Endgame

[intheyear2004.livejournal.com]

Title: Endgame
Author: Tarot
Link to story: http://www.thecircuitarchive.com/tca/archive/16/endgame.html
Zine: none
Short review: See comments below!

I know many people have a horror of death stories, but I like them, if they're well written and not sentimental. And with B/D I never see them living happily ever after or  even making old bones, poor sods. I think they'll die young  - and most likely violently.

I see Endgame and the fic I recced before, These Things Do Not Remember You by Gwyneth Rhys, as sort of bookends and mostly read them one after the other. Both deal with the death of one partner and how the surviving one does - or rather doesn't - cope and finally dies, too. Very depressing, you might say, but I find a sort of dark satisfaction and even comfort in the fact that they're not able to exist on their own.

And both writers manage a beautifully fitting character portrait in their respective stories. I love them both to death.  ;)

Comments

[justacat.livejournal.com]

Just to let you know, it is indeed online - on the Circuit Archive (here (http://www.thecircuitarchive.com/tca/archive/16/endgame.html)) and also on the Hatstand!

This is a tough one for me...I don't like death stories at all, but there is, as you say, a dark and strange comfort and satisfaction in the reaction of the one to the loss of the other...if I have to go there, this pushes lots of buttons for me.

I think it's brilliantly written, and I always love Tarot's characterizations. And it's one of the earliest Pros slash stories, and a classic in the fandom, so I think of it as a must-read - even though I tend not to re-read it. I can't really even let myself think about it *too* much. But it "lives" in my head nonetheless.

[intheyear2004.livejournal.com]

Hey, thanks for the link! I googled it, but it didn't show up, so I thought it wasn't archived anywhere.

[msmoat.livejournal.com]

I've always really liked Endgame. It feels triumphant at the end, despite what happens. I have not a doubt that Bodie is, essentially, with Doyle. *g* And the flashback sequences are wonderful, if heartbreaking. It's a story that shows exactly how much they loved each other--how could I not love that?

[magenta-blue.livejournal.com]

A late little review for this...

I think the power of this story is that it could have been, you can feel it really could have gone that way, should Doyle have been killed. The characters are written very true to life, all of them, and the descriptions of the surroundings are so believable. And even though it is sad, the story is brought neatly in a full circle as Doyle was there for Bodie at the end, and whether it was just his madness telling him so, or if he was really there, then all that matters is that in Bodie's mind they were both reconciled.