By Twinkle Fairy
I thought finding one completed multi-chapter story in the Psychological Fiction genre was hard. Finding a second one was almost fruitless. After quite a time of searching through FanFiction.net for stories that complimented my list of novels, I finally came across a very short five chapter story entitled "Life in the Big Apple" written by Twinkle Fairy and based on the characters in the novel "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Brontë.
"Life in the Big Apple," though an extremely short story, was quite a chore for me to read. I feel that, had it been longer, I may not have been able to finish reading it. It is Twinkle Fairy’s first story, and I don’t know if she used the services of a Beta or not - the quality of the story suggests not – however, I feel that she may have benefited from the assistance of one. The spelling, punctuation, grammar, and sentence structure are all quite adequate in standard, though the sentence structure and paragraphing could be improved.
It wasn’t so much the technical side of the story that bothered me, but the plot. The story follows (the deceased) Heathcliff and Edgar, whose spirits were spied by the young Cathy, earning them a visit from Death’s sister; a character with the appearance of a seven-year-old girl. Because they were seen by a human, they are banished to the 21st Century, where they find themselves lost in the heart of busy New York City.
The events that befall them are quite typical 21st Century occurrences; however I felt that the entire story was rushed and quite jumpy and unstable. I found it very difficult to follow, as Twinkle Fairy did not explain things very well, nor did she really keep her characters in harmony with their situation. Coming from 16th Century England, their language would have been extremely different to 21st Century America, and though she did try to portray this, she really did not succeed. Her impression of the accent of “country folk” was also something to be desired. It was hard to read, and quite frankly, I felt like it let the story down. I also believe that the characters would have had a much more arduous time fitting in with society in the 21st Century than Twinkle Fairy led us to believe.
Heathcliff, on the other hand, was far too distracted to hear Edgar's pitiful cries and insults, for outside the hotel lied a world much different that his own. For one thing, it was much, much louder. People were screaming across the street to one another and some were giving obscene gestures. Many people appeared to be talking to themselves with their hands up to their ear, holding a small silver device. Metal carriages on four wheels drove by themselves, without horses, down a busy, paved street.
Heathcliff observes that life in the 21st Century is different than he’s used to, nevertheless, it would be more than just a distraction to him. I’m sure that if I were to find myself thrust into a world a few hundred years on from now, it would take me a lot longer than a few hours to come to terms with it. It would be quite a difficult situation to wrap my head around. This is why I find it so hard to accept Heathcliff and Edgar’s actions and reactions in the story.
Also, as spirits who aren’t supposed to be seen by humans, wouldn’t they be in a mountain of trouble from the number of 21st Century humans who catch sight of them? It’s not something that Twinkle Fairy did explain, nor do I think she really thought much about when writing that aspect of the story.
Overall, Twinkle Fairy has a good basis for what could be a great story, thought it would require a large amount of input and editing from a Beta. I wouldn’t say that it wasn’t worth reading; however I would not recommend it to others in its current form. If you’re a fan of "Wuthering Heights," I would particularly advise you not to read this. It is bound to frustrate you.
Reviewed by Shantelle on behalf of Fictionista Workshop
Location: www.fanfiction.net
Category: Books, Wuthering Heights
Rated: T
Chapters: 4 (chapter 5 attached to chapter 4)
Words: 4,411
Status: Complete
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