STORY INFO
Come In Spinner
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Author
Marilyn Filewood
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Categories
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Danh mục
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Update
1 year ago
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Part Chapter
1/??
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Reads
64
Content
Thommo rammed a bayonet into the rocky clay and tied a string to it. Thommo, the only one of us over thirty, and therefore responsible, was our Ringie, the supervisor of the Two-up ring. He attached a second bayonet to the other end of the string and, using the bayonets like a giant school compass, drew a perfect circle in the clay soil. It was the 23rd May 1915, just months since I'd left Australia, to f...
Outstanding reviews
Terrific story. I am a Vietnam Vet and the idea of loving, not hating, your enemy resonates. Men fight wars for no reason except for the greed and avarice of the leaders of their countries. The ordinary man has no cause against his counterpart. I loved the story. BTW, this is a bit incorrect. At 6ft 6" . It's inconsistent. Either 6'6" or 6ft 6 in. It's the first time I have really liked a winning story. Congrats!
Thankyou Ralph. Yes. I only notice glaring errors after I push the submit button. My grandfather went to ww11 aged 60 lying about his age he was a Japanese prisoner of was and suffered badly. When he returned to Australia he made a point of befriending Japanese immigrants. And was against glorification of war. I have all his medals though and my grandson wears them in our Anzac Day March. So grateful for your comments
Thankyou Ralph. Yes. I only notice glaring errors after I push the submit button. My grandfather went to ww11 aged 60 lying about his age he was a Japanese prisoner of was and suffered badly. When he returned to Australia he made a point of befriending Japanese immigrants. And was against glorification of war. I have all his medals though and my grandson wears them in our Anzac Day March. So grateful for your comments
Thankyou Ralph. Yes. I only notice glaring errors after I push the submit button. My grandfather went to ww11 aged 60 lying about his age he was a Japanese prisoner of was and suffered badly. When he returned to Australia he made a point of befriending Japanese immigrants. And was against glorification of war. I have all his medals though and my grandson wears them in our Anzac Day March. So grateful for your comments
Wow! Absolutely riveting, and worthy of winning the top prize. I usually do not like stories about war, but this was incredible! Such amazing detail and emotional impact. What a brilliant way to say so much about the ridiculousness of war and humanity of supposed enemies. I'm truly blown away here.
thankyou so much Dan. Hi praise I deed
Great story about friendship in a horrible situation. I like the coin vs button connection.
Thanks mart b
Thanks mart b
Thankyou so much Rebeccca, for your kind comments. It was my first attempt at historical fiction and I found it tricky. First, two reliable sources had different times for the ceasefire. How many more are there? Second, I realised in the woke generation, with statues being taken down and places renamed, how easy it must be to offend a multitude of people who don't like your take on things, as Jack's parents did with the schoolteacher, Hopefully, noone is offended, but I hadn't known how difficult it is to tread that line.
Very well done on the win 🎉🥂I thought this a very moving piece and with just the right amount of historical context. No mean feat.
Very well done on the win 🎉🥂I thought this a very moving piece and with just the right amount of historical context. No mean feat.
Thankyou so much for reading and your ever excellent analysis. Yes, I cannot fathom how hard it must be to go into the meat grinder. I didn't know how familiar people from outside the "British Empire" would be with the Anzac legend. I tried to make sure most of the things in the story were true (the ceasefire, the blindfolded officer, Officers sharing chocolate, and of course the Two-up) although I don't think "betting on odds" would have been allowed.
Congrats on the win, Marilyn!
I love this story! A true-blue Aussie tale, with humour, friendships made in unlikely places and great characters. I'm looking forward to the next one Marilyn!
Damn fine work. The details and character interaction are incredible.
Really well brought together at the end there. The shock of Mehmet running out into the field and pointing his gun at Jack, only to realise what he is doing. Tragic and heart wrenching.
An incredibly nuanced powerhouse of a story. I have always shied away from historical fiction, because it's so difficult to nail down the minutiae. And there are so many historians out there ready to pounce and take you to task if you aim and miss. In this case, Gallipoli is one of the best-documented campaigns in military history....so easy to trip over your own feet taking this one on as a subject. I wouldn't even try. But you've captured it in spades.-:)Bravo Zulu!RG
Thankyou so much Richard. Yes, I discovered what you mean about the minutiae, only when trying to write the story. My greatest fear, however, was that my characters would be misinterpreted and, so far, they seem to be safe...
IMO, you've captured the essence of the characters, perfectly. 👍Cheers!RG
This story was a stark reminder of how war blues the line between friend and foe, bringing out the worst of humanity. Although, it's interesting how in this case, Mehmet and Jack don't become horrible people. They are simply boys caught in a struggle much bigger than them. My favorite line: "Embracing each other in death, the soldiers' clothing was now a uniform shade of dark brown from blood, decaying flesh, and putrid mud."
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At first, I thought, "Oh, a war story. Meh." But as I read it, I was drawn into the human story, not the armed conflict, and came to really like and appreciate the characters. Great twist at the end.
At first, I thought, "Oh, a war story. Meh." But as I read it, I was drawn into the human story, not the armed conflict, and came to really like and appreciate the characters. Great twist at the end.
Wowww, just woowww.
Wowww, just woowww.
Well done, Marilyn. You write as though you were there, and so we are too. Your description of no man's land is so raw, it really brought out the reality of the horror. Have you read or seen Band Of Brothers? Your story reminded me of some scenes there. War has been described as something like organized insanity and you do a great job of mixing the normality of life, like playing two-up among a group of guys and sudden friendship with the terror of life and death circumstances. A great read. Thanks for posting.
Thankyou Mike
Thankyou Mike
I am a teacher in Oakland, NJ (not California) US and I search all the time for stories like yours, Marilyn. My class of 8th graders will be reading this tomorrow in English class. I am not sure how it will be received but I personally loved the story. You are a skilled writer and I hope you continue to hone your craft. You are good!I'll keep you posted as the reactions come in. They can be resistant readers.
That is so wonderful to hear, James. I'm not sure how old 8th graders are but I guess about 13 or 14. The machinations behind the small allies fighting in wars for other powers is a bit hard to grasp, I guess. I can't remember the name of my favourite movie about the American Revolutionary war - it had Mel Gibson and the late Heath Ledger, Australians playing Americans (pretty well though!). A very tragic telling. It doesn't matter where you're from or who you're fighting for, war has a terrible cost.
wow Marilyn this gripped me. If I had known it was a war story I wouldn't have read it and then I would have missed a great read. It seemed quite meticulous in its language and geographical history. A worthy winner.
thankyou Stevie.
Good read, thanks for the story
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