Rec: La Vie Boheme

[mysticalchild_isis]

Story: La Vie Boheme
Author: Doctor Tam
Rating: All-Ages
Word Count: 2075
Author's Summary: A non-linear character study: "He composes a symphony for accordion and dog whistle, goes pike fishing in the Thames, and gets a sunburn on his nose. After all, the universe isn’t his responsibility."
Characters/Pairings: Four, The Brig, Harry, Sarah Jane, Leela, Romana I, Romana II, K-9
Warnings: None

It's not too hard to scratch the surface with Four (teeth & curls, scarf, jelly baby, hello!), but he's always seemed to be one of the more difficult Doctors to get beneath the surface with.

This story not only goes deep, but also provides a lovely illumination of Four: his fears, his hopes, his motivations, and his interactions with his friends and companions. Even the non-linear nature of the story is perfectly suited to the Fourth Doctor (and the sections are scattered to great effect).

Comments

[minerva-fan.livejournal.com]

This is one of the best stories I've read in a while--lovely structure, spot-on characterization, and a great understanding of Four's blend of absurdity and pathos. Very very good story.

[mysticalchild_isis]

Indeed! I love the construction of the story, especially the way the beginning of Four's life is in between the final two segments. Each section is so perfect, though I have to confess that I think number seven is my favorite:

7. He decides to go mad for a while, just to see what it’s like. What better place to do so than Gallifrey?

[dbskyler.livejournal.com]

That's a good one, but as a huge Doctor/SJS fan my personal favorite is:

4.5 Forget you? Don’t be so absurdly daft! How could I?

(And people trading quotes from a fic = fic is amazing. Great choice for a rec! Although I had already found the fic on my own . . . *is smug*)

[mysticalchild_isis]

I just love how with one or two sentences, the author paints this perfect sketch of Four. Brilliant stuff.