Q&A with Josh Lanyon discussion
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The Dickens with Love
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The Dickens With Love
This was the story that set me on the path to reading all the JL books I love it.
It was really good, wasn't it? And your glowing review makes me want to revisit it. Might have to locate it on the book shelf and make it a Christmas tradition, too!
I just read this over the weekend! I actually waited all year just so I could read it around Christmas time. It was indeed sweet and lovely.
I am going to remove my posts as being inappropriate criticism and I apologize for any negative implications they have had.
Kaje wrote: "See, now I loved this one up until the very end, and then I hated the ending. It was cruising along as a five star read but [spoilers removed] I gave it 4 stars for the first nine tenths of the b..."
Yes, I had the same issues. I fumed about that. :D
Yes, I had the same issues. I fumed about that. :D
Mod
Yes, I do see what you mean. I really do. However... because it is a Christmas story I feel that there can be some elements that seem like fairy tail. Especially because it's a Christmas story about a fairy tale. I'm a romantic AND a Christmas person (bad, baaaad combination *grin*), so the ending was the right one for me - I would have been hugely disappointed if Sedgwick would have acted differently in the end. The story was, after all, about unconditional love.
... And because it's written by Josh, it's luckily spiced up with glowing peppermint condoms, a very thirsty ocelot and some extremely annoying Christmas carols. The reason I liked The Dickens With Love so much is probably due to its odd combination of romance, humor and all those absurd things happening (including the ending). ;) And the fact that I could visualize it all so clearly in my head, because of Josh's beautiful description of everything. I still feel like I've really seen the adorable picture of the Christmas cake with the mouse on it... :)
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I can easily imagine that happening. :)
Traci wrote: "It was really good, wasn't it? And your glowing review makes me want to revisit it. Might have to locate it on the book shelf and make it a Christmas tradition, too!"
Yup. I'm gonna include this one in my Xmas traditions right side by side with watching The Snowman. ;)
Cheryl wrote: "I just read this over the weekend! I actually waited all year just so I could read it around Christmas time. It was indeed sweet and lovely."
When I started reading it, I didn't actually know that it would be a Christmas story, so it was kind of a coincidence for me. A lucky coincidence! So now I'm off to read Men Under the Mistletoe...
Yeah, I'm afraid I found the ending a shocker too. But isn't it a lovely story right up until then? And I forgave the ending because it was supposed to be a Christmas story and grand, weird, out of scale gestures are sort of par for the course. I'd add what I think happens but I haven't figured out how to do that spoiler thing - I do think James doing the right thing is implied because the story is all about acts of faith and betrayal of trust. I think in the end the gesture would be enough, because he gets Sedge (that's not a spoiler - it's a convention) which is, of course, the best Christmas present. And it has to all turn out okay because after all - it's a Christmas story.
I kind of found the ending to be somewhat Dickensian, what? You know, improbable and grand, and kind of like Scrooge waking up a changed man, a foundling being discovered by a rich relative, etc. You know? It has the feel of Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, and a lot of Dickens work. As I remember it from my readings 25 years ago, that is.
Mod
Yes, that's what I like to think, too.
Mod
I think you are absolutely right! It would be interesting to hear what Josh thinks about that - since we all know that he always does his homework very attentively ;) and it was clear with this story, too, that he knows his Dickens well. :)
Also both you and Dev used the word "grand" to describe Sedgwick gesture - that fits perfectly.
It's a Christmas story, you rational people!!! :-D
Dev wrote: "I haven't figured out how to do that spoiler thing"It is super easy and fun. Type:
[spoiler] text containing spoilers [/spoiler]
Only replace the square brackets with angle brackets. You get this:
(view spoiler)
Click (preview) next to post to see how it will look.
A more general tip: click (some html is ok) to see a list of cool features. You can even copy and paste the one you want. I do that every time when I am posting a picture.
Kaje wrote: "Emanuela ~plastic duck~ wrote: "It's a Christmas story, you rational people!!! :-D"Sorry, can't turn off the brain."
It happens only if you have one *snickers*
I get what you mean, really, and indeed I read more with my guts than with my brain :)
Charming, the ocelot was fantastic!
Talking about Christmas stories: how is it that nobody talks about the anthology? 
Me, I'm excused because I've got it, but I still can't start to read it (work and meetings in the evenings), but I thought everybody else would be reading...
Could anyone a bit more proficient than me start a thread?
Antonella wrote: "Talking about Christmas stories: how is it that nobody talks about the anthology? Me, I'm excused because I've got it, but I still can't start to rea..."
Haven't read it yet... and I'm a little afraid to because I just read A Vintage Affair with less than happy results... so I'm going to wait for my mood to improve
Charming wrote: "Dev wrote: "I haven't figured out how to do that spoiler thing"It is super easy and fun. Type:
[spoiler] text containing spoilers [/spoiler]
Only replace the square brackets with angle b..."
Thanks! (view spoiler)
Emanuela ~plastic duck~ wrote: "It's a Christmas story, you rational people!!! :-D"*lol* Exactly! And that's why I love this story so much. It fits the season to perfection.
I think something would be missing without a grand gesture of some kind.
I read this story last year and loved the whimsy of it. Josh is pretty danged delightful when he gets his whimsy going. ;-)
I just started reading the first one today ...and have stumbled over my all time favourite petpeeve twice already *sigh*
I really don't get that no one seems to get it ... *hangs head*
love the story ... hate the peeve
ETA: meant 'Men Under the Mistletoe' not 'Dickens with love'
Mod
Charming wrote: "I am a huge fan of the ocelot, however."
Oh joy! Isn't it good that some of us are rational and the rest of us are not much so... ;) Anyway, the most important thing IMO is that we all are fans of the certain ocelot. :)
Mod
Me, I'm excused because I've got it, but I still can't start to read it (work and meetings in the evenings), but I thought everybody else would be reading...
Could anyone a bit more proficient than me start a thread?
I must confess that I started reading Men Under the Mistletoe with Josh's Lone Star and skipped the other stories for now, but I haven't finished Lone Star yet. We should start a thread just for that one, right? Since I haven't been banished yet, I guess anyone is allowed to start a new Story Discussion thread...
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LOL :) *nod nod*
Lee wrote: "I kind of found the ending to be somewhat Dickensian, what? You know, improbable and grand, and kind of like Scrooge waking up a changed man, a foundling being discovered by a rich relative, etc. Y..."I'm soo with you here, Lee! I found this book so jam-packed with references to Dickens (and sometimes in such an adorable tongue-in-cheek way) I think any other ending wouldn't have been as fitting.
Blaine D. wrote: "I just started reading the first one today ...and have stumbled over my all time favourite petpeeve twice already *sigh*
I really don't get that no one seems to get it ... *hangs head*
love the ..."
so what is the pet peeve - tell me (so I can avoid it in my writing :)
Mod
Bingo. :-)
It's the kind of thing you either get or you don't -- and you either like or you don't.
Kaje wrote: "so what is the pet peeve - tell me (so I can avoid it in my writing :)
I know! Dying to know what the pet peeve is! I put down the book (well, the iPad) and was grinning ear to ear all *happy sigh*, so whatever was wrong just flew over my head. I'll be reading it again in the next couple of weeks, so maybe something will hit me then ;-)
I know! Dying to know what the pet peeve is! I put down the book (well, the iPad) and was grinning ear to ear all *happy sigh*, so whatever was wrong just flew over my head. I'll be reading it again in the next couple of weeks, so maybe something will hit me then ;-)
I had the same issues with the ending that a lot of you did, but I was able to squash them down and just go with it.I did, however, have a problem with the ocelot. Working as a veterinary technician and in animal rescue makes me rather intolerant of people keeping exotic animals as pets, especially ones that could kill them. (I also got very mad at Adrien in DoaPK for his attitude toward the stray kitten) But, again, I squashed it down and just went with it so that I could enjoy the rest of the book.
I've actually never read anything by Dickens. My knowledge of Dickens comes from Oliver! and whatever version of A Christmas Carol I catch that year. I thought James being an orphan felt rather Dickensian, too, but what do I know?
Kaje wrote: "so what is the pet peeve - tell me (so I can avoid it in my writing :)""it was all he could do not to .........." (fill in blanks)
but leaving the it hanging, so we the reader are kept guessing what the hell they're doing ...
I don't feel comfortable giving existing examples, so I made one myself (which mirrors the ones I found - maybe a bit exaggerated ... oh, and I found a 3rd one *sigh*)
"Francine kept nattering in my ear and I was getting tired of pretending I was listening to her.
The doorbell rang, and I knew it was him. It was all I could do not to jump him, right then and there."
This is bound to rip me right out of the story, every single time, because I want to know what IT is that he does to keep from jumping him.
It makes NO sense.
Maybe it's because it's a cultural ingrained proverb/saying/whatever, but to me it reflects a lack of care of using it correctly.
What do I feel is correctly? Well, what about this one?
"James kept whistling that same annoying tune, over and over and over. I gripped the steering wheel tighter. It was all I could do to keep from slapping him."
In this case the 'it' clearly points to the I person gripping the wheel.
I hope I'm making sense.
Where does the other it lead to?
Blaine D. wrote: "Kaje wrote: "so what is the pet peeve - tell me (so I can avoid it in my writing :)""it was all he could do not to .........." (fill in blanks)
but leaving the it hanging, so we the reader are ke..."
Interesting... I have to admit the phrase is so familiar that I have never been bothered by the lack of a referent for the "it". I've always assumed the phrase was just a synonym for "It was almost impossible not to..."
Kaje wrote: "the phrase is so familiar that I have never been bothered by the lack of a referent for the "it". I've always assumed the phrase was just a synonym for "It was almost impossible not to..."Ever wondered why you assume?
I mean, when I read it I know what they're trying to imply. It's not as if I don't understand the phrase, but ... it's not complete.
I think that it's so familiar is the problem. For years I've been trying to get an answer that makes sense to me, but all I ever hear is that it's familiar, or that the 'it' doesn't have to refer to anything because it is a state of mind (really? Explain that to me, please)
Some ppl just tell me it's idiom ... well, if it is, it's not in any idiom list I've ever seen.
If you are passing through Zürich Airport you are 10 minutes away from Zürich Main Station and 5 minutes on foot from this exhibiton about Dickens (13th December-4th March):http://www.stadt-zuerich.ch/content/k...
Blaine D. wrote: "Kaje wrote: "so what is the pet peeve - tell me (so I can avoid it in my writing :)"
"it was all he could do not to .........." (fill in blanks)
but leaving the it hanging, so we the reader are ke..."
That's so interesting. Like Kaje, I never noticed the lack of a specific "it" reference. I don't think it'll ever really bother me, but I think you're right grammatically. Huh.
"it was all he could do not to .........." (fill in blanks)
but leaving the it hanging, so we the reader are ke..."
That's so interesting. Like Kaje, I never noticed the lack of a specific "it" reference. I don't think it'll ever really bother me, but I think you're right grammatically. Huh.
Mod
..."
The thing about pet peeves is they are someone's little idiosyncratic nitpick and therefore not something to concern yourself with. ;-)
Mod
LOL. Case in point. It's idiomatic, Blaine. It goes to the voice and cultural background of the character.
Mod
http://www.stadt-zueri..."
Oh wow!
Hi, Josh. Just wanna say thank you for your heartwarming story. I laugh hard at so many clever witty lines. And the sex is SUPER hot too. It's a great example of long, hot, but never boring sex scene. In fact, I want to read it again & again. As far as realism goes, I don't see this is as "realistic" story, it's certainly has that sort of whimsy fairy tale-ish feeling without the supernatural. Hmm... maybe we can call it modern fairy tale?
Josh wrote: "It's idiomatic, Blaine. It goes to the voice and cultural background of the character. "So, where does it come from?
Cause I never saw it until I landed in fandom, somewhere ...
Mod
Thank you! It is definitely on the whimsical side. But I think the best Christmas stories are. Or at least my favorite Christmas stories are.
Mod
So, where does it come from?
Cause I never saw it until I landed in fandom, somewhere ..."
:-D
I truly have no idea. It's just something people say. The "it" is implied. A grammarian could explain it better.
Mod
So, where does it come from?
Cause I never saw it until I landed in fa..."
You are obsessing just a TINY bit. NOT that there's anything wrong with that. IT. ;-P
Mod
..."
Exactly. James being an orphan. His poverty. His being accused of something he wasn't involved with but pays the price because of arrogance and pride. The names of the characters. The sordid crime in the past. The little magical touches like snow and the golden cocktails and the ocelet. The lesson learned, the grand gesture at the end.
From a writing standpoint, I think it's one of the best things I've done -- one of the most thematically cohesive and tightly written.
So while I respect Kaje and Kate's opinions, I would point out that I know as much about writing, storytelling, literature and human nature as either of them and I -- politely -- disagree. ;-)
Josh wrote: "So while I respect Kaje and Kate's opinions, I would point out that I know as much about writing, storytelling, literature and human nature as either of them and I -- politely -- disagree. ;-) "
LOL! Did I say it wasn't very Dickensian? Never! I wouldn't dare. Since the story worked for most people, I'd have to say you succeeded in hitting all the notes you wanted to. ;)
LOL! Did I say it wasn't very Dickensian? Never! I wouldn't dare. Since the story worked for most people, I'd have to say you succeeded in hitting all the notes you wanted to. ;)
Mod
I guess I just have old-fashioned manners.
Obviously I want readers to feel free to discuss my books with complete freedom -- whether positively or negatively -- a reader is free to say whatever he or she likes.
But, yes, critical comments coming from other writers on my own *fan* pages hits a sour note. I wouldn't go to your fan pages and criticize your work in the midst of readers sharing what they enjoyed about it.
I guess that's all part of the new rules of interacting on social media, but it's not the way I do things. So it bothers me.
Hopefully that makes sense.
Josh wrote: "But, yes, critical comments coming from other writers on my own *fan* pages hits a sour note. I wouldn't go to your fan pages and criticize your work in the midst of readers sharing what they enjoyed about it.
"
Noted. My apologies.
"
Noted. My apologies.
As far as "it was all I could do not to..." I always interpreted that as meaning that not doing something was literally all one could do, like every ounce of your concentration and control was going into the effort of not doing something that you really want to, but know you shouldn't. You're focused on not doing that one thing, and that's all you can do is keep that focus until the moment passes. But I do certainly see the point that perhaps there should be an object to the statement.
I read this one last Christmas and I've read it again this month. It gives me the same feeling as the classic Christmas movie, It's A Wonderful Life. There's just something about James. (view spoiler)
And this year over Christmas I'll be trying out a Stardust. (If I can remember where I saw the recipe.)
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Q&A with Josh Lanyon
Books mentioned in this topic
Simple Gifts (other topics)Simple Gifts (other topics)
Simple Gifts (other topics)
The Dickens with Love (other topics)
Blood Heat (other topics)
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Ihana! That's "lovely" and "sweet" in Finnish. There really are no other words that better describe this story: Lovely. Sweet. Ihana.
And if Josh wouldn't be sooooooo good at staying undercover ;) I would be hugging him this minute... (do not panic - there is an ocean between us... literally).
Anyway, back to The Dickens With Love and the fact that Josh simply makes me believe him. Every time. Whether it is a hostile ocelot in a weird place or a unexpected love story unlikely to happen. He makes it up, he writes it down - and I want to believe it. When it's Josh's work it's guaranteed to be charming, clever, extremely well written and simply compelling. This time it is a story with two guys who turned out to be the angels to one another...
James's and Sedge's story is so deliciously cooked and served that I can almost smell it and taste it! The idea of long lost Christmas story by Dickens is titillating and fascinating. This story has all the elements of a wonderful holiday tale - and even more. After all Christmas is the time for get-togethers, laughter, peace and love, but also the time of stress, loneliness, bitterness and grief. This story was a hopeful one and it left me smirking happily for the rest of the day. It was all about faith, hope and love - those truly were the gifts wrapped in that gold and white paper with angels on it.
There were something similarly magical with this book and the movie Pretty Woman, which left me feeling the same way back in 1990. And this is a compliment... ;)
The Dickens With Love just might become a Christmas tradition for me. I'll bet its magic will work every time. :)