10 [Report This]Date: February 10, 2010 12:27 pm Title: Chapter 1
Sorry this is a couple of years late, but I just wanted to let you know I loved this. You really capture the pain of the S3 situation, and the reasons why they both seem unable to act when there's really nothing (but baggage) in the way.
These are two of my favourite bits:
She sees them leave together, buy each other the bottled water he’s evolved into drinking, exchange a look when Dwight is Dwight or Andy attempts to be Michael. The knife is hot and swift and cuts progressively deeper. She’s not even sure she’s entitled to bleed.
I love 'evolved' - that she takes it personally, and also maybe that's what he meant. And that she's not sure she's entitled to bleed - the terrible self-inflicted wound.
Then, a missed text message. Hung-over, alone, he’d forced himself to let it be. What would he have replied: yuck, yuck that’s so funny, thanks for getting in touch, let’s be best friends?
And this - poor Jim, still angry that she doesn't get why they can't just be friends. And because I've not seen beyound S3 yet (darn UK DVD releases!) I still want to shake Pam and ask her why she just doesn't say something! But I guess it takes her all season to get to that point, which is kind of the point! ;)
Anyway, I'm rambling. I loved this and I see you've written more so I'll go and pillage the archive for stories up to S3!
Author's Response:
What lovely rambling. ;-) Thanks so much, Sal - I loved your first fic, so I'm especially glad you like this one (even though it's old and wildly off-canon, as it turns out.) I'm by far my own worst critic - and usually cringe when someone reads my older stuff - but I still have a soft spot for this one.
If you're truly in pillaging mode, and have a taste for angst, I guess my fics that I think work best (thru S3) are Lost and Found, That Night, Clay Pot and The New Happy...but, more importantly - I really look forward to seeing more from YOU.
10 [Report This]Date: January 15, 2010 07:51 pm Title: Chapter 1
I am stunned to see that I never read this piece. The resolution is not as it finally ended up, of course, but emotionally it was exactly right- because Karen could never fit there (and so wanted NYC) and never, ever could have been to Jim what Pam was and is.
As always, your word choice and phrasing leave me breathless and your emotional content is spot-on. We share a love for the tiny, laser-sharp glimpses into these people, I think, and this is one of your best (which is saying something, because you're sort of my fic hero). Love this. Love.
Author's Response: First, apologies for not responding sooner - I seem to have ceased getting notices of reviews and just stumbled on this one. So glad you liked this ancient thing...and yes, we do share a love for the tiny details. And how flattering to be a sort of hero - if only I had super powers! No seriously, you are too kind, but you know your opinion always means a lot to me. Thanks, you.
10 [Report This]Date: May 12, 2009 07:17 pm Title: Chapter 1
lovely (:
Author's Response: Thanks much, Mixedbreedgirl!
Date: March 21, 2009 07:19 pm Title: Chapter 1
lovely!
Author's Response: Thanks, Mirielle! I hadn't thought about this one in a long while.
Date: February 15, 2008 04:06 am Title: Chapter 1
Awww :) Loved it.
Author's Response: Thanks much again, lightbulb...happy this still worked for you!
Date: November 01, 2007 03:21 pm Title: Chapter 1
Those crazy kids and their misconceptions! I thoroughly enjoyed this, especially: The knife is hot and swift and cuts progressively deeper. She’s not even sure she’s entitled to bleed. What a great metaphor!
Author's Response: Crazy kids is right. Glad you liked this and thought that metaphor worked - I love that kind of stuff, but you never know if it's going to 'play' for anyone else, lol. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing, bebitched!
Date: October 31, 2007 04:59 pm Title: Chapter 1
I don't know how I missed this, colette. When I first started lurking here (and too lurky to review), I thought I'd read everything you wrote, but I would remember this. This is maybe the best example of what you do so well: capturing a feeling, a moment that most everyone can relate to that is also a moment that is so true for Jim and Pam in just a few precise and evocative words. This is beautiful.
Author's Response: What a generous thing to say! I'd really forgotten this one - but, after re-reading it (even though it's way off-canon now) it actually got me thinking about something new I'd like to write - go figure. Anyway, so glad you de-lurked, Sweetpea - and started writing too! Really appreciate your comments - 'precise and evocative' is high praise to me (lately, I find writing mostly about what I edit out, lol.) Thanks so much!
Date: January 14, 2007 11:36 am Title: Chapter 1
Um, how did I miss this before? So well done, so full of great lines.
This one, in particular: "She crashes to the ground under the weight of all the months when she could have said something. But didn’t." I thought was a perfect way of capturing some of what was (and, I think, still is) going through Pam's mind.
Thanks for re-posting it on TWOP :o) made for a happy Saturday afternoon.
Author's Response: Aw, glad you found this, monkeybear. As much as I often want to throttle Pam, I just have such empathy for her. Anyway, it was a great idea to repost stuff over at TWoP...sometimes favorite stories get buried away. Thanks so much for your lovely review!
10 [Report This]Date: December 03, 2006 09:58 am Title: Chapter 1
happy sigh
Author's Response: Happy thanks!
9 [Report This]Date: November 23, 2006 09:31 pm Title: Chapter 1
I got very emotional reading this - happy tears! Thanks for this, we all needed it.
Author's Response: Sorry to make you cry - but glad they were happy tears. Your welcome...and thank you!
8 [Report This]Date: November 22, 2006 05:57 pm Title: Chapter 1
Oh, just lovely. Beautifully done!
Author's Response: Thank you, Semby. Glad you liked it.
10 [Report This]Date: November 21, 2006 08:26 am Title: Chapter 1
Beautiful.
Author's Response: Thank you! Glad you thought so. And told me!
10 [Report This]Date: November 21, 2006 03:50 am Title: Chapter 1
I thought this was going to be angsty but I found more to smile about in this than in a lot of things recently. Including the Merger. For a comedy that last Jim and Pam scene really made me feel pretty awful.
I loved this because it took what happened during the episode: I found that as much as I love fluff, I like it when stories detail what happened in the show, and don't shy away from it and try to romanticise all that, if that makes sense.
And Karen! She doesn't quite fit, does she? Not with Jim, not in Scranton; she needs a clean, sane place that she can understand and can work with. Pam and Jim, on the other hand, have the ability to make fun of the place and turn it into something more enjoyable. This is going to sound rambley, but I thought it was definitely worth noting that the beginning of the episode had Pam playing a prank on Dwight, and the end [near-end] had Karen wanting a 'stiff drink and a lobotomy'. And I like that you mentioned that.
And I absolutely adore the way you write.
In that moment, he knows that she knows; all the things they both wished they didn’t know creep out of the shadows.
That is gorgeous. And - and - AND:
She’s forgotten whatever she meant to say. He hears her anyway.
And - goodness, so many other tiny little things that I loved when I read this, but I can't get it when I'm looking back at it now. The imagery was lovely, too, and I have to say this, again: the characters wer pretty much perfect.
Anyway, I loved this, so. I'm sorry, you probably've gotten enough of this already.
Author's Response:
First of all - apologizing? Are you kidding? I love meaty reviews!
Re: fluff vs. episode specific fics - I tend to have two modes; either very episode related (like this) or happening way in the future, when I feel free to explore my happy JAM instincts. But, I always do at least try to tie in elements from actual shows, so it's not unrelated romance and has some 'reality' (okay, how meta is that? I really need to get a grip!)
I'm glad you picked up on my reference to the ying/yang of the show beginning with Pam, pranking Dwight all by herself, and ended with Karen being totally turned off by the insanity of the place. I can't imagine that symmetry was unintenional on the writer's part. (I actually commented on this at TWoP a few days ago.)
Okay, now I'm really rambling. Thanks so much moofoot - Much appreciated!
Date: November 20, 2006 10:13 pm Title: Chapter 1
U Rock! Thanks for this. We really, really, really needed it.
Author's Response: Well, I know I sure needed to write it. Thanks for reading and, of course, reviewing!
10 [Report This]Date: November 20, 2006 07:21 pm Title: Chapter 1
thanks!
Author's Response: Your very welcome! And, back at you!
10 [Report This]Date: November 20, 2006 07:20 pm Title: Chapter 1
This was like a cool compress on my poor, bruised heart.
Author's Response: I think a lot of us are feeling a bit banged up these days. But, I'm cautiously optimistic...in the meantime, glad to offer a little comfort. Thanks, ElizabethLynn.
10 [Report This]Date: November 20, 2006 07:15 pm Title: Chapter 1
Wow! Your writing continues to be an addictive gift. "the scent of her hair, her neck, is narcotic" - possibly the best line I've ever read, really. This was just fabulous.
Author's Response: Geez, thanks Mel60. Makes me happy happy that you feel that way. And I don't know about the gift part, but writing this stuff is certainly addictive. Thanks for reading and for such a great review!
Author's Response: Geez, thanks Mel60. Makes me happy happy that you feel that way. And I don't know about the gift part, but writing this stuff is certainly addictive. Thanks for reading and for such a great review!
10 [Report This]Date: November 20, 2006 06:26 pm Title: Chapter 1
Um...more...please?? I beg you?!
Author's Response:
I'm thrilled to be begged, but there won't be any more of this particular story. However, every time I swear off writing this stuff, I make a liar out of myself, so there'll be more of something. Thanks!
Date: November 20, 2006 05:27 pm Title: Chapter 1
This was so damn fantastic. It almost made me cry (with happiness, and sadness over lost time and... everything!) but practically nothign can make me cry so GOOD FOR YOU. Oh, it was just all so wonderfully written. Everything was perfect. You are excellent. Yes. What to say? I just... I loved it. Seriously. Lovely, lovely, heartbreakingly lovely work.
Author's Response: Thanks a zillion. Sorry to make you cry (but kind of proud, if it's really that hard to do!) The show supplies so much heartbreak lately, all I have to do is show up and start typing! Thanks again!
10 [Report This]Date: November 20, 2006 05:12 pm Title: Chapter 1
I have nothing to add to the wonderful reviews you've already received except to say how much I loved this and that yes, this is the way it's supposed to be.
Author's Response: Thank you Kaystar. Glad we see eye to eye and that this worked for you. Always appreciate hearing it!
10 [Report This]Date: November 20, 2006 05:00 pm Title: Chapter 1
colette, this was a pretty freakin amazing piece. I really want to quote the whole thing back to you, because I loved it all, but the one key piece that stood out to me was this:
Jim. She soars. But then. Out of nowhere, there’s someone else. A stick of gum. A familiar hand touching his back, knowing him. And, just like that, he’s lost to her. She crashes to the ground under the weight of all the months when she could have said something.
Ouch. You've described this perfectly. I felt like Pam in that moment. I can't say that I'm totally hating the Karen storyline right now, because I'm not, but I just feel so frustrated that these two aren't saying something to one another. Damn the writers for making this show so real but bless you for writing this to ease the pain a bit. The last line was lovely and you certainly know how to paint a lovely canvas with your words. Okay, sorry for this completely incoherent review, but just know that you are amazing!
Author's Response:
Not incoherent at all. And many, many thanks. And damn it, they are making it painful. Comedy? Hello? (It still is funny though, I admit.)
Pam can be hard for me to pin down, so it makes me really happy if she came through clearly for you. And from your mouth to G. Daniels' ears re: them saying something to each other. Is that so much to ask? Thanks again for your lovely review - and for reading this incoherent reply!
8 [Report This]Date: November 20, 2006 04:23 pm Title: Chapter 1
Yipee a happy story
Author's Response: Thank you! Glad it made you happy.
10 [Report This]Date: November 20, 2006 04:05 pm Title: Chapter 1
Her frequency is suddenly an ancient useless thing.
OUCH. How very insightful and on target and painfully true.
she thinks she sees something fleeting there that’s not quite memory. Then again, maybe not.
That line made me want to cry.
He searches for the place where their points coincide...He comes up with excuses not to spend the night. She lets him go without complaint, and he feels like a heel. Her patience only makes it worse. He knows there’d be no question of leaving Pam to sleep alone. He’d sink in and stay. Never go. Just stay.
You and I are thinking along the same lines when it comes to Karen. In the fanfic I'm not writing inside my head, Jim never spends the night with her. Sex, yes, as a physical release of tension, and maybe some companionship (desperate man clutching at a life preserver), but never the connection he would have with Pam.
In that moment, he knows that she knows; all the things they both wished they didn’t know creep out of the shadows.
*wince* Ow. Because you have said this so perfectly. What a terrible, painful, haunting moment. The kind that breaks a relationship but can't be spoken of.
‘Everyone has emotional baggage, Jim,’ she retorts. ‘But, it would have been nice to know I’d be dealing with an entire matched set.’
Wow. [/Jim] Brilliant.
She’s forgotten whatever she meant to say. He hears her anyway.
Yes yes yes yes a thousand times YES. This is exactly how they are; they don't talk about their feelings all the time. They just FEEL them. They LOOK them. They LIVE them. Thank you for not turning this into a dissertation on emotional distance. This is a wonderful story, Colette. A pleasure to read, as always, and as always, a wonderful read on Jim and Pam. Definitely going in the Favorites stack.
Author's Response:
Wow, nej - I'm overwhelmed. So happy you found so much in this. (And seriously, I wasn't too sure myself, when I posted it...just goes to show you!) Re: Karen - precisely. There's something there, but it ain't even in the same hemisphere as his connection to Pam.
As is pretty obvious, I much prefer writing stories light on plot, heavy on exploring emotional dynamics...and Jim and Pam make perfect guinea pigs for my diabolical experiments. So glad it strikes a nerve with you too.
Thanks for your incredible review. Very much appreciated.
10 [Report This]Date: November 20, 2006 03:58 pm Title: Chapter 1
Colette, my dear, did you ever know that you're my hero? What can I say that hasn't already been said? You use words like an artist uses color. And yet you always have sassy little moments like "a matched set of luggage". Brilliant! "This is how it's supposed to be" indeed. I totally want to be you if I ever grow up!
Author's Response: I (as you know!) am SO not hero material..but I love the thought! Sassy moments, huh? I'm so glad someone appreciates those silly little bits...I really can't help myself. Thanks for your incredibly funny and supportive review(s). This is what makes writing this stuff so fun and satisfying. At least we know how it's supposed to be, damn it!
Date: November 20, 2006 03:50 pm Title: Chapter 1
Memo to Greg Daniels & writing staff:
This is how it is supposed to be!
So many great lines in this -- love your description of Jim/Karen's relationship: The points where they intersect become fewer and far between.
And this: But afterwards, he always feels hollow again.
Author's Response: Jim/Karen - just ain't the same, is it? And, if you have clout with Greg Daniels, could you please get him on the phone? I'd like to have a word. Thanks, lisahoo for your always wonderful and fun reviews!