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crack_van2004-01-21 06:51 pm
justacat.livejournal.com) wrote in crack_van2004-01-21 06:51 pm
Juggling Act, by Speranza (NC-17)
Fandom: DUE SOUTH
Pairing: Ray Kowalski/Benton Fraser
Author's Website: http://trickster.org/speranza/
Author on LJ:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
cesperanza
Why this must be read:
We're still in the Speranza Days (see yesterday's rec for an explanation!), and after another night spent agonizing and debating with myself and changing my mind over and over and re-reading some of my favorites (oh, the pain!), I've managed to settle on my next Speranza rec. Today's choice is Juggling Act. Many people have rec'ed this fic, but few have actually described or discussed in any detail what makes it so good. I think that's because it's so original, such a remarkable achievement, and there's just so much to it - the story is so flawlessly executed on so many levels that it's difficult to narrow down what makes it work.
Most obviously, Juggling Act is a showcase for Speranza's comic genius. The humor is broad and farcical at times, sharp - even barbed - at times, and always always clever - it's surely one of the cleverest, wittiest fanfics you'll ever read. The premise: catching Ray and Fraser juggling in the bullpen is the perfect excuse for Lieutenant Welsh to send them undercover in a travelling circus to try to nab a jewel thief. Fraser - the original freak - is, of course, a natural for the circus:
This setting offers a multitude of opportunities for Speranza to demonstrate her deft comic touch. Take Fraser the Perfect Circus Mountie and Ray the Angry Clown, add masturbating budgies, bearded ladies, and assorted other whackiness to the mix, and the fic becomes laugh-out-loud funny. But once again, Speranza's fics are never, never one dimensional; there's always more to them than meets the eye. She's described Juggling Act as a sort of broad operatic comedy - and a comedy is more than just funny. In the best romantic comedy, the contrivances and artifices serve to generate deeper emotions and then as a foil to spotlight and showcase the depth of those emotions - and the emotions ultimately transcend the circumstances that gave rise to them. And this is so for Juggling Act, in which the obviously contrived humorous - even farcical - elements serve as a setting, a backdrop, for a more meaningful human drama.
The drama here is entirely Ray's. Comedy often deals with the ridiculous, which Plato defined as a "failure of self knowledge." The "ridiculousness" that provides comedic fodder in Juggling Act is Ray's failure - or refusal - to accept or even acknowledge his feelings for Fraser, because he is utterly terrified about what people will think of him if he does. It's social anxiety, pure and simple. So when he discovers that Fraser is attracted to him, he panics:
So, in the best comedic tradition, the contrivances, the artifice - the circus, the clown suit, the bearded lady, the Romanov brothers - serve brilliantly to isolate and spotlight the reason for Ray's failure of self-knowledge - ie, his fear of public humiliation - and then provide the setting for him to face that fear. Ray is told that the secret to good clowning is to "find your inner clown, the clown that is the you deep inside" - and Juggling Act is, at heart, the story of Ray coming to terms with his inner Angry Clown, of finally, finally realizing "I am who I am--I'm a freak, I'm an angry clown, I might as well work what I got." Only when he faces this can he let himself love the man he loves. The contrivances thus serve to give rise to deeper emotions - love, tenderness, caring - and these emotions ultimately transcend the circumstances that engendered them, making the story so much more than mere farce.
I've rambled on too long, of course, but that is so ridiculously easy to do with Speranza's stories, because they have so many layers and there is just so much to say about them. Juggling Act is a remarkable piece of writing and a remarkably well constructed story by any standards. And at the same time - and certainly not inevitably; it is possible, in my view, for a story to be a wonderful piece of writing but not something I want to read in my fannish pursuits - it is also a wonderful piece of fanfic. It's true to the spirit of canon, it has the characters we know and love, the romance, the unfailingly hot sex, and the happy ending that I want from my slash.
What more could any fan ask?
Juggling Act
Pairing: Ray Kowalski/Benton Fraser
Author's Website: http://trickster.org/speranza/
Author on LJ:
cesperanzaWhy this must be read:
We're still in the Speranza Days (see yesterday's rec for an explanation!), and after another night spent agonizing and debating with myself and changing my mind over and over and re-reading some of my favorites (oh, the pain!), I've managed to settle on my next Speranza rec. Today's choice is Juggling Act. Many people have rec'ed this fic, but few have actually described or discussed in any detail what makes it so good. I think that's because it's so original, such a remarkable achievement, and there's just so much to it - the story is so flawlessly executed on so many levels that it's difficult to narrow down what makes it work.
Most obviously, Juggling Act is a showcase for Speranza's comic genius. The humor is broad and farcical at times, sharp - even barbed - at times, and always always clever - it's surely one of the cleverest, wittiest fanfics you'll ever read. The premise: catching Ray and Fraser juggling in the bullpen is the perfect excuse for Lieutenant Welsh to send them undercover in a travelling circus to try to nab a jewel thief. Fraser - the original freak - is, of course, a natural for the circus:
I came out of my coma of boredom with Ramona Nashville saying something like, "--you can ride, which is wonderful. I assume you can spin?"Ray, on the other hand, is utterly horrified by this whole affair and has few circus-type skills to offer. The obvious role for him, then? A clown, of course - and not just any clown, but an angry clown. Ray's fury - a cover, really, for his cringingly acute embarrassment - knows no bounds.
"Oh, yes," Fraser said, like spinning ropes was taught in the third grade where he grew up, which it probably was. "Of course."
Ramona pulled a small pad out of the breast pocket of her leather jacket. "What else can you do?"
Fraser tilted his head and seemed to think about it. "Well, I can juggle eight. I'm fairly good with whips and boomerangs. I can ice skate, walk on a tightrope and my grandmother taught me various Chinese acrobatics, including the trapeze. I can throw knives and I can wrestle bears...except, of course, I might hurt the bear," Fraser added, looking embarrassed. "I also work with a very talented half-wolf."
This setting offers a multitude of opportunities for Speranza to demonstrate her deft comic touch. Take Fraser the Perfect Circus Mountie and Ray the Angry Clown, add masturbating budgies, bearded ladies, and assorted other whackiness to the mix, and the fic becomes laugh-out-loud funny. But once again, Speranza's fics are never, never one dimensional; there's always more to them than meets the eye. She's described Juggling Act as a sort of broad operatic comedy - and a comedy is more than just funny. In the best romantic comedy, the contrivances and artifices serve to generate deeper emotions and then as a foil to spotlight and showcase the depth of those emotions - and the emotions ultimately transcend the circumstances that gave rise to them. And this is so for Juggling Act, in which the obviously contrived humorous - even farcical - elements serve as a setting, a backdrop, for a more meaningful human drama.
The drama here is entirely Ray's. Comedy often deals with the ridiculous, which Plato defined as a "failure of self knowledge." The "ridiculousness" that provides comedic fodder in Juggling Act is Ray's failure - or refusal - to accept or even acknowledge his feelings for Fraser, because he is utterly terrified about what people will think of him if he does. It's social anxiety, pure and simple. So when he discovers that Fraser is attracted to him, he panics:
Then it hits me that everyone in the bullpen must think we're---that I'm--and I hear titters and jeers in my head, a full Christmas chorus of hilarity and pointing fingers with Stella as the floating angel at the top of the tree. I push at Fraser's shoulder, breaking the kiss. I'm strangling, I can't breathe.Ray's fear of public humiliation is extreme. And what could possibly be more potentially humiliating than being a clown? That's what clowns do - purposefully hold themselves out for public ridicule. The first time Ray performs, he steps into the light and all he can see is the "thousands of wide eyes staring and fingers pointing at me--('look, look--a clown!')--and then I heard shrieks of laughter and I just stared into their ugly, grinning faces, a deer in the headlights." This is his absolute worst nightmare made real.
So, in the best comedic tradition, the contrivances, the artifice - the circus, the clown suit, the bearded lady, the Romanov brothers - serve brilliantly to isolate and spotlight the reason for Ray's failure of self-knowledge - ie, his fear of public humiliation - and then provide the setting for him to face that fear. Ray is told that the secret to good clowning is to "find your inner clown, the clown that is the you deep inside" - and Juggling Act is, at heart, the story of Ray coming to terms with his inner Angry Clown, of finally, finally realizing "I am who I am--I'm a freak, I'm an angry clown, I might as well work what I got." Only when he faces this can he let himself love the man he loves. The contrivances thus serve to give rise to deeper emotions - love, tenderness, caring - and these emotions ultimately transcend the circumstances that engendered them, making the story so much more than mere farce.
I've rambled on too long, of course, but that is so ridiculously easy to do with Speranza's stories, because they have so many layers and there is just so much to say about them. Juggling Act is a remarkable piece of writing and a remarkably well constructed story by any standards. And at the same time - and certainly not inevitably; it is possible, in my view, for a story to be a wonderful piece of writing but not something I want to read in my fannish pursuits - it is also a wonderful piece of fanfic. It's true to the spirit of canon, it has the characters we know and love, the romance, the unfailingly hot sex, and the happy ending that I want from my slash.
What more could any fan ask?
Juggling Act
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I have some distant memories of watching Due South years ago, but clearly remembered loving Ray K and Frasier together - funny and beautiful. So when I saw your recent recs for speranza's stories I figured I'd go take a quick peek. And as the title of the community implies.....I'm instantly addicted. I've read two of the Speranza recs you've made and absolutely adored them. They are definitely all that you said they would be. I'm in love.....again!
Thanks so much for bringing me to Speranza's stories. They're hot and funny and just wonderful...I can't wait to read more.
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Seriously - I adore this fandom (if that's not obvious!). I am so in love with RayK and Fraser in love - no matter where else I roam I always come back to these guys. And the fandom itself has always been a warm and friendly and welcoming place for me.
And of course - there's so much great fic. Speranza is just ... amazing. And addictive. One quick peek is never enough *g*. Like I said in my post, I have struggled and struggled to narrow down my Speranza recs to just 3 or so - I love so many of them. As you say, they're hot and funny and romantic and always have that great fairy tale ending ending, just like the show ... she makes me a very happy and satisfied slasher :-)
Anyway, thanks for commenting! Keep in touch; I'd love to hear if you continue to get involved with the fandom. And if you need more recs, I'll happily supply them. Also, I have a dS page on my website that's a pretty useful guide to all the recommended fic (recommended by everyone, not just me) - it's here (http://justacat.slashcity.org).
It is crack, isn't it ....
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I think I'm off to read Juggling Act again now. I agree with everything you said about Speranza and DS and.....well, just everything! I'm actually relatively new to DS and was lured here by reading Ces and Resonant's fics until my eyes bled and I finally threw my hands up and gave in. All right! I'll get the damn DVD's, lol! So far I've watched through Juliet is Bleeding (and of course a few RayK eps here and there because I couldn't wait) and am really, really, REALLY loving the show.
Off to go cruise around your site and lj so just figured I'd say hello!
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I'm so glad you're getting into dS - I've seen your posts on discourse. I myself have seen seasons 3 and 4 - the RayK eps - at least 2-3 times each, some of them much more, and most of Season 1, but only a few eps from season 2. The thing is, when I'm in the mood to watch dS it's so hard for me *not* to watch RayK, I adore him so much! But there's (obviously) some great stuff in the first two seasons too ...
You've started with some of the best fic - can't ever go wrong with Res and Ces. But what I love about this fandom is how much good fic there is - lots of really talented writers, lots of great stuff. It's hard to decide what to rec.
And I'm really glad you're finding my site (and/or LJ) useful! I don't write fic, but I'm a bit compulsive and obsessed with details (I'm sure that comes as a surprise) - so I figure I can contribute those "skills" to the fandom so others can benefit. *g*
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And you are so, so right about the construction of this story, which is as smooth & elegant as a Japanese puzzle box.
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Also, your review is nearly as interesting as the story. Thanks!