Wednesday reading meme

[dhampyresa]

I am operating on about 3 brain cells right now because of this thing that has pretty much reduced me to tears, so apologies if this incoherent.


What did you finish reading

Good Man Friday, by Barbara Hambly: I see what you did there by comparing Poe to a raven. I liked it, overall, but I missed Hannibal and Rose terribly. I really liked Mede so :( for that. I did like that his brother loved him and what he did for him (sure, it was a terrible thing, but she sold Dominique and Charmian and Thérèse into slavery so I can't feel bad for her). Poe as Ben's sidekick was pretty cool, as was BASEBALL, but still no Rose or Hannibal. I feel like a lot of the politics went right over my head as evidenced by my LOL JOHN ADAMS reaction every time he was mentionned. He's a US president? I think? Idk what was going on here aside from there being graverobbers and baseball matches and stuff.


What are you reading now

The Benjamin January short story, Libre, Hannibal's Odyssey and the incomplete first draft of a friend's novel. It's slow going, because I keep making notes such as "we're not even on page 10 yet there are 5 locales and over a dozen characters i like none of them because I have no idea who they and also idk waht is going and another fucking flashback already omg what is wrong with you".


What are you reading next

The other Benjamin January short stories and after that idk.

Comments

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

(and probably boyfriends, if his willingness to follow Ben everywhere is any indication).

I am totally convinced that Hannibal's bisexuality is canon.

I do want it now that you've mentionned it, but there are so many obstacles to it working in the canon setting.

Alas, yes. On the other hand, I have read "pretend to be a gay couple" fic set in Classical Rome, so there's always the option of just ignoring history for the sake of a fun fic.

YES. "Hannibal, I'm pretty sure the baby is just babbling."
"No, listen! He just said 'mutatis mutandis'."
"...and why would he say that?"
"Well, I don't know but I don't think we should question his precociousness."

[dhampyresa.livejournal.com]

Me too, but I'm hard-pressed to come up with any canon evidence/quotes.

True enough. It is tropefic, after all. (Link to that fic? I'm curious to see how the author makes it work.)

"Hannibal, Livy is not appropriate as a bed time story."
"But how else will he learn about my namesake and his?" (Because you know that kid as Classical name. Ayasha desperates of the rest of them.)
"Fine. Just make sure to take out all the deaths."

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

This is the one that I think comes closest to being 'proof' (From Dead and Buried, Hannibal is talking about himself in third person):
"Lady Philippa wouldn’t believe Droudge if he told her water flowed downhill. She loathes the man– at least she did when I knew her– and, considering what she put up with from the boy’s father, I can’t imagine there’s much in the way of vice she hasn’t heard of before. Droudge would tell her, of course. He’s vindictive that way." Hannibal frowned at some memory. "But once they have a decent lawyer, and he’s tracked down the girl– or boy– or multiples thereof– in question, I can’t see a judge refusing bail, no matter what Patrick’s will may have said."

Hetaeriae Eaeque Brevi Fient by Sineala. It's The Eagle/Eagle of the Ninth. I wouldn't quite describe myself as in that fandom, but I read a lot of the fic.

Ha, yes! I love the image of Hannibal misappropriating history for bedtime stories.

[dhampyresa.livejournal.com]

the girl– or boy– or multiples thereof
Sounds pretty conclusive to me, as far as Hannibal's bisexuaality goes (also moresomes, apparently).

Thanks for the link, I'll get to reading that as soon as I can.

Of course he does. He has no idea what is or is not appropriate as a bedtime story. He's probabmy the one who stays home to take care of the baby, too, becaus Ayesha is at the shop, Ben is at the opera and Rose is at the school.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

He also seems to be aware/accepting of a lot of gay people, but that could just be Hannibal's general attitude toward life.

Ha, yes, Hannibal is a very convenient babysitter. He's probably terrible at enforcing rules, though.

[dhampyresa.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I figure Hannibal is very much a 'love and let love' kind of person.

He is the worst at rules. He caves immediately.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Yup.

Ha, yes. There's a lot of: "Hannibal, why did you let the baby draw all over the walls?"
"Well, after he ate the entire cake, he was very determined to do so."
"He didn't take a nap either, did he?"
"...no. But I have gotten him to memorize the first lines of Dante's Inferno!"

[dhampyresa.livejournal.com]

That baby is a certified genius. Dante's Inferno at below one year old? He'll be taking over the world of literature in no time!