, where he was born. He has also lived in Northern Nevada, Virginia, and Northwest Arkansas. These disparate environments and local cultures have had a great impact on Abraham's view of America and his writing styles. Though educated as a computer programmer, Abraham hopes to be a full-time writer in the near future.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 28, 2014
This is the second short story by Abraham Lopez I've read, the other was Trial 39. I like both, but I think this is the better one. The author has made both freely available here on Goodreads.
The Man is traditional in its set up. It follows the main character as he sets about to get his revenge. It builds up nicely, flashbacks reveal the main characters previous life, or at least the way he sees his past and it is suspenseful. It is a good crime story that doesn't give away too much and ends on an intriguing note.
I find the writing style quite interesting because it sometimes borders on the poetic. I think that is rather unusual for a crime story, but it does work very well here.
The Man is traditional in its set up. It follows the main character as he sets about to get his revenge. It builds up nicely, flashbacks reveal the main characters previous life, or at least the way he sees his past and it is suspenseful. It is a good crime story that doesn't give away too much and ends on an intriguing note.
I find the writing style quite interesting because it sometimes borders on the poetic. I think that is rather unusual for a crime story, but it does work very well here.
March 18, 2014
The man is ready for revenge. His anger has been festering for years, and his senses are tuned to his victim’s everyday life. Everything is in place, and today is the day he retakes his life. Brad Stevens, unbeknownst to his fate, better watch his back.
If you’re looking for a spine chilling story, look no further. The Man combines elements of suspense, revenge, and cruelty to create a masterpiece. Pity as well as fear accompanies the reader throughout the story for both characters. In the end (no spoilers!) the reader sympathizes with the man and feels a twinge of sorrow for him.
The story flows, and its a quick read. The reader gradually finds out the man’s motive for the deed he’s so ready to commit, which adds to the suspense. Abraham Lopez somehow combines the protagonist and antagonist so by the end, the reader isn’t positive who is the real good guy. Everyone’s favorite character is the villain; the plot wouldn’t move forward with them. The man has all the qualities of a perfect “villain.” Secretly, the reader is rooting for the man to triumph in the end.
The one critique: there are some sentences which are a bit confusing. During a couple of paragraphs, I had to reread a couple of times to grasp the meaning the author’s portraying. Otherwise, the plot continuously moved forward, and nothing seemed choppy or out of place.
Hmm… it’s hard to review a short story without giving anything away! I definitely recommend it, especially for Stephen King/ suspense/ horror fans.
stealingpages.com
If you’re looking for a spine chilling story, look no further. The Man combines elements of suspense, revenge, and cruelty to create a masterpiece. Pity as well as fear accompanies the reader throughout the story for both characters. In the end (no spoilers!) the reader sympathizes with the man and feels a twinge of sorrow for him.
The story flows, and its a quick read. The reader gradually finds out the man’s motive for the deed he’s so ready to commit, which adds to the suspense. Abraham Lopez somehow combines the protagonist and antagonist so by the end, the reader isn’t positive who is the real good guy. Everyone’s favorite character is the villain; the plot wouldn’t move forward with them. The man has all the qualities of a perfect “villain.” Secretly, the reader is rooting for the man to triumph in the end.
The one critique: there are some sentences which are a bit confusing. During a couple of paragraphs, I had to reread a couple of times to grasp the meaning the author’s portraying. Otherwise, the plot continuously moved forward, and nothing seemed choppy or out of place.
Hmm… it’s hard to review a short story without giving anything away! I definitely recommend it, especially for Stephen King/ suspense/ horror fans.
stealingpages.com
April 8, 2014
Brad Stevens was homicidal/suicidal. He was being watched by a homeless man. He came to Brad’s house. It was Gerald (Jerry) Punchard from college.
Cool book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written mysterious thriller short story (book). It was very easy to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. No grammar errors, repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could make a great scary horror movie or mini TV series. No doubt in my mind a very easy rating of 5 stars for this short story (book).
Thank you for the free short story (book)
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
Cool book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written mysterious thriller short story (book). It was very easy to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. No grammar errors, repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could make a great scary horror movie or mini TV series. No doubt in my mind a very easy rating of 5 stars for this short story (book).
Thank you for the free short story (book)
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
January 19, 2014
Was Brad guilty? Wasn't he? Did any of it really happen outside of Jerry's mind? I don't know; and I like that I don't know.
This angry and sad story seems stuck in my head, and I know I'll be thinking about it for some time to come. Jerry's illness means that his observers [readers, too] have even less chance of distinguishing his hallucinations from reality than he does, which makes him an utterly sympathetic character.
Some word choices I found odd [e.g., "rivulet" where I expected "torrent"], but in all, a nicely crafted work.
This angry and sad story seems stuck in my head, and I know I'll be thinking about it for some time to come. Jerry's illness means that his observers [readers, too] have even less chance of distinguishing his hallucinations from reality than he does, which makes him an utterly sympathetic character.
Some word choices I found odd [e.g., "rivulet" where I expected "torrent"], but in all, a nicely crafted work.
February 3, 2014
The Man is a story about Jerry who was once going to be a surgeon, until an incident with Brad. Their lives forever entwined. Jerry never forgiving what happened, Brad not remembering it. One day, Brad does eventually care about it, but by then it's to late for Jerry.
Jerry's illness is so severe it's hard to tell when he is lucid and when he is hallucinating. It's a really good short story, that keeps you on edge.
Jerry's illness is so severe it's hard to tell when he is lucid and when he is hallucinating. It's a really good short story, that keeps you on edge.
February 16, 2014
This short story was well written and quite poetic in places. It was intriguing and left the reader thinking. There were so many questions left unanswered and so much more I wanted to know. I would love to see a full length novel made out of this brief snapshot.
March 3, 2017
Read full review via The Short Story Station .
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews