Gaudy Night: chapters 7 & 8

[kalichan]

I am so sorry to be so late and no excuse to offer. *hides face in shame* Mea culpa, as Saint George says when he spills the pastries.

Chapters:  7 & 8

Brief synopsis: Harriet the Ghost Hunter spends a goodly amount of time in the library following the model of many scholars of my acquaintance catching up on sleep researching Sheridan Lefanu and

Comments

[ibmiller]

I think Saint George is one of Sayer's cleverest ways of keeping Peter present without him actually being there embracing Harriet outside under trees...wait, hang on. Yes, but his resemblence in body and speech, and the way he brings contact with Peter through letters comes through smoothly and yet completely conveniently. The first time I read the book, I had the same kind of heart-in-throat feeling as Harriet, thinking it was actually Peter

[azdak]

I think Saint George is one of Sayer's cleverest ways of keeping Peter present without him actually being there

He's also very clever way of finessing Peter from amiable-but-slightly-foolish-looking middle aged man to to sex god nonpareil, whose pheremones set the SRC aflutter (and, in BH, apparently half the elderly ladies of London), so that when the Dean says of St George "He's even more decorative than the other one" the readership doesn't go "Huh? Peter? Decorative? Since when?" It's a very clever sleight of hand.

[ibmiller]

Hmmm, I never thought of Peter as being particularly unattractive (see: Have His Carcase - swimsuit edition...er, I mean, objective analysis of bodily features not at all looking at bums...) But Saint George (and Reggie) does rather help in another direction by pointing out that the body isn't much help when the mind and soul aren't up to snuff (or getting there, as Peter has been trying to achieve).

[littlered2]

and, in BH, apparently half the elderly ladies of London

One of whom being, as we learn in Thrones, Dominations, his own godmother, which I can't help but feel a bit uneasy about (although I don't know whether the Countess as Peter's godmother was in DLS's draft or is an invention by Jill Paton Walsh, so it's arguable as to whether or not it was intended).

[ibmiller]

I thought that the whole godmother panting after Peter was seen first in BH's letters section at the beginning?

[littlered2]

We see her doing the panting-after-Peter thing at the beginning of BH, yes, but isn't it only in TD that we find out she's Peter's godmother?

[ibmiller]

Checking, checking, yup, you're right. Anyone who's been up to Wheaton and seen the bally manuscript care to weigh in?

[nineveh_uk]

The Dean does work in academia - Peter probably counts as good-looking simply on the grounds that there's no egg in his beard and no mysterious stains all over his jacket.

[azdak]

Dr Threep is immaculately clean but no one fancies him.

[penguineggs]

Someone clearly did - doesn't he have a dozen children?

[azdak]

True. Though his wife may just have been doing her duty to the Race.

[ibmiller]

I have the irresistable urge to be like Sherlock Holmes and offhandedly remark that "Mrs. Threep has clearly ceased to love her husband, as she lets him go out to dinner in a shirt-front that does not fit, and furthermore makes amatory popping noises..."