In the introduction to the 50th anniversary edition of Beautiful Chaos Gary Russell informs us he made Russel T. Davies cry. He dismisses this as Mr. Davies just being nice. Well Mr. Russell you made me teary by page 7 and sobbing by the time I reached Donna's letter on page 239. Russell also claims there that he wrote Beautiful Chaos to be a story about loss, sadness, triumph, and living the only life we have, despite or even because of what fate hands us. The result is very much that story, an exploration of memory and identity from the utterly human, to the very alien, and everything in between. To like this novel, you have to like Donna, you need to be invested in her and in her family. Or you at least need to be willing to spend more time with them as they are very much the heart of this tale. You also need to be the sort of person who does not mind a bittersweet ending. I suppose this is true of Whovians generally, but it still warrants saying. The book is solidly routed within Donna's timeline, so I think it would be difficult to enjoy without great familiarity with her time aboard the TARDIS. Finally, I caution that the beginning has what feels a lot of characters to keep track of, I urge you not to get too bogged down. In all, I highly recommend it. It is the sort of story that fits in well with anything else from the Tenth Doctor. While the alien is basic in structure, a power-driven, technology-and-people-using entity, Beautiful Chaos is a rich story with layers of meaning on the human side of things. I really enjoyed it, whether smiling at perfectly captured Donna spunk, or tearing up along with Sylvia Noble, and I think you will too. I would love to hear from anyone who has read it, either below in the comments or via email or Twitter. Though if you do leave a comment, please take care to avoid spoilersthey are not nice. I also recommend if you do not have your own copy to try the audiobook. Bernard Cribbins narrates, and listening to "Wilf" read has to be fun.
A person who thought a lot, then decided thinking with other people is more fun. If you fancy a chat, feel free to email NicoleatWhatCulture@excite.com
