Date: March 14, 2007 08:36 pm Title: Chapter 1
I *love* Karen, and I *love* this fic for taking all the bits and pieces we know about her character and weaving them into such a complex, moving story. Awesome job.
Date: February 08, 2007 08:24 am Title: Chapter 1
I really, really liked this -- each section felt right, and like a little window in on Karen. I especially like the part about her college boyfriend. The only suggestion I'd have is to put her name in the first sentence, because MTT doesn't include the summaries on the story page and I read this from an outside link, so I had to skim down before I figured out what was going on. :) Nice work!
Author's Response:
Great suggestion. Really, I didn't even think of that and I can see how it would be very confusing. Thanks so much!
Date: February 07, 2007 11:00 pm Title: Chapter 1
What a beautiful piece. You've done a wonderful, painfully real job of Karen's back story.
Author's Response: Thanks Paper Jam! I'm glad you liked it!
10 [Report This]Date: February 07, 2007 03:31 pm Title: Chapter 1
I already told you how much I love this, but seriously. No, really. I LOVE THIS.
The first one is so sad, and so realistic in that her father doesn't show up until it's already over and she tells him she loves him even though she doesn't know how she really feels about him... oh, oh. If someone thought she was a super-clingy kind of person, this background would explain it perfectly. She's not going to want to wait for someone to come to her -- she's going to follow them and hang on while she can (like with Jim).
And OH LORD, number three makes me choke up a little because that is SO HOW IT IS. And Karen not being upset because it's not her getting married but because she's losing-but-not-losing her sister is just completely bittersweet and wonderful. The scene with the two of them in the bathroom is such a perfect way to show us the kind of relationship they have.
And the Jim/Karen section is so beautifully written, the way Jim can't (what is with Jim and Pam and being so I can't about things?) and the way she says it gently so as not to break him (oh, oh). Also, 'burns' is a fabulous replacement, my dear. Awesome job with that bit -- I think it really conveys what Karen's feeling to the reader.
The ending is just SO FANTASTIC, with the whole loving other people and both of them being there just to have something when they can't have what they really want. It's all just a mess, there at the end, but it's so lovely and incredibly written and just-- you know. Just ridiculously good.
Also, I know I say 'oh' a lot and don't really explain what I mean, but a lot of the time (especially in this story), I can't think of anything to say to express how much a certain section touched me, so. Just imagine a tone of awe in my voice, and the 'ohs' might make a little more sense. :)
Author's Response:
Hee! I'm glad you like the replacement. You were so right in telling me to change that.
All of your "ohs" (I counted five) made perfect sense and they really make me feel good about this story! Thank you again for betaing (whatever) this and thank you so, so much for reviewing, too!
Date: February 07, 2007 01:51 pm Title: Chapter 1
I'm so blown away by this story. I love Maria Taylor's "Birmingham 1982" and love how you used the lyrics so subtly. A song beneath the song (heh, kidding).
Karen in this story just breaks my heart. I've always liked her well enough, but now when I watch I'm gonna pretend this fic is her canon backstory. It's all just so perfect.
Author's Response:
Oh, it's definitely one of my favorite Maria Taylor songs and when I listen to it, recently I think of Karen, and the song really inspired me to write this. The title was the first thing I came up with and that never happens! : )
Thanks so much for reviewing, and I'm so glad you like this!
Date: February 07, 2007 08:52 am Title: Chapter 1
As far as I'm concerned, this is pretty much the OFFICIAL Karen backstory from now on. The part about the sisters was just beautiful, and the college boyfriend was so sweet and right, too. Sigh. And I SO get where she's coming from with Jim, the way you wrote this! This is just lovely, lovely, lovely. And so poetic!
Author's Response: Really? Wow, thanks! I'm so, so glad you think it's consistent with her character!
8 [Report This]Date: February 07, 2007 08:27 am Title: Chapter 1
This was so good! The one about her sister's wedding got to me because I just went through my sister's wedding. But all of it was amazing!
Author's Response: Me too, back in July. And exactly how I wrote Karen was exactly the way I was feeling! Thanks!
Date: February 07, 2007 06:21 am Title: Chapter 1
Of everyone on this show, Karen breaks my heart the most. Absolutely loved all of these little snippets-they seem so Karen-y, while adding depth to her character that we can only guess at on the show.
#4 is still killing me-that she notices the problems and just waits to figure everything out and that she says "I love you" anyway because she means it-but she says it gently. All brilliant. You write Karen so beautifully--I would love love love to see some happy Jim/Karen fic. Hint, hint ;)
Author's Response: Yeah that section with Jim was so hard to come up with because I did NOT want to make her look pathetic or crazy. I am so happy you liked this and, honestly? There really isn't enough Karen/Jim happy fic and I would love to try to take on that task! : )
Date: February 07, 2007 05:13 am Title: Chapter 1
Besides being (characteristically) beautifully written, this story makes me feel like I know/care about Karen 1000x more than I do on the actual show. Her conflicted, sad feelings about the absentee father really makes sense in terms of the tenor of the subsequent relationships you describe so poignantly - especially with Jim (his I can't is so powerful - love when a simple word or two can convey something so huge.) And I love the contrast with the much less complicated and nourishing love she gets from her sister - but even that's slipping away, in some regards. Okay, I could go on and on (obviously!) but this was just so terrific. The final line is a killer.
Author's Response: Yeah, I'm pretty much exactly with you on that. It's hard to care about Karen on the show and I feel like I really could if I had a concrete reason to. I am so glad that you felt this was believable, and that she would have gone through these things. Thank you so much!
8 [Report This]Date: February 06, 2007 10:52 pm Title: Chapter 1
This was beautiful...really it was. Seriously people, enough with the making me like her...I want to hate her...so much.
Great great job
Author's Response: Aw, thank you! I really didn't want to like her at first because I identify a lot with Pam, but Karen has the potential to be so interesting and I wish they'd make her that way on the show!
Date: February 06, 2007 10:02 pm Title: Chapter 1
Wow. All kinds of excellent. Love the surprise in #5, with Ryan. Ooo I would hate to see what Kelly would do to Karen if she found out. But all the rest, especially the first one, are just heartbreaking in a good way.
Author's Response: Thank you! I'm sure we can trust Ryan and Karen to keep it to themselves.
Date: February 06, 2007 09:04 pm Title: Chapter 1
hooray! loved it. especially ryan at the end. :)
Author's Response: Thank you! I'm very happy you liked it!
Date: February 06, 2007 07:52 pm Title: Chapter 1
Oh... I... I have no words. Okay, maybe I do. I. Loved. This. I can't emphasize that enough...there are a million lines I want to quote, but this?
"First love aside, he'd never promised her anything more than that."
KILLED ME. I swear, every story you put up gets better and better (if that's possible). I love your portrayal of Karen (because she's not Krazy!Karen, she just isn't) and OMIGOD RYAN! I mean.. wow, really. Alright, I'm going to stop gushing because I'm sure I'm embarrassing myself.
Author's Response: Oh, thank you so, so much! Wow, that's incredible to hear. I'm glad you liked that line because originally I was not going to put anything after the sentence before that, but that one just came to me right before I posted this and I was worried it wouldn't make sense. You made me feel so much better. Thank you again!
Date: February 06, 2007 07:09 pm Title: Chapter 1
Hmm...
I love this. It's a great introspective into Karen (I LOVE her. so much.), and I like that you haven't made this about her pining, or fighting to get her way, but just...being. And somehow being the one that loves and loses.
Beautiful.
Thanks.
cheers.
--Lex
Author's Response: Thank you! Sometimes it's really hard to get Karen but I love the way that she is and I was happy to get to explore her life a little, without making her the psycho a lot of people think she is.
Date: February 06, 2007 06:32 pm Title: Chapter 1
OH. I almost forgot - I love love love the way you used the Maria Taylor song to frame this. :)
I swear, I'm done reviewing now.
Author's Response:
Hee! You could leave me 25 reviews all saying the same thing and I'd never get sick of reading them.
And how did I know you'd pick up on Maria Taylor? ;)
9 [Report This]Date: February 06, 2007 06:25 pm Title: Chapter 1
Homigosh. (Is that a word? It is now!) You gave Karen a backstory! Loved it. I definitely teared up at the sisters one and I loved the combination of Karen/Ryan, that they're both looking for just an outcome. Really well done!
Author's Response: Haha I think it is a word, because I'm pretty sure I've used it before. Karen definitely deserves a backstory! And the thing with her sister...well, that's kind of taken from my real life and my sister. Thanks so much!
10 [Report This]Date: February 06, 2007 06:23 pm Title: Chapter 1
Oh, you. I know I already praised this to kingdom come, but MAN. I shall now henceforth consider this the official manifesto of Karen. It's so detailed and perfect and hot and heartbreaking all at once.
And what burns isn't the fact that he doesn't love her; it's the reason why.
Just...amazing. I consider myself lucky that you let me get sneak previews of your glorious writing (and, you know, collaborate, but I'll shhh about that until we're done).
Five million stars!!!
Author's Response: As strange as this sounds (but I mean it in the best way), I consider myself lucky that I have you to tell me when something sounds weird. And...pssst...to be able to collaborate with you. Thank you again! :0)
Date: February 06, 2007 06:15 pm Title: Chapter 1
I loooove this insight into Karen. Well done!
Author's Response: Oh, thank you so much! :)
Date: February 06, 2007 06:14 pm Title: Chapter 1
You write the most beautiful, poignant and heartfelt stories. And this was no exception. I loved all 5 but was especially struck by the sadness in the first one. And this line was especially moving - "She's lying when she says, "I love you too," because you really can't love someone who doesn't show up until it's already over."
Author's Response: Wow, thank you for that awesome compliment. You are an amazing reviewer and you really made me feel good about this! Thanks!
Author's Response: BTW, when I said "amazing reviewer," I meant that you leave the best reviews. I'm a little tired.
10 [Report This]Date: February 06, 2007 06:09 pm Title: Chapter 1
Karen, you've got to like her, my mind at least. a tragic figure, right now. your writing is great, here. took me a bit to figure out the protagonist, but once i did, was impressed. respect.
Author's Response: Thanks! Yeah you gotta feel kind of bad for Karen right now, she's not being portrayed in the best of lights.
10 [Report This]Date: February 06, 2007 06:01 pm Title: Chapter 1
God. As much as I don't want to like Karen, this story kills me. It's unbelievably perfect- describes everything about her perfectly.
And it really is just one of those things.
For some reason, that just got me. Perfect ending.
Author's Response:
Wow, thank you. I can't help but like Karen, and I kind of felt she needed a little bit of a backstory. Thank you so, so much for the review.