Lymond (Francis Crawford of Lymond) is my favorite ever ficational character.
He is the protagonist of the six novels (they tell one arc-ed story) collectivly known as 'Lymond Chronicles' by Dorothy Dunnett.
Lymond is a 16th century Scottish nobleman who is a polyglot genius who is completely messed up. It's really hard to explain/describe him but he is just incredible. If you click on my 'lymond' tag there are some posts about him.
In an earlier post, I described Lymond while comparing him to Sayers' Lord Peter:
Actually, walking this morning, it just occurred to me how much Lymond is inspired by Lord Peter (though of course he is uniquely his own, as a character), and I don't just refer to the aristocratic blondness. They are both emotionally high-strung (the old term would have been 'nervy'), extremely self-controlled men. Both with an amazing intellect and strength of purpose they conceal under a manner to guard themselves. They are polyglot quotation magpies, with a love of poetry (I bet if John Donne existed when Lymond
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I don't think I could even bear to reread Pawn. The chess game kills me so badly I can't breathe.
I hear you on that, but in fact it's my favourite book of the series because of its tortured emotions. And because Phillipa was starting to come into her own. Although I love the first one too. And the second because of the portrayal of the French court. And the fifth one because of Russia. And . . . Oh hell, I love them ALL.
I know, I love them all. Pawn is actually my second favorite, after Checkmate (if I hate to rate them, it would be Checkmate, Pawn, Knights, Castle, Game, QP) but I have such a hard time rereading so much of it because the pain is so intense. And I love Philippa's evolution from a nervy but snotty brat turning him it to the soldiers to the respect she gets for him in DK to growing up in Pawn to becoming such a light, sparkling thing in Castle and then all the incredible love and angst and drama of CM.
I *really* want to get back my copy of The Game of Kings. Sigh! It's been on loan to various for a couple of years now, but your post really made me want to get it back again! The Lymond Chronicles are really, really, really good and I must reread them asap... Alas, the Niccolo books never grabbed me as much :/.
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He is the protagonist of the six novels (they tell one arc-ed story) collectivly known as 'Lymond Chronicles' by Dorothy Dunnett.
Lymond is a 16th century Scottish nobleman who is a polyglot genius who is completely messed up. It's really hard to explain/describe him but he is just incredible. If you click on my 'lymond' tag there are some posts about him.
In an earlier post, I described Lymond while comparing him to Sayers' Lord Peter:
Actually, walking this morning, it just occurred to me how much Lymond is inspired by Lord Peter (though of course he is uniquely his own, as a character), and I don't just refer to the aristocratic blondness. They are both emotionally high-strung (the old term would have been 'nervy'), extremely self-controlled men. Both with an amazing intellect and strength of purpose they conceal under a manner to guard themselves. They are polyglot quotation magpies, with a love of poetry (I bet if John Donne existed when Lymond ( ... )
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I don't think I could even bear to reread Pawn. The chess game kills me so badly I can't breathe.
I hear you on that, but in fact it's my favourite book of the series because of its tortured emotions. And because Phillipa was starting to come into her own. Although I love the first one too. And the second because of the portrayal of the French court. And the fifth one because of Russia. And . . . Oh hell, I love them ALL.
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Tell me more ofthese Lymond Chronicles of which you speak. About? Time period? How many books? Etc...
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http://dangermousie.livejournal.com/832592.html?thread=8730704#t8730704
They are super wonderful.
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The Lymond Chronicles are really, really, really good and I must reread them asap...
Alas, the Niccolo books never grabbed me as much :/.
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