The Wounded Name: a reappraisal

[regshoe]

Recently I decided to re-read The Wounded Name. Until maybe two-thirds of the way through I felt about it pretty much how I felt last time, except that it was nice to get to know the book better and appreciate the details a bit more, as one does on a re-read—it is really a pretty good and enjoyable book, and I like both Laurent and Aymar. (Summary for new FotH fans and anyone else who's curious: if you like Flight of the Heron but think it has too much plot getting in the way of the really important things like slashy hurt/comfort, you'll love The Wounded Name). And then, with these gradually warming feelings, somewhere around the trial sequence I had a bit of a change of heart, and decided that I actually like the book and the characters really quite a lot, I do in fact ship Aymar/Laurent, and really, the canon romance is pretty much an ignorable non-issue, isn't it, it's not worth worrying that much about.

The shippy details in the hurt/comfort section are really nice, of course, and—while Laurent's overwhelming adoration for Aymar is perhaps too obvious to be really interesting on first reading—this time I especially appreciated noticing how far Aymar returns his feelings (that postscript, oh my goodness). Sometimes amongst all these fraught enemy ships you just want some nice uncomplicated friends-to-lovers sweetness, y'know? And, well, I thought someone ought to write fic about them, and (as far as I can find) no one has yet, so I decided I would do it and now have 2,500 words of draft fic. I suspect this won't last, but it's nice in the meantime.

Have I mentioned before that Aymar and Laurent's relationship is really slashy? Possibly not, but in any case, I was kind of amused to think how differently I'd read this sort of thing if it was, say, Mary Renault instead of D. K. Broster writing:

They were nearer to each other that evening than they had ever been before. Afterwards, Laurent thought that had Aymar not been so spent in body and so quivering in soul he would probably have told him his secret. As it was, he lay silent on his bed and watched the sky through the window, and Laurent watched him, and had a kind of happiness from it.

...Even so, awww. <3

And I mean, really, look at this:

"...And if only you had the famous jartier back we could try the effects of that on the Prussians."

"But I have got it back," confessed Aymar, "and it is mended, and I am wearing it at this moment. It is at your service."

"Mended, eh?" said d'Andigné. "Magically, no doubt?"

Aymar suddenly wheeled round and put his hand on Laurent's shoulder. "Yes, magically," he said. "He mended it . . . like a good many other things."

His smile pretty well finished Laurent.

...really.

A few other random points:

• I also love the scenes where they're reading together, especially the bit with Aymar sitting in a chair on the lawn and peacefully stroking Laurent's hair (have I mentioned, etc.) Perhaps I should read The Vicar of Wakefield? I should get more book recs from Broster; there are a few others in her books (Rasselas in "Mr Rowl", for instance) and I'm sure she has good taste.


• As I think garonne, who made the ebook for this one, has mentioned—it is really noticeable how many... dramatic... ellipses... there are in this book. Way more than in FotH, very obviously. So I looked at the numbers and confirmed that TWN in fact has an average of 6.4 ellipses per 1,000 words, indeed much more than FotH at 3.5 per 1,000 words. So there you go! Perhaps the uninhibited use of dramatic punctuation goes along with the uninhibited iddiness of the content.


• Reading chapter 13, I was mildly baffled at what seemed the strange choice of holding a military trial in a hotel—why would they do that? But then I learnt, from another book full of gratuitous French which I happened to be reading, that 'Hôtel de Ville' is French for 'town hall'. So that clears that one up. *facepalm*


• I appreciate Broster making the point, through Mme de la Rocheterie, that conservative sexual mores in the early nineteenth century means being more permissive than typical modern young people. I wonder how she'd feel about Aymar/Laurent if she found out?


• Oh yeah, there's also the bit where Aymar gets nicknamed Saint Sebastian. By the soldiers at the château where he's held prisoner, because he was tied to a tree and shot, not because he's an artistic homoerotic icon. But it's kind of funny anyway.

Comments

[sovay]

By the soldiers at the château where he's held prisoner, because he was tied to a tree and shot, not because he's an artistic homoerotic icon.

I kind of can't believe the allusion is not intended in the spirit in which everyone on the planet who has heard of Saint Sebastian will take it.

[regshoe]

Perhaps it was! Certainly there's plenty about this book that reads like it might well have been intended like that, although I don't know for sure.

[hyarrowen]

WN is fun and way ahead of its time... i think... in that respect of slashiness. Or perhaps we're behind its time, who knows. It was written in the Roaring Twenties, after all. I'm crossing my fingers for the fic, anyway!

That ignorable non-issue is a good way to approach the whole issue afaic. I don't like seeing canon women being kept on as baby machines in any case, we have enough of that irl. "Write what you like" is a good maxim, whether it's a non-canon pairing, a canon pairing, whatever, but tying oneself into knots to include everyone by the fleeting standards of the 3rd decade of the 21st century is too much like hard work for this tired-out scribbler.

As for the ellipses, yes indeed. I think it was partly a convention of the times? Can't give other examples off the top of my head, but that's the impression I get. The one that always makes me giggle is the number of characters saying things through their teeth! This is difficult, especially under deep emotion, but they're all at it. It's like Sutcliff and "It is in my mind that" - after a while I start thinking about making up drinking games.

[regshoe]

It's certainly some sort of time! luzula and I were wondering a while ago whether the decrease in slashiness and hurt/comfort-laden close male friendships in Broster's later books might have been partly because they went out of fashion after the 1920s and these sorts of books weren't publishable anymore—in any case, between this and her next two books the 1920s seem to have been a good time for it.

"Write what you like" is a good maxim...

Quite right! Ignoring canon ships I don't like is usually my favourite approach to take in fic, and while it may be annoying in canon, this book makes that easy enough to do.

I hadn't noticed the 'saying things through their teeth' thing, but now you mention it... Hee, I'm sure it would make a good drinking game :D

[hyarrowen]

Between that and the ellipses I would be sozzled pretty quick.

Elizabeth Goudge is another mid-century author who is big on the ellipses - and on the landscape descriptions, too.

[scintilla10]

6.4 ellipses per 1,000 words omg, I chortled. This is certainly a lot of ellipses! XD

[regshoe]

:D You absolutely need the ellipses for all the anguished emotional confessions made amidst the pain of hurt/comfort scenarios, you see...!

[luzula]

Sorry for the late comment! Anyway, I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed it more on reread. : D

I've enjoyed it very much on my own reread, as well, while I have been recording it for Librivox. And some of the things that you're noting here are things that I have noticed, as well:

this time I especially appreciated noticing how far Aymar returns his feelings (that postscript, oh my goodness).
YES, very much agree. I remember from my first read how I thought it felt kind of imbalanced then, so I was very glad to notice these things.

And the scenes you're quoting! The reference to Mary Renault is actually quite hilarious, with her oblique sex scenes. And even in fic, this is just the sort of 'Afterwards…' that you put after a fade-to-black sex scene. : D

I appreciate Broster making the point, through Mme de la Rocheterie, that conservative sexual mores in the early nineteenth century means being more permissive than typical modern young people. I wonder how she'd feel about Aymar/Laurent if she found out?
I actually remarked to garonne about this very thing! Actually I think it's hilarious how his grandmother is all, 'Oh, the youth of today! In my day a red-blooded young man would have taken her to his bed, husband or no husband!' And astute of Broster, actually, to make this note about how sexual mores had changed from the more libertine French court of before the revolution.

And, well, I thought someone ought to write fic about them, and (as far as I can find) no one has yet, so I decided I would do it and now have 2,500 words of draft fic. I suspect this won't last, but it's nice in the meantime.
Yay! Very glad to hear that, and looking forward to hopefully getting to read it. : D

Actually it's very easy to have Aymar and Avoye break up: they already have broken up in the book, and then you just have them not get together again. I actually wouldn't mind reading Laurent/Aymar/Avoye, which is pretty much what the ending of the book does IMO (or at least leaves a large opening for). But Avoye is a much paler character than Alison is, and I don't care about her remotely as much.

[regshoe]

I'm glad you enjoyed the re-read too, and I'm looking forward to your audiobook :D

YES, very much agree. I remember from my first read how I thought it felt kind of imbalanced then, so I was very glad to notice these things.

Yes! And there are so many amazingly cute moments near the end, too... aww, there is potential in this ship. :)

And even in fic, this is just the sort of 'Afterwards…' that you put after a fade-to-black sex scene. : D

XD Exactly!

Actually it's very easy to have Aymar and Avoye break up: they already have broken up in the book, and then you just have them not get together again.

Yes, I thought of that too—it could make an interesting starting point for post-canon-divergence fic. Or, even simpler, you can keep the basic events of the plot the same and just say Avoye is Aymar's cousin whom he loves like a sister and that's why he went to such lengths to try and save her.

I actually wouldn't mind reading Laurent/Aymar/Avoye, which is pretty much what the ending of the book does IMO (or at least leaves a large opening for).

Possibly, but—I say, although I'm hardly impartial here—I can't see that making emotional sense for Laurent, who so clearly wants to be the most important person to Aymar (and is jealous of and worried about Avoye). Poor Laurent. Perhaps I'm too sorry for him...

[luzula]

Or, even simpler, you can keep the basic events of the plot the same and just say Avoye is Aymar's cousin whom he loves like a sister and that's why he went to such lengths to try and save her.
Oh, that is genius! I am uncomfortable anyway with the slight incest vibes of Aymar and Avoye--not because they are cousins, actually, but because they grew up pretty much as brother and sister, and Broster even leans into that when describing them as a couple. I'd feel the same even if they hadn't been actually related.

Yes! And there are so many amazingly cute moments near the end, too... aww, there is potential in this ship. :)
Yes! The whole courtroom sequence is so great, you can really feel Broster just gleefully letting her id out. Aww, Laurent’s duel is adorable.

[regshoe]

Yes! The whole courtroom sequence is so great, you can really feel Broster just gleefully letting her id out. Aww, Laurent’s duel is adorable.

I know, right! Such an adorable duel :D And, speaking of reciprocated feelings, Aymar's reaction is just as adorable—

"My God, he's not hurt—don't tell me he is hurt!" he cried, clutching hold of M Perrelet. [...] "But are you really an unhurt one?" asked Aymar, springing up and seizing him. "M Perrelet swears it, but——"

Amazing stuff :D :D

[luzula]

I am now also beginning to feel the urge to write fic! I will ponder it and see what I can come up with... : D

[regshoe]

Hooray! Excellent news—I shall look forward to seeing what you do come up with :D

[luzula]

What do you think of this summary for Librivox?

"Laurent de Courtomer, the son of a French aristocratic emigré and an Englishwoman, returns to France upon the Bourbon restoration following Napoleon's defeat in 1814. He meets a young Breton Royalist officer who quite turns his head with hero worship: Aymar de la Rocheterie. But when Napoleon escapes from Elba and war breaks out again, Aymar is accused of treason. The circumstances against him look very black. Will Aymar be able to clear his name, and will Laurent's devotion to him remain unshaken?"

[regshoe]

That sounds good! The only thing is you don't mention the hurt/comfort, which (at least to my mind!) is a major draw of the book. Perhaps you could add something like, '...Laurent meets Aymar again, severely wounded and under suspicion of treason. As Laurent nurses him back to health, the evidence against Aymar seems to become worse and worse...'?

[luzula]

Ah, good! I'll change that.

[garonne]

They were nearer to each other that evening than they had ever been before. Afterwards...

That line amuses me every time. I cannot count the number of times I have written or read something similar in fic, and meant something rather more than Broster presumably did!

I started reading The Vicar of Wakefield recently, mostly because it was on my mind after it being mentioned in Broster's novel. I'm enjoying it! It's very readable. A quick, engaging read sprinkled with touches of dry humour.

[regshoe]

I cannot count the number of times I have written or read something similar in fic, and meant something rather more than Broster presumably did!

XD Exactly!

Oh, that's good to know about The Vicar of Wakefield. I shall give it a try, I think...

[ethelmay]

"And that night they were not divided."

[regshoe]

Aww, yes <3