Tigana - Chapter 3
Tigana - Chapter 3
My comments seem arid, in view of the material. As I reread I am mesmerized by Guy Kay's words: and not the words themselves, but their cadences, their beauty, the sense that they mean more than they say but the different levels are dancing around elusively, like music in counterpoint that you can only partly hear.
Devin is nervous about his performance at the Duke's funeral. He follows Catriana through the palace, where she hides him in a secret closet and has (quiet) sex with him, presumably to distract him from the conversation in the outer room, between three men. Afterwards, he successfully sings the death lament.
Named Characters:
- Devin, the singer with Menico's troupe (and our viewpoint)
- Aldine and Nieri, the dancers
- Eghano, the drummer
- Catriana, the other singer
- Taeri, one of the conspirators, who mentions someone named Gianno
(1) Interesting that Albertico is decribed in the first line as 'cautious'.
(2) I like the irony/humour that Astibar is known for asceticism but most of what we have seen of it involves drinking.
(3) I liked Edhano's philosophy: "We do what we always do. We make music. We move on."
(4) I like the use of dance to impose gravity. I also like the sense that this troupe is good - not just going through motions or in training, but really superbly expert. You'd have to be first-class to be part of it.
(5) Catriana seems to change character three or four times in this chapter: by turns practical, sexual, standoffish and shy. We re reminded that she is from Astibar, so may have political or familial interests in Astibaran politics.
Come to think of it, she reminds me of the description of Astibar we had above: ascetic, despite giving the impression of being otherwise. A facade that is one thing and a reality which is another, though we can't tell which is which.
(6) I don't think Alessan is even mentioned in this chapter. We are reminded of Alberico, but not Brandin.
(7) I had the sense of the Palace of Astibar as dwarfing the people within - many corridors, staircased, arched chambers, massive fireplaces, and so on. (Like the Medici palaces?) Perhaps a metaphor for the way the politics are bigger than the individuals?
(8) The sense of peformer's anxiety before a show seemed very real.