Two links and a book review, or: a tale of (wrong) perceptions
Today is Elementary day, and here is a good meta post about Joan Watson, complete with lovely illustrations. :
In other news, during the last months I've taken part in a discussion about Mary Renault's The Charioteer - our discussion posts by chapters are here - which on that occasion I had read for the first time. (My previous Renaults were all ( Read more... )
In other news, during the last months I've taken part in a discussion about Mary Renault's The Charioteer - our discussion posts by chapters are here - which on that occasion I had read for the first time. (My previous Renaults were all ( Read more... )
The big climax and denouement is the biggest collection of ridiculous circumstances that could have been avoided by one direct conversation since Jago used a hankerchief to prove adultery in Othello.
Ha! True, although it took me a minute to realize that "Jago" must be the German spelling for "Iago". (I was actually trying to remember a character named Jago in Othello before I caught on.) On the other hand, I once wrote a paper about Iago being an personification of the Devil, not tempting people to do things that are inherently out of character for them but making people actually behave more like themselves, telling them what they already believe to be the truth, even when it isn't; it's what they want to believe, so they do. (The Devil as a character in Italian fairy tales is very common, and Shakespeare did something similar when he retold tales that were originally Italian, without naming one of his characters "the Devil" in so many words.)
one main reason why I can't ship anyone in this novel is that the only combination I could warm up to is Laurie/THERAPY.
That would have made me laugh out loud, but I was stifling my laughter because my daughter is beside me, watching an X-Files episode that is fairly grim (though many of them are actually quite funny).
This is a Renault I haven't read, though it sounds interesting (I don't mind being spoiled). Is there anything you can say about the reason for the title being The Charioteer? (I always assumed it was another novel taking place in classical times due to the title.)
Also--Rebecca as a great love story? Um, sure. And Mrs. Danvers' secret ambition was to be Rita Hayworth. ;)
(duMaurier also wrote a Return-of-Martin-Guerre-type book called The Scapegoat, which is no less creepy than Rebecca, though not as well-written. But I still think my favorite treatment of this plot is the one they did on the Simpsons.)
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Sorry about the automatic German spelling for That Guy From Othello. :)
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