Reader Response: "1-900"

                “1-900” was a perfect example of dialogue. Of course, it would have to be, to be an all-dialogue story, but I’m just so impressed. It took me a little while to get into the story. The first couple of pages had me skimming down to the bottom of the page, but then I had to remind myself this wasn’t pleasure reading, and I had to read things more carefully. The deeper into the story I got, though, I found myself hooked. What was this guy going to say? How was Marilyn going to take it?

                The tones of these two characters were perfect. It was so easily to give Marilyn/Sharon’s voice attitude! John’s voice was a little more mysterious to me, which I think is exactly what Bausch has in mind. John creeped me out. At first, I found myself sympathetic for his character; after all, he’s alone without his wife and kids. Further into the phone call, though, you get hints about why Kate, his wife, left him. He really is not okay in the head; in fact, I’d venture to say he needs some therapy, ASAP.

                The other thing that lends to John’s creepiness is that he thinks he is totally normal. He even says that he’s proved to himself that he isn’t “off the deep end,” that he can have a normal conversation. It’s obvious that he can’t because he’s trying to have a normal conversation on a phone sex line! He also keeps trying to plead with Marilyn/Sharon to stay on the phone line. And, somehow, he finds himself feeling “tremendous affection” for someone he’s only had one phone conversation with. It’s all just very… weird.