Another newbie

[smills47.livejournal.com]

Hi there, I've just finished the three books (checked out from the library), promptly ordered all three from Amazon, and am delighted to discover this comm. MWT was rec'd to me by pcw_rcw via (I believe) ekblack -- thanks to all of you!

Looking through the posts here, I was most interested to read the discussions of characters' ages, because I found myself revising downward my conception of Gen's age as the stories progressed -- an odd sort of mental adjustment to make. Aged about 15 at the beginning of TT seems about right to me too, and it helps to explain why he's so fixated on food when he gets out of the King of Sounis's prison -- they hadn't been feeding him very well and he's a growing boy! :)

One speculation about KoA, Irene fainting in the aftermath of the assassination attempt. Granted that she would feel distraught at seeing copious amounts of Gen's blood, and no doubt it was an unpleasant reminder (to say the least) of the last time she saw same, but fainting dead away?? Did anyone else get the wee-est suspicion that she might be preggers?

Comments

[willow-41z.livejournal.com]

Did anyone else get the wee-est suspicion that she might be preggers?
It's one of my pet theories. Though I never thought of the fainting as support for it.

Welcome to Sounis! I love your icon!

[cleo]

I pretty much thought she was pregnant right away with the fainting. I don't know why...I know I never fainted while pregnant, but God knows I was dizzy enough. Turner never seems to do anything without meaning; so, that's my thought.

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

Welcome! As to the other, I'm not listening! *sticks fingers in ears* la la la la la.

Though, on the soap operas, women ALWAYS faint when they are pregnant. Never morning sickness as the first indication, instead they faint dramatically.

la la la la la

[sandtree.livejournal.com]

Welcome! I actually never suspected she was pregnant, but it's by no means a wild theory. I mean, unless there's a fertility problem, it's going to happen eventually.

[peggy-2.livejournal.com]

*echoes checkers with the "Welcome!" and the "la la la la", and Willow with teh icon love*

The growing boy ... LOL! That makes sense!

[philia-fan.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah. Definitely a possibility.

[puppeteergirl.livejournal.com]

Welcome welcome!

Ha! Yes Gen does enjoy a good meal in TT. Today while I was reading KoA to my bro, he commented on Gen's unwillingness to stay in bed while he's hurt. He pointed out that Gen didn't want to wake up in TT.

I never thought about that before. With the fainting I mean. Hmmmm...

[ashertoashes.livejournal.com]

hmmm, didn't see that coming! Pregnant would be a really interesting theory to go with that fainting... I had always assumed that she fainted because he stopped whining and did the "i'm in so much pain that I'm holding my breath" thing that he did when she whacked off his hand, and fainted because she didn't like seeing him like that again. But pregnancy is also a viable option. I just tend to go for the emotional answer rather than the scientific one. :-)

[jade-sabre-301.livejournal.com]

the preggers theory has been going around; I myself don't know if I ascribe to it, and I don't believe it occurred to me on my first readthrough. But it's entirely possible.

I'm still more excited by your brilliant "growing boy" comment. hahahahaha.

Wilkommen, bienvenue, welcome!

[emerald-happy.livejournal.com]

LOL

I do believe there is backlog for this :P

[emerald-happy.livejournal.com]

emerald: hey, i remember Jade fainting in the recent backlog
emerald: Those who watch soaps: I don't think she's pregnant
emerald: there
emerald: that sorts that
Rowana: and aww, that dr who icon is lovely
Rowana: ...who's not pregnant?
emerald: Jade. she fainted when Darcy came in
jade_sabre: HAHAHAHAHAHA Emerald.
jade_sabre: OMG LOL

[mycenaeth.livejournal.com]

First time I thought about the pregnancy theory! And welcome!

I still find it hard to think of Gen as being that young in The Thief. He seemed so mature in the way he manipulated people and I don't see that in too many 15 year olds...

[hikari-cyhan.livejournal.com]

I...I...I never thought of that! I guess I'm just so used to characters fainting dead away for no reason in fiction.

Anyways, welcome!

[emmaco.livejournal.com]

It's taken me since KoA was published to get used to the idea that there would be have to be children for the monarchy thing to work, but I think I'm getting there. I hadn't thought of the fainting thing as support though - good spotting!

[hemisofia.livejournal.com]

Hmm.. I actually thought it was because of all that blood reminded her of the cutting of Gen's hand in QoA and it is implied a few times that Irene is still pretty much traumatized by the incident.

(Besides, I agree with Checkers, fainting during pregnancy is so soap opera-ish hahaha...)

[emerald-happy.livejournal.com]

welcome!

hah, lots of people suggested it but I think it was more worry about Gen, even if she is pregnant.

[ladyfox.livejournal.com]

Welcome to the comm!

As some others have said, I ascribe her fainting to trauma. It made a point specifically in QoA that after she cut off his hand she watched to see if he would cry out again, but instead he held his breath till he fainted. I think when Gen held his breath as Petrus pulled the stitches tight, with all the blood around, it was just too... similar a scene as well as revealing that he was not just injured, but hurt REALLY bad.

[pcw-rcw.livejournal.com]

Well, hi there smills47! Good to see that all our recommendations of MWT's books are bearing fruit.

We fully expect Irene to be in an acknowledged state of pregnancy, if not a new mother, the next time we see her. Fainting to indicate early pregnancy is an established convention in literature, although we personally didn't think of that at the time of reading it. In retrospect, it does seem uncharacteristic.

It was our impression that that fact that Gen is always hungry is an ongoing 'joke' in all three books. For example, at the end of Chapter 13 (to pick just one minor mention at random) Gen has just been invited by Teleus to use the Guard's bath. "Yes," [Gen] said. "That would be nice. Followed by breakfast." The fact that he's still in (late?) adolescence, would certainly explain why he's always hungry.

[(Anonymous)]

Welcome! Icon love! Enjoyed your theory--can't wait to see if you're right! ~Feir Dearig

[smills47.livejournal.com]

Thank you all for the welcoming words -- I'm continuing to delve through the archive, and finding very interesting thoughts -- this is such fun!