It sure as hell felt as such. We were quite blind, werent we? I wanted to laugh. My whole body responded immediately to the pull, and, before I could gather my own thoughts, I was getting up from the chair again, this time moving to sit on James lap, straddling him. Since I was released, my world had been flipped upside down more times than I cared to admit, and the dizziness of it all left me senseless to what might await me on the other side of that door. Making sure he was there. He is a powerful being from the Nightmare Realm who is trillions of years old and is only interested in spreading chaos and is the archenemy of Dipper and Stanford Pines. Oliver is freed from a physical cage while James frees himself from an emotional one. The fourth years are assigned King Lear as their spring production. But in their fourth and final year, good-natured rivalries turn ugly, and on opening night real violence invades the students' world of make-believe. James Cameron doesn't always have the nicest things to say about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but that doesn't mean he's not familiar with the blockbuster franchise.While Cameron may have . That had always been our thing, after all: understanding each other. A decade ago: Oliver is one of seven young Shakespearean actors at Dellecher Classical Conservatory, a place of keen ambition and fierce competition. But really, it doesn't take long because I don't have that sort of patience. No more coherent words would be said anytime soon, both of us knew that. M.L. When you spend most of your life in theater, lost in the words of a man who felt and wrote so deeply at every turn of a page, and you go through the sort of experiences that I had gone through, you come out the other side expecting a moment like this to be held with fireworks playing in the background, lullabied by a classic orchestra, and the perfect game of lights to shine on every feature, every blink of the eye. Oliver, James, Wren, Filippa, Richard, Meredith, and Alexander are fully fleshed out and vivid characters, both on and offstage. 4.23. In this secluded world of firelight and leather-bound books, Oliver and his friends play the same roles onstage and off: hero, villain, tyrant, temptress, ingnue, extras. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. For pleasure and for life. You werent yourself! Richard was off the rails, James, and it had nothing to do with anyone but himself. Officer, I plead guilty to the murder of Richard Stirling.. In this secluded world of firelight and leather-bound books, Oliver and his friends play the same roles onstage and off: hero, villain, tyrant, temptress, ingnue, extras. I knew when youd be getting out, and I waited. But whenever you appeared as a choice on the cards, that is the one I picked. James doesn't even bother trying to hide his look of disgust after some kid he's never seen before reports what he's seen in the hallway. I know many in the DA community have read this book and so, I thought we should have a conversation about THAT ending. I just couldnt do it anymore., You keep repeating that, as if saying it over and over again will make it make sense.. Oliver Marks bekommt immer nur die Nebenrollen. And I wouldnt have regretted it.. He didnt dare attempt to find James, worrying what else may befall his troubled mind if his eyes crept their way along James face once again that night. Wait, James face went white, a glimpse of panic flashing in his eyes. Oliver is assigned the part of Banquo and is surprised to see James, rather than Richard, appear as Macbeth on Halloween night. If We Were Villains is such an intricate, multi faceted read that there is no doubt I will get more from it when I . His inner dialogue was trying to convince himself the kid was trying to start shit just for the sake of starting shit, but after the bitter feeling of pure jealously settles deep within his stomach, he needs to confide in somebody. Where the end of scene 7 should have gone. Not me, though, James death was fresh, new, and painful, as the blood running out of my nose on the day he broke it. Because, even then, I knew that if anyone would have an influence in your decision, it wouldve been me. And maybe for just a split second, I, too, knew what drowning felt like. Alexander remembers what it felt like - the horror of it all. I brought both my arms around him, and a single pull was enough to have him losing all strength and falling on top of me, sobbing. Oliver confronts James during the intermission of Lear, and James reluctantly confesses. The two tentatively resume their relationship. James Farrow stood before me. On the day of Oliver's release from prison in 2008, Filippa, the only member of the group with whom he has maintained steady contact, comes to pick him up. By clockwork art. Oliver meets up with Meredith, moves in with her and slowly finds his way back to a somewhat normal everyday. And, God, Meredith deserves a world of her own, someone who makes her feel the way James makes me feel. Wren, being the angel she was, was more than willing to listen. A kiss that I could tell from the first touch, would take us somewhere. But the implications of the text and its small part in our story are impossible to ignore, too critical for a scholar as meticulous as James to overlook. Its got a gripping plot, and a selection of likeable, even if sometimes slightly stuck up characters. The inseparable duo. If you need a refresher: After it is revealed that Oliver took the fall for Richards death to protect James whom he has realised he is in love with, Filippa and the detective tell Oliver that James is dead, presumably by suicide. It has always been about that, even when we didnt know it was.. The glass floor of the stage was no more than an illusion, and while it was beautiful to look at, it was just that: a stage. Let us be happy, right now. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Youre insane. James let out, barely even a whisper, as if all the air had been knocked out of him. It felt good to be absolved of all that guilt and still feel like you were being a hero by saving me., No, shut up. I fell silent, not sure I had a good enough argument to fight that. I couldnt have Filippa over for lunch and not talk about it, but talking about it was too much to stomach, even with her. Omg this! . Oliver and his classmates James, Richard, Alexander, Wren, Filippa and Meredith immerse themselves into the world of Shakespearean tragedy, and as they do their lives turn into a tragedy in ways they could never have foreseen. There were four years between then and you getting released, and I swear to God I could not keep living my life the way I was. And that wouldnt have been just an accident. My hands were steadier than I had anticipated they would be, but maybe it was just so cold outside that I couldnt quite distinguish whether it was my body responding to the weather, or just nerves. What James had done was absolutely insane, and yet, it felt like a plausible line of thought to me. He wasnt done yet, but his rant grew smaller, sadder. Then gave him a minute to cool down before I went on, keeping my voice low. No, that wasnt what walking on stars felt like, and I knew that, now. There were seven of us then, seven bright young things with wide precious futures ahead of us. Instead, it all felt rather anticlimactic, very bland and without flare. So what do you all think? When the teachers mix up the roles it puts a strain on the friendship of Olivers group, and things begin to go downhill fast. We were blind., Yeah, we were. And in this case the letter does get to Romeo (Oliver) in time and he finds his Juliet (James). As his fingerprints are on both the shirt scrap and the boat hook, he is arrested and put on trial, though Colborne does not believe him to be the real killer. It still wasnt fair, James said, voice heavy. I didnt even wait for her to come home., I texted her, told her I was going away for a while, maybe my sisters.. Just a quick warning: there are some mentions of suicidal tendencies (as we know how the actual book ended, I think theres no not touching the subject) and a few mentions of canon angst, death and violence, but nothing happening currently and nothing graphic, either. There were no speeches to what this moment was, no Shakesperean parallels to describe what was happening where his skin touched mine. You know it was about more than that. As pretentious and flawed as the core friendship group of the story is, youll be gripped by their tale. Had always been, as far back as I could remember. The last and only kiss we had ever shared had been a fleeting thing, almost unnoticeable, and how it felt had been lost in my brain amongst everything else that happened that night. Oliver and James. You might have been the one to give the blow, but that was all, and it was self-defense. So that was it, for a while. I knew it was a much more loaded question than just that, and I needed that record to be set straight once and for all. You went to Meredith when you got out? He asked, hurt by it. Sure, they're utter trainwrecks who would be unendurable in real . Yeah, I do. It doesnt matter. Thats not why Richard is dead. I whispered. The ending of If We Were Villains. Oliver Marks has just served ten years in jail - for a murder he may or may not have committed. I was getting nervous again. However why should he fake his own death? But even with all the guilt he just had to try to have a chance of real happiness with Oliver. I also really liked that the book was divided into Acts as it helped to drive the action and was a lovely nod to the Shakespearean aspects of the novel. Suppressing the dire need to protect him, though, was something he couldn't control. Oliver, its been four years., Yes, four years in which Pip, who was the only one visiting me, thought Id be better off not knowing. Primary Characters: If We Were Villains is a story that centers on seven . When they receive the cast, Alexander's predictions are revealed to be correct. If We Were Villains: The sensational TikTok Book Club pick - Kindle edition by Rio, M. L.. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. The tragedy is that Oliver will have to live with the fact that James is out there and that they can never be together. One that James had once, jokingly, said hed like to move in, just so he could stay close to the water. As soon as Oliver remembered the story behind the quote James used in his letter, he leapt to verify his death. Not now., More like slowly walking across an undefined and dark space to you, It is based off the Pentatonix song because Ive associated that with Jolives. aka James pov (mostly) behind the original story since the end of the performance of King Lear. The novel drew mixed reviews. And nothing in a story is not intentional. To me, this is one of the most heartbreaking scenes in the book, as we really see how tortured James is by what he's done. We scrambled to our feet, never completely letting go, and I let James lead us to his bedroom. One being a plain, short, and general farewell. I think James loved Oliver dearly, but he also is definitely dead in my opinion. An exploration of Filippa and Camilo's relationship, which I'm not even sure is canon but found interesting to explore anyway. I never have. If We Were Villains was named one of Bustle's Best Thriller Novels of the Year, and Mystery Scene says, "A well-written and gripping ode to the . editing this to add that this is what I clearly and personally WANT to be true, but I'm also not sure it makes complete sense knowing how the guilt would have genuinely eaten up at James etcso either 1) he is alive and kept living to wait for Oliver and Oliver alone, or 2) he's dead, idk why he left that hint, it makes sense that he's dead, my heart is broken obviously, but I still dk why he'd leave that passage. I was an actor, a criminal, a friend; I was many, many things but none of those mattered because, first and foremost, I was his. The events of "If We Were Villains" told from Filippa's perspective. The previous nights melancholia felt odd in the light of morning, with grief and sorrow lost and gone along with the stars. Its just this, I dont understand it., To be honest, maybe I dont understand it either, not fully. Dont say it like that, James, you dont know what she was thinking. I said, maybe sounding more defensive of Meredith than James would have liked me to. And we learned she was a holder of James secrets, a protector of the groups heart, and a Shakespearean expert. In the four years, they have achieved the goals set for them, that is, until tragedy strikes and only six are left to. "If We Were Villains" is told from the perspective of Oliver, a quiet, introspective former drama student who has just been released from a 10-year prison sentence after the harrowing events during his final year at the Conservatory. I wanted to sob. Because of all the crimes I have committed, loving you has always been my favorite. In the only way that made sense for a method actor who played his role with such reality, such truth. She would not have given Oliver the letter if it ensued any sort of false hope for him. Your something is something else entirely.. Alive, breathing, dry and utterly, painfully breathtaking. It incorporates Gothic and vintage style elements, as well as references to ancient Greece, Rome, and the Renaissance. No, I dont think so. We sipped our coffees in silence for maybe another minute before it all got too much for me, and the relief of seeing him was washed away by the questions flooding my brain. Detective Colborne is retiring, but before he does, he wants to know what really happened a decade ago. Words: Jonathan Wells. Wasnt the note he left me supposed me to bring me here all along? I see. He looked down at our tangled hands, and I could see it in his eyes trying to make sense of my feelings. While one would expect a book about Shakespearean actors to have lots of Shakespeare references, If We Were Villains goes above and beyond. A place to connect with other Dark Academics. I, too, dont believe in coincidences (especially in literature) and James is alive. Each student is mailed an envelope containing their casting assignment and the scenes to prepare, as well as instructions not to share the information with any of their peers. You know she wouldve at least talked to the others, at least considered it might have been an accident., James, I dont think you remember how you were that night. It wasnt long before my own tears were joining the one that James had left on my cheek, and, soon enough, it was undistinguishable where his pain ended and mine began. Ive been screaming this at the walls and youre gonna hear it now., You were selfish, Oliver. I wanted to cry. Rio draws on her training as an actor to create the world of an elite drama school ripped apart by a disaster of Shakespearean proportions. The Merchant of Venice is a very racially controversial play. So, of course, I would jump at the slightest chance that he might be alive, waiting for me in a place that would be only ours to find. You dont know because you got to be punished, and I bet it felt good. And then a letter arrived, and as I read Pericless last words, again and again, written in James hasty penmanship, the world flipped again. Ai tempi della condanna, non tutti erano convinti della sua colpevolezza, in primis il detective Colborne, che ora lo attende fu He bent down and kissed my face where it had landed, resting his lips there for a moment. One step, then two. IMO: The group of seven spoke in carefully chosen, always intentional Shakespearean quotes. I think its at me. From $1.35. . I pulled our hands to my lips and kissed them. In the middle of reading if we were villains and James and Oliver CLEARLY had a thing for eachother, you cannot tell me otherwise. Trotzdem ist der junge Schauspieler glcklich am renommierten Dellecher College, einer abgeschiedenen Welt mit flackernden . Biting his tongue, Alexander tried to swallow the rising feeling of worry for the other. Discover short videos related to if we were villains james and oliver on TikTok. If We Were Villains was named one of Bustle's Best Thriller Novels of the Year, and Mystery Scene says, A well-written and gripping ode to the stage . That last night, before I went on stage for Lear, she asked me a question. Alive, breathing, dry and utterly, painfully breathtaking. Where last nights kiss had been full of sorrow and pain, this one was nothing but fire. If We Were Villains is the debut novel of American author M. L. Rio, first published in 2017 by Flatiron Books. 9781785656477. But only after I thought I couldnt go to you. I corrected. 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