Well, I'll ask the 100 dollar question then: was the marriage at the end of the book out of love, and if so - love for whom?
Printable View
Well, I'll ask the 100 dollar question then: was the marriage at the end of the book out of love, and if so - love for whom?
It seems a bit hard to envision that Gen and Roxane suddenly discovered that they were in love with each other, though who knows what could have happened during the time after they were "rescued."Quote:
Originally Posted by Sancho
But it seems more likely to me that they are brought together in the shared grief of what they could not have, or who they could not have.
In a way I do think they had married for love, though I am not sure if it was necessarily out of love for each other, at least I do not think they truly had a passionate, romantic love for each other, but through being with each other they could be close to those they could no longer be with.
Perhaps in being together they can give each other hope, they were I think bonded together by what happened, and in each other they can keep those memories, and hold that moment.
In a way I think it is kind of symbolic that she would be with Gen, as considering that just about every other man in the room had been in love with her, and he was the voice of them all, and yet he had trouble finding his own voice. Perhaps Gen's marriage to Roaxne is the love that they all had for her, and the way in which she bonded them together. Maybe Gen is the proxy for this sort of universal love.
My biggest qualm with the ending is it cuts Carmen out of it completely. The focus shifts the to importance of Mr. Hosokawa (as seen in the final marriage) but Carmen barely gets a thought.
I did not quite get that impression. Gen questions Simon as to wheather or not anything was said of Carmen in the new papers of France, and Simon's own last thoughts at the end of the book are of Carmen.Quote:
Originally Posted by Charles Darnay
I enjoyed it for the most part, though I thought it got quite slow at parts and when the romance kicked up a notch I lost a lot of interest--love stories aren't really my thing. That being said, I was quite sad as the terrorists were gunned down, especially Hosokawa, Carmen (of course), but also Ishmael.
My favorite aspect of the novel was how much music, and the power of music to impact people's lives, played a role in the narrative. I often found myself YouTubing the varies arias and pieces mentioned and listening to them as I read. It made of an interesting and unique reading experience. I also liked how the love story really reflected how a lot of opera tragedies go--I can practically see the two lovers, Roxane and Gen, powerfully singing to the heavens as the weep of the corpses of their lovers. In an interview at the end of the edition I read, Pratchett said the melodrama sprinkled throughout the novel was intentional because she wanted that sort of opera feel for the novel.
As for Messner, I think he represented futility. In the grand scheme of things, he accomplished nothing. He completely failed, actually, and he rarely indicated that he really cared. To me he represented the apathy and futility of humanity.
One thing I didn't get: throughout the novel it's being discussed how the police force is digging underneath with the intent to attack from out of the ground; Messner even confirms this as he feels the vibrations under his feet. And then the soldier just burst in through the windows? Or did I miss something? I was drowsy when reading the end.
I'd give it a 7/10. She is obviously an excellent writer when it comes to style. I wanted to give it a 3 because everyone giving it a 4 on here rankled me, but I don't round down.
I forgot about the police allegedly digging under the ground, yes it seems as if that did not really go anywhere or develop in the end. Maybe after everyone started letting their guard down they did not feel that such was necessary, or I wonder if perhaps Messner had just concocted the story as a way to try and get the terrorists to see the urgent need to surrender.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mutatis-Mutandis
I'd go with this option. It is odd that this point wasn't brought up again when they started to go outside, but they would have noticed some digging happening while running laps around the house.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dark Muse
If he did concoct the story, him actually feeling the vibrations from the work underground would seem an indication of some sort of mental illness on his part, which isn't really out of the question. I wish I could remember where that passage is, but I really don't feel like hunting for it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dark Muse
I could not recall if he had only thought that to himself, or made that statement out loud.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mutatis-Mutandis
If it was an internal thought, well considering the circumstances, and heat exhaustion, fatigue, stress, it is possible that he had begun to believe in his own story and his mind tricked him into thinking he could feel the vibrations, and maybe it was his own way of just wanting all of this to be over and done with.
Or maybe the police had really began to attempt to do such a thing, but than gave up on the effort at some point.