(no subject)

[louiselux]

Mary Renault's The Charioteer is one book that depresses the hell out of me. I read it last year and it made me feel very low, partly because, I think, I engaged so much with the characters. Ralph is an intensely tragic figure, which makes it even worse. I still have notes for the fic I planned to write to cheer myself up about it - set after the war when they all meet again.

But moving on, right now I'm off to see the joyful staff at the Reading postal sorting office, to collect a parcel, then Sainsbury's for breakfast and supplies, then holing up to finish the remix. *collects bits of story*

Tony Blair has got to go. As someone said yesterday, things have come to a sorry pass when you have to rely on Michael Howard to defend civil liberties in this country.

Comments

[penknife.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes, The Charioteer. The first time I read it, I was incredibly depressed, and wanted to beat Laurie with a stick. After reading it again, I convinced myself that this was kind of sort of a happy ending, but I still wanted to beat Laurie with a stick. Possibly if I liked Andrew better I would have more sympathy for Laurie's angsting, but I ... just don't.

[kindkit.livejournal.com]

Do you see the ending of The Charioteer as unhappy? I always thought it was a happy-ish ending.

Of course, Laurie is something of a jackass for not recognizing what a good thing he has in Ralph. But Laurie's a bit slow. I guess I picture him gradually coming to love Ralph properly and getting over his fixation on Andrew (which, although I like Andrew, I see as the last gasp of Laurie's desire not to be gay).