The Republic of Heaven

Last night I was doing the usual rereadbooksyou'vereadamilliontimesoverthesummerthing, and I started with TSK. I was reading the part where Will goes for a swim (p16). First, he goes swimming NAKED (which, lets face it, is a bit off in this day and age, especially for a boy his age. I mean, who knows who could be hiding in the bushes?) then, this happens

He slipped in to the water and swam back more slowly to the beach, where he put on his underpants and carried the rest of his clothes and the tote bag

Will proceeds to walk through the city. Isn't this a bit strange? He can't be totally sure he's alone. And we all know how shy teenage boys are, especially English ones. So whats with Will? Was he wearing nice underpants he wanted to show off? Was he trying to assert his growing manliness? We could never know. He then proceeds to put his jeans on, but leaves the shirt off. Christ, he must be dry by now.

Then, when he gets into the catfight with our heroine, and PP writes this rather suggestive line

....and snatched herself away from his bare chest...

that could be appearing in any Jackie Collins bonkbuster! So is there a hidden meaning? Is Will really a sexual beast of a 12 year old who instantly catches Lyras eye? (and.....heart?) Could Will be.... mainland European? (t'would explain the naked swimming) and PP never mentions Will putting back on that wayward shirt, even when Lyra enters his room for a sneaky peak. Maybe now we know why...

The whole thing is a bit much for me. Why naked swimming (he could have worn the underpants) why walking around in nothing BUT underpants? Why did Lyra 'snatch' herself away? Too much for her to handle? Is this thread a huge waster of time? (yes)

I would be most interested in your opinions.
Thank you,
Irish Jess.

Is the title of the thread in reference to your post or just that you posted in this section of the forum?

Maybe he was brought up the naturist way.

I'd say he was wearing nice underpants, crotchless.

If you were alone in an empty city, would you walk about naked for the thrill of it? Count me in.

Darragh wrote:Is the title of the thread in reference to your post or just that you posted in this section of the forum?

Maybe he was brought up the naturist way.

I'd say he was wearing nice underpants, crotchless.

HE'S 12!
hey, I've proved I've read the first 20 pages anyway

But he couldn't be sure he was alone! And would you have been that brave aged 12?

jess, you make me laugh.

i've knocked on a few doors to be answered by teenaged guys just wearing boxers, etc. will walking around the city topless doesn't sound surprising. (i saw these guys running today... <fans self>)

swimming naked doesn't seem nearly as big a deal either. the place is empty and he has no change of clothes. if he swims in his undies, they're going to be wet the rest of the night.

Jameson wrote:And would you have been that brave aged 12?

he's a grown-up twelve-year-old isn't he? he's had to take care of his mother and remain inconspicuous since the age of seven.

i agree with Will.

also, plenty of people walk around with barely anything on these days.

he is near a sea, its hot, its empty. fair enough to walk around half-naked.

go to anywhere hot and you'll find people walking around not wearing v much (except in St Tropez, which ironically enough, has laws against people walking around topless when they aren't at the beaches)

jessia wrote:jess, you make me laugh.

i've knocked on a few doors to be answered by teenaged guys just wearing boxers, etc. will walking around the city topless doesn't sound surprising. (i saw these guys running today... <fans self>)

swimming naked doesn't seem nearly as big a deal either. the place is empty and he has no change of clothes. if he swims in his undies, they're going to be wet the rest of the night.

Jameson wrote:And would you have been that brave aged 12?

he's a grown-up twelve-year-old isn't he? he's had to take care of his mother and remain inconspicuous since the age of seven.

So Will was CANADIAN!!?
like, OMG! (love that phrase, really. OMG is the best thing to have come from the internet)


hang on, remember Wills story of when his mother went out of the house half naked? Could that be where he got it from, since, unable to find his father and assume his mantle, he took his mothers route and went pantsless?
Amazing.

no one wanders around their private homes in their underwear or naked in ireland?

jessia wrote:no one wanders around their private homes in their underwear or naked in ireland?

Only when we have guests.

jessia wrote:no one wanders around their private homes in their underwear or naked in ireland?

I don't (cold climate and all that, plus I'd see myself in a mirror and feel fat) but a friend of mine is almost always naked when she's alone (and then says to me 'hey Jess, guess what? I'M NAKED', when I've rang to ask her about maths or something)


ETA: darragh, that too

Who hasn't taken a naked swim at least once in their life? and about her ripping herself away from his bare chest, I think PP was just trying to give as much detail as possible.

this off subject but i wouldnt mind lyra on my bare chest.

Can we add "Thou shalt not act like a paedophile" to the commandments?

HEY!!!!!!! ill take that as a serious insult!!!!!! i am not a pedafile(cant spell,to angry!) and if i ever met one id gut him!!!! you should add though shalt not murder to the list!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Blackdragon wrote:Who hasn't taken a naked swim at least once in their life?

I haven't; I think it'd be rather uncomfortable, you know with.. drag.

Since it's been so bloody hot this week I've basically been wearing three-quarter length trousers and nothing else. Clothes aren't worth getting hot over.

white_kni177 wrote:HEY!!!!!!! ill take that as a serious insult!!!!!! i am not a pedafile(cant spell,to angry!) and if i ever met one id gut him!!!! you should add though shalt not murder to the list!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, first of all it's 'paedophile', and you just read the post it was in, FFS. Second, you only need one exclaimation mark. Thirdly - chill.

white_kni177 wrote:HEY!!!!!!! ill take that as a serious insult!!!!!! i am not a pedafile(cant spell,to angry!) and if i ever met one id gut him!!!! you should add though shalt not murder to the list!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm sure he is really scared and I'm sure you are a paedophile.

How old is white knight supposed to be?

hermit wrote:How old is white knight supposed to be?

I don't think he told us.

Seriously, if nobody was around, I'd totally go naked.
And MAYBE he didn't put his shirt back on because he was showing off a SIX PACK...to know one...
okay, I give up. But this topic made me laugh.