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Thursday, Friday and Cities of Gold
Spent yesterday at home with a bad cold. I think I slept for 18 out of 24 hours. Five of the other six were spent reading MustangSally and Chase's Eldorado. Superbly written (my writing sounds forced in comparison) and set not far from where I used to live, so I enjoyed reading those Texan touches, but the authors have managed to write a very plausible version of Spike that I don't like reading about. Frankly, I didn't think that was possible (although I do get swiftly bored by overly sappy Spikes). I think it's because a large part of Spike's appeal to me is William. Before FFL, I always enjoyed watching Spike on BtVS but felt no special interest in him as a character. It was the exposure of his inner William that won me over and, indeed, catapulted me into reading fanfic online for the first time. But Eldorado obliquely suggests that William himself was a deeply unpleasant man and, frankly, I don't really want to get to know this version of him any better. Despite that I'll undoubtedly read the sequels---this is very clearly a prologue---as I do want to know what happens next. But in the meantime I feel slightly icky and unmotivated to finish my own work-in-progress because what if Spike was really like that?
This morning I've been considering staying off work again. Felt awful on waking but, after half an hour on the computer I feel OK now. I think I'll postpone my physio appt and lunch with some friends though as both would involve much running around that I don't feel up to.
This morning I've been considering staying off work again. Felt awful on waking but, after half an hour on the computer I feel OK now. I think I'll postpone my physio appt and lunch with some friends though as both would involve much running around that I don't feel up to.
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I'm not all that interested in William qua William myself; he intrigues me as a component of Spike, but not so much as a character in his own right. (FFL interested me greatly, but I didn't really fall for Spike till Crush, when that plaintive "I can be good, too," slew me.) Besides, I tend to think that what William was is important, but that it doesn't matter as much as what Spike has grown into; it's not, after all, like we expect Angel-with-soul to be exactly like Liam. But then, I also tend to think that William and Spike are essentially the same personality, viewed through the different lenses of a soul and a demon and a hundred and twenty years of experience.
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The drugs thing, though? Doesn’t really bother me. I could definitely see Spike getting addicted like that to deal with his pain. He’s got the obsessiveness and the self-destructiveness in spades.
Still, they are very minor criticisms, because I’m deeply taken with the story and I'm sure they'll both have a truly fascinating explanation for why Spike is like he is. Plus, I'm actually interested in all the characters. And I say that as someone who usually yawns at extended Xander scenes and skips over the new characters!
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I guess I saw him as wanting to present the image of Spike-with-stones, and doing quite a good job at it. But the fact he was frying his brain to do so made me think that we're meant to see it as an act - and one which is going to fall apart in spectacular fashion, because he isn't in control. At least, not of himself. But that's pretty much always the case with Spike...;-)
But then, it's entirely likely I'm reading the story completely 'wrong'! And also, I can wank anything to my liking if given enough incentive!
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Spike's mania, his drug-taking and Faith's account of his homelife all suggest to me that this Spike has very few of his marbles left and that he's not exactly looking for the ones that have rolled under the sofa. I am rather disturbed by the suggestion that this brittle loony-tunes is being mistaken for Rocks!Back!Spike. If the authors have "gauged the majority reaction correctly" then it must be to twist their readers' expectations later, surely? Again I'm thinking of the trick they played with their pseudo-shallow Buffy.
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My, I'm feeling catty tonight.
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I also tend to think that William and Spike are essentially the same personality, viewed through the different lenses of a soul and a demon and a hundred and twenty years of experience.
I agree absolutely with both statements and dislike the Eldorado version of Spike on both counts. Firstly, he's clearly regressed vastly, although I presume MS&C will provide a convincing explanation of this (similar to their fake-out regarding their seemingly shallow initial portrayal of Buffy). Secondly, when he is described as having "a voice made for saying cutting, clever things over brandy and cigars in some swanky men's club somewhere" this sounds rather more like William's tormentors than what we saw of William; he then displays a kind of calculated viciousness that I don't think we ever saw in Spike. He's just more random than that: he's as likely to sympathise with you as verbally savage you.
That said, I am looking forward to learning why Spike is like this in the story. I wonder just who Spike is talking about here:
"I know, it's difficult for you. The plucky orphan lad made good, defeated his demons and became a man at last. Strapped on his seven-league boots and strode away to paradise," Spike said, speaking in a soft, silky voice that twined around Xander's tired brain like a friendly cat will twine around your ankles. "To realize the life you thought you'd left behind has followed you, that the darkness is rising up like a scorned lover and pulling you back into its awful embrace. . ." Spike leaned close, closer, until they were almost kissing-distance apart. ". . .it's almost obscene in its wrongness, isn't it?"
Also, I've realised I was incorrect---I have read one other version of Spike I didn't like, where he appeared to have been replaced by Fabio for the duration.