The State of My Health, the Weather & a Few TPB Bits

[alexandria_47]

I went to the doctors' today and that little cold and sore throat I've had for about a month now and been trying to ignore turns out to be a rather wicked little virus which may include an "esophagal infection". Oh good! I'm sure the 13 hour work day I put in yesterday helped no end in the healing process. But  I await blood and throat tests and in

Comments

[trueriver]

I'm so sorry you're still unwell - I hope you'll be feeling better before too long.

English weather is very mixed up too - some glorious warm days and then the cold and rain... :(

You made me laugh again, even though I know this is a Very Serious Thing about Hephaistion. It DOES need closer examination and reflection though. Bearing in mind the way we seem to delve into every nuance of The Charioteer over at maryrenaultfics - where we seem to look endlessly at the subtext and find new slants on things. There seems to be no doubt in my mind, being the kind of writer Renault was, the Alexander trilogy must be rich in its own subtext and nuance of meaning. We are aiming to refresh the TPB discussion fairly soon, which attracted lots of attention initially last year, but unfortunately petered out by Chapter 11, as you know.

In a last ditch effort to make him understand I blurt out something to the effect of " well how do you think I would feel if after all we've been thru you took up with a 16 year old eunuch?", to which of course there is no

[alexandria_47]

"Nods!!" I guess this is what I want, a really "read between the lines, pick up the rug and look under the rock" discussion of TPB. As much as I love TC I think it's more warrated in this case. At least in TC you're getting multiple perspectives, in TPB you're getting one, so some "creative reading" is definitly in order. I'd like to get away from the very limiting "boo, hoo my poor Hephaistion! Celibate and alone for the rest of his life", which is me, at least a younger me, and I know many others, and also the "oh look at Bagoas, spangled loin cloth wearing true love of Alexander's life! You know, Alexader never had a fun roll in the hay till he came along" which is so not me but is many other others, if you know what I mean. The trick will be keeping tempers and feelings out of the line of fire.

Glad I made you laugh. I make my husband laugh too, even if he is checking out the nearest exit while he's doing it!

[my_cnnr]

Tempers and feelings....

Yes. It's odd, you know, that the tone of the TPB cbc took the turn it did. TR and I were dismayed at some of the more pointed comments, and surprised, too. Passions run just as deep, if not deeper, concerning TC, yet we've held two entire cbcs on that book, (which is, you know, not really written from multiple povs - it's Laurie, Laurie and a little more, yes...Laurie) with none of the, erm....snippiness we saw in those few chapters of TPB. We've seen once before the damage one or two members can do to participation. Quite frankly, I'm disinclined to resume the cbc, as I've seen little change in the attitude of a couple of the worst offenders.

One of the main difficulties is, as you suggested, linked to pov - Bagoas' insecurities mirrored by the reader. Since "reading between the lines" often results in calling the narrator an jealous brat, erm... a liar, erm...unduly biased, it's easy for his sympathisers to get their feathers ruffled. Then, too, there's the unfortunate fact we've been joined by some

[alexandria_47]

Download books?? I never thought of that! And I'll take your word that it's somehow not against the book lovers' religion and creed.

Gloating, huh? Sure, gloat away as I sit here, a poor, sick creature ( cue violins ) who froze her bits off the past 3 days and is now in a veritable furnace with the Red Sox on tv and a panting dog next to me.

Please come back and comment more, I feel additional "wickedness" coming on!