Hi Bob retired ,I found your writing ad random. Hopefully this review will find you in good spirit.

I, a newbie, browsed through your portfolio and got to this charming little short story, and decided to review it although it’s been written a few years ago.

On Title/Subject
The Sound of Silence is a very good title since the piece is dealing with the presence and absence of noises . The subtitle Silence can be measured by its intensity however got me a little bit on the wrong foot. Is the intensity or power of silence the subject of your story? You are making a statement that is not really granted in the piece. It’s almost another subject.

General impressions
The story is really good. It’s a short description of your life on rural grounds and the little sounds there are during the nights. I especially liked: For me, one who lives in a rural situation, night time silence is only interrupted by a cow mooing, or perhaps a fox barking to warn its mate of possible danger, or maybe there is a scuffle in the hen house. Your description is very vivid; I could almost hear it myself, being with you at the country side. For me, a city person, that’s the attraction of living in the country. I really, really loved: Silence is almost absolute;.

Then the situation changes: you are taken to hospital and the silence there is non-existent. Again there is a lovely description of the noises produced there: the curtains, the nurses, the doctors.

Your ending is an observation.


Suggestions
I have one suggestion I would like to lay out before you: the sentence: Silence is almost absolute; then I get sick and am admitted to hospital as a patient requiring care and observation for the first few days. It is in the heart of your piece and it is a change from country side to hospital.

I would suggest making two sentences out of it. The first sentence being : Silence is almost absolute. The second sentence being: Then I get sick and am admitted to hospital as a patient requiring care and observation for the first few days. I also would suggest a blank line in between the two sentences as to point out a different phase in the story.


Final thoughts
All and all I loved this short but very admirable little tale.



Keep up the good work, enjoy writing!

WakeUpAndLive