So, uh, this is probably going to be an unpopular opinion in this thread, but now I kind of want ALL the fic about EC and how she felt and how she navigated all of this.
I mean, she's definitely not my favorite historical figure. In Fritz's shoes, I would have behaved toward her almost exactly as he did. BUT. Her situation is interesting enough, and I've read enough well-written fics about characters, pairings, and scenarios that didn't initially appeal to me and ended up absolutely loved the fics, and in fact had my whole perspective on the person/ship/scenario changed, that I could easily imagine a fic about her that I would love! (You may notice I also did my best to do her justice in the description, and to be sympathetic to her difficult position despite my personal indifference to her. Both she and Fritz got dealt undeniably shitty hands--like you said, not many people were really happy in the 18th century.) And a take on her where she made the most of her situation and was relieved not to be forced into repeated child-bearing would be a reasonably happy ending. Like you, I'd prefer that to reading about how she was silently getting an ulcer. And on the subject of repeated child-bearing, it's worth mentioning that she lived to be 81, which was pretty damn old for a woman of her time.
I ask simple questions from a point of total ignorance and suddenly I have this whole flood of anecdotes about totally wacko people.
HAHAHAHAAAAA this is true!
You: "What was Elisabeth Christine like?"
Me, 3,000 words later: "And did you know Katte's brothers shot each other fatally in a duel?" :PPP
Well, part of me always responds to people wanting to hear about my obscure interests with a half-disbelieving feeling that it's all too good to be true, but since you're enjoying it, I have to say...selenak and I sure are delivering!
Re: Elisabeth Christine?
I mean, she's definitely not my favorite historical figure. In Fritz's shoes, I would have behaved toward her almost exactly as he did. BUT. Her situation is interesting enough, and I've read enough well-written fics about characters, pairings, and scenarios that didn't initially appeal to me and ended up absolutely loved the fics, and in fact had my whole perspective on the person/ship/scenario changed, that I could easily imagine a fic about her that I would love! (You may notice I also did my best to do her justice in the description, and to be sympathetic to her difficult position despite my personal indifference to her. Both she and Fritz got dealt undeniably shitty hands--like you said, not many people were really happy in the 18th century.) And a take on her where she made the most of her situation and was relieved not to be forced into repeated child-bearing would be a reasonably happy ending. Like you, I'd prefer that to reading about how she was silently getting an ulcer. And on the subject of repeated child-bearing, it's worth mentioning that she lived to be 81, which was pretty damn old for a woman of her time.
I ask simple questions from a point of total ignorance and suddenly I have this whole flood of anecdotes about totally wacko people.
HAHAHAHAAAAA this is true!
You: "What was Elisabeth Christine like?"
Me, 3,000 words later: "And did you know Katte's brothers shot each other fatally in a duel?" :PPP
Well, part of me always responds to people wanting to hear about my obscure interests with a half-disbelieving feeling that it's all too good to be true, but since you're enjoying it, I have to say...