{im} TLS Fic of the Week

Inside Man is one of The Lemonade Stand’s fics of the week! Thanks to everyone who voted. La Momo wrote a beautiful review that made my heart melt.

Joe Wright – awesome director of Pride&Prejudice, Atonement, and a bunch of other epic flicks – maintains that letters are very uncinematic and can slow down the pace of a narration. While this is true for movies, where letters can be burdensome and tricky to render, literature has thrived for centuries on the genre; the main reason being that letters and replies are the most direct way to bring two distinct voices and points of view into a narration, and grant each main character the limelight they deserve.

This latest fanfic effort from Ooza is just an example of that – two characters that live separate lives because of their circumstances come into contact via letters, and their closeness blossoms with every message. [DDET Read more]

Bella is a psychology major and decides to enrol in a programme that involves corresponding with inmates of various state penitentiaries who have expressed the wish of having outside correspondents by posting their profiles to a website. Her choice falls on one Edward Masen.

A guarded, but frequent correspondence ensues. Bella’s letters are light-hearted but supportive and caring. Edward is also guarded, but for a set of wholly different reasons. Their closeness grows and gets more endearing with every letter.

The Inside Man becomes the Inside Friend, who might become the Outside Friend, since Edward will be up for parole soon. As his mind is burdened with material problems such as finding shoes and money and avoiding fights, he slowly opens his heart to Bella, and starts to rely on her more and more with every letter. Bella is still cautious but can’t remain unaffected by this man and his troubles. When he finally breaks down, she agrees to visit him.

Monday’s update portrayed Bella’s visit with Edward at Waterview penitentiary. A very emotional, intense encounter. Both break down – Edward because he can finally reach out and find a supportive shoulder and a loving hug, Bella because, again, she is more affected by this man than she thought she’d be.

It is never easy to achieve in a fanfic a distinct voice for two characters as diverse as Bella and Edward are, but Ooza is doing this to perfection. Bella’s writing is more playful, cautious but loving, helpful but not prying, respectful but eager at the same time. She cracks jokes – that lighten up the atmosphere and occasionally send Edward into a tailspin.

Edward holds back all the time – because of his past, because of where he is, because he has learned to live without hope, until…until Bella barges into his life. And there, everything he has denied himself becomes a necessity – writing to her, learning to open up, waiting for her letter, wanting to know everything about her. He keeps most of his emotions in check throughout his letters, and then……his curiosity and his walls just crumble, in the space of a few words. He is, of course, rough around the edges, but wins you immediately over with his…..overwhelming cuteness.

Yes, I called him cute. How else would you define PS’s like these?

p.s. What do you do for fun?
p.s. What is your favorite food?
p.s. What do you look like?
p.s. When is your birthday? You don’t have to tell me exactly. Maybe just the month or the season it’s in.
p.s. Why did you pick me?
p.s. How far did you make it before you read this?
p.s. Do you think someday we could be real friends?
p.s. Will you visit me? I can’t do this alone anymore. I need someone.

This makes me thing most forcibly of a Beatles’ song that says….”PS I love you”…..Wondering how long before we get a PS like that?[/DDET]

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