Glum

[erastes]

I've just finished reading "A Wild and Wicked Youth" by Ellen Kushner, which is a short story prequel to Swordspoint and I was so disappointed.

Can’t really explain why – perhaps I was expecting too much?  I thought it would be beautiful like Swordspoint, have that aching repression that drew me into that book but it really really didn’t.  As to the title, I didn’t find the young Richard St. Vier wither Wild or Wicked.  I would have been hugely surprised to find him wild and wicked, as the man in Swordspoint was definitely not, and the boy is the father to the man, as they say. Or some idiot said, anyway.

He’s positively DULL, which doesn’t surprise me at all, because he’s dull in Swordspoint. No, wait, don’t splutter at me. He is.  If he’d been alive in this universe and this time he’d have been a physics professor, or a builder of planes – or something – anything where he threw his entire mind and body into his profession to the exclusion of all else.  I can’t imagine how Alec landed him.  Got him drunk and jumped on him, I suppose. This doesn’t make him a less attractive personality, but it’s truthful.  All he does is practice and work.  If it wasn’t for Alec, he wouldn’t even go out and have fun.

So, yeah. A disappointment.  What did you think if you read it?

(Talking of Swordspoint, I’m reviewing it this week at Jessewave’s Blog, I’ll let you have the link when it’s up)

Tributary is moving along – hurrah. There has been snogging today. At the moment it is English restrained mouth closed (but with tongue teasing) snogging but I live in hope. I think I need to write about fiery Spaniards or Italians or something, men with lava in their veins and not ice-water.  It takes the English such a long time to DO anything. *Kicks them*

Comments

[nagasvoice.livejournal.com]

Perhaps a collision of fire and ice would be fun?
Why are you showing me pix of Iceland now?

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Iceland??

[nagasvoice.livejournal.com]

Volcanoes and glaciers smack together.

[rikibeth.livejournal.com]

It wasn't as beautiful as Swordspoint, and I wasn't quite sure what to make of the relationship between the boys -- but I liked it. I liked seeing Richard's mother.

Also, I think Richard most definitely had a wild-and-wicked period before he met Alec, and that he surprised himself (or, worse, didn't surprise himself) when he killed Jessamyn, and deliberately became dull to try to keep himself from letting his anger get out of control again. Look what he did to Horn. He could have done his trademark single stroke and it would have served the same purpose, but...

...and now I'm seeing parallels between Richard and SSA Aaron Hotchner, on Criminal Minds, which I don't know if you watch. But it's an interesting thought for me.

Also. The title -- you know it came from the song Newry Highwayman, right? Ellen said it had more to do with the whole song reminding her of young Richard leaving for the city than the particular phrase.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Yes, i felt that about him and crispin - it seemed to be something that needed a bit more exploring - obviously they were almost expected to sexually experiment, the Lord his father laughed it off as normal, even before it happened, but I didn't really feel the friendship and when it split it didn't seem very important.

I'm quite sure he had a wild period when he first arrived in the city, I'd love to know about him then, but then... it would almost spoil his mystique for me. I love the obsessed driven man he becomes, keeping his violence very firmly under control. It's very "force" because his feelings, let loose, can be his destruction. You don't fight a swordfight with your emotion, and he tries to live his life like that and fails..

He's almost the man Vimes might have become in different circumstances - they are both men with one overriding passion, or in Richard's case, two, which very nearly was his downfall.

Ah, me. I could talk about Richard St Vier until the cows come home...oh for a jug of beer a loaf of bread and you to natter to...

[joannesopercook.livejournal.com]

Italian gangster types. In double-breasted, pinstriped suits. Carrying guns. And showering with other guys in prison. (Points to icon) :)