Rogue Review No. 352 - April 13, 1999

The Shaver III by Al Steiner

F/F, F/F/M

Length: 10,000 words

Objective Analysis: 7 {out of 10)

  Arousal: 2 (out of 5)
  Story: 5 (out of 5)
  Stroke: No

Subjective Analysis: Very Good


  NOTICE

If you are easily offended, not of the required legal age, or 
material of an erotic nature is illegal where you are, then do not
read what follows.


  SUMMARY

Jen has her doubts when she goes to a party with Charlie, her sister-
in-law.  Charlie is a firefighter and the party is thrown by some of 
her friends.  Jen, on the other hand, is married and lives a rather 
sheltered life.  Charlie has more in mind than just showing her 
sister-in-law how the other half lives.


  COMMENTARY

If you have not read The Shaver and The Shaver II, then I recommend 
you do so before reading this story.

This story is a little arousing.  It is not replete with descriptions
of sex or arousing situations.  I got the impression that Jen is not 
comfortable in her surroundings; this served to make me equally 
uncomfortable.  I had a hard time getting aroused by the majority of 
this story.

The story itself is well written.  It focuses around Jen and how she 
develops as a character.  It is told through an alcoholic blur.  She 
would rather be somewhere else, but accepting that she isn't she 
tries to make the best of a bad situation.  There is a plot.  It is 
reasonably well paced.  I wish there had been more dialogue in the 
story.  The author does a great job of setting the tone through Jen's
descriptions, but I prefer to be given varying opinions and have to 
pick among them.  What dialogue there is, seems to facilitate the 
plot as much as does Jen's development as a character.

I liked this story, but not because I found it arousing.  This author
has a knack for telling a story from a single perspective.  Internal 
conflicts make a story compelling, but external conflicts can be just
as compelling.  I prefer to see a little of both.  By the way, if you
are looking for stroke material, I advise you look elsewhere.  The 
first two installments of The Shaver resembled stroke stories.  This 
one does not.  I have placed it on my B-list because it is so well 
written.


  LINKS

The Shaver III

* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=464290773&fmt=raw [1/2]
* http://search.dejanews.com/=gh/getdoc.xp?AN=464290801&fmt=raw [2/2]