peter rietbergen

take you time. i do realise one cannot write "on command".

part of the text repeats itself.

So much better than "Emily in Paris". Of course, it still was/is a rom-com - of sorts, or, to put it otherwise: with a twist. But, despite a few hackneyed turns-of-phrase, it also is very well written, with both humor and sarcasm. Please, please: do not provide a sequel. It would dispel the magic of this short story...

I adisagree. True, one might have thought Luke would make a difference. But as far as the author lets us know: not to Lynton and Alexander. Both have someone else in mind.

as I am, even thus far into the story. Inevitably, as with so many of your band of devoted readers, i hope for a "happy end". But I do not know if, given the way(s) you describe their characters, interactions, they really suit one another. But then: how many couples do. Or, what actually is "suiting one another"....

Reading the previous three, four chapters, and now this one, I fully realise that the story isn't, really, about Graham and Matt, but about Graham and Vince. How stupid of me not to have seen this earlier...

“You NEVER learn your lesson,” Wil shook his head, laughing so hard he was almost crying. “Hot boy shows up, and all your sense goes right out of the window. ...." is this the essence of "Jimmy's" life ?

This is, once more, a very moving chapter. One might even argue that whatever problems the author has in store for his characters, he at least gave them this...

Perhaps, but, indeed, depending on the moment Pitt actually left England. Since I am, perhaps, the most ardent admirer of your story, I am - inevitably? - also the most nit-picking one... I'd like, in a much wider sense, to raise the question of the availability of postal services, specifically regarding the exchanges of letters - one of your truly inspired narrative strategies. The dates of sending and arrival - in this case from the Caribbean to England and vice versa - assume some kind of regular meeting-up between, either, ships at sea - not that likely - or of shorter or longer periods at some Caribbean port. But those, in their turn, would have to coincide with the departure/arrival of ships homeward-bound or, again, recently arrived. It is my impression that normally the time-scale for any letter would be (one-and-a-half or two) months rather than (four?) weeks, als taking into account the postal servcie in England itself. But I may be entirely mistaken....

Fascinating: William (Pitt) and Blake (Jamie). The poem. (and we had "Jerusalem" last saturday...) Such a very apt choice - though i seem to remember the poem, or at least these lines, were first published in 1808/1909 - and therefore, given the chronology of your ship's movements, couldn't have been in Pitt's possession. But who cares: you make such splendid and, also, emotionally-profound use of the possibility of Pitt's owning them- and, perhaps, even, of its impications: to walk in England, again.

Ah, but - luckily for the story-writer - there are so many Venetia's around. We recognize them, ever since Dickens wrote about one - wasn't it in the Pickwick Papers, or was that the one who dabbled at poetry herself? Anyway: a 'starving' artist's bread-and-butter depends on them, too...

Thanks for a very funny and, more to the point: apt description/analysis of what it takes to create an audience/readership/buying public for 'culture', today, epsecilally if it isn't obviously 'popular culture'. For the 'content makers' it's definitely not an easy game to play, and, yes, young adults probably know best how to deal with the publicity problems.

Indeed. But perhaps I should have been more specific: what happens if two persons know they love each other and yet also know they cannot, should not live that love. Not because of material/physical restrictions (r.g. distance) but ethical/moral ones.

Can one live with the certainty that love is there and yet cannot be lived?

If only more kids had an imaginary friend to guide them to adulthood. But, of course: even beyond that stage we need to use our imagination to survive life's crises. Thanks for this chapter.

I still wonder how old Lynton is. Not in years but in some basic understanding of what's happening around and to him. He often reacts not like an adult, not even a young adult, but like a child and, indeed, a stupid one at that. If only therefore I can't even begin to imagine what Alexander sees in him.

emotionally compelling, and structurally clever.

I'd never have thought the man who wrote this also is the author of "Down in The Holler".

Well, besides the rank-and-file who, in most (continental) European armies, were made up of a mix of volunteers, conscripted soldiesr and mercenaries, officers were almost always men who bought or were given their commissions. In continental Europe, where wars were fought almost constantly, many offiiers did have at least a modicum of professional experience. In the UK less so, unless one went to, or was sent to the (American) colonies. Till the 18th century, the British government largely bought its soldiers abroad. Consequently, Wellington was saddled with soldiers who, unlike part of their their continental colleagues, were 'first-generation' men, their forebears having had little experience before the UK entered the Napoleonic wars. But while I know that the men who manned the oars of the French galleons were, often, convicts, and in the UK, too, prisoners wered given the 'choice' to serve their sentence during a naval war. So, probably, Wellington's judgement was well-founded. Obviously, in the 1820's and 1830's, the situation did change: fewer wars on the Continent in which the UK was involved, more colonial wars that appealed to increasingly nationalist sentiments in the population at large.

at one point Art should be Aaron - a typing mistake, surely.

My first instinct is to agree with your first instinct. But reconsidering, I feel that the chiffon and all the other accoutrements of 'attraction' will snuff the candle: when the novelty wears of, honesty may be the only touch-stone of the relationship if we consider to continue it or seek for some more/new chiffon...

But why didn't Art leave the moment A. left for his "errand" ? He knew what had happened. Why remain in peril?

Strangely, despite all the obvious emotions during the days and nights of this hellish party, Lyn still has no clue. I find this increasingly hard to believe.

Andrew's letter/response is impressive indeed.

Interesting. But yet: in a training, even of/for professionals, they may have, psychologically, held back. If such persons were, somehow, really feeling theatened themselves - e.g. by a superior power/authority - they might not show such restriction.