In Too Deep (Tori Carrington) – Conclusion

After the strong (bad) opening, In Too Deep went on to be rather mediocre, which is kind of sad. The story was too predictable and a little hurried, the resolution a little too quick. [I've been telling myself for 10 years that I can't stay in one place for long, but I can change that behaviour in the time it takes to drink a cup of coffee? Yeah, right.]

But the most delicious thing about it were the clichés. There’s something you can really sink your teeth into.

Open Questions

If they don’t make a pregnancy scare thing out of it, why the hell was the unprotected sex necessary?
What happened to the neighbor and will she ever learn that Elvis is, in fact, a pig?
Will Newerth ever find the courage to tell his boss that he would like to go home to see his grandson?

Eternal Truths Learned

Getting drunk breaks down class barriers and thus helps the communists win.
To show you really mean it, plant a plant in your lover’s garden!
Epiphanies will happen through random strangers at truck stop diners. If you seek enlightenment, spend all your time there.
Alcoholism is strongly hereditary.

As usual, you’re very welcome to add to this list in the comment section.

In Too Deep (Tori Carrington) – Chapter Eight

4 hours after the events in the last chapter, Alannah is sitting in a diner waiting for her bus (going to Denver, as she just realizes) to continue driving and for her sense of adventure to return. But she can’t really muster the enthusiasm she usually feels for her new destination.

A woman and her daughter squeeze past her and Alannah has a sudden epiphany:

Alannah felt suddenly dizzy. Could her own actions, moving from place to place, be a manifestation of what she hoped her mother would have done? That even if the three of them had to be constantly on the move, at least her mother would still be alive? That they could have still been a family? [Uhm, you and your sister are a family, aren't you. That doesn't change because your parents die.]

Anyway, Alannah decides that she is now strong enough to face her demons after realising she was running from them in the first place.

In Too Deep (Tori Carrington) – Chapter Seven

Alannah had planned to be gone already and is determined to refuse Ben when he shows up. We finally get an explanation on why she’s that on the run:

the only way she could battle the demons was by keeping ceaselessly on the move? That the challenge of finding a place to stay, designing new landscapes, digging her fingers into the rich earth provided her a sense of peace she couldn’t find elsewhere?

While I still don’t understand completely what one thing has to do with the other, I can accept this as Alannah’s coping mechanism.

Anyway. Instead of explaining any of this to Ben [because that would make their relationship easier], she tells him that Elvis is gone. Elvis has left the building, so to say. [Okay, I know that that's a pathetic crack, but I just couldn't resist.]

In Too Deep (Tori Carrington) – Chapter Six

***Trigger Warning***

Ben asking Alannah to stay immediately transports her back in time to her father beating the shit out of her mother. [Holy Crap, this woman has issues.] Only that he beats her with a shotgun and finally shoots her and then himself while Alannah and Kyra watch in terror.

And then Alannah wakes from the nightmare and Ben is holding her and tells her that everything is going to be fine.

It had been years since she’d had the nightmare. Since she’d thought about that time at all, even though it was always with her, stuck to her like a tattoo. [That doesn't really work. Marked by a tattoo would be a good metaphor. But tattoos don't stick. I should know. I have one.] She reasoned that Ben’s passionate request earlier that day had brought the terrible memories back, reminding her why she had never returned home. Reminding her why she had to keep moving. Reminding her why she had to say goodbye to Ben one final time…

I honestly still don’t get it. I don’t get why she has to keep moving. Maybe I’m just utterly insensitive, but “because her father killed her mother” really doesn’t explain it for me.

In Too Deep (Tori Carrington) – Chapter Five

When they’re done sexing, Ben grabs his stuff and practically runs from Alannah.

If she were the sensitive type, she would have been stung by what amounted to his rejection after being so intimate. [Dude, no matter how insensitive you are, when somebody runs away after sleeping with you, I bet you that stings.]

Alannah washes Elvis, then goes into the kitchen to find Newerth there. Who refers to Ben as Master Edwards [of course] who has been called to a meeting. And now Alannah is upset because Ben didn’t say goodbye.

So, in Alannah’s world running after sex is not as bad as not saying goodbye when you have to pop out for an impromptu meeting? Is that only me who finds that weird?

In Too Deep (Tori Carrington) – Chapter Four

So, Ben himself was suprised that he asked Alannah to take Elvis with her. He should have just come clean and ended it right there (or do what he actually wants to do, which is ask her to stay). But now he’s waiting for an answer to his question.

Alannah ignores him and walks away, but Ben follows her and then actually says:

“Damn it, woman,” he said, his words harsher than he’d intended. “Talk to me. Say something.”

And that quickly, we’re in the 50s. “Damn it, woman?” Really?

In Too Deep (Tori Carrington) – Chapter Three

Okay, because it’s been so long, here’s to catch you up! Because if you’re like me you have no idea anymore what has happened so far.

Characters

Ben: British, rich, has a Butler (Newerth), a potbellied pig (Elvis) and MANPAIN
Alannah: free spirit with tragic past, landscape gardener, has a pot plant and commitment issues

Story

Alannah shows up every spring (and has done so the past four years), stays with Ben for a while, then disappears again. Ben wants her to stay for good but is afraid to scare her away with the proposition. They already had sexy times, now they’re about to have THE TALK.

Good. That’s about it so far. Onwards to Chapter Three!

Hiatus

It’s been almost a year since I’ve last written a post on this blog. And I feel kinda bad about it, especially because I left in the middle of the story. At the same time, I blog a lot on my other blog and the guest blogs I’m doing are keeping me busy as well.

But here’s what I’m going to do. I don’t know if anybody still cares but I’m going to finish In Too Deep for now and then we’ll see if I’m going to retire this blog for good, or if I feel motivated to continue. Just so you know.

Hear Ye! Hear Ye!

Award-season, ’tis ‘pun ‘s. Or something. I’m bad at old-talk. What’s much more interesting is that the The Literary Review Bad Sex in Fiction Award Shortlist has been announced*. And the nominee list is once again illustrous**:

• Paul Theroux for A Dead Hand
• Nick Cave for The Death of Bunny Munro
• Philip Roth for The Humbling
• Jonathan Littell for The Kindly Ones
• Amos Oz for Rhyming Life and Death
• John Banville for The Infinities
• Anthony Quinn for The Rescue Man
• Simon Van Booy for Love Begins in Winter
• Sanjida O’Connell for The Naked Name of Love
• Richard Milward for Ten Storey Love Song

*Also, best reaction to the nomination ever:

“Frankly we would have been offended if he wasn’t shortlisted,” said Anna Frame at [Nick Cave's] publisher Canongate.

**I don’t know if I should be offended or honoured that there’s only one woman on this list…

As I did last year, I’ll walk you through the availaible excerpts, bookbitching style. [Crossposted.]

Disclaimer: I haven’t read any of the books, so if some things aren’t as weird in context, I won’t know.

Remember, Remember

Do you remember this monstrosity? NOW THERE’S THE UNOFFICIAL MOVIE VERSION!

All writers who tend to write much too purple prose should be forced to watch videos like this of their own metaphors…

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PS: I hope to post the next chapter tomorrow. But it might take me longer.