Dear Mr. C.,

Oct. 16/00

After reading Liam O'Flaherty's The Sniper for the second time, I had many same reactions and many different ones.

Scary. This story changed from shocking to scary and gruesome. Why? Because it is very possible that this has occurred, with all the wars around the world. It is scary to know what wars can do to families. The way that Mr. O'Flaherty builds suspense throughout the story and made it mysterious and eerie made me think about what I was reading and put myself in the Sniper's shoes. I can't say whether or not I would shoot the lady and the enemy sniper. I don't think that I would, although if it was a matter of my life... who knows?

This story has a very eerie mood. The slow moving plot and all the details written in such a way that the reader is almost expecting something to happen.The strategy is carried out, and it is not until the last two words that you get anything that you half expect. The calmnesss and patience of the main sniper makes the story real and lets the reader know what war really is, knowing what risks to take in a life or death situation.

Like I stated above, this situation could be one that someone is in right now. It is ironic, but in life, ironic things will occur. I would love to read, or write, the story in the view of the brother. He, of course would never see or know of the awful truth, the coincidence that his brother killed him. But, in every story, there are at least two sides and I think it would be great to hear the brother's point of view.

I really think that this story is great, because it makes the reader think about life and put in view.

Thanks for choosing it,

Anna