Commentry on Table Talk

Table Talk combines several elements well to create an effective review of the Kirazu, a cross of a Japanese and Tapas restaurant in Soho. One thing the review does very well is striking the right balance between a formal and informal lexis, ensuring the review does not come out to dry or to chatty. An example of this is the line "Most dishes cost under a fiver", while taking a neural standard English approach for most of the review this interesting piece of phonology makes a nice change.

The review also does a nice job on blending the context, atmosphere and food.

Change

 

Change. Humanity has never stood still, never content with what they’ve got, nothing’s ever good enough.

It’s me. It’s always been me. Right from the beginning, I don’t regret it, I feel no need to repent, my actions are for God to judge, no one else. It all started twenty two years ago, the summer of ’63. I remember the day well, hot and sticky, the Arizona sun high in the sky, I remember the thick shadow I cast on the dust as I left the house. I remember him. He saw me leave, slowed down at the gate and leant against the steel mesh. He stood tall, hands in his pockets barely breaking a sweat in his black suit and necktie. “Curtis Walton Jr”

“Yes, sir, what can I help you with?”

“Mighty fine patch of land you have Mr Walton”

“Well yes sir, I take pride in my property”

“I can see that, Mr Walton how would you feel if I were to offer you a sum of money for the land”

The man was confident, a small smirk around his face, he was sure that he’d get what he came for. I decided that I’d oblige. For now.

“Well sir I’d be happy to sell… for the right price of course, why don’t you come on in and take a seat, can’t stay out in this heat all day.

He’s the sort of person I despise, in his world everything revolves around money, well there’s more to life than expensive suits.

He strolled in through the doorway and sat down on the couch, he placed his briefcase on his lap and opened it, he shuffled through some papers and pulled out a large blueprint.

"This is what we want to do" He said, a smile growing on his face

"We're going to buy out all this property here on the eastern side of town" His finger made a ring around the paper "After we have everything we're going to bulldoze the lot and build shops, restaurants and new homes .This is the future Mr Walton and you could be part of it"

I was silent. I don't know how long I sat there before I spoke, it could have been seconds or minutes but it felt like hours. "Interesting" I brought myself to say. I could feel the rage in my bones, rampaging through my body. What I did next was not as spontaneous as it might seem, from the second I saw him I knew why he was here, I knew he was here to bring about change.

I reached behind me and grabbed a bottle from the table, in a swipe I smashed it down on to the sharp corner. I pulled it up and held it in the man’s face. I could see him gulp. I could sense the fear. I fed off this.

“Come now Mr Walton" he pleaded "Please stay calm there really is no need for this, I'm sure we can work something out."

I bit my lip, I could feel the desire building inside of me "I'm afraid it's too late for that, you've already had your turn, now it's mine"
 

In one clean swipe I slashed his throat open, the blood gushed down my hands and spilled onto the couch, it pooled on the floor in a puddle beneath my feet.

That was the first time, that was how it all began. The reasons may seem trivial but but that was what happened, some things shouldn’t change.