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Date Posted: 12:07:14 09/30/01 Sun
Author: Noelle Leslie (reposted)
Subject: The Bronze Horseman (once again!)

I'm sorry for raving about this book so late, but I only just finished it moments ago and I just have to write this down or I will burst. I also apologize in advance because I have a feeling this post is going to be quite long.

I read The Bronze Horseman practically non-stop for three days, typically sleeping at around 3 or 4 am. It's not only Alexander and Tatiana's love story that grabbed me--although it's unspeakably beautiful in itself--but also the sheer vividness of Ms. Simon's Leningrad of winter 1941. She captured the essence of the grief and hunger and hopelessless that descended upon the city during the siege by the Germans, and through it all, Alexander's and Tatiana's compassion and courage truly shined through. It was such a breathless, emotional reading experience that I'd had to constantly remind myself that these are characters and not real people.

Tatiana was 17 years old when the book opened, and though vestiges of her youth remained till the end, her transformation through her hardships was palpable. I could only think that I can never do the things she did. And yet, what's so delightful about this heroine is that in moments of reprieve, the naive child in her emerges and it was as though everything were all right in the world.

As for Alexander... thud (sound of me swooning). And I thought Jamie Fraser was incomparable. From the beginning, I loved this Red Army soldier. His honor, courage, and unflagging love for Tatiana made me wish there were a real person just like him. I particularly liked his endearing actions during their first meeting (which has got to be the sweetest first meeting I've ever read about), his sacrifices for Tatiana's family, and the way he defended her from all the people who were taking advantage of her. Here are my favorite 'Alexander-isms' (I hope you guys will also share yours):

A few days after they first met, Alexander called Tatiana 'Tatia,' an endearment only her family uses. He also said, 'If you wanted to, you could call me Shura.'...
'Who calls you Shura?'
'Nobody.' (p. 76)

'All this wedged between us--and when we do our best, and grit our teeth, and move away from one another, struggling to reconstruct ourselves, fate intervenes again, and bricks fall from the sky that I remove from your alive and broken body. Was that also not meant to be, perhaps?' (p. 212)

'When you're with me, don't worry--I'll take care of everything.' (p. 431)

After they had a fight because he felt she lets everybody walk all over her: 'What little I had was all for you. It was you who was everybody else's. But I was only yours.' (p. 434)

When Tatiana avoided looking at Alexander because she was reluctant about letting everyone else know her feelings: 'Tatia, don't turn your face away from me again. Because now you're mine, and every time I look at you, I need to see you're mine in your eyes.' (p. 448 )

When I started this book, I didn't expect it to be remotely like a romance novel, because it's not. I was actually prepared for long separations between the hero and the heroine. So I was pleasantly surprised that they actually spend a lot of time together in this book, and the development of their relationship was not neglected. I also didn't expect the scorching level of sensuality in this book, but who's complaining? *Grins* This focus on their love story is the main reason the ending was so poignant for me.

If you haven't read The Bronze Horseman yet, these are all I can say: First, be emotionally prepared. If you're in the middle of an important project, don't start this book because once you do, it simply won't you let go.

And second, in my opinion it's best if you avoid messages clearly labelled as 'spoilers'. I was crazy I didn't heed that warning once, so when I read the book I knew what was going to happen at the end. It didn't diminish its impact, but still... I do wonder what I would have felt otherwise.


* SPOILERS *


This is for those who have read the book already. Guys, please, I hope you haven't tired of this discussion yet! I came so late. And yet I do have to ask this... How did you cope after reading the ending? I wrote a gushy e-mail to the author immediately, and I asked what's going to happen in the sequel I heard she's writing. Like Rachel, I hope Tatiana waits for Alexander and doesn't marry someone else or have other children.

Well, I think this message has gotten long enough. Thank you for letting me rave!

Noelle

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