Five moments in post-Roman Britain

[altariel]

As part of the recent "Five Things" meme that went around, I asked forodwaith for five moments in the life of Aquila (the hero of Rosemary Sutcliff's The Lantern-Bearers) that we did not see in the book.

And forodwaith has written these beautiful, melancholy vignettes. I am extremely lucky.

Comments

Rosemary Sutcliff

[nrink-nrink.livejournal.com]

Hi Altariel,

I don't know if you remember me but I'm one of your fans from the LOTR-verse. :) I was on my friends page and the reference to Rosemary Sutcliff just leapt out at me. Have you or your friends started writing RS fiction? I adore her work (have read most of her books but sadly so many are out of print) and would love to see some fan fics if there are any others out there - especially if you're writing them! :)

I didn't like the Lantern Bearers when I first read it as a 13 year old - my big fave was Eagle of the Ninth, but as I grew older I understood the book better, and now this is on top of my RS faves along with Sword at Sunset.

have a great day!
nrink

Re: Rosemary Sutcliff

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Hi nrink, of course I remember you! I have only just started reading Rosemary Sutcliff's books in the past year, and have been absolutely sucked into them. The Lantern-Bearers knocked my socks off when I read it and is currently my favourite (I have a copy of Sword At Sunset but haven't started it yet). I think I have a thing for angsty, dark-haired men...

There's a very little bit of Sutcliff fic out there, and a small community on LJ: sutcliff_fics. forodwaith has also written a quite beautiful story based on The Eagle of the Ninth: Fox and Hound.

I would love to write about Aquila and Ness one day (hmm, angsty dark-haired hero, troubled marriage...), but I'm not a natural with historical fiction, so it may take me a while to summon up the courage to try.

Re: Rosemary Sutcliff

[nrink-nrink.livejournal.com]

Hi Altariel,

:) Ah! Thanks for the links - I'll definitely check them out. Sutcliff is an eternal addiction - I've been reading and re-reading them since forever, and she only gets better and better! Sword at Sunset is a masterpiece of Arthurian fiction - I won't spoil it for you by saying any more. ;-) She mentioned in an interview that this was her most consuming book - she ate, slept, and practically breathed Arthurian Britain for about 2 years whilst she was writing it.

Please do write! I think your LOTR style is perfect for historical fiction. :) I'd love to see fics on Flavia, Mull and the sons of Vortigern.

nrink

Re: Rosemary Sutcliff

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I keep picking up Sword at Sunset, and handling it, and thinking of starting - and wanting to hold off having read it for longer!

Do you think you would try Sutcliff fic? Maybe in the new year it might be worth thinking of a ficathon.

Re: Rosemary Sutcliff

[nrink-nrink.livejournal.com]

:)I think I know how that feels like! I tried to read it at super-slow pace so that I could savour every word. But all good things come to an end... I'm dreadfully envious of your not having read it yet!!

I'd love to try Sutcliff fic but I don't know if I'd do a good job - guess I could write a really *tiny* one to test the waters. :)

nrink

Re: Rosemary Sutcliff

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I really hope you'll try it out - I think her fiction would suit short pieces, there's a lot of intensity to it. Looking forward to seeing what you write!

[hafren.livejournal.com]

Yes, those are lovely indeed.

I do wish Sutcliff hadn't called her Ness, which is an impossible name; it should be Nest, but maybe she thought that was confusing, or not feminine-sounding enough.

[forodwaith.livejournal.com]

It is an awkward name. I just finished re-reading The Lantern-Bearers in order to write that list and realized I'd remembered her name wrongly for years, thinking of her as Nessa.

Ness

[nrink-nrink.livejournal.com]

I rather like Ness!

Cheers,

Va(ness)a aka nrink

Re: Ness

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Ah! I just posted that I knew a Va(ness)a!

[altariel.livejournal.com]

I knew a Ness - shortened from Vanessa - so it didn't intrude so much for me. Why Nest?

[hafren.livejournal.com]

Because the girl's meant to be Welsh, and that's the only Welsh girl's name like it.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Ah - I'd never heard that name. Now I'm imagining in my head that Aquila misheard it when they first met, and mispronounces her name throughout their marriage.

[hafren.livejournal.com]

It's the name that was later anglicised to Nesta. I like the mispronunciation idea!