Our BetterMost Community > Creative Writer's Corner
Taking Chances, by E. L. Van Hine and L.H. Nicoll
opinionista:
--- Quote from: louisev on August 01, 2006, 07:51:48 am ---I think just to rub it in, I'm going to count the number of ACTUAL "sweethearts" tendered in each volume, and we can vote on "too much" or "too little."
One of the fiercest criticisms I ever got for my stories was Ennis calling Ellery "boy" because it seemed demeaning (I think that was the criticism.) I went through the first two books (the only two at that time) and counted up how many times in two volumes each of them called the other "boy." Ellery called Ennis "boy" 26 times and Ennis called Ellery "boy" 5 times. So much for who is demeaning whom!
--- End quote ---
I thought the boy thing was part of the way they talk, since everybody uses it. Wes, for example, calls both Ennis and Ellery, boy. I think even Dupree uses it or is called boy as well.
magicmountain:
I have recently been re-reading the Saga from the beginning and have realised that my mental image of Ellery changed from that early encounter with Ennis. He came across then as well built and a bit mysterious and very cool. I could hear his deep voice and imagine his big hands matching that very sexy black outfit.
As we got to know the man behind the front I stopped hearing the deep voice. Somehow the "sweethearts" didn't go with that voice in the same way as "boy" or "lover" or "babe" does. Surprise, surprise, it turns out that underneath that macho image, Ellery is thinly built with a fragile back and quite emotional, volatile and sentimental. So he calls Ennis sweetheart, which Ennis seems to like. Ennis too, turns out to be a bit of a wuss underneath that balefule glare.
I have had to recast my mental image of both to take all this in. Because I had no preconceived idea of Ellery it was easier to do with him. He evolved as we got to know him and he became more human rather just than a fantasy man. He is like a high spirited, nervy, thoroughbred horse. The new more overtly emotional Ennis has been more of a challenge to get used to but I think his emotions have been raw and much nearer the surface since Jack's death. He is now much more emotionally vulnerable than ever before and less emotionally resilient and stoic - which may be a good thing and a bad thing. He is, of course, a wild bronc in the bedroom - but elsewhere ?
Now for my favourite line which I paraphrase here from memory:
Ellery: Sometimes it seems you've got too many hormones going round in you and they all rush to yer cock.
Ennis: Yeah. That's how it feels.
Immortal lines Louise.
louisev:
--- Quote from: magicmountain on August 01, 2006, 08:50:57 am ---
Now for my favourite line which I paraphrase here from memory:
Ellery: Sometimes it seems you've got too many hormones going round in you and they all rush to yer cock.
Ennis: Yeah.that's how it feels.
Immortal lines Louise.
--- End quote ---
dies with laughter.. Oh yeah. THAT one! It is a very technical explanation
scudder:
Well, I'll jump in. I have never liked "sweetheart" applied to male or female. My favorite term for both is "dearheart". "Darling" sits well with me as does "dude" or "bud". The others are just to sugary for me.
scudder:
Being raised in the South in the twenties and thirties, "boy" was the term used by whites to refer to blacks whaatever their age, and certainly was not an endearment.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version