(no subject)

[aged-crone.livejournal.com]

Thank you all for your kind words of welcome. For future reference, do I keep replying to my old thread, or do I start a new one at some point? I'll start new here, just for the heck of it!

In one of the links somebody provided (I lost track of which one), MWT asked about the Lord Peter Wimsey books - they are marvelous. I bought and read them all within a week in college, wandering around with bags under my eyes that reached clear to my knees because I was staying up till 2 a.m. or later reading. Rather like what I did with these books, now that I think about it. I didn't so much read THIEF, QUEEN, and KING as - well, picture one of the larger snakes, dislocating its jaw and engulfing whole in one greedy gulp a tasty bit of prey, and then sitting with a satisfied snakely smile on its face while it digests. That would be me.

Albert Campion (by Margery Allingham) books are also good - Campion has even more of a mask than Lord Peter, and he, too, marries a strong woman. Quite a bit younger than he is.

In another link (or possibly the same one), I saw that MWT praised CRISS CROSS, this year's Newbery Medal book. I just read it (right before I read KING), and I have to say that I hated it. The characters were fine; the writing was excellent (though occasionally I got a bit weary of what seemed like excessive "look how clever I am" on the part of the author), but the utter lack of plot, the twitchy feeling that maybe at some point some of the threads might be going to be drawn together - but they never were - made me very cranky.

Just got my copies of QUEEN and KING from Amazon. I'm going to have to buy QUEEN in hardcover now, because I had hoped that the paper quality in the paperback would be good, but it's the usual pulpy stuff that turns yellow right away and contributes to my feeling like an Aged Crone. (I re-read my Trixie Beldens right after I got out of grad school, and the pages were already yellowing, and I was *not that old*!)

I was doing some more re-reading and came across the part in QUEEN where Eugenides and Eddis are discussing the war between Sounis and Attolia.
"She [Eddis] sighed. 'Attolia has an excellent advisor,' she said.
"Eugenides opened one eye and then closed it again.
"'Who?' he asked.
"'The Medean ambassador. . . . Evidently, Attolia and the Mede are as close as you and I are rumored to be.'"

They go on to discuss the fact that it's thanks to Mede meddling (medeling?) that Eugenides wasn't hanged on the spot, and Eddis says she suppose she's indebted to him. Eugenides says, "I hate that Mede."

I'm trying to figure out the exact proportion of his hate that is related to the fact that the Medean ambassador saved him, thus leaving him sans hand and with Eddis at war; and what proportion is because Attolia and the Mede are supposedly as close as he and Eddis are rumored to be....

Am I supposed to be posting this stuff to my journal, or to Sounis? And thank you to the two people who have made me their friend - but what does that mean? Am I supposed to do something? Post something somewhere other than here?

Questions, questions, questions!

Leslie

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

No clue about the friend stuff, but then I am still anonymous.
I'd say the hate runs about 50% each way, wouldn't you? And probably continues to, even after he knows that Attolia couldn't stand the guy either. The way he acted so possessive of her all the time would do it. Eugenides has shown that he is prone to jealousy.
(And later on, of course, that assassination thing would have been a factor...)
The character I'm wondering about in future books: Kamet. Interesting potential there -- or not, as the author chooses.
-Philia

[dannybailey.livejournal.com]

Yes, livejournal is confusing to the uninitiated, isn't it? I'm really suprised (and pleased) by how many people have made journal just to join this community. It's great.

To answer: You can post in your own journal or here on the main community page. The difference is in who will see it. If you post here, all the members of this community will see it. If you post on your own journal only people who go to your page, or who have you listed as a friend will see what you write.

Your friends list/page is a rather invaluable tool that I would reccomend taking advantage of. I liken it to a subsricption page. Basically, all of the post made by people who you list as friends or made in communities that you belong to will be grouped onto one page, your friends page. (Your very own friends page exists here : http://aged-crone.livejournal.com/friends (http://aged-crone.livejournal.com/friends)
I bookmark my friends page and then all you need to do is go to one page and you can read all the recent post by everyone that you "subscribe" to. Neat, yeah?

Also, about your QofA musings: I think you bring up a really good point. It never occured to me before to connect Eugenides hated of the Mede with jealously, but it does make sense. On the other hand, I would say that he also hates him quite a lot because of his political dealings/starting the war/etc. After all, look at Eugenides reaction to news of the Mede in KofA.

[avian-xj.livejournal.com]

Am I supposed to be posting this stuff to my journal, or to Sounis? And thank you to the two people who have made me their friend - but what does that mean? Am I supposed to do something? Post something somewhere other than here?

you can post anything relating to the books here. if you post something to your journal, your friends will see it on their friends page. on your friends page, you can see anything posted to Sounis or anything posted by people you have added as your friend. If that makes any sense...

[rowana.livejournal.com]

Dannybailey's put it quite well. I've friended you, which means that any post you make in your own journal which you leave open for everyone to see (or don't 'lock' or make private) will show up on my friends page. It just means I'm interested in what you have to say, on your own journal. I've also put Sounis on my friends/watch list, which means that any post made in Sounis shows up on my friends page. This means that when I want to keep up with lots of different journals and communities, all I have to do is check my friends page every day. Very handy. You are under no obligation to friend back. :)

And a new thread is started for a new topic, so you did the right thing.

Interesting observations regarding QoA. I agree with Dannybailey, you've made a good point, I hadn't thought about Gen's being jealous of Nahusaresh at that point. I'd have guesed his hatred was due in equal proportions to the two factors.

More jealousy

[aged-crone.livejournal.com]

I realize that MWT has said that Attolia doesn't suffer from jealousy, but I noticed a parallel scene for her that makes me think maybe that lack of jealousy might be a later development. (Considering that it's practically at the same point in the book, you'd think I'd have noticed it earlier, but nooooo...)

After Eddis and Eugenides go and fetch the Magus, word of the Magus' whereabouts is brought to Attolia by Relius.

"'The Queen of Eddis collected him personally,' Relius said. 'She and her Thief. They evidently picknicked on the way back. They are reported to be . . . close.' It was the mildest term to describe the gossip that was current in the Eddisian court. Probably the affair was one of long standing and his spies had been unaware of it. If the queen of Eddis and her Thief had been pretending to be at odds with each other, it could only have been to conceal his efforts on her behalf: the destruction of Sounis's navy and the removal of his magus.

"'Get out,' the Queen ordered abruptly.

"The servants and the secretary waited outside the locked doors of the private dining room, listening to the sounds of china shattering as the dinner dishes were swept off the table and onto the floor...'" etc.

Okay, I know, it's about how she didn't really destroy Eugenides' effectiveness in helping his queen, and yeah, he's still dangerous.

But I can't help thinking maybe a little, tiny bit of her subconscious was shrieking, "He's *mine*! How dare they!!!"

Okay, I'm a hopeless romantic.

Leslie

Re: More jealousy

[peggy-2.livejournal.com]

I totally think it was a jealous reaction, and her immediate comment to lop off his other hand if took a mistress later on! My guess is the "lack of jealousy" comment applies to KoA.

I just read the KoA part where Gen is in Attolia's bedchamber, and they just had the "tell me you won't" dialog, then Gen opens his eyes and smiles at her in a deeply companionable fashion (words to that effect, I don't have my book) which rocks Costis back on his heels. *deep sigh* This is such a wonderful love story!

[(Anonymous)]

Forgot to add, re CRISS CROSS: Haven't read it, but I almost always think the Honor books are better then the Medalist. I mean, honestly, "Crispin, the Cross of Lead?" I love Avi, but not his strongest book. ("Charlotte Doyle," anyone?) And how they could NOT give a medal to "The Ear, The Eye, and The Arm" (not to mention "The Thief" because that's just too obvious) is completely beyond me.
And re Lord Peter and other literary comparisons to Gen: I always think of The Scarlet Pimpernel. Especially when Gen "simpers and preens."
-Philia

Newberries - what's YOUR flavor?

[peggy-2.livejournal.com]

I almost always think the Honor books are better then the Medalist.

I agree! I pretty much avoid the Newbery winner now, because they have such a dismal track record. I have, however, really liked many of the Honor books.

I'm not a librarian either - simply an avid fan of YA books (guess I never outgrew them; or perhaps they are, in general, simply better written.).

[aged-crone.livejournal.com]

Very true - Crispin struck me as very pseudo-medieval (we were discussing this in the chat room yesterday, actually). (My undergraduate major was history). I haven't read THE EAR, THE EYE, AND THE ARM yet; but just look at the fact that CHARLOTTE'S WEB was a silver medallist only (and how many people are still reading SECRET OF THE ANDES, which I believe was the gold medal that year). And Laura Ingalls Wilder never won a gold.

I *adore* the Scarlet Pimpernel. I have the whole series (which took some doing since half the book dealers I approached, before I was buying things on the Internet, had no idea there was more than one book).

Now, if Gen suddenly starts in with the "inane laugh," we'll be in business!

Leslie

[(Anonymous)]

Ooh, ooh, I read all the Pimpernel books, too.
You must run out and read "The Ear, The Eye, and The Arm" right now.
-Philia

[(Anonymous)]

Did I mention that I'm not a librarian?
Philia

[aged-crone.livejournal.com]

Yes, you said you're an author. I was being politely non-nosy, but wondering what you'd written!

Leslie

[(Anonymous)]

Did I say I was an "author?" Should probably have said "very unsuccessful writer." Nothing in print. Maybe by the time I'm 80...
Philia

lj posts

[peggy-2.livejournal.com]

And if you click on the thumbtack at the top of an entry or post, any comments to that post will also show up in your "Messages" queue. That's an easy way to keep track of entries you are following.

[kilerkki.livejournal.com]

I adore Lord Peter Wimsey, and though I'd never thought of Gen and Attolia in light of Peter and Harriet--the parallels are astonishing, although the positions are reversed (and then mirrored?). So whereas Gen loves and fears Attolia because she's hurt him, Harriet loves (but pretends not to) and avoids Peter because she's indebted to him. This makes much more sense in my head than it does in here.

As to the posting--you can reply to comments people post by clicking the little "reply" button each individual post, which will start a thread of comments all linking back to this original post. If you want to post something on a new topic, it's a good idea to start a new post, as you did here.

I may have to check out the Campion books, if they're comparable to the Wimsey books. I can never get enough of Lord Peter. (Except in the ghost-written Thrones, Dominions, which frankly stinks.)

[aged-crone.livejournal.com]

Oh, Thrones, Dominations was ****APPALLING*****. And I had such high hopes, since it was based partly on what Sayers had written, and the author who took over, whose name mercifully escapes me now, was a good author.

Leslie

[kilerkki.livejournal.com]

Dominations--thanks for the correction. Can you see how little I liked it, that I couldn't even be bothered to remember the correct title? ;) Actually, I don't believe I even finished the book.

[(Anonymous)]

Did you know there's a sequel to that? It's called A Presumption of Death. What bothered me about the books was that Lord Peter didn't sound like himself. And Bunter married? Oh please!

~does happy dance that there are other people who like Lord Peter Wimsey~

~Feir Dearig

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

The jealousy angle is interesting. I'd always thought Gen hated Nahuseresh because Gen blamed him for all the deaths in the war. But if you look at the part in QoA where Gen is chained around the neck and thinks about Attolia and Nahuseresh:

"So well suited to be a king, all he wanted was a kingdom, and he would condescend to take Attolia. Eugenides hated him."

That sounds more like jealousy, regarding both Irene and his desire to be king.

I liked Criss Cross very much. I found it sweet and gentle and very well-written. I was glad a book for older readers won. It's been awhile since I read it, but I have a vague memory of feeling that it did all come together for me at the end. Many feel that nothing actually happens in the book, but I felt it was like real life--no real beginnings or ends, just things happening and our growing because of our experiences. I agree with the honor books often being better than the medal book. And if The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane wins this year (I don't think it will) I may have to kill myself.

The other thing you might want to do, aged_crone, is learn to make an lj-cut in posts. That keeps it from taking up a lot of space on the main page, and those who want to read details can click on the link to read it all, or to comment. Instructions can be found here. (http://www.livejournal.com/support/faqbrowse.bml?faqid=75)

[jade-sabre-301.livejournal.com]

It's okay! I thought Gen was jealous too. I always thought that was the motivating force behind his hatred--he was jealous that the Mede was going to get Attolia, and he hated him for not caring about her, because he was protective. And he hated him because of the hand thing. But I think the Mede thing was very personal. Much more personal than about the hand thing. I think she only emphasizes the hand thing in that conversation because we don't know Gen loves Attolia yet.

I always liked that conversation. "And no, you are not supposed to feel indebted to that Mede bastard." *giggles* I love cranky!Gen.

It surprises me how many people didn't think that. Suddenly I feel special. ^_^

[peggy-2.livejournal.com]

Well said Jade!

[(Anonymous)]

Wow, I'm actually surprised by how many people are surprised by the jealousy thought. Eugenides has been watching Attolia, remember. He has therefore also been watching the Mede. I'm sure he already loathes the guy long before he's caught and chained. He's been watching him flirt with Attolia in that possessive, condescending way...ooh, just thinking about it makes me hate him, too.
Philia

[empmai.livejournal.com]

I always thought it was just the jealous thing before, I never even thought about it being political - which is a great point
Hmm, I think I'll just have to go back and read the books again and pay attentions to the politics rather than the love story

[emmaco.livejournal.com]

Welcome to LJ Leslie! I'm always in awe over the cleverness of the people in the Sounis community.

I loved the Sayers books so much that I even bought The Lord Peter Wimsey Companion, which is fandom at its geekiness. It lets you look up the literary and cultural references in the books.

I'm with Checkers on Criss Cross - I thought it was a lovely book and captured that summer holiday feeling very well.

[jyms.livejournal.com]

well i figured he was jealous. the new thing for me really was that the Mede by being *kind* caused his hand to be cut off. i have a very weird perspective on things.
and considering that Gen is mad cause he can't strangle Nahuseresh with one hand...i think he hates him a LOT.

[rain-ing.livejournal.com]

oh and wrt the friends lists,



when you click on anyone's profile, you will see this. click on the circled bit, and you would have befriended this person. :D