Pretense reviewed The Most Dangerous Game by Richard O'Connell
Review of 'The Most Dangerous Game' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
This is an interesting short story from the 1920s that touches upon the theme of hunting from an angle that is perhaps less exciting or unexpected today than it was when this was first published. Nonetheless, it was an entertaining read to see how our protagonist gets himself out of the unfortunate situation he finds himself in when he lands on the private island of a certain Zaroff… moreover, the references to this short story in modern media made it worth going back and reading.
What are the prizes one gets for being a human, as opposed to being a lion or some other such hunted animal? How do you define ‘evil’ if the perpetrator himself is incapable of viewing his terrible actions in anything but a positive light? Is one person less evil than another for partaking in some vices but not others?
The story isn’t lengthy at all …
This is an interesting short story from the 1920s that touches upon the theme of hunting from an angle that is perhaps less exciting or unexpected today than it was when this was first published. Nonetheless, it was an entertaining read to see how our protagonist gets himself out of the unfortunate situation he finds himself in when he lands on the private island of a certain Zaroff… moreover, the references to this short story in modern media made it worth going back and reading.
What are the prizes one gets for being a human, as opposed to being a lion or some other such hunted animal? How do you define ‘evil’ if the perpetrator himself is incapable of viewing his terrible actions in anything but a positive light? Is one person less evil than another for partaking in some vices but not others?
The story isn’t lengthy at all and reads fairly quickly, and I credit Connell for having a no-nonsense writing style that doesn’t force the reader to consume too much fluff to get to the meat of the story (pun unintended). The suspense is well-crafted and it is actually quite thrilling once we get to the main act (rather than the buildup). I can certainly see why this particular story has become so influential, though perhaps it is comparatively under-read for the amount of influence it holds.
