some final thoughts on the Lymond Chronicles

[cofax7]

I finally finished listening to the audiobooks of the Lymond Chronicles last weekend: it took me since February. Slower than reading them, but I do think I got more out of them that way, although on the down side I couldn't reference the maps or the character lists

Comments

[sartorias]

Nodidng all the way through. (I never really liked Lymond, but I loved everyone around him.)

[cofax7]

When I was young, I thought Lymond was unbearably romantic. Now I mostly think he's just unbearable. *grins*

But there's so much else of value in the books, even if you don't like him, they're so fabulously written, and the historical interweave is just brilliant.

[sartorias]

Exactly. That was what caught me when I read them in the seventies. In fact, they were primarily responsible for pushing me to read outside of Europe, though yes, the Orientalism is now painfully apparent. But we didn't see that stuff back in the early and mid seventies. (Or I didn't, as a callow college student.)

I always hated Lymond because of his self-centeredness and casual cruelty, plus his exasperating over-reactions, but Philippa was such an amazing heroine when so many books were still either about helpless prizes females or whores. Philippa's brown eyes and brown hair, her mother's cheerful untidiness and brilliance--these were exhilarating and new. Even at this remove I still love and adore those two.

[cofax7]

I really love Kate, and Philippa's unstoppable determination.

In another person's hands, the romance between Philippa & Lymond would be seriously skeevy--like Daddy Long Legs, you know? But the way it's structured it mostly works, especially since he basically never sees her as a sexual being--even in the seraglio!--until she's old enough to be a peer and compatriot, and has shown her own capabilities in the world of diplomacy and politics.

But I still feel bad for Marthe, who deserved better than she got.

[chomiji]

It's true that reading these as an older person makes them rather less shiny. But the emotional grasp is sure and true and still hits me on every re-read, starting with the scenes between Richard and Lymond when Lymond is injured. (The slash fan in me also has a very soft spot for the unconsummated seduction scene between Lymond and MIkal.)

[cofax7]

Oh, man, Richard & Francis in the dell north of Hexham. I even have an icon I made with a quote from that on it, superimposed on the Winchester brothers. Although, looking at it critically, it's hard to buy that they were in any way close as children: by the time Francis was out of the nursery, Richard was in the field--they're ten years apart, after all. My oldest & youngest brother are that far apart, and they have the least-connected relationship in the family.

And yes, poor Mikal. But then homosexual relationships get a pretty poor treatment in Dunnett: IIRC, one of the big mysteries in Niccolo revolves around a homophobic freakout.

[fourteenlines]

Ten bucks says if someone filmed Lymond at this very moment, they'd cast Benedict Cumberbatch as Jerrott.

[cofax7]

SO WRONG SHAYE. AAARGH.

and yet you are correct, they totally would, just to shoehorn him in...

[fourteenlines]

I feel like there is someone out there who would be actually appropriate, someone I just can't think of at the moment, but I stopped myself before googling "black haired British actors" because I realized there would be no point. :) I mean, I like Cimberbatch okay, but he is definitely the flavor of the moment.

[fourteenlines]

*Cumberbatch

Stupid virtual keyboard...