“The Phonebook Man”
by Bentley Little
The Collection (2002)
* * (Okay) Suspense
Nina answers the door early in the morning to find a phonebook salesman peddling on her front step. The smallest kindness – the use of the bathroom – lands Nina a guest she can’t shake loose.
There are some unexplained occurrences - namely what happens when the phonebook man emerges from the bathroom - that ground this story to a halt. They are not explained, and the glaringly “huh?” moments should never be left unaccounted for. The idea of a guest overstaying his welcome is not new, but Little does manage a fine job of constructing fear and suspense that feels true to Nina. However, there were simply too many unanswered questions and puzzling moments for this story to shine for me.
5k (Semi) Challenge
12 years ago
1 comment:
In his short introduction to the story, Little does mention that this phonebook man is a supernatural being. I suppose it does explain - barely - what occurs in the bathroom, but if you weren't given that introductory paragraph, how would you ever know?
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