All Comments on 'Life is a Carnival'

The visuals in my head, the smells of the midway, the grease flung from the machines...they all combine to make this a deceptively powerful tale. I was swept up almost immediately, and even though I knew how it would probably end, I ache for Billy and Kim. I was entranced throughout, and I thank you sincerely for this gift.

I remeber the days that you so richly invoked. I suffered from quiet a few crushes on carny girls myself. I would absolutly love to see what happened to Kim and Billy's child. Maybe you could tell the story from her side? Excellent work-Bob

I remeber the days that you so richly invoked. I suffered from quiet a few crushes on carny girls myself. I would absolutly love to see what happened to Kim and Billy's child. Maybe you could tell the story from her side? Excellent work-Bob

Very nice work; my crushes on trashy girls were less successful and I made the mistake of going for the ones who lived in our town. The feelings on both sides are so authentic to me.

I think she let herself get knocked up by Billy so she'd HAVE to leave the carny life, found herself a waitress job, went to community college and became a tech of some kind. Raised the kid alone or maybe found a nice guy and married him.

Anyhow, THAT's what I"M gonna believe.

viking3

But then again by now I expect nothing less from you. Remembering being a kid just as naive, goofy and shy as Billy was at that age, I empathized totally with him and everything he did and said. It all rang true. I liked the ending as well, because told you enough to draw your own conclusions just like Billy had to, not simply wrapping everything up in a neat package with clear resolutions. Any story that I don't want to end (and me reading on a computer screen is a chore visually) and is funny, sad and erotic all in one tale is well worth reading.

It was almost sixty years ago - but it seems like yesterday. Thank you for taking me back there. But, how could you have known? Oh, you got her name wrong - it was Ruthie - and it wasn't a carnival - Her daddy was a preacher - a pentecostal evangelist - and he had a big tent that he set up in Corydon every year - sometimes for two weeks. That was a long time ago - and I can't expect you to remember all of the details. But - about Ruthie - are you sure you don't know anything about what happened to her? Nothing at all?

Like a couple of the other commenters, I'd like a follow-up on Kim and the child. Probably not a sex story, but still, I'm a romantic also! You did a terrific job with this story and I hope you will do some more.

...the sights, people, and smells of the once-a-year carnival that rolled into town. You've also nailed the bunch of teenage kids who spent their summer evenings at the carnival. There was always one kid--the shy one that didn't quite fit into the group--the Billy of the group. We were all surprised to find out how well Billy had scored. Oh well, it was a great story, and you've captured a moment in time so warmly. I'm left wondering about Kim--as are the others who read this story. Of course, that's what you intended, but I'm sure Kim's story could be woven into another interesting story.

Natural born storyteller--hell, if I had even gotten a woody, I'd have found a way to vote you a 6. Your damn-near flawless story had me busting out laughing a handful of times; it was smooth reading, like a fine whiskey that treats the throat while rotting the gut, and the amount of environment you wove into the action was just right. It's rare to find this level of entertainment for free--thanks for that.

Every now and then there is a story that makes me wish I could score at at 6 or 7. This is one of them. It's alive, it's warm and it's sexy. You make the reader care about the characters. Keep it up!

This is a great story although a little too long. You have great character development and I was eager to finish the story. Good luck in the contest.

Good writing, captured the real essence of a teenage boy :)

I would have really liked to know what happened to kim. i was thinking she was pregnant w/ his kid, but u never said... great story tho

This may be the best story I've ever read on this site. The sex was written very well, but became almost incidental, even though it was the reason! I cried a little at the ending, but it HAD to be that way, didn't it!

Thank you so very much for this incredible story. I related to Billy in some ways and felt his emotions...the emotions you so ingeniously captured with words. I am absolutely impressed and enthralled by this story. I, like many of the others who have commented and most likely countless others who haven't taken the time to comment, want a follow-up story told from the eyes of Kim. I can imagine her story, if read first, would be much like this story, leaving the reader wandering what ever happened to Billy. I hope you'll write this story. Thank you for your contribution to Literotica and its faithful readers...and thank you to Literotica for making such a site as this available where authors/readers can share so much creativity and thought / emotion-evoking stories.

Simply outstanding and superbly written, I liked it way too much. The story, the idea and the characters : Billy-Kim. Thanks for such a wonderful touch of love and sex in the story.

Encore :)

That was fabulous! I logged on to get off and wound up crying. What a writer!

Thank you for sharing this. Hands down best story I've read on the site. Cheers.

ONE OF THE NICEST LOVE STORIES I'VE READ. VERY WELL WRITTEN. I ENVY SPORT

A total delight at every level. A world above what is usually on this site.

Great story, really well written. There's lots of stories here that are good for different reasons, but this is one of a few, a very few, that I'd rate as excellent.

As an old man wandering around Literotica and thinking of days gone by, I hope to find gentle and loving and erotic and beautifully written vignettes about the people of our world. I have found an author here with a story that does it all. This story is superb, but I want Kim to tell us how she grew and succeeded because of Billy, partly, as well as her own ability and drive. I want the two to meet again at age sixty-five or so as successful people and contented grandparents. Then I want them to acknowledge their lifelong love and esteem regardless of their necessarily separate roads, and love, and commitments. The story is beautiful but so incomplete, and heartbreaking, because the two of them have so much to thank each other for and so much to gain from having the families appreciate each other.

This story deserves a 100 but I gave it 75 for the pain and tears I'm crying as I write this. I lost my first Love and soul-mate by distance and time too.

Very well written ; I'm off read more of your stories !

A great human drama story.

A really enjoyable story. But one anachronism - until 1982, the drinking age in NY was 18. In '82, it went up to 19. It wasn't 21 until 1985.

Brilliant!

Great characterisation - you make the reader care about the characters. And of course you leave us wondering about Kim ... Though you give us enough hints for us to imagine.

And the sex scenes - real and erotic:)

Great story! Superb writing!!!

somebody please tell me so I can read it. This is an incredible story that I've read several times over the years. Maybe it's because I lived through that era. I wish you still wrote here because your stories are always fun reads, and none are better than this.

Once in a very, very rare while, you get a story with real characters that you can believe in. This was such a moment. Thank you.

or coming of age.

Bill-Billy got a lesson in what the real world is like from a different point of view. And so did Kim. It helps to be of a certain age to appreciate this wonderful story.

his daughter with Kim

Being an ex-carny myself i found this to be a really good story. please keep writting

Terrific story. As other commenters have noted, you almost bring back the smells, sounds and sights of a different time, as well as something of my youth.

An easy five

This is a brilliantly written story of adolescent angst and search for love. Kim was shown in a very compassionate and caring way. The honesty of the author about his feelings during that time grabs the reader's attention and makes the story so believable. Thank you for the wonderful gift!

BEST STORY I have ever read kept me wanting to go to next page

What an emotional roller coaster. A great story. I couldn't stop until I finished.

Over the years, I've probably read a couple hundred stories here.

This is, by far, the Deepest!

Nice work! You made me feel.

Thanks for sharing this!

Well Done!

This was the first story I read in this collection a couple of years ago and I think its the best thing I have read since. I hope that your writing career has prospered. This story is as good as it gets, it brings tears to my eyes and I have to hope there is a grain of truth to it. Thank for such a great story.

I am surprised there wasn't a sequel. It seemed at one point that you set it up for one when she encouraged him to make love unprotected. Suggesting that she wanted him to impregnate her. But then you cut that all off with your further family stuff.

You could still have the wife die and Kim reappear with her daughter/son.

Whatever. Good work!

And sure, there's sex. But the sex is so matter-of-fact that it's really not very erotic.

very good

Always a favorite!

Excellent story, very evocative of my time in that area in the day, and a richly woven story that has very nicelt conveived and written details of the sights, sounds and smells. Loved it!

A minor detail, but the drinking age was 18 in NY state until about 1982.