Books 2019 - A Walk on the Beach by E.T. (Pros fic)

[byslantedlight]

A Beach to Walk On by ET is one of my favourite zines for re-reading, and is really a bit of a comfort read. It's absolutely, perfectly slash, and it's angst and partner-worry and partner-comfort and most importantly just the right amount of those things rather than tipping into soppiness and unlikelihood!

It's set after Mixed Doubles, and the lads are actually given the two weeks off that Cowley has promised them. Bodie decides that what they need - what Doyle needs, but what he needs too - is some time away from the job together, where they can just be themselves with someone else who understands them. So he hijacks Doyle, who's having trouble coming to terms with those dum-dums, and they head off down to the Dorset coast.

They both try to get over the whole Parsali affair in their own ways - Bodie by being as normal as he can be, and Doyle by struggling through, but they both come apart in their own ways. And of course they come together too, and that's the other part of the story. *g* Spoilers below, if you don't want to read any more...

Much as I love the rest of it, the ending bugs me every time, because it makes me think the author was just trying to string things out to make a longer zine. She has an excellent resolution, but instead of finishing perfectly there, there's suddenly a whole series of doubts and misunderstandings about sleeping together and the frankly bizarre worry that one of them is going to "rape" the other one. It's that whole what-if-you-change-your-mind-in-the-middle-and-I-can't-stop thing, and okay I get there might be an element of a bloke changing his mind when it comes to same-sex sex for the first time, and the whole physical thing of fucking, but when there's been such a perfect build-up of love and lust between them, it just feels tacked-on and forced...

So it's about a dozen pages too long - but apart from that it's fab, and I hope you get a chance to read it! It's a paper zine, and as far as I know it's not online anywhere, and not likely to be, sadly - and now the publisher is no more, either.

Comments

[shooting2kill.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for the link you left for Private Lives! *That's* the one I've been thinking about for years and getting confused with A Walk on the Beach and Summer's End. I've got the ET story in zine form but I don't think I've ever read it and not sure if I will now because it sounds a bit samey. I think I'm tiring of stories where you get the sex thing thrown in at the end for no better reason than to fill out a story that bit more. Summer's End sounds more my cup of tea with a mystery/case story running in parallel to their relationship.

[You're doing very well on your replies!]

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

I'm trying very hard on my replies - since I didn't seem to be getting work done anyway! *g*

But do read A Walk on the Beach, because up to the last dozen pages it's not same-y at all, and I think you'd really like it. I wonder if ET's publisher said "It's not long enough" and got her to add the ending - or some beta said "But we want to see them when they get together!" and so it was added on, because the end does feel tacked on. The story up until then is really well thought out, and a good exploration of the effect that the Parsali op might have had on them.

Summer's End I liked well enough, but I'd definitely say that A Walk on the Beach pips it as far as depth and psychology goes. Just stop when they leave the hotel and think of that as the end of the story! *g*

[shooting2kill.livejournal.com]

Summer's End I liked well enough, but I'd definitely say that A Walk on the Beach pips it as far as depth and psychology goes. Just stop when they leave the hotel and think of that as the end of the story! *g*


You've convinced me and it's going on my list of Pros stories I must read! Thanks.

[heliophile-oxon.livejournal.com]

Ah, paper only - oh well :-s. It sounds like a lovely read, except for the end which sounds a bit ... otherworldly, no that's not the word I want but a bit like it's suddenly switched planets *g*

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

So sad to think of the amazing Pros stories that are paper only, now that the Paper Circuit is properly gone, and no one seems to want paper zines any more.

The end definitely seemed alien to the rest of the story, but apart from those 12 pages, it's great!

[macklingirl.livejournal.com]

Hm, I thought I had it but I can't find it. I think I have to search through my zines again, but not today. Would be so nice to find it.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

I hope you find it!

[miwahni.livejournal.com]

I have that zine... I remember reading it and being a bit meh about it, although I did enjoy the moody atmosphere. It could be because I bought it at the same time as Redemption which really blew me away. Perhaps I'm due a re-read of A Beach to Walk On, to see if my opinion has changed.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Oh that's a shame! I can see that reading after Redemption might have that effect though, not because A Walk on the Beach isn't enjoyable in its own right, but just because Redemption is pretty amazing, and a whole different scale of story, really! I'd be interested to hear if you like it this time!

[miwahni.livejournal.com]

Just dug my zine out - are we talking about the same zine, I wonder? Mine is called "A Beach to Walk On" but also by ET? Either way, I'm willing to give it another try.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Oh yes - as per my picture of the zine up above! I just flipped the name around... I should have gone to bed instead of posting! *g*