All Comments on 'February Sucks in 750 Words'
by IntuitiveJ
- 128 Comments
Marc was wonderful in bed but, if he asked to marry her, she wouldn't. She loved me.
Stop messing with what was a good story. This is the worst of the lot.
So why waste a third of them retelling the original story
Good job! She’s dumb and selfish in every version. It’s a good reminder that people can always surprise you. Sometimes those surprises suck, but you don’t have to take the high road. Take care of yourself, no one else will!
The essence of GA's story, with a different ending than the origina, in 750 wordsl. Well-done!
The problem you needed to overcome was that there have been SO many re-writes of this story that nothing short of an epic effort will suffice. This fell well short of epic. Everyone knows the facts of the story. Presenting them in Cliff Note form just wasn't entertaining. Maybe next time.
2 stars
It's not bed actually in terms of the reactions by The husband. 750 words is a little short but I like the idea that there really is not that much to discuss with the wife or and she comes home.
And throwing these against the wall and smashing is perfect
You told the story as well in 750 words as most of the other authors have done in 7 pages. Great job.
I like your stuff J but please
My dad used to play “Who’s on first?” over and over too, then laugh as he told pieces of it and slipped parts into daily conversation for awhile afterwards.
That was annoying too.
~Enkidu
You did very well at condensing 3+ pages into the essential elements. Alas, it's still a pig's ear.
One of the very few times I'll go along with "nevermind the story, the writing was good". ☆☆☆☆☆
... it’s a sketch, so sounds and feels like a sketch. It’s hardly even a shaded-in sketch. So, it’s “meh” from me.
Well, you whittled out all the BS that other authors needed to include - BUT, you also whittled out the angst, feelings of betrayal, the life of the story. You got the essentials.
3/5
The rating of a story depends on it's a utility to stand alone. Without the original, this attempt falls short.
At least he left her. Glad he didn't change Linda to be some nice loving wife. She is a horrible person and needs to remain that way in all the rewrites.
the cheated upon husband is happier than ever. Happens in every divorce... NOT!
Best one yet, because it told the same story in 2 minutes instead of wasting 20 - 30 or more on it.
Thanks. You saved me several pages of repetition. The concept of 'February' was good at the start, but starting to get way overworked now. 5*.
Concise and to the point and not very satisfying only average. The very attempt to apply 750 words to a complex story like this was an ill conceived folly that was destined to fall short.
Will you authors PLEASE let this story die a quiet death?
I take the 750 word stories to be like the "short" stories that authors like Hemingway, Ambrose Bierce, etc would write. To get a gist of what I'm saying, read "The Short, Happy Life of Francis Macomber" and/or "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge". So much imagery and emotion pack in with so few words. Some authors here are able to do that in 750 words. To me, this was a retelling and didn't have the impact that the other stories did. And, maybe I'm missing your point. If the point was that it could be done in 750 words or less, you met the mark.
IMHO as well as can be expected in 750 words. I still like JPB's story on this best.
The break in personality is the unavoidable problem with this entire series. A normal decent person doesn't rob a liquor store one day, doesn't take a baseball bat to the puppy who peed on the floor, doesn't become some celebrities slut because she has the sudden opportunity.
But given the scenario the series introduces, this short version is as clean and realistic as any that I have read. The crux of the problem is that the whore STILL revels in the memory of her betrayal. No acknowledgement that she demonstrated a failure in character, ethics, morals. Would you trust a person who is really really sorry the puppy is dead, but just loved the sound of the puppy's head cracking, or watching him twitch in his death throes? But she promises she'll never treat another puppy like that again, promise.
Divorce is a stupid way to punish someone you still love, but the only way to escape a toxic relationship. Linda has become mentally and morally dysfunctional, and is now a danger to her ex husband's and her children's well being. How, why, what can be done to recover, are all interesting and need to be addressed, by her therapist.
Yelling at your spouse in a fit of anger is a mistake. Striking your spouse with your fist or a dangerous object is a sign of mental illness. So is walking away with a stranger to spend the night fucking, then expecting to come home with no consequences.
You told the story succinctly and honestly, with the logical reactions and outcomes. Better than most, much better than some.
Thanks for the effort.
It's too much subject matter for just 750 words, but a good effort. I liked the vase - nice touch!
An impressive short tale! To bad a few others couldn't follow you example. You left the emotions but cut the bullshit. Thank you for one of my top two versions out of what - thirty? 5 stars!
...than many of the other re-writes. IJ accurately followed the story line of GAs original-in an abbreviated fashion-until the story’s ending. The ending is justified for the most part, other than splitting a previously loving, intact, and functional family with young children. Nicely done, IJ! Four stars ⭐️ for this one.
This one was fast and all the frilly filler is not present. Only thing missing was revenge on the bitch Dee and planting the seed of acceptance doubt in each of his EX-friend couples husbands. Also missed the extended family condemnation of Linda's behavior. For 750 it was a good job. glad to see he shit-canned her keeping his man-card.
/
5* for effort.... Hooyah, Salute.
None of that, "I still love her" crap. He did what he had to do. Too bad Marc got injured on the field. He was paid for that whole year and got the team insurance. The next injury should be more permanent. Good job.
You can't write a character who does what Linda does and expect even a half way normal man to stay. Better than the original because it lacks GA's inconsistent character development, annoying cliches, and ridiculous characters such as Ellen and LW (the LW here is a non-entity lawyer, unlike GA's character.)
I've enjoyed the original and most of the stories it spawned.
This one is particularly weak on reaction, emotion, blood and tears.
Your style portends future success, however, and I encourage you to keep going.
You distilled it down efficiently and successfully.
That said...it worked only because we all know this story numbingly well 😎. Had it been a first told standalone tale it would have been lame.
But as a Cliff Notes version after dozens of rewrites and/or sequels....nice job!
4****
The rewrites have been over done, but at least this one is short and to the point. I don't think any one of the great writers here will benefit redoing this story again. Bury it, please!
Uh no - didn't work. Nice try, so I gave it 3* for an otherwise 2* at best tale.
The only version of this overrated tale that can be called a story is "February Really, Really Sucks" by PKenny5860. It has a proper storyline, believeable characters and a full and understandable conclusion. The original was a total mess.... A good outline, I concede, but the sad thing was a waste of time to read. I liked 'Saddletramp's' version too but I like everything Saddletramp writes. Reading This was a waste of my time but this story is like an itch you have to scratch or more appropriately like a scab you have to pick at! PLEASE EVERYONE QUIT MESSING WITH THIS WORTHLESS ATTEMPT AT A STORY! I gave it One Star (more than it will ever be worth!)
So what women would do that knowing it would end her marriage with two children. You have to be a person without a full deck or a total moron. Story never works. I can see a affair or private meeting but going and doing it in front of friends and your husband. Is blush it any women would know that would end there marriage.
Sorry but this was just as pointless as every other one of these. Well one was decent but generally this whole follow the leader thing on this story just needs to stop.
I suppose that one could summarize the Iliad in 750 words, but who would want to read it?
this fails like all others (even the original) except one version: His friends attitude supporting the cheating bitch, and being happy their wives support her too. No real men and real friends would accept that!
It's like a multi-car pileup on I-95; you know its horrible, and probably many people were killed ,or injured. But you can't look away. The same with this story. It and the15 or so variations, including the original. THEY ALL SUCK. EVERY SONGLE ONE!!!!! I don't want to, or will not read another one. The best was the one were the three guys just out of the military beat the shit of the asshole. And that one sucks because he lived. Where I was raised, the wife would not be allowed to do what we did. End of story. They Bear is not the least bit amused. If I could, in would be -20 stars. They should have a rating for least favorite story. PLEASE STOP !!!!!!!!
The BEAR
Congrats. You compressed it. That’s interesting, but I wouldn’t read it again.
Its just a typical 750 word story no emotion no thought development just get'er done. Not the authors fault though.
The next "author" that writes a follow-up to this bullshit story has to suck Marc LaValliere's dick in Times Square at noon. Let's see if that stops this follow-up bullshit.
750 words for this story is not enough. Thank you.
"Cliff's Notes"
Now that was an original comment.
1. Didn't repeat half if the original story, and 2. Loved the vase scene. So true and easy to understand. Didn't care for the she never dated part as live goes on. And she will take her regrets to the grave.
Read it, but wish I hadn't. It wasn't bad. It is this story. About 2 dozens versions too many of them.
Of all of the versions of Feb Sucks, this one was the worst because of the 750 word brevity. Even Readers Digest would have treated this better. Let's all decide to STOP with the Feb Sucks story line. The race horse died just after leaving the starting gate and dragging it over the finish behind the tractor doesn't make a winner!!!!
Stop polluting Lit with this garbage, enough of this wannabe story, you're all just basically repeating it, word for word, with maybe a few differences. 1*
Spend the extra words telling us why/how she could suddenly kill her marriage.
She did say she didn't know why, but there has to be some sequence of events she experienced that let her make her disastrous decisions.
(Accept the dance request, agree to go off with Mark, totally ignore what Jim would do when she turned on him and her marriage, tell Dee to cover her escape, have the group argue against Jim).
Loved the line ‘my former friends’ capturing his developing mindset and strength
Writers and other fans of G.A.'s February Sucks: who are these readers that presume to squash what the rest of us are enjoying?
This author was very clear what his story was about - so why do they read (maybe they read it), then trash all over it, in an attempt to chase off any other stories that would follow suit?
For all of those of you that have had enough of Feb. Sucks - fine - you're entitled to read what you want, but so are the rest of us. You shouldn't even be reading this comment... why are you here?
What is it with people thinking that they have some God given right to tell everybody else what to do?
If there is an author out there who wants to take a run at this hugely popular subject: Go for it. Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!
I love the brevity. Thanks for taking the challenge to put the conclusion into 750 words.
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Hate the absence of any "soul" in this version. This reads like minutes from a damned board meeting.
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To those readers who whine about "yet another FS story" - who forced YOU to read "yet another FS story?" As Pappy used to say, "Vote with your feet, son."
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Keep 'em comin'!
1 for this version.
It does not matter how many different ways you try to make this story any better - it is a waste of time.
The original story was bullshit right from the git go and nothing can fix that horrible idea.
1 is the lowest score for a good reason - this just another remake of one of the worst stories here.
This is a FANTASY FICTION story - NOT a Loving wives.
Repeats or remakes of the same crap still stinks no matter how you try to wrap it.
I've read several versions and this is without a doubt the laziest with its awkward attempt at satire.
The only real message. Was she sorry? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice it is my fault so shame on me. It makes marriage a one way street.
Nice
Straight and to the point. Cunt cheated, he divorced her. No ifs, ands or butts. Fuck her.
Five Stars
… a steaming pile of crap is a moron.
Here’s a three word story that all the trolls will love, called “You Suck”. Ready?
***
“Fuck you, bitch!!!”
***
There. Nailed it.
The only reasonable answer to the whole February situation. L.W in this story is right, if vows don't mean anything the marriage doesn't mean anything
Too bad a woman, maybe his sister, wouldn't have beaten her when she walked in the door. Not a bad beating, just until she peed laying on the floor. Then, she'd realize what she did, didn't pass the faithful wife test!
Good job, and better than the original because hubby dumps the cheating skank in your version. Can you try boiling War & Peace down to 750 words next? I’ve always fancied reading W&P but there are too many words.
Liked it a lot. To the point, one and done with no waffling on Jim’s part. He saw right away that Linda was sorry he felt bad, sorry it would put a strain on the marriage, but never sorry she did it!! She never remarried and Jim found someone better — perfect outcome!
This worked because all readers already know all the details of the original and various sequels…so doing such a choppy short rendition was more than feasible.
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Great job. 4 ****
One of the better endings.......only thing missing is crushing assholes knees as a gone away present!
Nice try, but it’s not possible to write February Sucks in 750 words. Reading this is like reading Cliff Notes. Three stars ⭐️ for this one.
When I caught her walking in the door, she'd get no further. I would probably, either send her back to asshole, or she'd be beaten and buried in the swamp or quicksand... Nothing but a slut, breathing air a good person could breathe. Better yet, do asshole too and put the together...
"Jim, I could tell you everything, but I don't want to hurt you." - Not "telling" him tells him everything.
To the idiot below who thinks this is too short, this is an example of exactly what would happen IRL. The marriage with the slut would be over. No hand-wringing; just over. Very few words are necessary to describe the result. BTW:Nice job, Intuituve, of fitting it all into 750 words.
Despite, or perhaps because of, it's brevity this is one of the better versions.
☆☆☆☆☆ For getting the gist of the entire story into 750 words.
Look, that's just bs. A woman like Linda who is beautiful enough to attract a man like Marc would have no problem with men lined up at her door after her divorce. She is an entitled narcissist with superior beauty and would have her choice of desperate men and the number of desperate wimpering adolescent men out there is legion... she won't ever be without male company if she so desires... that's just a divorced man's delusional fantasy that his unfaithful wife will suffer such distress that she will forever have a lack of male company because of her hurtful cheating on him... that's just fantasy.