Evelyn asked:

I don't understand what happened between Sarah and Karen in the past. I don't understand the conversation between Sarah and Karen right before the scene...your revision? Take five sweetie? Granted I glossed over a lot of the first half (was just trying to keep reading) but I am missing something important in Karen's confrontation with Sarah about the book. Help!

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6 years ago
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A.M. Others have answered about the "Take five, sweetie" comment, but I just want to add something that I haven't seen anyone answer: I think that several times over the second section it is implies that Sarah had a sexual relationship with Mr. Kingsley -- indeed, at the end we find out that Lord isn't gay (it's a little simplistic how this is viewed as a clearly demarcated binary, actually -- one of myriad things I dislike about this novel). But anyhow, we find out that Lord/the "real" Mr. Kingsley is straight, and we know already, from a surprisingly detailed earlier discussion by Karen, that Manuel wasn't really a clean version of an actual person. I believe the implication is that Sarah is actually the "real" Manuel. [Which throws into great confusion for me the scene where she outs Manuel to his sister with the shirts -- anyone have anything to add there?]

Btw, the publication of Sarah's book has made no impact on anyone in the third section. Wouldn't Lord have read it, or at least looked at it? Wouldn't Claire?

What a dreary novel. There is nothing redeeming about any of the relationships between any of the characters, not only romantic (exception: Claire and her father, possible exception: Karen and her father). Honestly, I feel slimed. Ugh.

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Bethjo "Take five sweetie" refers back to a sadistic acting exercise that Mr, Kingsley forced Sarah and David to do in front of everyone, letting David know "I won't rest until you cry." He was torturing them. David stormed out just after Mr Kingsley's comment. When Sarah is outraged that he will be in the audience for the performance of Martin's play. Karen is pissed off at Sarah's outrage and accuses Sarah of thinking Mr. Kingsley harmed only David and Karen. She claims that Sarah left out the part about Mr. Kingsley harming her too. I think what happened in the past is the painful breaking down of a close friendship, an event that Karen feels was cruelly reshaped and camoflaughed in Sarah's novel.

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