FIC: "Shabbos" (Mary Russell, PG-13)

[lizbee]

Title: Shabbos
Summary: Russell handles a series of domestic, religious and political crises with all the grace we have come to expect.
Warnings: Lemme see, soapy drama, offspring, multiple violations of the Fourth Commandment. (Unless you're Catholic or Lutheran, in which case it's the Third.)
Fandom: Mary Russell (Sherlock Holmes)
Spoilers: Erm... everything? Nothing?

( This here be a fake cut. )

Comments

[fishsanwitt]

I really enjoyed this story :)

[lizbee.livejournal.com]

I'm coming in VERY late with my reply, but thank you.

[mad-with-july.livejournal.com]

That. Was. Glorious.

Mary's faith and heritage are given short shrift in fic, as you well know I'm sure, and even at times by King. I've loved, so very much, reading this.

Thank you.

A.

[lizbee.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm only A MONTH AND A HALF late with my reply, but thank you. I'm really relieved that people liked it.

[froda-baggins.livejournal.com]

Very thoughtful and an interesting take on Russell's relations with her family! I don't think King dwells nearly as much as she could on Russell's marginalized status.

[lizbee.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I spent six weeks procrastinating about replying to these comments, and then I realised that was all I had to say. It doesn't seem like enough, but your feedback meant a lot to me.

[izhilzha.livejournal.com]

Oh, I enjoyed this immensely. Your take on Russell's faith, and her parenting skills (and Holmes', hee) seem quite canon-consistent, and I'm glad you took the time and effort to explore them.

[lizbee.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I was afraid that the scenes of parenting would seem excessively twee, but no one has called me on it yet. Thank goodness.

[mist-shadow.livejournal.com]

Finally, a perfectly canon Russell story in which she nor Holmes call each other sweet names and there's some deep characterization going on. Excellent story! I loved the details about the irregular verbs and seeing Russell's relations with her family.

Just amazing. =)

[lizbee.livejournal.com]

Finally, a perfectly canon Russell story in which she nor Holmes call each other sweet names and there's some deep characterization going on.

Thanks! (But I could add some scenes where they address each other as "Cuddlemuffin" and "Sweetberrykins" if you think that will make it better.)

And I'm sorry I took so long to reply. I don't take praise well, especially when I've spent a year anticipating howls of outrage.

[herewiss13.livejournal.com]

That was...superlative. I really don't know how you do it on such a consistent basis.

Reading it, I was struck repeated by what an uncompromising character Russel really is. She simply doesn't budge. That's got to be difficult to plot out, since, when properly written, you'll never get her to do something simply for narrative convenience.

She and Holmes together become a situation where the immovable object meets the immovable object. ;-)

When I read fic and I keep saying "Can't they just be a _little_ more affectionate with each other?" I know I'm reading extremely good, canonical stuff. ;-)

[lizbee.livejournal.com]

I AM LATE WITH MY REPLY AND I'M VERY SORRY! Because I read these comments at work, so I couldn't reply, and then I started wondering what to say in return, and then I started procrastinating...

Anyway.

That was...superlative. I really don't know how you do it on such a consistent basis.

Hard work, no life, and good beta readers.

Reading it, I was struck repeated by what an uncompromising character Russel really is. She simply doesn't budge. That's got to be difficult to plot out, since, when properly written, you'll never get her to do something simply for narrative convenience.

It does make her difficult. She likes to lead the plot.

When I read fic and I keep saying "Can't they just be a _little_ more affectionate with each other?" I know I'm reading extremely good, canonical stuff. ;-)

Thank you! I'm immensely pleased you think so. I have preened about that remark for weeks now. *preens*

[herewiss13.livejournal.com]

When I read fic and I keep saying "Can't they just be a _little_ more affectionate with each other?" I know I'm reading extremely good, canonical stuff. ;-)

Thank you! I'm immensely pleased you think so. I have preened about that remark for weeks now. *preens*

Yes, but _seriously_: couldn't you make them just a leetle more affectionate? Please?

:-P

[sister-ananke.livejournal.com]

I've tried to start this comment three times. So I'll be blunt. The writing is wonderful. The plot is wonderful. The sense of outsiderness and the anger of Mary is so utterly wonderful as to be bordering on painful. You've captured that outsiderness mixed with awkward love and attempts to do what is right even as you know you have the moral upper hand and are compromising the very things that make you the person you are.

Brilliant.

[lizbee.livejournal.com]

I've tried to start this comment three times.

Well, I've spent six weeks trying to figure out how to reply to you. *grin*

But thank you. You've spotted everything I wanted a reader to spot, and more. You're like the perfect reader, and I really appreciate it.

[my_daroga]

Just read. What a fascinating look into something I'd never considered at all. Being raised completely without religion, I could relate a little with Holmes here, not quite understanding why it was so important for Jonathan to be raised in the faith, with the family. There were several nice little touches, too, Russellisms that came out nicely. I think it's a slightly different Russell than the one I know, but then the one I know has no children, nor visible family. I could see her regaining an interest in her heritage and religion after the birth of her son, as it raises memories for her. And I could see Holmes tolerating it in theory but being unable to understand the practicalities.

Very nice work.

[lizbee.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I do worry that Russell is too changed in my fic, but I tell myself she has gone through events that would change anyone, and at least she's not cooing over the Antichrist's cradle.

[my_daroga]

I don't think it's necessarily out of character, but it may be that there's a distance here (from when I "know" her and when Jonathan is this age) that fully accounts for any alterations but is not present in my memory. Which means I can reconcile the two, but not without a little thought.