ci5hq | Pros Novel Read-Along - Painted Angels by Angelfish

I'm in meetings all day today, but hoping to at least get something posted this morning - sorry if it's not as detailed for this last chapter - especially since it's the last chapter!

Painted Angels by Angelfish.
Cover art by

firlefanzine

Chapter Thirteen
Bodie is at home in his flat, trying to avoid his crutches, and waiting for Doyle, who'd been sent north on a job. He's been making the place look a bit more personal - because Doyle would like it. He knows that Doyle got back that morning, and saw Gabriel to the airport that afternoon, and is expecting him to come around next. Bodie has been dreaming of him.

The doorbell goes at last - but it's not Doyle, it's Cowley, who seems to have come around to see how Bodie's doing. He's pleased that Bodie seems to have mellowed somewhat, regarding him "with a kind of pride". In fact he has brought Bodie papers, a confession from one of the men in Bodie's old SAS unit, explaining that Bodie hadn't been a coward, but that Chandler himself panicked and fled, leaving him behind.

The doorbell goes again, and this time it's Doyle - with scotch and a big bunch of flowers. Cowley ushers him in and then leaves himself - warning them to watch out for the line of sight, that they must always close the curtains, and that "the time isn't right" for him to be able to do anything else. If he has to "I'll cut you loose".

Doyle notes that ironically, the flowers aren't actually from him, they're from Gabe because Gabe is a nice guy like that. They talk, and Doyle tells Bodie about what happened with Gabe and his father. At last they go to bed, and Bodie decides he wants Doyle to fuck him, which they do, "their grip on one another a bruising, lifesaving harness".

Doyle wakes to watch "headlight angels" - painted angels on the wall, coming and going. Bodie wakes up too, and says "Till death do us join". Doyle thinks he's not earned that from him, but when Bodie says "All we can do is grab every minute and try" then Doyle agrees, and repeats it back to him. "Alright then. Till death do us join."

And there we have it - the end of the story. Did it live up to the start? What do you think?

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I basically liked this last chapter. It wrapped everything up nicely. Not sure I buy Cowley's acceptance of them, even if he'd throw them to the wolves if it were ever to come out. Doesn't really fit my idea of the times. And, really, all Doyle would have had to do was say, "These? These are from Gabe," which was the truth.

I thought the last chapter was OK, a bit predictable but with some beautiful, poetic-like lines. My favourite bit was Cowley’s warning to them about closing the curtains, I thought that was characteristically tolerant and pragmatic and honest enough to warn them that if their relationship came out he wouldn’t save them.

Did it live up to the beginning? Not sure if it was as strong as the beginning. I know I was frustrated with Gabe in the Prologue when I was impatient for Bodie and Doyle but on reflection it was good, it was original and pow! it paved the way for the appearance of Bodie. And then in Chapter One I think the introduction and description of Bodie and the way he’d overdone his interrogation of Habib was one of the best chapters in the story. In fact, I think our first encounter with Bodie - the way he's first shown to us - is one of my favourites from any story. Amen.

[I've been thinking... was Gabe really necessary to the story? I think we could have had a similar story (and less drama from Doyle) without him.]

Interesting question. Would it be as satisfying when Doyle thinks that having a lover and a job he loves is all he's ever wanted if we didn't have that terrible backstory of the traumatic break with Gabe, temporary boyfriends, and then getting in deep with Bodie?

I suppose having Gabe in the story does make it more satisfying in the sense that it completes the circle but I have known Doyle in other stories wanting the same things but without those desires stemming from knowing a 'Gabe'. I wonder if the goodness of Gabe is supposed to be some kind of contrast vis a vis the violence of ci5 and Bodie etc? A bit obvious, really?

And in answering your other comment from below, I agree, whether or not he's absolutely essential I do think the inclusion of Gabe adds something to the story, making it richer and different to the average run-of-the-mill Doyle meet and falls in love with Bodie type of story.

Edited 2019-05-25 20:59 (UTC)

Also:

Insofar as the double plot is useful, we readers need a forward plot if only to distract from the backward/mystery plot, and without Gabe, the focus is bound to be even tighter on stuff like Doyle's hesitation and the times he's moved to tears, which don't come directly from his trauma anyway and which several of us didn't like. I think the novel would be worse without Gabe, though I do find him too saintly.

Insofar as the double plot is useful

You mean Bodie's past as being part of that plot? In terms of Gabe, I think you're right about needing something else to focus on and to direct the story onwards, technically if nothing else, otherwise it might have been boring and no different to hundreds of other stories (and a lot shorter!).

If we can't find out until nearly the end what hurt Bodie so badly that only Doyle coming back to save him can fix it, then we need something else to make the story happen until he can tell Doyle. I suppose it could be something else than Doyle's own sad story, but I do feel that would leave them unbalanced.

I do often feel, as a reader, that I don't get enough happy ending after the angst of the rest of the story, but Ch 13 here is satisfying. Even the sex up to now has been so full of pain that the sweetness (how adorable is Bodie cleaning up for Doyle, even watering the plant?) and laughter between them in this chapter is lovely. Bringing Cowley in just before Doyle resolves that plot thread--both are agents despite Doyle quitting and Bodie almost throwing away his chance, and Cowley knows about them if they still need to be discreet. The only thing left unconnected is the womanizing of the episodes. I can't see this as an open relationship. But this chapter makes me happy.

If we can't find out until nearly the end what hurt Bodie so badly that only Doyle coming back to save him can fix it, then we need something else to make the story happen until he can tell Doyle

Boringly again (for you!) I'd have to agree with that and it's another good point. It *did* help the story to roll along and keep me wanting more.

I do often feel, as a reader, that I don't get enough happy ending after the angst of the rest of the story,

Ah, right, I don't think I do see most of the stories in that way, in fact my experience of them is that there's usually a happy ending. The pattern of many of the stories reminds me slightly of a Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movie: lots of rows/misunderstandings initially, make up, fall out again, make up again ---.> happy ending.

but Ch 13 here is satisfying. Even the sex up to now has been so full of pain that the sweetness (how adorable is Bodie cleaning up for Doyle, even watering the plant?) and laughter between them in this chapter is lovely.

I meant to ask you what you thought of the end.

The only thing left unconnected is the womanizing of the episodes. I can't see this as an open relationship. But this chapter makes me happy.

I don't think the subject of women ever crossed my mind!

Edited 2019-05-26 12:06 (UTC)

Most of the endings are happy, but some stories bring the couple together and rhen, bang! end. I want to have some scenes of them being happy together, so it seems real.

Right, I get that.

Thank you for organising this. I've enjoyed the reading and the comments. Sorry I'm not very good at contributing - lurking is rather my forte!

Temporarily I stopped reading because I wasn't in the mood for so much drama and desater and damaged lads.
But I like this last chapter!
Thanks to your summaries and the discussions I never lost track about what's happening! :-)

Thank you for doing this Novel read-Along!

Pros Novel Read-Along - Painted Angels by Angelfish - Chapter Thirteen

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