This story undoes me. It's one of those ones that scoured my heart out the first time I read it - and I still have to steel myself to reread it.
Yes. I had to read it in bits the first time -- stop and take a break and then continue reading. And I still rarely read it from start to finish -- it's just too painful.
But for all the right reasons really. Because she takes me so fully into this world of a damaged Doyle (she's one of the few who can make him this vulnerable without destroying his masculinity),
Yes, yes. What a good point. I meant to bring that up. A couple of weeks ago SC Fossil mentioned in the vampire queen story how Doyle faints, but she feels that it doesn't impinge on his masculinity, and I think that's true. It's not what happens to the lads, exactly. They can faint or cry or...basically anything that might happen in real life...but it's how it's handled. And part of the handling is how they're portrayed in other scenes. If they seem tough and capable for the majority of the story, then I'm okay with the occasional swoon or breakdown. If we're told they're tough, but we never see a sign of it...then it's a failure of characterization and the reader isn't convinced for one minute.
and a Bodie who is, as you rightly say, absolutely magnificent in his role as lover, agent, and friend.
This is my favorite portrayal of Bodie -- the writers who capture this version of Bodie, nail it for me. Doyle is always more elusive.
It's a premise few dare to take on - Bodie in love with Doyle's sister? Engaged to her? But then, that's Angelfish. She's the one who gives them children - dead and alive - wives, teaching jobs in the Hebrides, lovers who die in climbing accidents... It's always a deep breath with her to see where she'll go, but for me it's always worth it.
I agree. She veers away from nothing -- including killing them off, which is one step too far for me. *g*
Though here I agree, neither the Ann Holly or Murphy inclusion work for me. The Murphy scene in particular feels unnecessary. And the ending is intense but a little confusing after the rollercoaster that built up to it.
Yes. I understand why she wanted to skim because that would be a very, very hard scene to write. Not just the dialog, which could easily go over the top into deathbed parody, but the actual logistics of it. Doyle is literally dying, so there could only be a brief scene there and then another longer scene following...and it's hard. She was closing in on the finish line. I sympathize -- but I still want those scenes.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2010-02-03 06:03 pm (UTC)Yes. I had to read it in bits the first time -- stop and take a break and then continue reading. And I still rarely read it from start to finish -- it's just too painful.
But for all the right reasons really. Because she takes me so fully into this world of a damaged Doyle (she's one of the few who can make him this vulnerable without destroying his masculinity),
Yes, yes. What a good point. I meant to bring that up. A couple of weeks ago SC Fossil mentioned in the vampire queen story how Doyle faints, but she feels that it doesn't impinge on his masculinity, and I think that's true. It's not what happens to the lads, exactly. They can faint or cry or...basically anything that might happen in real life...but it's how it's handled. And part of the handling is how they're portrayed in other scenes. If they seem tough and capable for the majority of the story, then I'm okay with the occasional swoon or breakdown. If we're told they're tough, but we never see a sign of it...then it's a failure of characterization and the reader isn't convinced for one minute.
and a Bodie who is, as you rightly say, absolutely magnificent in his role as lover, agent, and friend.
This is my favorite portrayal of Bodie -- the writers who capture this version of Bodie, nail it for me. Doyle is always more elusive.
It's a premise few dare to take on - Bodie in love with Doyle's sister? Engaged to her? But then, that's Angelfish. She's the one who gives them children - dead and alive - wives, teaching jobs in the Hebrides, lovers who die in climbing accidents... It's always a deep breath with her to see where she'll go, but for me it's always worth it.
I agree. She veers away from nothing -- including killing them off, which is one step too far for me. *g*
Though here I agree, neither the Ann Holly or Murphy inclusion work for me. The Murphy scene in particular feels unnecessary. And the ending is intense but a little confusing after the rollercoaster that built up to it.
Yes. I understand why she wanted to skim because that would be a very, very hard scene to write. Not just the dialog, which could easily go over the top into deathbed parody, but the actual logistics of it. Doyle is literally dying, so there could only be a brief scene there and then another longer scene following...and it's hard. She was closing in on the finish line. I sympathize -- but I still want those scenes.