Of Sunshine and Cemeteries
| Bodie/Doyle Fanfiction | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Of Sunshine and Cemeteries |
| Author(s): | Slantedlight |
| Date(s): | 2008 |
| Length: | |
| Genre: | slash |
| Fandom: | The Professionals |
| External Links: | online here |
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Of Sunshine and Cemeteries is a Bodie/Doyle story by byslantedlight.
Reactions and Reviews
Fascinating B/D relationship story in its early days interwoven with snippets of information about both the war and Bodie's parents. We discover the information at the same time as Doyle does and as it is all seen from Doyle's pov we wonder along with him just what is going on with Bodie. [1]
I would guess there are a lot of issues in writing a Pros fic – distinctly British ‘voice’, specific era, intriguey-plots so that the lads have something to do (…besides each other…). And that’s just fic set within the normal parameters of the show. There’s an added challenge when you’re dealing with AU fic or fic that takes the boys out of the CI5 world, which is that Bodie and Doyle have to be, well…more the same than ever, since the reader is already in an unfamiliar environment. And when you add to that the fact that this new environment has to seem believable and compelling... ☺That’s what I love in byslantedlight’s story. When I’m reading, I really, truly believe that Doyle and Bodie went to France, and these things happened. More than that, I’m transported there with them. Magic ☺... 1) That Bodie doesn’t talk to Doyle until he absolutely has to. There’s all this stuff going on with him, complicated emotional stuff – and he really doesn’t want to talk about it until he’s pretty much forced into it. BUT – he’s the one who asks Doyle to come, because he just needs Doyle there. Just the fact of Doyle’s physical presence grounds him. I think it's really IC and realistic but still manages to show how strong and necessary the relationship between the two of them is.
2) The flashbacks. I think they add so much depth and weight to the story. I especially liked the glimpses of Bodie’s relationship with his mother – you can see the subtle shift in their interaction, and you can clearly see how he got from point A in the flashbacks to present-day point Z.
3) The fact that this plot has the most wonderfully plausible reason for why it’s always Bodie, and never Will, or William.
4) The way that, at a certain point in the fic, there is room for a ‘Bodie looks like he’s cheating’ misunderstanding, but this does not sideline into ‘Doyle flees the scene with only half the story and Bodie has to track him down’. They – and byslantedlight – don’t get sidetracked into something irrelevant – they brush past the extraneous misunderstanding stuff and instead they target the real heart of the problem.
5) Anyone who’s read the story will see that it’s carefully structured and beautifully written – but the way byslantedlight describes this scene at Giverny is so incredibly moving and lovely, I have to include part of it – I think it does a better job of reccing this fic than I ever could ☺ [2]
I’m so proud of Pros (try saying that quickly) when I read thoughtful and stimulating reviews like this one and so chuffed that this fandom can still attract people to it with such an interesting take on things. A different perspective (yes, *that's* the word I was struggling for!).I think this story was an excellent choice and a classic example of the kind of writing I love. The introduction pulled me straight in and I think this writer is particularly good at doing that, attracting the reader at the very beginning with a compelling scene (e.g. On This day in History) and then we’re off! On the ride of our lives.
It’s drenched in atmosphere (to me, one of the most important ingredients for a good story) - so that you can almost hear the French insects (can’t remember what they’re called), taste the wine and feel the heat of the day. [3]
Not just Giverny - we are transported to northern France and it is all perfectly described right down to the food (and the calvados) and the cemetaries. I love fiction where the author pays adequate attention to the locations and by doing so makes the whole thing more three dimensional and real! You have summed up all the things that are good about this story - I thoroughly enjoyed re-reading it. But I have to say that it embeds itself so strongly in the mind that it doesn't actually need to be re-read all that often. [4]
In hindsight, many Pros stories kind of merge together and while I can remember which stories I like or dislike I might not remember much else about them, but there are always a few which stand out in my memory and this is one of them. [5]
...it really is like she's painting the story :) And yes, I was so thrilled when the Doyle-jumps-to-the-wrong-conclusion-and-leaves possibility was sidestepped. I think it's definitely possible to write cliches well, but sometimes the way those scenes play out is so...generic, you know? Like put any other two characters into that A sees B in a suspicious situation with C scene, and almost every time the result is - character A flees, with only half the story, and B has to track them down and explain. It felt much more specific and true to both characters that Bodie and Doyle didn't act like that, I thought :) [6]
Mmmmmmmmhhh....I love the atmosphere and the location, and the sun and the colours, and the smell... and also the taste of the Calvados. When I first read the story in 2008, I bought a bottle for an even 'deeper involvement into the story'. And now and then I do a refresher course. Oh, holy memories... :-)
Somehow I don't know why Bodie makes such a secret about his family affairs – but well, it's Bodie... [7]