Cups and questions
I've been wanting to post for a whole month now, but got a little diverted by almost accidentally buying a house.
I took a bunch of notes on a recent re-read of QoA and KoA. Mostly I was looking for evidence about some pet questions and timeline info, but some of it might be interesting.
1. About Cups. I thought it would be cool to record every time cups seemed significantly mentioned so we could talk about what metaphors seem to be going on (like the cup/kingdom thing) and whether they are inter-book or intra-book or what. I have my QoA list, which I will put in a comment. It is probably not perfect, but a start. I think the KoA (still on sticky notes) and CofK (not even started) will be more fun.
2. Some questions from the re-read of QoA, in order of whether I think they've been discussed yet.
a) In Eddis and Attolia's conversation (on p. 307 in my paperback) after their armies join, before they remember Gen is still locked up, Attolia mentions that the Mede emperor chose his nephew as his heir over his son. Why? (Why'd he pass over his son, and why was it mentioned, and why is it going to matter?)
b) Around p. 121 when Eddis has been "caught" visiting her Thief at night and she is discussing how she doesn't worry too much about Therespides as a spy, she mentions more worrisome unknown spies who have revealed to Attolia their plans regarding the cannon. Do you feel like this was just mentioned so we could hear about the troop movements, or are these spies going to pop up again? And who could they be?
c) When Attolia can't sleep one night,(p.207) she thinks for a while, takes out the ruby earrings, flicks them around without touching them, and suddenly can go to sleep. I have always had trouble with this. What about the earrings makes her able to rest? My best guess is based on a later passage that says she was kept up at night wondering when she had stooped so low as to torture boys, and I guess the earrings reminded her that he was dangerous enough to get into her bed chamber and thus not an innocent boy in that sense, so her conscience could rest. But I do not feel sure about this. Anything else to back that up, or any better ideas?
d) When Eddis is talking to Gen after his day at the war hospital and they get into being pawns of the gods,(p.170 for me) they bring up Hiamathes's gift and its "properties" and each ponders them for a bit. I must be being really dense about this, but I have never really understood why. Please, help.
e) When Attolia balks at the whole temple to Hephestia thing, Eugenides says he had taken a vow that if he became king it would be built (345). I cannot find this vow. Can anyone find it? If not, do you think it was something he did formally in front of people before leaving Eddis, or a promise he made privately in a bargain-with-the-gods type way to be on his side?
And five questions is enough for one post. I will save the pot-stirrers for another day.
I took a bunch of notes on a recent re-read of QoA and KoA. Mostly I was looking for evidence about some pet questions and timeline info, but some of it might be interesting.
1. About Cups. I thought it would be cool to record every time cups seemed significantly mentioned so we could talk about what metaphors seem to be going on (like the cup/kingdom thing) and whether they are inter-book or intra-book or what. I have my QoA list, which I will put in a comment. It is probably not perfect, but a start. I think the KoA (still on sticky notes) and CofK (not even started) will be more fun.
2. Some questions from the re-read of QoA, in order of whether I think they've been discussed yet.
a) In Eddis and Attolia's conversation (on p. 307 in my paperback) after their armies join, before they remember Gen is still locked up, Attolia mentions that the Mede emperor chose his nephew as his heir over his son. Why? (Why'd he pass over his son, and why was it mentioned, and why is it going to matter?)
b) Around p. 121 when Eddis has been "caught" visiting her Thief at night and she is discussing how she doesn't worry too much about Therespides as a spy, she mentions more worrisome unknown spies who have revealed to Attolia their plans regarding the cannon. Do you feel like this was just mentioned so we could hear about the troop movements, or are these spies going to pop up again? And who could they be?
c) When Attolia can't sleep one night,(p.207) she thinks for a while, takes out the ruby earrings, flicks them around without touching them, and suddenly can go to sleep. I have always had trouble with this. What about the earrings makes her able to rest? My best guess is based on a later passage that says she was kept up at night wondering when she had stooped so low as to torture boys, and I guess the earrings reminded her that he was dangerous enough to get into her bed chamber and thus not an innocent boy in that sense, so her conscience could rest. But I do not feel sure about this. Anything else to back that up, or any better ideas?
d) When Eddis is talking to Gen after his day at the war hospital and they get into being pawns of the gods,(p.170 for me) they bring up Hiamathes's gift and its "properties" and each ponders them for a bit. I must be being really dense about this, but I have never really understood why. Please, help.
e) When Attolia balks at the whole temple to Hephestia thing, Eugenides says he had taken a vow that if he became king it would be built (345). I cannot find this vow. Can anyone find it? If not, do you think it was something he did formally in front of people before leaving Eddis, or a promise he made privately in a bargain-with-the-gods type way to be on his side?
And five questions is enough for one post. I will save the pot-stirrers for another day.