Review of They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969) by Elephant S — 31 Mar 2004

I just got off the phone with one of my best friends. I hadn't spoken to her in weeks. Last time I did she was in a "I'm sort of dating this guy that I'm not really sure about" phase. Now she's in a "I read every word in the dictionary to this guy except that one word in the L chapter" phase. Next thing you know... my stars.

This a medicine ball to the gut for me because she was my last [b]truly [/b]single friend, meaning never having been in one of [i]those [/i]relationships. You know what I mean: serious be-mine-forever relationships. Sure there are other good friends who are single, but they have all supped from the fountain of love. And sure there are other friends who are "truly single," but I'm not that close to them.

Now I'm left all alone at that miserable little table in the back of the wedding hall reserved for the I've-never-been-in-love singletons. It's amazing, I joke about it all the time - that I'm this good luck charm for everyone around me. Spend enough time with me and you won't just find an "other," you'll find a "significant other.".

I'm my own walking Jane Austen novel, except without the bad teeth and the delightful ending.

And I was in this giddy mood, too, because I'd been waiting a while to watch [b]They Shoot Horses, Don't They? [/b]and I finally did AND it lived up to my expectations. I was even gonna spend the time to spout out a nifty bit of a review extolling its prescience and probably perpetual relevance. Now I don't feel like it.