QUOTATIONS:
Quotation #1:
"He nodded. "Yes," he said. "I'm back.""
I like this particular quotation because, even though we know that Anton and Sophie will not be able to have children, and will not live as happily together as they wished they would, this shows the time in their lives when they didn't know what was in store for them, and were hopeful for the future. Anton appeared to have made a bounce back from his state of self pity, regret, and anger at what his role in the bomb, which he had to do soon if he did not want his marriage to end in an ugly fashion. Sophie appears to be happy during this scene, and although she knows she won't be able to have children, she believes she has her loving husband back, which is all she cares about for the moment. I like this quotation because it shows two people in love and together once again, despite the challenges they have faced, and the trials still ahead.
Quotation #2:
"We bought hotdogs and Mrs. Forrester showed me how to dress mine, all this without words, squeezing ketchup and spooning relish and sauerkraut, and when I bit into its centre she smiled and repositioned the bun lengthwise in my hands."
This quotation appeals to me because it depicts Emiko attempting to live a normal life, and Mrs. Forrester trying to help her, even in the smallest of ways. Eating a hotdog on a summer day may seem to us like nothing special, or out of the ordinary, but that's exactly why it would be important to Emiko: because it is ordinary. For someone scarred by the Atomic bomb, who no longer looks normal, or is treated normally by her own people, to be able to do something ordinary for a change would be a real treat I imagine. Any chance for her to catch a glimpse of a regular, unscarred life would be relished I imagine (pardon the pun). All the more so because the concept of a hotdog was clearly a new experience for Emiko. I also like this scene because it is rather amusing to picture somebody trying to eat a hotdog sideways!
Quotation #3:
"He watched for insects and matched what he saw in the air to a blue-winged olive he carried in his fly box, tied it to his tippet and stepped carefully into the river."
I particularly like this quoatation because it describes with fantastic accuracy one of my most favourite leisurely pursuits: fly-fishing. In this scene, Anton is fishing in a river near his home in Port Elizabeth, and Marlie, the girl who Anton helped when her leg was broken on the toboggan hill during the winter, comes across him in the river. He feels an overwhelming urge to introduce himself, and to ask how her leg is feeling. To me, that really conveys to the reader how human Anton is. I do, however, have a bone to pick with one detail of the fly-fishing description. When watching for bugs to determine what type of fly to use, you look at the bugs on the water's surface, not the bugs in the air. This is because those are the bugs that are easiest for the fish to get, and like everything else in life, if you make things easy for others (human or not), you're more likely to get a response! Especially as during the summer time, as Bock mentioned, the fish are sluggish and lazy, tending to stick to the bottom of the river or lake, where the water is calmer and cooler.
QUESTIONS:
Question #1: What is your experience with fly-fishing, and do you have any good spots to recommend?
Question #2: What inspired you to write about the atomic bomb as opposed to a less depressing subject?
Question #3: Is there a personal connection for you to any aspect of the book, or is your novel entirely based on events unrelated to your life?
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Blog #9 - The Weathermakers
Precis:
Chapter twenty of Tim Flannery's book The Weather Maker's is entitled "Boiling the Abyss", and begins with a very relevant quotation by Thomas Campbell: "Let us think of them that sleep; Full many a fathom deep ... ". The chapter goes on to explain the effects of global warming on the many wonderful and mysterious creatures that dwell in the oceans' depths. The results, needless to say, are not good.
Flannery explains that these creatures are as sensitive to temperature as we are to pressure. Early on, when they were caught and brought to the surface, they died. The cause of death was thought to be the pressure difference between their natural habitat at ours, however, when put in a bucket of icy water, they were fully revitalized within minutes. This proves that although they can survive at surface pressure, they can not survive in warmer temperatures. Even temperatures that would freeze us to death in minutes are fatally warm for these fish. This ability does have its pros and cons - Pro: we can catch them and keep them as ugly, fanged pets in bulletproof goldfish bowls ( ... or in museums). Minus: They all die if the water temperature goes up even a few degrees. Which it will do, as global temperatures continue to rise, and the polar ice caps, which circulate the supply of cold water around the world's oceans, melt.
It won't just be the swimming sea creatures that are harmed either. Shellfish will also get hammered if the ocean waters' CO2 content rises too far, which it is likely to do within the next hundred years or so. If the amount of CO2 in the water gets too high, the oceans will become acid, and the limited supply of carbonate, which acts as the oceans' buffer, will drop below the level at which crustaceans can use it to form their shells. At that point, the carbonate will be leached out of their shells and back into the oceans, making it impossible for these animals to maintain their protective covers. In a hundred years, we could see shell-less shellfish.
However, there is time, Flannery says. These events will take a hundred years or more to occur if we continue on at the pace we're going now. But it will happen. And if we don't do something about it, we may lose species of flora and fauna that are unknown to us at present. We may have already lost some. The oceans are the only place where we can still discover new creatures, and it's a bad idea to go about slowly destroying them just so we can have our human indulgences. We are the dominant species on our planet, and which means we must look after and care for all the other plants and animals, no matter how small. Like they say in the comics, with great power, comes great responsibility.
Questions:
1.) How can the average person help save the lives of stoplight loosejaws and hairy seadevils?
2.) How big a role in the ecosystem (global or local) do these deep sea creatures play?
3.) Is there a way we can undo the damage we've already done to the Earth, or are there only preventative measures that we can take at this point?
Chapter twenty of Tim Flannery's book The Weather Maker's is entitled "Boiling the Abyss", and begins with a very relevant quotation by Thomas Campbell: "Let us think of them that sleep; Full many a fathom deep ... ". The chapter goes on to explain the effects of global warming on the many wonderful and mysterious creatures that dwell in the oceans' depths. The results, needless to say, are not good.
Flannery explains that these creatures are as sensitive to temperature as we are to pressure. Early on, when they were caught and brought to the surface, they died. The cause of death was thought to be the pressure difference between their natural habitat at ours, however, when put in a bucket of icy water, they were fully revitalized within minutes. This proves that although they can survive at surface pressure, they can not survive in warmer temperatures. Even temperatures that would freeze us to death in minutes are fatally warm for these fish. This ability does have its pros and cons - Pro: we can catch them and keep them as ugly, fanged pets in bulletproof goldfish bowls ( ... or in museums). Minus: They all die if the water temperature goes up even a few degrees. Which it will do, as global temperatures continue to rise, and the polar ice caps, which circulate the supply of cold water around the world's oceans, melt.
It won't just be the swimming sea creatures that are harmed either. Shellfish will also get hammered if the ocean waters' CO2 content rises too far, which it is likely to do within the next hundred years or so. If the amount of CO2 in the water gets too high, the oceans will become acid, and the limited supply of carbonate, which acts as the oceans' buffer, will drop below the level at which crustaceans can use it to form their shells. At that point, the carbonate will be leached out of their shells and back into the oceans, making it impossible for these animals to maintain their protective covers. In a hundred years, we could see shell-less shellfish.
However, there is time, Flannery says. These events will take a hundred years or more to occur if we continue on at the pace we're going now. But it will happen. And if we don't do something about it, we may lose species of flora and fauna that are unknown to us at present. We may have already lost some. The oceans are the only place where we can still discover new creatures, and it's a bad idea to go about slowly destroying them just so we can have our human indulgences. We are the dominant species on our planet, and which means we must look after and care for all the other plants and animals, no matter how small. Like they say in the comics, with great power, comes great responsibility.
Questions:
1.) How can the average person help save the lives of stoplight loosejaws and hairy seadevils?
2.) How big a role in the ecosystem (global or local) do these deep sea creatures play?
3.) Is there a way we can undo the damage we've already done to the Earth, or are there only preventative measures that we can take at this point?
Monday, April 21, 2008
Blog #8: A Fan Letter to Joe Kertes
Dear Mr. Kertes,
What a fantastic book you've written! Characters, characters, characters everywhere you turn, and a story clearly told by one of the best; what more could a reader ask for?
Let me say that, although Holocaust books are pretty much never on the list of things I'm reading at any particular moment, having only read one or two others of that genre that I recall, yours did an unfortunately wonderful job of striking home the horrid events of that period. The plethora of characters found in your novel, each with their own intricate and detailed back story, are all masterfully cast towards thier respective fates, whether that be a life long bond with another, or a gaping hole left where someone has been taken. For character and story/plot in your book, Mr. Kertes, you earn an eleven out of ten.
However, there was one thing about your book that I didn't particularly like. You took a stellar three hundred to four hundred page book, and turned it into a good, but titanic five hundred page beast for a slow reader like me. In my opinion, you too often tended towards over-doing descriptions, and lengthened out characters' thoughts and reflections inordinately. Your choice of words was impecable, but there were just too many of them, I think. You might have avoided that bit of criticism if you were, say, Charles Dickens, but as you were neither attempting to imitate his style, nor receiving a per-word paycheck, I found that flaw in your novel an unnecessary and unfortunate drag to the story.
Having read your novel, I can definitely say I remembered why I don't read Holocaust books: I don't like feeling bad. It's just not a pleasant feeling to remember what we as humans are capable of doing, and have done. I'm certainly not saying we should try to ignore it and forget about it, as that would be nearly as bad as commiting the act itself. However, I am saying that given a choice, reading a book of this nature in my spare time would not be at the top of my list! I personally would have chosen something a little lighter in subject and perhaps a little easier on the Dickens-esque descriptions.
Having said all that, your book really wasn't as bad as I might have made it seem. I did quite thouroughly enjoy it, and popped out the back cover glad that I had read it. At the least, I can say that I've rekindled my desire not to read another Holocaust book for a very long time!
Best regards, and good luck with the next book. I hope it's as good as Gratitude.
Will Barton
What a fantastic book you've written! Characters, characters, characters everywhere you turn, and a story clearly told by one of the best; what more could a reader ask for?
Let me say that, although Holocaust books are pretty much never on the list of things I'm reading at any particular moment, having only read one or two others of that genre that I recall, yours did an unfortunately wonderful job of striking home the horrid events of that period. The plethora of characters found in your novel, each with their own intricate and detailed back story, are all masterfully cast towards thier respective fates, whether that be a life long bond with another, or a gaping hole left where someone has been taken. For character and story/plot in your book, Mr. Kertes, you earn an eleven out of ten.
However, there was one thing about your book that I didn't particularly like. You took a stellar three hundred to four hundred page book, and turned it into a good, but titanic five hundred page beast for a slow reader like me. In my opinion, you too often tended towards over-doing descriptions, and lengthened out characters' thoughts and reflections inordinately. Your choice of words was impecable, but there were just too many of them, I think. You might have avoided that bit of criticism if you were, say, Charles Dickens, but as you were neither attempting to imitate his style, nor receiving a per-word paycheck, I found that flaw in your novel an unnecessary and unfortunate drag to the story.
Having read your novel, I can definitely say I remembered why I don't read Holocaust books: I don't like feeling bad. It's just not a pleasant feeling to remember what we as humans are capable of doing, and have done. I'm certainly not saying we should try to ignore it and forget about it, as that would be nearly as bad as commiting the act itself. However, I am saying that given a choice, reading a book of this nature in my spare time would not be at the top of my list! I personally would have chosen something a little lighter in subject and perhaps a little easier on the Dickens-esque descriptions.
Having said all that, your book really wasn't as bad as I might have made it seem. I did quite thouroughly enjoy it, and popped out the back cover glad that I had read it. At the least, I can say that I've rekindled my desire not to read another Holocaust book for a very long time!
Best regards, and good luck with the next book. I hope it's as good as Gratitude.
Will Barton
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
BLOG# 7: Woman Novelist Blog - Break No Bones
PARAGRAPH #1:
In Kathy Reichs latest crime novel, Break No Bones, we follow forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan through a knot of Charleston murder investigations, at first seemingly unrelated, but which wind closer and closer together as the plot progresses. Reichs has an uncanny ability for making her characters believable. She has as firm a grasp on human manerisms, habits, and behaviour as is possible, and has used this to her full advantage in creating characters that seem more real to me than any others I have read about for a very long time.
One thing Reichs does, which I quite like, is giving certain characters nicknames, even if the name only sticks until you learn the person's real name. For example, the reporter Homer Winborne is introduced on the first page of the book as "Plankton," because he presents as having the IQ of plankton. Once you learn his name, however, he is usually referred to as Winborne, although Plankton is still thrown in occasionally to emphasize his plankton-like stubbornness and stupidity. Other examples of nicknames would be the dog Boyd being called "the chow", and the body found in a floating barrel earning the appropriate name "barrel lady".
Other things I liked about Reichs' writing were that she keeps her discriptions fairly short and to the point, and moves the book along at a brisk pace, while effectively using suspense to keep the reader hooked. Also, her use of often humourous and always intriguing "Charlestonian" or Southern slang words, such as Sheriff Gullet's "jigswiggered," which so confuses Ryan, makes the reading a little more fun.
Overall, Reichs' book was extremely enjoyable, and far preferable to watching an episode of CSI.
PARAGRAPH #2:
There is not much to dissappoint in Break No Bones. The puzzle-addicts will get their fix from the ever twisting plot, and intertwining murder cases, leaving you to wonder about what's going on in Charleston. Action lovers will be left satisfied by close calls with a gator, a devilish doctor, and a local developer's thugs, among others. Reichs' writing style lacks nothing except errors, and even enlightens the reader with her use of "good" words.
The only qualm I have about the book is that Emma died, as I never like to see best friends (or lovers, for that matter) be torn apart. However, if Emma lived, her entire sideplot would be rather useless, so it was probably best she was killed off ... for the greater good and all that!
PARAGRAPH #3:
"At noon we reconvened in the kitchen, and the mental cut and thrusts between the men started anew. Halfway through lunch, I'd had it.
'You two are acting like escapees from a school for the criminally immature.'
Two faces went puppy dog innocent.
'How about we all take a sabbatical. It's a holiday weekend, a time-out will be rejuvinating.' I couldn't believe I was saying this but the constant bickering was wearing on my nerves.
'Pete, go play another eighteen holes. Ryan, let's drive into town and ambush Emma for a day at the beach.'"
I particularly like this passage because it describes Ryan and Pete's arguing in a very original manner: criminally immature! Followed by the old "puppy-dog-face-cliché", it's a very effective depiction of the situation in the room, and of the silly things men will do for a woman's attention. And also, of course, of the woman catching out the two guys!
"'Jigswiggered?'
'You knew what he meant.'
Ryan pulled into traffic. For a Saturday afternoon, there was quite a bit. 'Is that a bad thing? To swigger a jig?'
'Under certain circumstances.'
'Or were plural jigs wiggered? Perhaps he really meant to swig a jigger.'
I punched Ryan's arm.
'That's an assault.'
'Arrest me.'"
I liked this quotation for two reasons: 1) The word "jigswiggered", and Ryan's witty comment on Gullet's word; 2) Reichs' accurate depiction of 'banter' between two lovers. This reflects her understanding of human manerisms and behaviour, as discussed earlier, and she came up with a fairly original and clever exchange. And most importantly, she gives me, the reader, a new line to use when MY girlfriend playfully punches me in the arm and I'm stuck for a comeback!
In Kathy Reichs latest crime novel, Break No Bones, we follow forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan through a knot of Charleston murder investigations, at first seemingly unrelated, but which wind closer and closer together as the plot progresses. Reichs has an uncanny ability for making her characters believable. She has as firm a grasp on human manerisms, habits, and behaviour as is possible, and has used this to her full advantage in creating characters that seem more real to me than any others I have read about for a very long time.
One thing Reichs does, which I quite like, is giving certain characters nicknames, even if the name only sticks until you learn the person's real name. For example, the reporter Homer Winborne is introduced on the first page of the book as "Plankton," because he presents as having the IQ of plankton. Once you learn his name, however, he is usually referred to as Winborne, although Plankton is still thrown in occasionally to emphasize his plankton-like stubbornness and stupidity. Other examples of nicknames would be the dog Boyd being called "the chow", and the body found in a floating barrel earning the appropriate name "barrel lady".
Other things I liked about Reichs' writing were that she keeps her discriptions fairly short and to the point, and moves the book along at a brisk pace, while effectively using suspense to keep the reader hooked. Also, her use of often humourous and always intriguing "Charlestonian" or Southern slang words, such as Sheriff Gullet's "jigswiggered," which so confuses Ryan, makes the reading a little more fun.
Overall, Reichs' book was extremely enjoyable, and far preferable to watching an episode of CSI.
PARAGRAPH #2:
There is not much to dissappoint in Break No Bones. The puzzle-addicts will get their fix from the ever twisting plot, and intertwining murder cases, leaving you to wonder about what's going on in Charleston. Action lovers will be left satisfied by close calls with a gator, a devilish doctor, and a local developer's thugs, among others. Reichs' writing style lacks nothing except errors, and even enlightens the reader with her use of "good" words.
The only qualm I have about the book is that Emma died, as I never like to see best friends (or lovers, for that matter) be torn apart. However, if Emma lived, her entire sideplot would be rather useless, so it was probably best she was killed off ... for the greater good and all that!
PARAGRAPH #3:
"At noon we reconvened in the kitchen, and the mental cut and thrusts between the men started anew. Halfway through lunch, I'd had it.
'You two are acting like escapees from a school for the criminally immature.'
Two faces went puppy dog innocent.
'How about we all take a sabbatical. It's a holiday weekend, a time-out will be rejuvinating.' I couldn't believe I was saying this but the constant bickering was wearing on my nerves.
'Pete, go play another eighteen holes. Ryan, let's drive into town and ambush Emma for a day at the beach.'"
I particularly like this passage because it describes Ryan and Pete's arguing in a very original manner: criminally immature! Followed by the old "puppy-dog-face-cliché", it's a very effective depiction of the situation in the room, and of the silly things men will do for a woman's attention. And also, of course, of the woman catching out the two guys!
"'Jigswiggered?'
'You knew what he meant.'
Ryan pulled into traffic. For a Saturday afternoon, there was quite a bit. 'Is that a bad thing? To swigger a jig?'
'Under certain circumstances.'
'Or were plural jigs wiggered? Perhaps he really meant to swig a jigger.'
I punched Ryan's arm.
'That's an assault.'
'Arrest me.'"
I liked this quotation for two reasons: 1) The word "jigswiggered", and Ryan's witty comment on Gullet's word; 2) Reichs' accurate depiction of 'banter' between two lovers. This reflects her understanding of human manerisms and behaviour, as discussed earlier, and she came up with a fairly original and clever exchange. And most importantly, she gives me, the reader, a new line to use when MY girlfriend playfully punches me in the arm and I'm stuck for a comeback!
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Blog #6 - A Fan Letter to the Author
Dear Philip Pullman,
I recently finished reading The Golden Compass, the first book in your famous trilogy. What a book! I almost couldn't put it back down on the coffee table where it lived. You've got such a unique writing style, and a real imagination to pull very colourful characters from.
Firstly, I like your idea of daemons. It's a very intriguing idea, for most people, to have an animal companion or soul mate that follows you everywhere, speaks to you, and knows your thoughts. And the fact that some of the main daemons in your book can change forms makes it even more fascinating. It's what every child really wants, is to have their very own pet lion or tiger or bear, and I'll admit, I think most adults wouldn't mind one occasionally either! So it really appeals to most people, as well as being a great way to add to or reveal some of the plot, help get characters out of tight situations, and give us more insight into what your characters are really like.
I also quite like the way that you invented words to fit your needs, but which made sense. I particularly liked Panserbjorne and Bolvangar. Panserbjorne conjures up the image of this living tank with claws, which makes sense, given the word Panser is most commonly heard with reference to the World War Two German tank divisions in North Africa. Bjorne sounds like bear, but also gives you an image of the far North, places like Norway. And Bolvangar, although it has no relation to any actual word that I know of (this is another clear demonstration of your powerful imagination), has this sound to it that emanates evil and malice. It doesn't sound like a nice place to be! Gyptian is also a very well crafted word, which produced an image of these characters for me somewhere in between Gypsies and Egyptians (although they ended up looking and sounding more like English farmhands for me!)
You write in a flowing, easy to read style that conveys your world and visions of the events within it very well. Not once did I have to reread a sentence to try and understand it. Perhaps that has more to do with it being a children's book, but if that's the case then I think children have a better idea of how to read than adults!
I look forward to continuing the trilogy, and already have a copy of the Subtle Knife sitting on the coffee table also.
All the best in the New Year,
Will Barton
I recently finished reading The Golden Compass, the first book in your famous trilogy. What a book! I almost couldn't put it back down on the coffee table where it lived. You've got such a unique writing style, and a real imagination to pull very colourful characters from.
Firstly, I like your idea of daemons. It's a very intriguing idea, for most people, to have an animal companion or soul mate that follows you everywhere, speaks to you, and knows your thoughts. And the fact that some of the main daemons in your book can change forms makes it even more fascinating. It's what every child really wants, is to have their very own pet lion or tiger or bear, and I'll admit, I think most adults wouldn't mind one occasionally either! So it really appeals to most people, as well as being a great way to add to or reveal some of the plot, help get characters out of tight situations, and give us more insight into what your characters are really like.
I also quite like the way that you invented words to fit your needs, but which made sense. I particularly liked Panserbjorne and Bolvangar. Panserbjorne conjures up the image of this living tank with claws, which makes sense, given the word Panser is most commonly heard with reference to the World War Two German tank divisions in North Africa. Bjorne sounds like bear, but also gives you an image of the far North, places like Norway. And Bolvangar, although it has no relation to any actual word that I know of (this is another clear demonstration of your powerful imagination), has this sound to it that emanates evil and malice. It doesn't sound like a nice place to be! Gyptian is also a very well crafted word, which produced an image of these characters for me somewhere in between Gypsies and Egyptians (although they ended up looking and sounding more like English farmhands for me!)
You write in a flowing, easy to read style that conveys your world and visions of the events within it very well. Not once did I have to reread a sentence to try and understand it. Perhaps that has more to do with it being a children's book, but if that's the case then I think children have a better idea of how to read than adults!
I look forward to continuing the trilogy, and already have a copy of the Subtle Knife sitting on the coffee table also.
All the best in the New Year,
Will Barton
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Blog #5 - Book of Choice: The Golden Compass
LYRA BELACQUA:
"Finally, and almost simultaneously, the children discovered what it was like to be drunk.
'Do they like like doing this?' asked Roger, after vomitting copiously.
'Yes,' said Lyra, in the same condition. 'And so do I,' she added stubbornly."
This quotation, taken from the part early in the story when Roger and Lyra venture into the Jordan College wine cellars, finds the two children sitting against the cellar wall in an inebriated state, amused by their daemons rapidly changing gargoylesque shapes. The author, Philip Pullman, reveals two traits about Lyra in these few lines: her intense curiosity, and her dearest wish to be grown up. She is so curious about why the grown ups like to drink wine that she convinces Roger to try it with her. The result was as one would expect when young children begin drinking well aged hooch, and Lyra is determined that if adults like this sensation, then she does too.
IOREK BYRNISON:
"'I must work till sunset,' he said. 'I gave my word this morning to the master here. I still owe a few minutes' work.'
'The sun's set where I am,' she pointed out, becuase from her point of view it had vanished behind the rocky headland to the southwest.
He dropped to all fours.
'It's true,' he said, with his face now in shadow like hers. 'What's your name, child?'
'Lyra Belacqua.'
'Then I owe you a debt, Lyra Belacqua,' he said."
One of Iorek Byrnison's traits that is shown in this particular quotation is his unfaltering sense of duty. Even though he has been told where his armour is being hidden, and he describes as being like a daemon for a bear, he still feels bound to work until his time is up, and finish the job that is expected of him. It also displays his sense of gratitude. He says he owes Lyra a debt when she shows him that by getting lower to the ground, the sun sets a few minutes earlier, and he can therefore leave work ealier in order to recover his armour from the priest's basement, which shows he is grateful for her help, as well as loyal.
LEE SCORESBY:
"Sitting on the bear's armour with one ankle resting on the opposite knee was the long-limbed for of Lee Scoresby, and in his hand was the longest pistol Lyra had ever seen, casually pointing at the ample stomach of the sysselman.
'Seems to me you ain't taken very good care of my friend's armour,' he said conversationally. Why, look at the rust! And I wouldn't be surprised to find moths in it, too. Now you just stand where you are, still and easy, and don't anybody move till the bear comes back with some lubrication. Or I guess you could all go home and read the newspaper. 'S up to you.'"
Revealed in this qoutation is not only Lee Scoresby's previous acquaintance with Iorek Byrnison, but also his loyalty to the bear, and his belief that the bear's armour and life, and the Gyptian expedition is worth fighting for. Scoresby is much like a bear in the sense that he is dutiful and loyal, but he also doubts, which a bear does not. Scoresby displays his loyalty, but he acknowledges his concern for his own well-being later on, while talking to the witch Serafina Pekkala. This concern, however, does not interfere with his dedication to getting the task at hand completed.
FARDER CORAM:
"'What's it do, Farder Coram?' said John Faa. 'And how do you read it?'"
This particular quotation shows that Farder Coram is very wise. To have the leader of the Gyptians put so much trust in you as to ask how a mysterious and unknown, possibley magical or dangerous device works, is clearly an indicator of your reliability and how trustworthy you are. It is mentioned later that Farder Coram has travelled all over the world, had many adventures and encounters with different groups and tribes of peoples, and is the wisest and most knowledable of the Gyptians. Following this quotation, Farder Coram explains what he knows about the aleithometer, which advances the plot and our knowledge of the so far alien truth machine.
MA COSTA:
"'Well, what have you done with him, you half-arsed pillock?'
It was a mighty voice, a woman's voice, but a woman with lungs of brass and leather. Lyra looked around for her at once, because this was Ma Costa, who had clouted Lyra dizzy on two occasions and given her hot gingerbread on three, and whose family was noted for the grandeur and sumptuousness of their boat."
Ma Costa, who we later find out was once Lyra's surrogate mother, is just and fair, as demonstrated by the part of this quotation that reads ".. this was Ma Costa, who had clouted Lyra on two occasions and given her hot gingerbread on three .." This shows that Ma Costa is capable of being impartial. The first line also indicates to us that she can have a temper on occasion, although this time it is understandable, as she is yelling at the man who was looking after her son, Billy, when he was taken by the Gobblers.
"Finally, and almost simultaneously, the children discovered what it was like to be drunk.
'Do they like like doing this?' asked Roger, after vomitting copiously.
'Yes,' said Lyra, in the same condition. 'And so do I,' she added stubbornly."
This quotation, taken from the part early in the story when Roger and Lyra venture into the Jordan College wine cellars, finds the two children sitting against the cellar wall in an inebriated state, amused by their daemons rapidly changing gargoylesque shapes. The author, Philip Pullman, reveals two traits about Lyra in these few lines: her intense curiosity, and her dearest wish to be grown up. She is so curious about why the grown ups like to drink wine that she convinces Roger to try it with her. The result was as one would expect when young children begin drinking well aged hooch, and Lyra is determined that if adults like this sensation, then she does too.
IOREK BYRNISON:
"'I must work till sunset,' he said. 'I gave my word this morning to the master here. I still owe a few minutes' work.'
'The sun's set where I am,' she pointed out, becuase from her point of view it had vanished behind the rocky headland to the southwest.
He dropped to all fours.
'It's true,' he said, with his face now in shadow like hers. 'What's your name, child?'
'Lyra Belacqua.'
'Then I owe you a debt, Lyra Belacqua,' he said."
One of Iorek Byrnison's traits that is shown in this particular quotation is his unfaltering sense of duty. Even though he has been told where his armour is being hidden, and he describes as being like a daemon for a bear, he still feels bound to work until his time is up, and finish the job that is expected of him. It also displays his sense of gratitude. He says he owes Lyra a debt when she shows him that by getting lower to the ground, the sun sets a few minutes earlier, and he can therefore leave work ealier in order to recover his armour from the priest's basement, which shows he is grateful for her help, as well as loyal.
LEE SCORESBY:
"Sitting on the bear's armour with one ankle resting on the opposite knee was the long-limbed for of Lee Scoresby, and in his hand was the longest pistol Lyra had ever seen, casually pointing at the ample stomach of the sysselman.
'Seems to me you ain't taken very good care of my friend's armour,' he said conversationally. Why, look at the rust! And I wouldn't be surprised to find moths in it, too. Now you just stand where you are, still and easy, and don't anybody move till the bear comes back with some lubrication. Or I guess you could all go home and read the newspaper. 'S up to you.'"
Revealed in this qoutation is not only Lee Scoresby's previous acquaintance with Iorek Byrnison, but also his loyalty to the bear, and his belief that the bear's armour and life, and the Gyptian expedition is worth fighting for. Scoresby is much like a bear in the sense that he is dutiful and loyal, but he also doubts, which a bear does not. Scoresby displays his loyalty, but he acknowledges his concern for his own well-being later on, while talking to the witch Serafina Pekkala. This concern, however, does not interfere with his dedication to getting the task at hand completed.
FARDER CORAM:
"'What's it do, Farder Coram?' said John Faa. 'And how do you read it?'"
This particular quotation shows that Farder Coram is very wise. To have the leader of the Gyptians put so much trust in you as to ask how a mysterious and unknown, possibley magical or dangerous device works, is clearly an indicator of your reliability and how trustworthy you are. It is mentioned later that Farder Coram has travelled all over the world, had many adventures and encounters with different groups and tribes of peoples, and is the wisest and most knowledable of the Gyptians. Following this quotation, Farder Coram explains what he knows about the aleithometer, which advances the plot and our knowledge of the so far alien truth machine.
MA COSTA:
"'Well, what have you done with him, you half-arsed pillock?'
It was a mighty voice, a woman's voice, but a woman with lungs of brass and leather. Lyra looked around for her at once, because this was Ma Costa, who had clouted Lyra dizzy on two occasions and given her hot gingerbread on three, and whose family was noted for the grandeur and sumptuousness of their boat."
Ma Costa, who we later find out was once Lyra's surrogate mother, is just and fair, as demonstrated by the part of this quotation that reads ".. this was Ma Costa, who had clouted Lyra on two occasions and given her hot gingerbread on three .." This shows that Ma Costa is capable of being impartial. The first line also indicates to us that she can have a temper on occasion, although this time it is understandable, as she is yelling at the man who was looking after her son, Billy, when he was taken by the Gobblers.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
In the Place of Last Things: Excerpts
RUSS LITTLEBURY:
"'You move your weight right out the door and we'll have our chat outside, but you put this in gear and it's auto theft.'
'Just answer me.'
'Go on, get out.'
Russ shifted into reverse and backed out.
'You stupid sonofabitch.'
The street ahead sat down between unbroken banks of exhaust plumes, human shadowfigures ghostly and dumbshow. He eased into motion and then accelerated. For two blocks Bedham spat out stale imprecations until Russ levelled out for the first clear intersection and locked up, spinning the both of them a full panoramic of the town and laying them up against a curb.
'Now you're a dead man,' said Bedham.
Russ reached for the gearshift."
This quotation shows that Russ is rather forceful. He will go to whatever means he thinks necesarry to get what he wants done, even if it involves violence. In this particular excerpt, Russ essentially car-jacks the tombstone engraver's truck, and takes him for a very literal spin. This is his way of intimidating Bedham, the engraver, into telling him why the name Richard Owen MacDonald is engraved on the back of Mike's tombstone. Russ, although forceful and violent, had a great sense of duty towards his father in his final time, and wanted his funeral to be special. Having another name on the back of your tombstone doesn't exactly make your burial place a place special to you, and so Russ was unhappy with that.
JACK MARKS:
"Jack took me to the rodeo today. August 3rd. He bought me a Bailey hat and showed me how to wear the brim. We were watching the bullriders and a man behind us was making fun of one of the clowns, he was pretty loud and mean, and when Jack turned around to say something he just turned back and took me buy the arm and made us leave. It took awhile before he'd tell me what happened but he said there was too much past in his life for it not to come back at him, sometimes the same, sometimes with different faces. The people he met were never really new, just old souls returned, even his own old souls."
This excerpt is from Lea's diary describing an outing she took with Jack Marks before he ran off. The events in this particular quotation show that Jack has no inhibitions about lying to Lea (or to anyone else ). He clearly knew the man behind them from some of his former (possibley illegal) dealings, and since we find out Jack is a fairly sketchy guy, it wouldn't be a surprise if Jack owed this man money or was in some way in trouble with him. Jack likely needed to leave the rodeo before the man found out who he was, and he couldn't leave without Lea, so he fabricated a story related to his "experience" with God to get Lea to come along with him.
TARA HARDING:
"She asked him to haul up her briefcase from the back seat.
'Open the back zipper pocket.'
He did so and withdrew a ten-by-twelve sheet with a colour image of a young smiling couple seated on a plaid couch. The man's plastic frames, tinted lenses, and the woman's blue bell-bottoms dated them in the seventies. Her brown hair, parted in the middle, fell to either side of her bright face. The man's hair was combed back, not especially long. Because he was smiling Russ almost didn't recognize him.
'I take it you wouldn't have this if there wasn't a bad ending to their story.'"
This quotation is from the later part of the book, when Russ and Tara meet in Vancouver. The picture is an old photgraph of John and Beth Overstreet. Tara has been obsessed with John, and then Beth, and now Beth's father William for longer than she's known Russ: more than a year. This shows that Tara holds on to the things she believes in, to the point where it could be considered an obsession. She finds it hard that Russ doesn't like that she does this, but in the end doesn't particularly care what he says. She does what she wants anyways.
LEA BOLLINS:
"He pointed to the sky and looked up, then stepped forward.
When he performed the little affirmation she had taught him, Lea wanted to scream and almost got out of the car, but a part of her wanted to watch, wanted to believe she couldn't change his course any more than she could that of a character in a movie. The Lord was guiding this and she must trust in Him. He had put the two of them together. The Lord had chosen for her deliverance and protection this manboy, and though maybe it was hard to see him getting a lot of respect, in scripture it said you who make yourself like a child will be greatest in the kingdom of Heaven."
This excerpt is taken from the middle part of the book, when Skidder brings Lea with him to retrieve Mr. Bickles' ashes. She doesn't particularly want Skidder to commit a crime, but because he says a a prayer and a little affirmation, she thinks it is the work of God that he should do this. She feels that everything is guiding by God, or is the Will of God, and this makes her very gullible, and easily persuaded or deceived.
MIKE LITTLEBURY:
"When they headed out on the road again, they talked about Mike and how hard it was to read his condition, which in spite of having stopped treatments hadn't seemed to have changed much since Christmas."
This quotation is from the period in the book when Russ is driving Jean down to her place in Tucson. They inevitably start to talk about Mike, and his sickness. The fact that Mike has stopped treatment but has not worsened in condition is a sign that he is very strong mentally and emotionally. He is able to maintain his health for a while anyways just by taking his pills and by imagining his tumour getting smaller and smaller everyday. He will eventually die, however, and he is willing to accept this, as he is very religous, and is at peace with the idea of dying.
"'You move your weight right out the door and we'll have our chat outside, but you put this in gear and it's auto theft.'
'Just answer me.'
'Go on, get out.'
Russ shifted into reverse and backed out.
'You stupid sonofabitch.'
The street ahead sat down between unbroken banks of exhaust plumes, human shadowfigures ghostly and dumbshow. He eased into motion and then accelerated. For two blocks Bedham spat out stale imprecations until Russ levelled out for the first clear intersection and locked up, spinning the both of them a full panoramic of the town and laying them up against a curb.
'Now you're a dead man,' said Bedham.
Russ reached for the gearshift."
This quotation shows that Russ is rather forceful. He will go to whatever means he thinks necesarry to get what he wants done, even if it involves violence. In this particular excerpt, Russ essentially car-jacks the tombstone engraver's truck, and takes him for a very literal spin. This is his way of intimidating Bedham, the engraver, into telling him why the name Richard Owen MacDonald is engraved on the back of Mike's tombstone. Russ, although forceful and violent, had a great sense of duty towards his father in his final time, and wanted his funeral to be special. Having another name on the back of your tombstone doesn't exactly make your burial place a place special to you, and so Russ was unhappy with that.
JACK MARKS:
"Jack took me to the rodeo today. August 3rd. He bought me a Bailey hat and showed me how to wear the brim. We were watching the bullriders and a man behind us was making fun of one of the clowns, he was pretty loud and mean, and when Jack turned around to say something he just turned back and took me buy the arm and made us leave. It took awhile before he'd tell me what happened but he said there was too much past in his life for it not to come back at him, sometimes the same, sometimes with different faces. The people he met were never really new, just old souls returned, even his own old souls."
This excerpt is from Lea's diary describing an outing she took with Jack Marks before he ran off. The events in this particular quotation show that Jack has no inhibitions about lying to Lea (or to anyone else ). He clearly knew the man behind them from some of his former (possibley illegal) dealings, and since we find out Jack is a fairly sketchy guy, it wouldn't be a surprise if Jack owed this man money or was in some way in trouble with him. Jack likely needed to leave the rodeo before the man found out who he was, and he couldn't leave without Lea, so he fabricated a story related to his "experience" with God to get Lea to come along with him.
TARA HARDING:
"She asked him to haul up her briefcase from the back seat.
'Open the back zipper pocket.'
He did so and withdrew a ten-by-twelve sheet with a colour image of a young smiling couple seated on a plaid couch. The man's plastic frames, tinted lenses, and the woman's blue bell-bottoms dated them in the seventies. Her brown hair, parted in the middle, fell to either side of her bright face. The man's hair was combed back, not especially long. Because he was smiling Russ almost didn't recognize him.
'I take it you wouldn't have this if there wasn't a bad ending to their story.'"
This quotation is from the later part of the book, when Russ and Tara meet in Vancouver. The picture is an old photgraph of John and Beth Overstreet. Tara has been obsessed with John, and then Beth, and now Beth's father William for longer than she's known Russ: more than a year. This shows that Tara holds on to the things she believes in, to the point where it could be considered an obsession. She finds it hard that Russ doesn't like that she does this, but in the end doesn't particularly care what he says. She does what she wants anyways.
LEA BOLLINS:
"He pointed to the sky and looked up, then stepped forward.
When he performed the little affirmation she had taught him, Lea wanted to scream and almost got out of the car, but a part of her wanted to watch, wanted to believe she couldn't change his course any more than she could that of a character in a movie. The Lord was guiding this and she must trust in Him. He had put the two of them together. The Lord had chosen for her deliverance and protection this manboy, and though maybe it was hard to see him getting a lot of respect, in scripture it said you who make yourself like a child will be greatest in the kingdom of Heaven."
This excerpt is taken from the middle part of the book, when Skidder brings Lea with him to retrieve Mr. Bickles' ashes. She doesn't particularly want Skidder to commit a crime, but because he says a a prayer and a little affirmation, she thinks it is the work of God that he should do this. She feels that everything is guiding by God, or is the Will of God, and this makes her very gullible, and easily persuaded or deceived.
MIKE LITTLEBURY:
"When they headed out on the road again, they talked about Mike and how hard it was to read his condition, which in spite of having stopped treatments hadn't seemed to have changed much since Christmas."
This quotation is from the period in the book when Russ is driving Jean down to her place in Tucson. They inevitably start to talk about Mike, and his sickness. The fact that Mike has stopped treatment but has not worsened in condition is a sign that he is very strong mentally and emotionally. He is able to maintain his health for a while anyways just by taking his pills and by imagining his tumour getting smaller and smaller everyday. He will eventually die, however, and he is willing to accept this, as he is very religous, and is at peace with the idea of dying.
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