Random KoA observation

[cherryblosomjen.livejournal.com]

I'm always finding neat points I want to discuss with you all, but am so greedy to keep reading that I forget all about them. Anyway, I'm trying to change that.

emerald_happy 's icon, made me pick up something I hadn't noticed in previous readings of KOA.

The scene I'm thinking of take place as DIte is leaving the king's chamber, flabbergasted at being given the opportunity to pursue his dream as a musician in Ferria. (p. 238 of Hardcover edition)

The king says, "You need to be on a ship by nightfall."

"I will be," Dite assures him. Then, after noting the screen where he knows the queen is concealing herself, Dite looks back at the king. Taking his leave, with a bow and smile, Dite says, "Be blessed in your endeavors."

The King chuckles and says, "Goodbye, Dite."

I thought was neat (and fitting) that Dite chose to honor Eugenides by using the Eddisian thank you (which we first heard Gen use with Pol in The Thief), as his last words to the king. Especially in light of how he had formerly tried to embarrass him using the Eddisian dances. It reiterates the extent that Dite's view of Gen has changed.

You all probably got that on the first reading, but I barely caught in on my (what is this this now, fifth?) most recent read through.

Comments

[dannybailey.livejournal.com]

*claps* Yay! I loved that part as well.

My absolute favorite aspect of the entire series is that I can go back again and again and reread and still pick up things that I never realized before. It's as though every time I'm reading it I get a totally new experience. :)

[avian-xj.livejournal.com]

I love that scene :) I think Gen and Dite would work well together if thrown together under some circumstances. They just might have to keep Attolia away :P

[karatelunch.livejournal.com]

I just caught that while reading yesterday! It's my second time; I'm learning to breathe through my attacks of SQUEE instead of spazzing out and throwing the book across the room.

[hershey-fan.livejournal.com]

I didn't catch that until you mentioned it. Interesting how the Attolians know a lot about Eddisians (apparently) - like with the thank you - but I don't see them often connecting that knowledge to Gen. Of course, they're not trying to make his life any easier. I love that the Attolians consistently underestimate him, but I find myself getting emotionally involved - thinking that Gen's the underdog. Of all things, he's probably the last person to need pitying.

Also,like dannybailey wrote, I love that as I read through the books over and over again, I keep picking up new things. Great writing!

[cherryblosomjen.livejournal.com]

Hey Danny. :)

Yeah, I love how fresh every reread feels.

BTW, how's your fic site going? Working on anything new?

[cherryblosomjen.livejournal.com]

Lol. On my initial read, it took great effort to like Dite. I found Gen to be so much more forgiving than myself, but was able to appreciate Dite more on the second and third read through.

Sejanus, on the other hand, I continue to despise. He's up there with that slimy Mede (whose name I won't even try to spell from memory).

So yeah, if Gen were to decide to pay Dite a visit in Ferria, I would be happy to go along for the adventure. :)

[cherryblosomjen.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I'm glad to have pointed it out then. I sit and seethe as I read people picking on Gen, while simultaneosly smirking because I now he's got the upper hand. It's a neat set of conflicting emotions.

Hershey, I noticed that on your blog you mentioned that you introduced KOA to your bookclub. What did they end up thinking?

[cherryblosomjen.livejournal.com]

Lol, I know what you mean about spazzing out. A part of me wants to reread QoA. But the other part of me knows the emotional rollercoaster it puts me through.

It's staring at me from the table -- so tempting. I don't know if I'm in the frame of mind to see Gen suffer. His depression is so real, it gets me down.

So, yeah, I'm a spaz too...

[emerald-happy.livejournal.com]

I adore that moment when Dite says "Be blessed in your endeavors". It gives me a warm fuzzy feeling to know Dite and Gen truly get along well. I've caught myself saying it as a thank you without realising it and getting strange looks when I burst out laughing a moment later.

The bookclub

[hershey-fan.livejournal.com]

Cherryblosomjen, I just posted this reply to an identical question from Rowana, so if you see it twice...
My bookclub really enjoyed it. In fact, two of the four went and read QoA. I think one of the girls even read it twice! Another asked for my copy of QofA, which I still have not received back...I think she liked it :-) Oh, one thing about the bookclub: the members who read the QoA said it helped fill in the background for them - gave them a clearer starting picture for Gen. I would have recommended reading that one, but KoA is my favourite and I was afraid it would never be read if we read QoA first...turns out I didn't need to worry about that:-) We discussed Gen A LOT at the meeting. So many of the scenes that I loved, they did too. It's great being in a room with that much love of literature floating around! I was excited to see how the book seemed to capture people. You know how it is when you absolutely love a book, and recommend it to everyone, but then you're not sure if they'll really like it or if it's as good as you thought it was? Well, whenever I recommend MWT's books to anyone, they respond just as passionately as I did initially (and, incidentally, still do). I read The Thief to my class at school and they loved it so much they wrote MWT letters asking whether there was a movie. Considering how much is written on this site about that, I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but it was gratifying to see how much they loved it.

Re: The bookclub

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

I'm curious. What did the bookclub say when they found out, about 40 pages into King, that Eugenides had lost his hand by his wife having it cut off?

[cherryblosomjen.livejournal.com]

There's that cute little icon again! :)

[emerald-happy.livejournal.com]

heehee *offers cookies* They are the same ones Gen is eating.

Re: The bookclub

[hershey-fan.livejournal.com]

Checkers,
This was a while ago! But if I remember correctly, they were suitably stunned, appalled, and blown away. I remember feeling quite satisfied that they really 'got' Gen and the character dynamics in KoA. It was definitely gratifying; I felt justified in being so completely enamoured with a book :-)

weird question

[scottykarrde.livejournal.com]

Btw, call me an idiot, but I never figured out what happened in the maze. what did Gen tell
Dite in the maze that so turned Dite around as a supporter of the king's?

I loved that final Eddisian goodbye. it took me a second to catch on (but then, I only 'caught on" to the first time the phrase was mentioned in Thief by second or third reading. go figure.)