I think they will reconcile. It seems the specific details of what happened are helping her understand. Previously it was just nebulous blame on her brother which is hard to accept.
If anyone hasn't read the 'readers nuggets.' on Jasper Fford's website, I found this little historical nod to the Crimean War and this falling out pretty interesting. "The most famous action of the war was the Charge of the Light Brigade when the aforesaid Cardigan (who was a twit) led the Light Cavalry Brigade up the wrong valley and got nearly all of them slaughtered by Russian artillery. Cardigan survived and was later officially exonerated from blame, which instead landed on one Lt. Nolan, who was conveniently dead. Sound familiar, Fforde ffans?"
I see this as a definite "coming to terms" situation for Thursday. She clearly still likes Landen and he seems to reciprocate, but she has to mentally decide she can move on. It must be incredibly difficult not only because of her own trauma surrounding the war, but because it'll feel like betraying her brother's memory. She doesn't seem close to her other brother at all, so this is probably a huge line for her to cross.
Maybe with the passage of time she will be more open to hearing what Landen has to say. She points out herself that Anton was one of Landen's closest friends. Landen has nothing to gain by lying about Anton...well unless Landen himself was the one that led everyone in the wrong direction. I believe him, he lost Thursday once over it, but refuses adapt his story. It's most likely the truth
Even if Landen's accusation is true, I don't know how they'd be able to reconcile. Thursday may be able to come to terms with what Landen did, but that doesn't necessarily mean it'd be best for them to get back together. Their time as a couple may have passed.
Similar to u/bluebelle236 , I think it has to do with her military training/experience. Loyalty and duty mean a lot to her. It's reflected in her argument with Landen where he felt he had to report what he thought he saw, but she is mad that he wasn't loyal to his friend and horrified that anyone would imply her brother didn't do his duty well. I think the Felix/Spike encounter just helped expand the world that we are in with a picture of how much supernatural stuff is out there. It also served as a little hint that Next is lonely and a bit desperate for human contact because she sort of tries to make a move on Spike (who, it must be pointed out, had just been caught eating preserved body parts stored in formaldehyde, so... she's in a place).
>Next is lonely and a bit desperate for human contact because she sort of tries to make a move on Spike
Argh that was super cringy. I didn't even consider the whole eating body parts thing. Grim!
Next decides to trust Spike almost immediately, so why wouldn't she go to help. Clearly the way Spike operates isn't really to everyone else's liking/understanding and it is no doubt easier to just let him do what he's gotta do. I do feel bad for him though. If he always calls for assistance, but never gets it that's gotta have an effect on how he views his colleagues.
I think it has a lot to do with her experience in Crimea and a sense of responsibility toward others within SpecOps. Not to mention that she just lost two other coworkers. Spike might not be in LiteraTec, but he's still within law enforcement and that makes him one of Thursday's people.
I have not read either, but I thought the idea of giving a Shakespeare play the "Rocky Horror" treatment was hilarious.
For anyone unfamiliar with it, the Rocky Horror Show is an incredibly campy gay musical that's a parody of classic horror/sci-fi movies. It was controversial back when it first came out because of its sexual themes, but even today it's entertaining because of the audience participation tradition that's evolved around it. There are specific jokes that the audience is expected to call out in response to specific lines. At some points, you're even expected to use props: for example, pelting an actor with toilet paper after he says "Great Scott!" ("scott" is a brand of toilet paper here in the US.) There's also a movie version called The Rocky Horror Picture Show and, while the movie itself doesn't contain the audience participation, if you ever watch it with someone who knows the lines, you'll get more entertainment out of their responses than from the movie itself.
Anyhow, the idea of something as serious as a Shakespeare play being treated like this is funny.
As for Martin Chuzzlewit, I haven't read it, but I have read that it's generally considered the least popular Dickens novel.
I was 100% picturing Rocky Horror Picture Show during this chapter. I found it hilarious as well when applied to Shakespeare. Since it originated in London, I have to believe this was the parallel our author was going for.
I was also picturing Rocky Horror Picture Show! Shakespeare does have a lot of raucous and bawdy humor in his plays, so I can see it working in this universe!
I have never heard of Drunk Shakespeare. So I had to look it up. From the website -
*HEALTH WARNING: We do not condone excessive drinking. Our drunk actors are on a regular rotation system and are carefully monitored at all times. Drinking in moderation can be fun. Drinking to excess can ruin your life. We promote healthy drinking.*
We promote healthy drinking lol!
I bet some of these shows are hilarious!
Sometimes I think the author makes literary references just in an absurd way with no deeper meaning. Like Richard III is such an obscure and bizarre choice. Same with Chuzzlewit. It’s like he is poking fun at literature.
I’ve read Richard III but could not quote it beyond the opening “Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer by this sun/son of York.” You would have to watch the Wizard of Oz with me to get me reciting lines faster than the actors can get them out.
Richard III is such a strange choice for a play for Next and Landen to have seen weekly when they were together. Richard and Lady Anne aren’t exactly fine romantic role models. I’m still trying to determine how much the author wants us to read into the literary references and apply them to the action of the novel.
>I’m still trying to determine how much the author wants us to read into the literary references and apply them to the action of the novel.
Same. Are there really clever references I am missing or are the prose just littered with as many loterary references as possible!? I am currently thinking its a little Column A and a little Column B.
I have not read Martin Chuzzlewit but I have read Richard III. It's not my favorite Shakespeare, but I do remember enjoying it a lot more than I'd expected! There is nothing I could jump in with all the lines for at this point in my life, but when I was younger, I could definitely do that for several musicals - songs included. Mary Poppins, Oklahoma, Singin' In the Rain, and The Sound of Music were all on repeat at various points in my house growing up. At one point, my friends and I decided we were going to try to reenact The Sound of Music and video tape ourselves. Never got past the planning stage, thankfully. As a teenager, I may or may not have watched The Three Musketeers and Titanic far too many times.
I was just thinking about how I never really read or watched things over and over then you reminded me that I wore out my Titanic VHS and The Labyrinth with David Bowie was my absolute fave and probably the only movie I could tell the lines before the actors delivered them.
Ikr I watch the 1st part of that movie sooooo many times. I only realised when introducing it to my husband years later as an adult that i had never seen it all the way through!
So you know in a recent Friday discussion I mentioned our interactive movie? What Thursday and Landen attended is exactly what we do. If anyone ever gets a chance to attend something like this, you absolutely need to.
As for a movie I could jump into with the lines, I recently watched Tommy Boy, which I hadn't seen in a while. I was quoting nearly every line and enjoying the heck out of the memories this movie brought up.
I think they are a good pair professionally, he respects and believes her. I'm not sure if Next is ready to get over Landen for her to make something more with Bowden.
I totally agree! And if Bowden persists, I can see him getting his heart broken because Next is just not going to commit to anyone else. I do like their teamwork so far as partners on the job!
Definitely not shipping Bowden and Next. I'm also not totally wild about Landon and Next getting back together. I am also very meh when it comes to romance storylines. I'd like to think that maybe Next doesn't need a romance story arc at all (or at least in this book)
I sort of don't want there to be more. Bowden immediately jumping to that when he's barely been around Thursday bothered me. If Fforde builds up the relationship then I'll reconsider, but right now I'm not feeling it.
I laughed at the lines about Mycroft's memory erasure device. I can't fathom why he wouldn't remember anything about it. Self-translating carbon paper would be very useful I'd think!
I LOVED the self-translating carbon paper and fully laughed out loud when Next comes to the mistranslation because she didn't press hard enough. Oh and also that Mycroft couldn't manage Esperanto ha!
The Rosettionery would be very helpful I suppose if you were somewhere without internet lol.
Also, When Mycroft explains the secret society called the Wombats I was cracking up!
> It was all a bit silly; the pouch used to chafe something awful and all that gnawing played hell with my overbite.
I definitely think the Rosettionery would be a useful tool. I think the portals into books sound amazing, but not if you can get stuck in them so easily! Mainly, I just want to hang out with Mycroft while he gives me a tour of all his gadgets.
slightly off topic, but at one point they mentioned LiteraTec analyzing manuscripts for forgeries, and it made me remember a really fascinating article I read about five or six years ago. Unfortunately, I can't find the article now, but the basic gist is that there's a software program that analyzes writing styles, and can be used to determine authorship of works that may or may not have been written by classic authors.
This particular article focused on *Frankenstein.* (Yes, I can sense the utter lack of surprise from everyone who knows me.) Ever since *Frankenstein* was first published, people have speculated that it was actually written by Percy Shelley, not Mary Shelley. IMO these speculations are misogynistic bullshit, but there are still many people today who insist that a teenage girl couldn't have written *Frankenstein*, so it's still a subject that gets debated a lot.
Anyhow, this program determined that the authorship was 94% Mary and 6% Percy. (No, I don't know why I remember the exact percentages.) This means that Percy Shelley was considerably more involved than an editor would normally be, but absolutely not to the extent that he should be considered a co-author. (Consider that a co-author, on average, would contribute 50% of the text.) This tracks with the handwriting in the original manuscript (currently at the Bodleian Library, also mentioned in *The Eyre Affair*), which is mostly in Mary's handwriting, with edits in Percy's.
Just thought I'd bring this up, since *The Eyre Affair* makes programs like this sound like science fiction.
(Oh, and I said this in the marginalia, but I laughed at the John Milton saying they knew they were robbed by a Percy Shelley because he gave them an anti-religion tract. The real Percy Shelley would also have included a treatise on vegetarianism.)
I was cracking up at the band of misfits supporting Hades. In particular, Mr. Hobbes. This shunned Shakespearean actor who has gone rogue and acted out the killing parts for real.
Also Hades justification for being evil was so on point for him - he mocks those who commit evil for money.
>True and baseless evil is as rare as the purest good—”
This book has just the funniest, wildest stuff in it! It is so much fun to read. I am cracking up at so many parts. There are many amazing quotes, but one that had me snort unexpectedly was *"But Schitt didn't take crap from anyone"* ... because it just ***had*** to be said! I have to do a better job of jotting down the quotes as I read because this isn't the best one - it's just the one I remembered without looking back in the book.
It seems like Mr. Rochester is used to getting visitors in Jane Eyre. Obviously the ending has been changed, presumably because someone transported him to the modern timeline. My guess is that he'll help Thursday try to save literary characters and put them back, including himself into Jane Eyre, but we might get a love triangle between him, Thursday, and Jane if they work too closely together. I'm terrible at guessing, though so... I also suspect that Thursday's timetravelling dad will have something important to do because of the car scene where she sees herself, and possibly needing to go back in time to stop the endings of books from being changed in the first place.
And I am on pins and needs about Mycroft and Polly! How will they escape?!
I'm wondering if there is more to it than simply the "bad guy wants to take of the world" type story trope. I kinda hope there is more depth to it but I am also enjoying the book enough that I won't be disappointed if this isn't the case in the end.
This is tough. I started to think of all favorite characters and how they were mistreated early or later in life. So I wanted to take down their oppressors. But then I realized this is what made them who they became in their novels.
If I had to, I would want to save (LOTR reference) >!Frodo from being permanently damaged by the evil he encountered. So I guess I would have to assassinate all the way back to Melkor/Morgoth. But then we wouldn’t have these great books!<
You've really laid out the dilemma here! If we fix the problem, we lose the characters and/or plot! I love how analytical you were about the trouble it creates... because I was similarly sitting here worrying about the butterfly effect. If I kill someone, what influence will that have on literally everything and everyone around them? There's no way to tell what it would ruin!
It's too hard to think of who deserves it the most in every novel I've read. So I'll go with a current book and a most deserving character: *David Copperfield*, where I would take out >!Mr. Murdstone (unless it can be a two-for-one deal and then I'll kill his sister, too.!<
😈
I can't make up my mind. Well, I guess Victor Frankenstein is an obvious choice, but other than that...
Every Bronte novel I've read has had at least one character who made me say "oh, fuck this guy," and yes, that includes Mr. Rochester. Sorry, Thursday.
But seriously, I can't make up my mind. There are so many choices... \*giggles evilly.\*
>Every Bronte novel I've read has had at least one character who made me say "oh, fuck this guy,"
Hahaha, yes my mind immediately went to The Tenant of Wildfell Hall... but in the end, I don't think I'd use my one assassination on him. As you said, so many good choices!
Paging u/ZeMastor! I know you're not reading this book, but I thought you might want in on the Marius hate, as official president of the Marius Hate Club.
For those of you who only know the musical and don't mind a spoiler for the book: >!The musical lied to you. Marius is *awful* in the book, and the worst part is, he isn't supposed to be awful. He's a Mary Sue.!<
Oh, Les Mis got me thinking: can we use our power for good instead of evil? Because I can think of many characters I'd like to rescue.
Hah hah hah!!! Well, TBH, Marius doesn't deserve to be assassinated! What he deserves is a couple of ass-kickings, and being forced to read accounts of teen girls, children, and toddlers being executed by Guillotine because of his so-called "Giants of '93" (Robespierre, et. al).
Maybe he should be made to talk to the relatives of these innocent babies to fully understand what his "Giants" did. I just finished reading *A Tale of Two Cities* with r/ClassicBookClub, and I am outraged by the Terror and apologists for the Terror. There's something damn perverted about "freedom" meaning "condemning children to death because they happened to be born into a now-persecuted class (nobility)".
And, answering u/lazylittlelady's actual question, the #1 spot for assassination would be... (drumroll)
* Hellcliff from *Wuthering Heights*. Words cannot describe my red hot RAGE at Hellcliff. I read that book with r/ClassicBookClub about 2 years ago and it still makes me angry.
Ok so I am taking this seriously and hopped over to GRs for inspiration
From A Fine Balance >!Thakur Dharamsi. Seriously fuck that guy and what he did to Om!<
From Room >!if you've read it you know!<
From The Marriage Portrait >!Alfonso!<
From Demon Copperhead >!Stoner!<
Then maybe I'd take a break for a bit lol
Since we already have one character dead, but not dead... and because Crometty was shot in the face so it'd be easy to fake his death... maybe he is being held hostage or kidnapped for some purpose? Or he has switched sides as is helping Hades behind the scenes? Anything could happen in the wacky, amazing book!
**8. Will Crimea ever be something that Next forgives and forgets? Or is Landen's accusation unforgivable?**
She seems to be coming around to the fact that her brother f’d up as we all do from time to time. I think forgiveness is coming.
I think they will reconcile. It seems the specific details of what happened are helping her understand. Previously it was just nebulous blame on her brother which is hard to accept.
If anyone hasn't read the 'readers nuggets.' on Jasper Fford's website, I found this little historical nod to the Crimean War and this falling out pretty interesting. "The most famous action of the war was the Charge of the Light Brigade when the aforesaid Cardigan (who was a twit) led the Light Cavalry Brigade up the wrong valley and got nearly all of them slaughtered by Russian artillery. Cardigan survived and was later officially exonerated from blame, which instead landed on one Lt. Nolan, who was conveniently dead. Sound familiar, Fforde ffans?"
I see this as a definite "coming to terms" situation for Thursday. She clearly still likes Landen and he seems to reciprocate, but she has to mentally decide she can move on. It must be incredibly difficult not only because of her own trauma surrounding the war, but because it'll feel like betraying her brother's memory. She doesn't seem close to her other brother at all, so this is probably a huge line for her to cross.
Yeah I think she was closer to Anton than anyone else in the family (except maybe the Dodos)
I hope she finally makes peace with it and is able to let go of all the hurt. A reunion with Landen would be great.
Maybe with the passage of time she will be more open to hearing what Landen has to say. She points out herself that Anton was one of Landen's closest friends. Landen has nothing to gain by lying about Anton...well unless Landen himself was the one that led everyone in the wrong direction. I believe him, he lost Thursday once over it, but refuses adapt his story. It's most likely the truth
Even if Landen's accusation is true, I don't know how they'd be able to reconcile. Thursday may be able to come to terms with what Landen did, but that doesn't necessarily mean it'd be best for them to get back together. Their time as a couple may have passed.
**7. Why does Next answer Spike's call, when no one else will? Is there any new information following the encounter with Felix7?**
She is a war vet, she is trained to react to situations, it's not in her nature to stand back while someone is in trouble.
Similar to u/bluebelle236 , I think it has to do with her military training/experience. Loyalty and duty mean a lot to her. It's reflected in her argument with Landen where he felt he had to report what he thought he saw, but she is mad that he wasn't loyal to his friend and horrified that anyone would imply her brother didn't do his duty well. I think the Felix/Spike encounter just helped expand the world that we are in with a picture of how much supernatural stuff is out there. It also served as a little hint that Next is lonely and a bit desperate for human contact because she sort of tries to make a move on Spike (who, it must be pointed out, had just been caught eating preserved body parts stored in formaldehyde, so... she's in a place).
>Next is lonely and a bit desperate for human contact because she sort of tries to make a move on Spike Argh that was super cringy. I didn't even consider the whole eating body parts thing. Grim!
Next decides to trust Spike almost immediately, so why wouldn't she go to help. Clearly the way Spike operates isn't really to everyone else's liking/understanding and it is no doubt easier to just let him do what he's gotta do. I do feel bad for him though. If he always calls for assistance, but never gets it that's gotta have an effect on how he views his colleagues.
I think it has a lot to do with her experience in Crimea and a sense of responsibility toward others within SpecOps. Not to mention that she just lost two other coworkers. Spike might not be in LiteraTec, but he's still within law enforcement and that makes him one of Thursday's people.
**6. Are you familiar with either Martin Chuzzlewit or Richard III? Is there a play or story (or movie) you could jump in with lines?**
I have not read either, but I thought the idea of giving a Shakespeare play the "Rocky Horror" treatment was hilarious. For anyone unfamiliar with it, the Rocky Horror Show is an incredibly campy gay musical that's a parody of classic horror/sci-fi movies. It was controversial back when it first came out because of its sexual themes, but even today it's entertaining because of the audience participation tradition that's evolved around it. There are specific jokes that the audience is expected to call out in response to specific lines. At some points, you're even expected to use props: for example, pelting an actor with toilet paper after he says "Great Scott!" ("scott" is a brand of toilet paper here in the US.) There's also a movie version called The Rocky Horror Picture Show and, while the movie itself doesn't contain the audience participation, if you ever watch it with someone who knows the lines, you'll get more entertainment out of their responses than from the movie itself. Anyhow, the idea of something as serious as a Shakespeare play being treated like this is funny. As for Martin Chuzzlewit, I haven't read it, but I have read that it's generally considered the least popular Dickens novel.
I was 100% picturing Rocky Horror Picture Show during this chapter. I found it hilarious as well when applied to Shakespeare. Since it originated in London, I have to believe this was the parallel our author was going for.
I was also picturing Rocky Horror Picture Show! Shakespeare does have a lot of raucous and bawdy humor in his plays, so I can see it working in this universe!
I also loved Richard III as a Rocky Horror show. So nerdy! I’d go to this all the time if it were real. I really enjoy Drunk Shakespeare.
Every time I am in NYC I want to go to Drunk Shakespeare but end up seeing something more Broadway mainstream. Next time…
I've never been to Drunk Shakespeare but it sounds like so much fun!
I've never heard of Drunk Shakespeare, but now I'm intrigued
I have never heard of Drunk Shakespeare. So I had to look it up. From the website - *HEALTH WARNING: We do not condone excessive drinking. Our drunk actors are on a regular rotation system and are carefully monitored at all times. Drinking in moderation can be fun. Drinking to excess can ruin your life. We promote healthy drinking.* We promote healthy drinking lol! I bet some of these shows are hilarious!
Sometimes I think the author makes literary references just in an absurd way with no deeper meaning. Like Richard III is such an obscure and bizarre choice. Same with Chuzzlewit. It’s like he is poking fun at literature.
I’ve read Richard III but could not quote it beyond the opening “Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer by this sun/son of York.” You would have to watch the Wizard of Oz with me to get me reciting lines faster than the actors can get them out. Richard III is such a strange choice for a play for Next and Landen to have seen weekly when they were together. Richard and Lady Anne aren’t exactly fine romantic role models. I’m still trying to determine how much the author wants us to read into the literary references and apply them to the action of the novel.
>I’m still trying to determine how much the author wants us to read into the literary references and apply them to the action of the novel. Same. Are there really clever references I am missing or are the prose just littered with as many loterary references as possible!? I am currently thinking its a little Column A and a little Column B.
I have not read Martin Chuzzlewit but I have read Richard III. It's not my favorite Shakespeare, but I do remember enjoying it a lot more than I'd expected! There is nothing I could jump in with all the lines for at this point in my life, but when I was younger, I could definitely do that for several musicals - songs included. Mary Poppins, Oklahoma, Singin' In the Rain, and The Sound of Music were all on repeat at various points in my house growing up. At one point, my friends and I decided we were going to try to reenact The Sound of Music and video tape ourselves. Never got past the planning stage, thankfully. As a teenager, I may or may not have watched The Three Musketeers and Titanic far too many times.
I was just thinking about how I never really read or watched things over and over then you reminded me that I wore out my Titanic VHS and The Labyrinth with David Bowie was my absolute fave and probably the only movie I could tell the lines before the actors delivered them.
Oh Labyrinth! Great movie nostalgia there!
Ikr I watch the 1st part of that movie sooooo many times. I only realised when introducing it to my husband years later as an adult that i had never seen it all the way through!
So you know in a recent Friday discussion I mentioned our interactive movie? What Thursday and Landen attended is exactly what we do. If anyone ever gets a chance to attend something like this, you absolutely need to. As for a movie I could jump into with the lines, I recently watched Tommy Boy, which I hadn't seen in a while. I was quoting nearly every line and enjoying the heck out of the memories this movie brought up.
Sounded very fun!!
**5. Will Bowden and Next be a good pair, professionally? Or could there be more?**
I think they are a good pair professionally, he respects and believes her. I'm not sure if Next is ready to get over Landen for her to make something more with Bowden.
I totally agree! And if Bowden persists, I can see him getting his heart broken because Next is just not going to commit to anyone else. I do like their teamwork so far as partners on the job!
Definitely not shipping Bowden and Next. I'm also not totally wild about Landon and Next getting back together. I am also very meh when it comes to romance storylines. I'd like to think that maybe Next doesn't need a romance story arc at all (or at least in this book)
I agree!
I agree, and I'm someone who is always shipping characters. If she does have a romance, I hope it's in a later book.
Yes same. I hope that Fforde spends more time developing Next as the fiesty character of the blurb
I sort of don't want there to be more. Bowden immediately jumping to that when he's barely been around Thursday bothered me. If Fforde builds up the relationship then I'll reconsider, but right now I'm not feeling it.
**1. Which device from Mycroft's laboratory sounded the most interesting? Could one of them come in handy?**
I laughed at the lines about Mycroft's memory erasure device. I can't fathom why he wouldn't remember anything about it. Self-translating carbon paper would be very useful I'd think!
I LOVED the self-translating carbon paper and fully laughed out loud when Next comes to the mistranslation because she didn't press hard enough. Oh and also that Mycroft couldn't manage Esperanto ha!
The Rosettionery would be very helpful I suppose if you were somewhere without internet lol. Also, When Mycroft explains the secret society called the Wombats I was cracking up! > It was all a bit silly; the pouch used to chafe something awful and all that gnawing played hell with my overbite.
I definitely think the Rosettionery would be a useful tool. I think the portals into books sound amazing, but not if you can get stuck in them so easily! Mainly, I just want to hang out with Mycroft while he gives me a tour of all his gadgets.
**9. Anything else? What will be next for Next? What does Mr. Rochester know? Guesses, suppositions, suspicions??**
slightly off topic, but at one point they mentioned LiteraTec analyzing manuscripts for forgeries, and it made me remember a really fascinating article I read about five or six years ago. Unfortunately, I can't find the article now, but the basic gist is that there's a software program that analyzes writing styles, and can be used to determine authorship of works that may or may not have been written by classic authors. This particular article focused on *Frankenstein.* (Yes, I can sense the utter lack of surprise from everyone who knows me.) Ever since *Frankenstein* was first published, people have speculated that it was actually written by Percy Shelley, not Mary Shelley. IMO these speculations are misogynistic bullshit, but there are still many people today who insist that a teenage girl couldn't have written *Frankenstein*, so it's still a subject that gets debated a lot. Anyhow, this program determined that the authorship was 94% Mary and 6% Percy. (No, I don't know why I remember the exact percentages.) This means that Percy Shelley was considerably more involved than an editor would normally be, but absolutely not to the extent that he should be considered a co-author. (Consider that a co-author, on average, would contribute 50% of the text.) This tracks with the handwriting in the original manuscript (currently at the Bodleian Library, also mentioned in *The Eyre Affair*), which is mostly in Mary's handwriting, with edits in Percy's. Just thought I'd bring this up, since *The Eyre Affair* makes programs like this sound like science fiction. (Oh, and I said this in the marginalia, but I laughed at the John Milton saying they knew they were robbed by a Percy Shelley because he gave them an anti-religion tract. The real Percy Shelley would also have included a treatise on vegetarianism.)
So interesting! I always love your background info that you share. Thanks!
Thank you 😊 I love sharing interesting info
I was cracking up at the band of misfits supporting Hades. In particular, Mr. Hobbes. This shunned Shakespearean actor who has gone rogue and acted out the killing parts for real. Also Hades justification for being evil was so on point for him - he mocks those who commit evil for money. >True and baseless evil is as rare as the purest good—”
This book has just the funniest, wildest stuff in it! It is so much fun to read. I am cracking up at so many parts. There are many amazing quotes, but one that had me snort unexpectedly was *"But Schitt didn't take crap from anyone"* ... because it just ***had*** to be said! I have to do a better job of jotting down the quotes as I read because this isn't the best one - it's just the one I remembered without looking back in the book. It seems like Mr. Rochester is used to getting visitors in Jane Eyre. Obviously the ending has been changed, presumably because someone transported him to the modern timeline. My guess is that he'll help Thursday try to save literary characters and put them back, including himself into Jane Eyre, but we might get a love triangle between him, Thursday, and Jane if they work too closely together. I'm terrible at guessing, though so... I also suspect that Thursday's timetravelling dad will have something important to do because of the car scene where she sees herself, and possibly needing to go back in time to stop the endings of books from being changed in the first place. And I am on pins and needs about Mycroft and Polly! How will they escape?!
That's Jack Schitt. What do you know about him? "Not much.'
The jokes just write themselves when you name a character that!
**4.What do you think Goliath wants with Hades? What is Schitt up to?**
I have no idea... but I'll go with extreme corporate greed and word literature domination!
Schitt is definitely gearing up to take/exploit these cool gadgets that Goliath is trying to perfect in order to use them for... *literary evil.*
I'm wondering if there is more to it than simply the "bad guy wants to take of the world" type story trope. I kinda hope there is more depth to it but I am also enjoying the book enough that I won't be disappointed if this isn't the case in the end.
**3. Let's be evil for a minute: If you could enter a novel (anything!) which character would you assasinate? Yes, you have to!!**
This is tough. I started to think of all favorite characters and how they were mistreated early or later in life. So I wanted to take down their oppressors. But then I realized this is what made them who they became in their novels. If I had to, I would want to save (LOTR reference) >!Frodo from being permanently damaged by the evil he encountered. So I guess I would have to assassinate all the way back to Melkor/Morgoth. But then we wouldn’t have these great books!<
You've really laid out the dilemma here! If we fix the problem, we lose the characters and/or plot! I love how analytical you were about the trouble it creates... because I was similarly sitting here worrying about the butterfly effect. If I kill someone, what influence will that have on literally everything and everyone around them? There's no way to tell what it would ruin!
Oh no, I love but also hate your reasoning!
It's too hard to think of who deserves it the most in every novel I've read. So I'll go with a current book and a most deserving character: *David Copperfield*, where I would take out >!Mr. Murdstone (unless it can be a two-for-one deal and then I'll kill his sister, too.!<
You’re evil-kill as many as you like!
Solid point! I'd be a terrible evil villain - I think too small!
That would be a great person to assassinate! He totally deserves it.
He really does!
😈 I can't make up my mind. Well, I guess Victor Frankenstein is an obvious choice, but other than that... Every Bronte novel I've read has had at least one character who made me say "oh, fuck this guy," and yes, that includes Mr. Rochester. Sorry, Thursday. But seriously, I can't make up my mind. There are so many choices... \*giggles evilly.\*
>Every Bronte novel I've read has had at least one character who made me say "oh, fuck this guy," Hahaha, yes my mind immediately went to The Tenant of Wildfell Hall... but in the end, I don't think I'd use my one assassination on him. As you said, so many good choices!
I think it very well might be Marius from Les Mis-his routine is predictable and I’m curious what will happen if I get him before he meets Cosette!
Paging u/ZeMastor! I know you're not reading this book, but I thought you might want in on the Marius hate, as official president of the Marius Hate Club. For those of you who only know the musical and don't mind a spoiler for the book: >!The musical lied to you. Marius is *awful* in the book, and the worst part is, he isn't supposed to be awful. He's a Mary Sue.!< Oh, Les Mis got me thinking: can we use our power for good instead of evil? Because I can think of many characters I'd like to rescue.
Hah hah hah!!! Well, TBH, Marius doesn't deserve to be assassinated! What he deserves is a couple of ass-kickings, and being forced to read accounts of teen girls, children, and toddlers being executed by Guillotine because of his so-called "Giants of '93" (Robespierre, et. al). Maybe he should be made to talk to the relatives of these innocent babies to fully understand what his "Giants" did. I just finished reading *A Tale of Two Cities* with r/ClassicBookClub, and I am outraged by the Terror and apologists for the Terror. There's something damn perverted about "freedom" meaning "condemning children to death because they happened to be born into a now-persecuted class (nobility)". And, answering u/lazylittlelady's actual question, the #1 spot for assassination would be... (drumroll) * Hellcliff from *Wuthering Heights*. Words cannot describe my red hot RAGE at Hellcliff. I read that book with r/ClassicBookClub about 2 years ago and it still makes me angry.
Maybe you’re right-we don’t want to turn Marius into a martyr 🤮
Briony from Atonement, maybe. 😬
Ok so I am taking this seriously and hopped over to GRs for inspiration From A Fine Balance >!Thakur Dharamsi. Seriously fuck that guy and what he did to Om!< From Room >!if you've read it you know!< From The Marriage Portrait >!Alfonso!< From Demon Copperhead >!Stoner!< Then maybe I'd take a break for a bit lol
Thank you! Real evil can’t be faked obviously!!
Glad I'm not the only one to nominate Alfonso lol
I can't believe >!I even contemplated giving that guy the benefit of the doubt in the first discussion. Eugh!<
Recency bias, but Alfonso from The Marriage Portrait. I don't think too much explanation is necessary on that one.
**2. What do you suspect happened to Agent Crometty?**
Since we already have one character dead, but not dead... and because Crometty was shot in the face so it'd be easy to fake his death... maybe he is being held hostage or kidnapped for some purpose? Or he has switched sides as is helping Hades behind the scenes? Anything could happen in the wacky, amazing book!
I totally didn't notice therw was no chapter 13 until I saw your summary! I wonder if that'll be relevant....