False Colors - Alex Beecroft

[bookgazing]

What makes Alex Beecroft’s 'False Colors’ so cool? Let’s get this out of the way right now. Sailors, in love with each other, fighting battles; those are the best things about ‘False Colors’. But it’s not just dashing sailors in love (ha, just) that makes this a good book, although being a male/male romance the sailor love story is the main point of the book.

John Cavendish has finally been given a ship to captain. The bad news is he and his small crew are being sent on a suicidal mission to stop Barbary Corsairs from taking coastal dwellers as slaves.

Alfie Donwell is surprisingly eager to join such a mission. He is desperate to leave behind a hard driving captain and finds himself attracted to John as soon as he sees him. He determines to win his new captain’s heart and starts his campaign when he arrives on board.

Sailors in love, yippee! Ahem. Serious face.

I’m not sure what I can add to the discussion of ‘False Colors’ as so many people have already talked about the parts I enjoyed the most., but let us see what I can come up with. What struck me straight away was how quickly Alex Beecroft conjures a strong sense of individual personality for her two main characters. Within a few chapters it’s clear that Alfie has a witty, irreverent confidence that is coupled with a deep insecurity. John is concerned with propriety and duty, but is also deeply passionate, a friend to be counted on. The two main characters are developed as individuals, through small interactions and thoughts that go straight to the heart of who they are. Then they’re brought together to form a charismatic pairing who play off one another’s moods, strengths and weaknesses. During the book more layers are added to their personalities as the two experience some of the true horrors of navy service, so that by the end of the book Alfie and John are characters that the reader knows well.

This high quality characterisation continues as new characters are introduced to the story. John and Alfie become friends, but when John discovers that Alfie is attracted to men he can’t contain his censure. Alfie flees to a former ship, run by Captain Farrant, an attractive, married man ‘suffering’ from a ‘condition’ that ‘makes’ him sleep with men (yes that’s probably too many annoyed quotation marks). Farrant could easily become a villain set on using Alfie, but as several other reviewers have commented the complexity of his emotions are slowly revealed and he quickly develops into a fully rounded, sympathetic character.

As the reader is shown so much of Farrant’s history and feelings, as well as Alfie’s complicated thoughts about their affair, this secondary romance feels real and well, romantic. Their relationship could easily have been just a bunch of sex scenes to keep readers entertained. Instead it is a developing secondary romance, which could have been just as rewarding for Alfie as his later relationship with John, if circumstances had been different. When Farrant is inevitably removed to make way for Alfie and John’s romance it feels like readers should stop and mourn his loss a little, because of the connection he and Alfie shared. I was happy to find a little space of recognition for his value left in the narrative, even as Alfie and John’s romance develops:

‘John.” Alfie laced his finger together and brought them up so that the knuckles brushed his lips. “They didn’t kill me, and I didn’t say any of it.”

“You said it to me.” John reached out and closed his own hands around Alfie’s. It was like finding a rope to save him when he was lost overboard in a storm, and he held on with something of the same desperation. “I heard you. You told me you loved him.” '

The depth of characterisation is part of what makes the sexual tension between each romantic pairing so satisfying. Beecroft writes scenes of intense desire, created from the simplest of details, but I think at least half of the power of these scenes comes from the personal connection she creates between character and reader. Without knowing anything about the character’s deepest feelings these scenes would have been hot, but with an additional insight into the character’s minds each touch is invested with a personal history of longing that produces just an extra little thrill.

All of this detailed characterisation is written in easy, smooth prose which never feels like it's trying hard at all. This type of prose is also perfect for conjuring the swift strokes and excitement of battle scenes. The pace she sets within these scenes is fast, but allows readers time to absorb the action. She doesn’t overburden her battle scenes with details, instead she lets one or two images speak for themselves. She also avoids what I call ‘battle fatigue’ by finding ways to vary the military conflict the characters face, so that there are set battles on ship, rebellions and fights on shore to keep the reader’s interest from waning.

The imaginative imagery peppered through the book is designed to catch the reader’s attention and enliven a well known genre with a wry modern sensibility, for example John's newly captured ship is described as being 'like a discarded boot’. There are perhaps a few too many corny naval metaphors for love, along similar lines to ‘At times it seemed this thing between them was the only fixed point of Alfie’s compass, whether he steered away or towards.’, but in general the writing is fresh and vigorous. The writing can be funny and the plot rattles along with a casual, friendly feel to it.

‘False Colors’ was a great way for me to be introduced to male/male romance (as I tend to be a snobbishly picky reader when it comes to romance). My one real problem with the novel centres around a plot structure that I often find frustrating in storytelling. Oh, there is a misunderstanding and no one can just talk about it and sort it out! They must all go around being aggrieved and not talking. It’s not exactly unrealistic, because how many family disputes continue on for years because of an inability to communicate, but when you transplant this structure into a story I feel that it should be resolved fast and damn realism. It’s a romance so I know Alfie and John are going to get together and whereas initially delaying their relationship builds delicious anticipation, after John realises his feelings for Alfie that anticipation is replaced by frustration as I wait for them to kiss and love each other. It’s a personal preference and I agree that the long delay before they’re reunited makes sense in the context of the obstacles they face, but gosh it annoyed me.

So, sailors in love = cool. There’s also a wicked plot, battles aplenty and a witty dialogue. What more can you ask for, except maybe...pirates in love?

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