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Title: Gullible Billy
Review: There's artistry and perceptiveness in this tale of betrayal and deception, woven through the accounts of major and minor players. Unfortunately, so little of the story comes to us from the romantic hero himself, that there is virtually no emotional connection with tragic Billy. The story is mostly told by his cousin Dennis's daughter, who had little or no contact with Billy. Even at the climax of the story, when Billy unexpectedly meets his lost love Eva again after 30 years of believing she is dead, the scene fails to convey the shock, betrayal, amazement, or whatever it is he is feeling. There is a moving portrayal of the dismal lives endured by other characters, such as Billy's unfortunate wife Maeve. However, there is too much irrelevant detail about minor characters and places, seemingly there just to expand a very slim story line. Billy does not convince as a charmer, nor as a tragic hero, he is little more than a shadowy excuse for a wasted life.
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