The Reading Room - deep and crisp and even

[constant-muse.livejournal.com]

Deck the halls and all that, and welcome to the Reading Room!

Come in out of the snow (if you’re one of those blessed with the stuff tonight), let me take your coat.

The CI5 carol singers will call around later, but in the meantime our celebratory fic is

“Boxing Day” by The Hag
http://hatstand.slashcity.net/hag/boxing.html

as suggested by the lovely msmoat (*waves* - hoorah for sharing a time zone for once!) and chosen by popular vote to round off the year.

So, how does “Boxing Day” jingle your bells?

Comments

[jgraeme2007.livejournal.com]

Among the things I love about this story is how sweet it is without being schmaltzy. How the lads are tender without appearing to be anything but lads. How, even on Christmas day, we get a sense of the danger and unpredictablity of their lives. This is the lull in the storm, and they could be dead next week, but today they are safe and warm and rested -- and the only danger is the one they pose to each other's hearts.

The Hag writes with great precision and warmth, and I love the details she includes, those little bits of homely reality.

And I love the little backstory she gives Bodie. Not some enormous, giant, exhausting and fantastic history, but a glimpse into the past that is poignant and believable -- and leaves us thinking about all that lies between the lines.

One of my all time favorite Christmas stories.

Happy Holidays to our fandom!

[msmoat.livejournal.com]

Well--ahem--I suggested this so maybe for once I should leave a comment! *g* I love this story--unabashedly and completely. It's one of my favorite Christmas stories because it contains so much of that spirit--the magic, really, of the possibility of that "wonderful thing". There's a tinge of sadness to it, for the past, and for their fears, and for a future that might bring tragedy. But for that moment, in that warm kitchen, absolutely everything is right. And if they can make it, they will. I just love that. And having it all shown through the use of the gift that Bodie's mother wanted him to have--chocolates included...just perfect. It's Bodie opening up his past to Doyle, trusting Doyle. It's Doyle being there for Bodie, and understanding him so very well. I love the conversation they have around it--the keys and such--and the adultness of it all. Doyle can't regret that "I love you", even though he knows it might have been the end. And if it does, he'll deal with it. But he doesn't have to, and Bodie gives him back a gift of equal value. See? Perfect--for Christmas or for any day. *g*

[constant-muse.livejournal.com]

"I love the little backstory she gives Bodie. Not some enormous, giant, exhausting and fantastic history"
oh I agree, but the impression this gave me was of how much more there is to reveal, for both of them. Bodie's present from his mother and the circumstances of it is just the beginning of opening up, but there's no hurry, it's part of nurturing the "wonderful thing".

Just delightful.

[constant-muse.livejournal.com]

hello! Thanks for dropping by. I'm so glad you've taken the time to explain what it is about this fic that particularly recommends it to you.

The ending was all the better (imho) for the tension at the beginning, where Doyle misunderstood Bodie's absence, and Bodie was all worried about how he could measure up to that "I love you". I liked the way The Hag used pov there, to show us the same scene (in bed) from the pov of both.

oh and also the slight tension of self-consciously 'spending Christmas together', experimenting with being a couple. That was quite adult (to borrow your idea), and also unusual as an angle on Bodie/Doyle at Christmas.

[shooting2kill.livejournal.com]

Some stories are so wonderful that it seems almost sacrilegious to try and analyse exactly what it is that makes them so and I’d say this is one of those stories and I thought it was just about word perfect.

I agree with everything that’s been said already, particularly:

How, even on Christmas day, we get a sense of the danger and unpredictablity of their lives.

Good point, yup, hadn't thought of that. And like many of my favourite stories it's sweet but not slushy sweet. I’m sure that’s extremely difficult to get right.

There's a tinge of sadness to it, for the past, and for their fears, and for a future that might bring tragedy.

There *is* a tinge of sadness in the story - an element of wistfulness to it. I can’t pinpoint exactly why I feel this way so maybe it’s just woven throughout - an atmosphere of sorrow or loss, of what *might* have been - star crossed lovers - and again, I don't know how it's done but I love it.

One scene in particular which I really liked and which the author drops into the story, much like a grenade:

He let visions of women wash over him: being infatuated with one had never interfered with his attraction to another. Now the memory of Doyle possessed his hands, his mouth, his groin, his whole body, blotting up all his erotic energy and conjuring some need beyond the physical that only Doyle could assuage.

Up until this point I’m not sure if we know the extent of Bodie’s feelings for Doyle (we get strong hints etc). He seems to be feeling hemmed in and slightly paranoid: Doyle was wanting to know things. Perilous stuff, information. It gave people an edge on you, but from that scene in the car we know Bodie’s got it bad, as bad as Doyle.

And the scene in the kitchen....…..reminds me slightly of the final scene in Magnificent Seven (I know, I know! I don’t get out much) when Horst Bucholtz can’t bring himself to leave the village or the girl he’s fallen for and she thinks he's gone but when she realises he *hasn't* gone resumes the washing of her clothes even more vigorously then before. So romantic, yet I’m not a romantic and I loved it (the story)......just perfic.

Thanks for this rec!

[scherwood]

Me love it~ <3
and that's it really... ehum ;D

Thanx for the great rec! *hugs*

[constant-muse.livejournal.com]

"reminds me slightly of the final scene in Magnificent Seven" - don't apologise, actually that helps me a lot to see what's going on there - why Doyle didn't drop what he was doing and respond directly at Bodie. And who could forget Horst Bucholtz? *g*

ooh the scene I like (well two scenes) is Bodie brushing his lover's hair aside from the nape of the neck, first with Marikka, then (big breakthrough for Bodie here) he tries it with Doyle, and Doyle just knows to be cool about it. wibble.

[constant-muse.livejournal.com]

hello! thanks for dropping by, and bringing some of your snow with you. So glad you liked the fic.

[scherwood]

yay to snow~! :D

yup - it was really great.. *happy sigh*

[firlefanzine.livejournal.com]

I love it!
At the moment I can't say why - because I've read it at work and all the time some people did their best to disturb me...

But I just had the feeling that it was 'right' - that it was sweet without being sweet!

Must read it again without silly questions around...
Thanks for this rec! I really must try more The Hag!!!

And we have snow here too, and -5°C! :-)

[shooting2kill.livejournal.com]

Poor old Horst....

8ooh the scene I like (well two scenes) is Bodie brushing his lover's hair aside from the nape of the neck

Yup, I agree, any nape of neck scene is fine by me.

first with Marikka, then (big breakthrough for Bodie here) he tries it with Doyle, and Doyle just knows to be cool about it. wibble.

My life was transformed when I first saw the Marikka neck scene and I think I actually felt giddy as I watched it (same feeling when I saw that kiss in My Beautiful Laundrette which is here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iirxLSp-yB4 if you're interested) and it still gets to me so much so that I almost feel upset whenever I watch it - they're so sad for the past - for what might have been - the music ('Bodie's tune'), the sun shining on Bodie's face as he first meets her, the park, everything... just love it.

[constant-muse.livejournal.com]

That's funny (well actually the clip is bloody gorgeous and thank you for the link!) but the scene I remember from My Beautiful Laundrette is where they start flicking water at each other (after a fight?) and one thing leads to another, fun and sexy at once. What a great film.

It occurred to me (possibly irrelevantly) that there isn't a sex scene in "Boxing Day", the story is bracketed by post-coital lads, and the idea that they might go back to bed at the end - it's rather elegant like that, imho.

[constant-muse.livejournal.com]

yay for snow! Keep warm - wrap yourself around some hot fic.

[shooting2kill.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you liked the clip, I *think* I remember the water scene but I'm not sure and should probably watch it again.

It occurred to me (possibly irrelevantly) that there isn't a sex scene in "Boxing Day", the story is bracketed by post-coital lads, and the idea that they might go back to bed at the end - it's rather elegant like that, imho.

Yeah, I didn't miss a sex scene at all and much preferred the things we've mentioned e.g. in the kitchen when bodie touches Doyle's neck, his thoughts on doyle in the car scene - I much prefer the subtle references to sex made here. Maybe I've read too many explicit sex scenes and it's nice (and more erotic) when they're just suggested to me by the writer and the execution of them is left to my imagination. (Not always, but sometimes!)

[shooting2kill.livejournal.com]

because I've read it at work and all the time some people did their best to disturb me..

You should have printed out some copies and had a group reading...

[ladyhawke2.livejournal.com]

This story is one of my favourites as I love the way everything is so understated. Also. the way that Bodie doesn't want to run from what Ray told him, just to be able to return the trust and show that he feels the same. The tenderness is beautifully written.

Boxing Day

[(Anonymous)]

This is one of my earliest favourites (and no wonder I'm in love with Pros, coming on something like this right at the start) and it's still one of my absolute top favourites now. I love Bodie's apparent-and-also-a-bit-real uneasiness at the beginning, with Doyle wanting to know things ... and I love Doyle's reaction to what he thinks is Bodie leaving, when he puts on loud music and makes a start on the kitchen so that when Bodie comes back he almost defends himself from attack with the Vim (remember using Vim?). Their respective characters and their relationship are wonderful - the love, the awkward try at christmas and cooking, everything. And most of all the final scene enchants me and wraps me up and takes me in and away every time, no matter how many times I read it; that perfect moment when they are together in the warm, bacon-scented kitchen is so real I feel that it exists somewhere. Thank you for reccing one of my most-loved fics of all.

Re: Boxing Day

[heliophile-oxon.livejournal.com]

Damn, I did't see I wasn't logged in ... and just when I was getting so passionate, too! *g*

[constant-muse.livejournal.com]

oh hai - can I offer you a mulled wine? punch?

'understated', that's a good word for it.

Thanks for dropping by (don't mind me, just a bit the worse for wear by this time of night).

Re: Boxing Day

[constant-muse.livejournal.com]

Just when I was relishing the mystery of the anonymous visitor, you had to spoil the illusion. oh, it's just that heliophile burning the midnight oil again... *g*

Vim, yes!! remember it well, like Daz - washing powder was always 'Daz' to my parents.

and what a wonderful write up of this fic - thank you!

[firlefanzine.livejournal.com]

That's like casting pearls before swine!
For them I would need manuals for cars or motor saws...
*big sigh*

[constant-muse.livejournal.com]

I've got just the fic for them!

"Owner's Manual" by DVS
http://hatstand.slashcity.net/dvs/owner.html

*evil grin*

[firlefanzine.livejournal.com]

LOL!
But you're as evil as Doyle:
"I'm gonna leave it in the rest room. See what happens."

Don't laugh about that! That's my personel nightmare! - that I once forget a copy of a story at the printer in the corridor... Although it really would be worth watching the faces. ;-)

[moth2fic.livejournal.com]

Hope I'm not too late! (Just back from 'abroad' and reading all the recent recs frantically). This was absolutely gorgeous - nothing to add to what everyone has already said but please accept my thanks for the rec, too.

(P.S. adored Scenes from the Edge, too)

[constant-muse.livejournal.com]

I'm still here, and still a bit the worse for wear *g*

Thanks for dropping by and bringing your gorgeous moose with you! Mind the mistletoe doesn't get tangled on his antlers.

[moth2fic.livejournal.com]

"My" moose was lording it over the Manchester Christmas markets a couple of years ago. Feel free to grab him - credit moth2fic!