Attolia's library or the gods?

[booksrgood4u.livejournal.com]

Hello, fellow Sounisans =D

So this is a question about a scene that I've never really understood from A CoK. and I don't quite know how to phrase it I'm that confused...Yikes!

Here goes: I don't understand the signifigance of the library and I feel like I'm missing something major.  Is it that Moira was trying to show Sophos that Attolia was where he belonged?  Or was it somehow a place that Gen's ever-so-great-grandfather had also seen in his dreams?  And why would Gen and Helen want to prevent Sophos from seeing it?

So, long question short, I just don't get it, so any thoughts or observations would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

~books

Comments

[agh-4.livejournal.com]

What I got from the library was that it proves to Sophos that the gods are real. Since Iktenos and Helen dreamed it too, it was more than a dream, and just like Costis when he sees Eugenides catch Gen, or Gen after he meets the gods in TT, he can't look at things in the same way again. Everything gets more serious, and I think the reason that Gen and Helen don't want him to see it right away is that it makes breaking the truce at Evisa much more sobering. But then when she's so angry and needs to convince him of what's at stake for Eddis, she confronts him with the existence of the gods.

Mm, and I'm not sure that the dream-library is specifically connected to Attolia. How I understood it was that it's just a sort of god place that turns up in dreams, and when Iktenos (love that name...) dreamed it, he decided to make it real with his architect skillz.

[freenarnian.livejournal.com]

I was puzzled by this too, and maybe I still am, but here's what I surmised: The point is that the library was a real place. Sophos had never seen it in real life before, so the fact that he dreamt it is evidence that it was more than just meaningless dreams... the gods themselves were appearing to him, just as they had to Gen, Helen, and sometimes Irene. Notice that all these people are monarchs. I'm pretty sure they've only appeared to monarchs or destined-to-be-monarchs in the series... with the exception of Costis, and didn't he only hear the god? I could be wrong, but I think the gods had chosen Sophos for King of Sounis before chose it for himself. This united Foursome has some serious god-action behind it, in other words. Bodes ill for the Medes, woot.

Because of the gods habit of using the library for their dreamy purposes, perhaps that makes it something of a sacred place. Gen wanted to be sure Sophos had come to some conclusions for himself before showing it to him. And then Gen could be like, "tell me about it, mate." And if everyone on the continent had seen the room, well then, how would you know the gods had shown it to you first? Does that make any sense?

Was there significance to the carvings in the library? I remember something about them...

[chocolate-smash.livejournal.com]

I think the carvings were the first thing he connected to the dream-library, then recognised the rest because the carvings were the same? Or something like that.

[booksrgood4u.livejournal.com]

it makes breaking the truce at Evisa much more sobering.

THat's a good point - Gen didn't want Sophos to be afraid of doing what he had to do. It's kind of sweet as I re-read to notice all the little ways that Gen was looking out for Sophos even when it seemed as though he had abandoned him. THanks for sharing your thoughts!

[booksrgood4u.livejournal.com]

Your icon is very appropriate ;)

This explains most of what I dodn't understand from the end of A CoK...because I had been slightly confused by the conversation that Sophos and Helen had in that room, too.

And you're right, Costis didn't see the gods, just heard them scolding Gen - Though, now that I think of it, Nahuserfish saw Moira in QoA, didn't he? What'd he do to deserve that???

[booksrgood4u.livejournal.com]

I'd meant to ask about the carvings, too, so thanks for clearing that up =D

[freenarnian.livejournal.com]

Again, I don't think it was about Nahuserfish (I honestly can't remember how to spell his real name now) earning or "deserving" a visit from the gods, so much as it was about them nudging Gen in the right direction. "We want him and Attolia to end up in each others arms... P. S. Could you go and grab him for us and bring him here? Thanks a bunch. XOXO, THE GODS."

[freenarnian.livejournal.com]

Oh, and thanks! We were discussing this very scene in the books when loquaciousquark made the icon for me! :D

[booksrgood4u.livejournal.com]

XOXO, The gods? THat makes me laugh for some reason =D

THough I agree that they were using Nahuseresh (I think that's how it's actually spelled - you know, if you can't remember something, it might be time for a re-read!) as a tool. How unfortunate that he got used to further Gen and Irene's relationship - ah, the irony ;)

[kulai-raito.livejournal.com]

Ya, I always thought without Nahuseresh intervention, Gen would have had a longer time making Irene believe he loved him and Irene coming to terms with the word. Who knows, uncooperative Irene = Gen watching out for snakes and sand and wine cups with much more apprehension! The gods just accelerate it, leaving the only option for Attolia to choose.

[drashizu.livejournal.com]

I interpreted the carvings as (1) a detail that Sophos would be able to recognize from his dream, and therefore know that the library was the same as the one in his dream, and not just coincidentally built in similar proportions; and (2) a sign that Sophos and Eddis were supposed to be together. They're carvings of a lion, a fox, and (near the end) a rabbit. The lion is Sophos in his role as the king of Sounis, and the fox is Eddis, from the line in QoA when Attolia tells Eddis, "You look a little vulpine yourself." The rabbit, I think, is a symbol that even though Sophos is Sounis now, he hasn't lost his "Bunny" personality.

[booksrgood4u.livejournal.com]

Aawww, how sweet, to think that it was a symbol that Sophos and Helen were meant for each other! ANd, no, I don't think Sophos will ever lose his bunny personality....

[freenarnian.livejournal.com]

He's just more like this now: http://www.flickr.com/photos/samcatchesides/5513398172/lightbox/

[booksrgood4u.livejournal.com]

Ha! Just like that, indeed! Thanks for sharing!!