Moments of Doubt

[cyberskiver.livejournal.com]

I'm assuming that if you're here, you probably admire MWT's ingenious writing. However, there must have been moments when you wondered
a) what she was doing,
b) if she could pull it off,
c) if you would still like her books after such-and-such a plot twist,
d) all of the above.

I think this topic may have been mentioned before, but I thought it needed its own post.


For me, the one time she really had me worried was during the conversation between Eugenides and Agape in QoA. I was thinking, No, no, don't let Gen end up with her! She's too nice!

At that point, I didn't realize that Eugenides was in love with Attolia. I just knew that Agape was not the woman for someone like Eugenides.

This is possibly why I accepted Gen's later revelation right away. I thought, Oh. He's in love with Attolia. That's good.


So, people, any moments you'd like to share?

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

With both QoA and KoA, I spent many moments mentally yelling, "No! No! No!" at the books. Starting from -- obviously -- Gen losing his hand. Going on to Gen being in love with Attolia. Then wondering why I was supposed to be at all interested in some guy named Costis when what I really wanted to know was what that marriage was like. I think I've always had enough faith in the author to assume it was going to make sense eventually -- and of course now I see all these things as absolutely brilliant and THE ONLY WAY POSSIBLE.
As a (highly unsuccessful) writer myself, what I most admire in MWT's writing is her boldness. Cutting off the hand of your beloved trickster hero is bold. Having him fall in love with the woman who did it is bold. Writing a book where the reader doesn't quite know what's happening is bold. Putting your third book in a series largely in the PoV of a new character who doesn't know your hero is also bold. In fact, setting your book in a time and place that are sort of real but sort of not, just because you want it that way, is quite bold. And I LOVE that we don't know exactly how old anyone is, and tie ourselves in knots trying to figure it out. My kids' book critique group would have you believe that all books must state the main character's age in paragraph 1. MWT breaks all the stupid writing "rules" and I love her for it.
-Philia

[(Anonymous)]

Having said that, to return to topic, on the "what is she doing?" front, there is the magus. What is up with the extended "captivity"? I just know something is happening here (and wondering how Relius enters into it, now that he wants to contact the magus) but I can't see it.
-Philia

[ceecee44.livejournal.com]

When I first read the review of KoA, I was completely thrown off by the change of PoV. If it was not for my long lived love for MWT's writing, I wouldn't have picked up the book. But of course MWT pulls off the change of PoV miraculously. Also in TT, I was kind of worried when Eugenides turned out to be apart of the royal family, but it turned out to be same Gen as before.

[sandtree.livejournal.com]

I actually never really had one of those moments. I guess I'm a forgiving reader or something. XD I don't know. I love Eugenides as much as the next person, but I thought it was great when, for example, he got his hand cut off - plot wise, I mean. I love it when authors can put their characters through crazy stuff. I'm a writer, and I know it can be hard. Maybe I'm just insane, though.

[dannybailey.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that sums it up for me too. I love me some angst. :)

[(Anonymous)]

I don't know if it was so much as moment of doubt as a time of denial when she got off his hand. For awhile I tried to read it as if he didn't lose his hand, but alas, that's very unpractical.

I hated, hated it when Gen fell in love with Attolia. I was too young to get it, I guess, and it made me mad. I thought it was a whim because I hadn't seen it throughout the entire story. My mom, bless her, explained it to me eventaully.

I do wonder, though, if MWT knew all along when she writing The Thief that Gen was The Thief of Eddis, or if she thought that up sometime through a draft somehwere and decided it was all much cooler that way.

-Case

[yao590.livejournal.com]

I think she knew it, because there are too many clues implying that Gen was an Eddisian and he had a plan of his own. But I doubt that if she knew Gen will love/loves Attolia while she was writing The Thief.

[rowana.livejournal.com]

I think I remember asking her this, and she actually said that she didn't think of QoA until a while after 'The Thief' was published, when it won the Newbery award. It's interesting to look back on the scene with Irene in The Thief and know this. :)

But I agree, I think she knew about the ending of The Thief whilst writing it, because of all the clues and hints you mentioned. :)

[bluestalking.livejournal.com]

*Newbery honor ;)

[rowana.livejournal.com]

:D Whoops.

A Bit Slow On The Uptake

[bluestalking.livejournal.com]

I must admit that, though I can analyze literature with the best of them once I have read it, I have a personal dislike of speculation. I rarely have moments like this because I rarely think of the consequences of what is happening the first time I read something.

On the other hand, for this same reason, I did not understand what was going on in KoA until he starts being pretty obviously clever, and until Irene starts being pretty obviously in love. So the first third of KoA was a bit of a panic, since I couldn't understand why she would put him in such a horrible position.

That's what I get for listening to Costis's perspective. He's a nice sort of fellow, good at moving things, but a bit too literal sometimes.

[(Anonymous)]

I think this is why I dislike analyzing literature too (although I can do it when required). It's so much more fun just to go along with it. I remember spending the first few chapters of KoA wondering what the heck was going on because Eugenides was NOT acting like himself. Then I got farther into the book and realized that he was acting EXACTLY like himself and it made me happy. I suppose I idealistically wanted it to end "like a fireside story...the goddess of love waves her scepter and [they] all live happily ever after." Which is why I didn't expect a sequel to QoA and why I was so delighted I found out that KoA was coming out.

~Feir Dearig

[idiosyncreant.livejournal.com]

I'm holding out for answers about Sophos.