Lots of great quotes in your response! I appreciate you trying to answer in the context of the first book only, as I’m sure some more insight will come with the next books. Much of what Lymond does to Richard (well, and vice versa) could reasonably be described as 'spite' because intense sibling rivalry is very much a factor here”
“I think Lymond does let the 'villain' portrait stand because he doesn't know if he can clear his name…he's unwilling to accept anything less than complete absolution.”
“He's portrayed as a nihilist, so it doesn't matter what anyone thinks about him or what he does because so far he's been a victim in some fairly catastrophic ways.”
Lymond does seem like an “all or nothing” kind of person.
I fully agree that Richard’s suspicion of Lymond would have hurt Lymond deeply, so he acts like, “you think I’m the black sheep of the family? Just watch to see how far I’ll go”. All the while knowing that his actions aren’t attributed to his family because of their public enmity. Perhaps that’s why Sybilla didn’t interfere in an obvious way. Though the book wasn’t clear to me what the repercussions would be to Lymond’s family if they were fully reconciled to him. I got the idea that Lymond was trying to help the Scotts without the Scotts knowing it, so that the English could pin a lot on himself. A martyr complex, perhaps?
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Date: 7/7/17 10:01 pm (UTC)Much of what Lymond does to Richard (well, and vice versa) could reasonably be described as 'spite' because intense sibling rivalry is very much a factor here”
“I think Lymond does let the 'villain' portrait stand because he doesn't know if he can clear his name…he's unwilling to accept anything less than complete absolution.”
“He's portrayed as a nihilist, so it doesn't matter what anyone thinks about him or what he does because so far he's been a victim in some fairly catastrophic ways.”
Lymond does seem like an “all or nothing” kind of person.
I fully agree that Richard’s suspicion of Lymond would have hurt Lymond deeply, so he acts like, “you think I’m the black sheep of the family? Just watch to see how far I’ll go”. All the while knowing that his actions aren’t attributed to his family because of their public enmity. Perhaps that’s why Sybilla didn’t interfere in an obvious way. Though the book wasn’t clear to me what the repercussions would be to Lymond’s family if they were fully reconciled to him. I got the idea that Lymond was trying to help the Scotts without the Scotts knowing it, so that the English could pin a lot on himself. A martyr complex, perhaps?