Being as it's Valentine's Day

[rj_anderson]

hedda62, I saw these and, inevitably, thought of you. :)

Speaking of O'Brian, I just read "21" last weekend, and as with the case of Dorothy Dunnett and the missing last Johnson Johnson book (of which even less, that is to say nothing at all, exists) it seems somehow impossible to believe that this really is The End, and there will never be any more canon, and that if you want to know what happened to the characters you are just going to have to make it up in your own head.

But making it up just isn't satisfactory, not with either of those two authors. They're too singular, too inimitable. If JKR were to unexpectedly shuffle off this mortal coil (though I fervently hope she doesn't!) and leave the HP series unfinished, I think I might eventually find some fanfic or other, or if necessary write one myself, that would give me a sense of closure. But not with O'Brian or Dunnett.

Sigh.

Comments

[vaznetti]

My O'Brian canon ends just before Diana's death (Blue at the Mizzen, I think.) I find that makes a good stopping place.

[lizbee.livejournal.com]

Mine too. Once I realised that Diana died, I didn't even bother reading on. Diana was the only reason I read the series at all.

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

I never particularly thought much about Diana one way or the other, but it surprised me to discover that for a lot of O'Brian fans she is the equivalent of TQW. Mind you, Elli Quinn never really managed to make it onto my "love her or hate her" radar either...

[vaznetti]

pardon my ignorance--what's TQW?

The Stephen/Diana romance is my "hook" in the series--the plot arc that holds it together for me. I think it was stretched out needlessly long, but the same is true of the "Jack's financial troubles" plotline. It's just an issue with O'Brian's plotting in the later books.

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

TQW stands for That Quinn Woman -- an epithet for Lieutenant Elli Quinn in Lois McMaster Bujold's Miles Vorkosigan books.

I read the O'Brian books all out of order, so I actually ended up reading about Diana's death before I ever met her. That probably predisposed me to feel sorry for her. :)

[hedda62.livejournal.com]

*snort* Acting Lieutenant of your heart, indeed.

I haven't read "21" yet - I hesitated over giving it for Christmas (er, ostensibly to my husband) and then balked at the price per page - which I suppose is silly. Hmm, maybe an inappropriate Valentine's Day gift... but yes, I know what you mean about closure.

[sienamystic.livejournal.com]

I feel exactly the same way about the two new Lord Peter Wimsey books.

*snort*

[meril.livejournal.com]

My mother said the same thing about O'Brian.

I just can't bring myself to read "21" although it is in the house (I bought it for my mother, in fact.)

[owl]

I know, so sad. I can't believe that it's over, either. *sniff*