Adam Phillips Posted April 24, 2010 Posted April 24, 2010 I do want JP to find someone. I thought Sam was it, but some posts SOMEWHERE hinted that Sam's karma from his dealings with Jeff would be coming to bite him in the ass. right now, he's enjoying some young ass, so I'm not seeing the karma bit yet. I'll just have to keep reading. I've been given to understand that Sharon and I don't feel the same about Sam. Ah, well. Apparently we didn't feel the same way about Jeff either. I gotta say that following 1968 JP was in the doghouse with me, bigtime. I even went to Mark's Yahoo group and opined that I hoped JP died a painful death from AIDS. And man. You'd have thought I shot somebody. I was told what a slime of a human being I was for wishing death on a fictional character. JP, over the long haul, has vindicated himself somewhat as he's aged. The vapid solipsist of the early years really seemed to develop some character. And some of it was pretty freakin' hard-won, which I felt was only right.
methodwriter85 Posted April 24, 2010 Posted April 24, 2010 (edited) The Pretenders do it better. http://www.youtube.c...h?v=9-0xAHipuiE It's a nice version, Adam, but it's also not true to the timeline of Be Rad. I made a directorial decision when it came to music recs that no songs that came out after the year the story is set could be used. Trust me, it got pretty frustrating, since this story is mainly in '80 and I wanted to use a lot more '81 music than I could. Billy was a jerk, but of course he didn't deserve to die. He was 15. He could've grown up into a better guy, but we won't really know that. I just thought it was interesting how Robbie is the catalyst for so much of the story- like because he looks so much like Jeff, it forces JP to confront his feelings about 1968. That was great. It was also interesting how Mark had Sam and JP's relationship implode- to be honest, I thought it was karma. Edited April 24, 2010 by methodwriter85
Mark M Posted April 24, 2010 Posted April 24, 2010 Just saying i started with Mark Arbours work with this story as it was being written. Wonderfull....i didn't even read the begining parts of CAP till i decided Mark Arbour was too slow for my liking. Now i'm Debating Re-reading this....but currently i should study... Anyway this is by far my Favourite.Then MiM then....err....i couldn't tell you the rest are just "meh" Stories....Bloodlines Probably
methodwriter85 Posted April 24, 2010 Posted April 24, 2010 (edited) A Summer Love kinda dinged, but If It Fits and Bloodlines were really good. Edited April 24, 2010 by methodwriter85
Tiger Posted April 24, 2010 Posted April 24, 2010 A Summer Love kinda dinged, but If It Fits and Bloodlines were really good. If It Fits and Bloodlines have been the best so far. Be Rad, for me anyway, is tied with The Land Whore. 1
nightsky Posted April 25, 2010 Posted April 25, 2010 You all have no idea how hard it is not to be reading right now. i wish (ahem ahem) these chapters could be loaded up on my kindle, which I (right now) reserve for reading when I'm going to bed. Perhaps I'll get my checklist of "things that need to be done RIGHT NOW" done tomorrow and I'll reward myself by allowing myself to finish this story. I'm sure I won't get closure on Brad (b/c hopefully he has much more story/life in front of him) but it'll be a good place to take a mini-break. I love Brad. Even when he's being a shit (to Doug, Lark,...). and especially when he's being vulnerable with JP, Stef, Lark, Billy, Ace, or Robbie.
Adam Phillips Posted April 25, 2010 Posted April 25, 2010 You all have no idea how hard it is not to be reading right now. i wish (ahem ahem) these chapters could be loaded up on my kindle, which I (right now) reserve for reading when I'm going to bed. If you ever figure out how to do that and let me know, I'll buy one.
nightsky Posted April 25, 2010 Posted April 25, 2010 (edited) If you ever figure out how to do that and let me know, I'll buy one. there are two ways for me 1) cajole authors into sending me the chapters/stories in PDF format. upload to my kindle. 2) the super laborious way: copy and paste the text of the stories into a word doc, and upload to my kindle. i think neither is likely to happen anytime soon (for me). BUT for you, I would guess that as one of his team, you can get your hands on a pdf or word version. I think i see a kindle with your name on it. Edited April 25, 2010 by nightsky
Mark M Posted April 25, 2010 Posted April 25, 2010 If It Fits and Bloodlines have been the best so far. Be Rad, for me anyway, is tied with The Land Whore. I dissagree X A billion. Be rad and Mim are the best. Maybe it's cuz i started with be Rad it became my favourite...i duno....but i guess it probably did, and then once we switched out of him..i got sad All i can say is i'm glad the Bridgemont Series hasn't switched up POV's yet.
Tiger Posted April 25, 2010 Posted April 25, 2010 All i can say is i'm glad the Bridgemont Series hasn't switched up POV's yet. It's in 3rd person, so I don't think it will switch POV. 1
Adam Phillips Posted April 25, 2010 Posted April 25, 2010 It's in 3rd person, so I don't think it will switch POV. Except, of course, that since "point of view" in literature refers to the author's decision regarding how the story is narrated (first person/second person/third person) and not necessarily who narrates it, there's nothing inherent in the Bridgemont series that would keep Mark from, say, putting one of his stories there in the first person. Or second person. I'd like to see that.
nightsky Posted April 25, 2010 Posted April 25, 2010 I dissagree X A billion. Be rad and Mim are the best. Maybe it's cuz i started with be Rad it became my favourite...i duno....but i guess it probably did, and then once we switched out of him..i got sad All i can say is i'm glad the Bridgemont Series hasn't switched up POV's yet. I'd like to hear some from George's partners... it could help flush out some of the other characters. But back to Be Rad (b/c of course I was weak and read 2 chapters last night)... I'm hoping Jake is not going to keep showing up, b/c he keeps throwing a wrench into things (which, I suppose, is his function as a character). Very interested to see how the Frank/JP and JP/Roger and JP/Stefan thing unravels, and the angst of the Robbie/Brad situation is just... riveting (and exhausting). I'm also wondering how Mark is going to resolve Robbie's relationship with his mother... what with her wanting to "pray the gay away." I love the idea of Brad's love life being a soap opera.
Mark M Posted April 25, 2010 Posted April 25, 2010 Oh to spoil the whole show for you with Robbie's Mother would definatly be a no.no.
Tiger Posted April 25, 2010 Posted April 25, 2010 Oh to spoil the whole show for you with Robbie's Mother would definatly be a no.no. She's a piece of work. I can remember despising her in Be Rad. I'm sure everyone else feels the same way.
KJames Posted April 25, 2010 Posted April 25, 2010 Just so you know, I started reading the CAP series with the first...which I found a bit boring...so I let it go. Then, after reading Be Rad!, and following a couple of those stories, I went back to CAP and read the series up to Be Rad!, before he came out with The Box. I actually found that I did enjoy them all, immensely, and if you don't read them, then some of the storyline is filled with holes around what happened in their past. Start with Chronicles of an Academic Predator, and read them in order--and keep a box of tissues handy!
nightsky Posted April 25, 2010 Posted April 25, 2010 Just so you know, I started reading the CAP series with the first...which I found a bit boring...so I let it go. Then, after reading Be Rad!, and following a couple of those stories, I went back to CAP and read the series up to Be Rad!, before he came out with The Box. I actually found that I did enjoy them all, immensely, and if you don't read them, then some of the storyline is filled with holes around what happened in their past. Start with Chronicles of an Academic Predator, and read them in order--and keep a box of tissues handy! i've always loved me a good series, so I def. started with CAP. I think I'm enjoying each story more and more, not only b/c I've gotten to know each character better, but also b/c I've become more and more invested in the outcome and i think the writing has gotten stronger. More character development, which I love. (an aside) I worked all day today (well... 830am to 3pm) so I'm giving myself the rest of the evening to read and clean the house! YAY!
KJames Posted April 26, 2010 Posted April 26, 2010 i've always loved me a good series, so I def. started with CAP. I think I'm enjoying each story more and more, not only b/c I've gotten to know each character better, but also b/c I've become more and more invested in the outcome and i think the writing has gotten stronger. More character development, which I love. (an aside) I worked all day today (well... 830am to 3pm) so I'm giving myself the rest of the evening to read and clean the house! YAY! When you're done, come do mine, and I'll cook you that dinner...
nightsky Posted April 27, 2010 Posted April 27, 2010 When you're done, come do mine, and I'll cook you that dinner... I like to clean as a procrastination method. The more work I need to do, the cleaner my house. Fortunately for me, paper seems to multiply like bunny rabbits in my house, so i have plenty to clean. If you lived closer, I'd come vacuum!! I love to vacuum. back to reading MiM. No lecture to give tomorrow... thank goodness for group presentations!
KJames Posted April 27, 2010 Posted April 27, 2010 I like to clean as a procrastination method. The more work I need to do, the cleaner my house. Fortunately for me, paper seems to multiply like bunny rabbits in my house, so i have plenty to clean. If you lived closer, I'd come vacuum!! I love to vacuum. back to reading MiM. No lecture to give tomorrow... thank goodness for group presentations! We've been cursed by a lack of time, we need a 30 hour day and a 12 day week...and the computer era has created more papers piled up in our office than we wish we had... We have a vacuum you can use here.
methodwriter85 Posted May 1, 2010 Posted May 1, 2010 I dissagree X A billion. Be rad and Mim are the best. Maybe it's cuz i started with be Rad it became my favourite...i duno....but i guess it probably did, and then once we switched out of him..i got sad I dunno...I think it's a good thing that Mark switches around perspective for CAP. Sometimes we get clunkers like Marcel, but then we get the real gems like Matt Carrswold and Wade.
KJames Posted May 2, 2010 Posted May 2, 2010 I dunno...I think it's a good thing that Mark switches around perspective for CAP. Sometimes we get clunkers like Marcel, but then we get the real gems like Matt Carrswold and Wade. Now, MW85, you have to bear in mind that Marcel is also french...
methodwriter85 Posted May 3, 2010 Posted May 3, 2010 What does Marcel being French have to do with him being a boring narrator?
KJames Posted May 4, 2010 Posted May 4, 2010 What does Marcel being French have to do with him being a boring narrator? Ah, Jeremy, mon ami! You take the wrong interpretation from me! I was responding to the previous poster's calling Marcel a 'clunker'...we have to have his POV from time to time, just because it is different. And it's interesting for his english speaking side as well, since his primary language in Canada is French, his english might be getting a little rusty by now...
mmike1969 Posted June 6, 2010 Posted June 6, 2010 I am re-reading Be Rad again and I am wondering if you are posting edited chapters since there are some lines in the story that I do not remember being in there the first time...
methodwriter85 Posted June 6, 2010 Posted June 6, 2010 Mark is doing some editing to CAP- he posted five revised chapters, but so far he hasn't touched Be Rad.
Recommended Posts