01/01-01/06: The Curious Case

[Skye (Skye's Scribblings)]

Welcome to the start of The Great 2019 Parasolverse Read-Along!
(See the Info & Schedule post here for all the details.)

Our first read, to be digested January 1st - 6th, is the short story: The Curious Case of the Werewolf That Wasn't.

Ready? Set? Read!

Then come back to discuss! What was your favorite part? Best character & why? Favorite line/quote? Share your beloved moments!

And don't forget to check out Lady Gail's extras here!

[Justyna]

Just finished now, and I realise I must have not read it before (I was sure I did).

Alessandro is quite a character, though definitely very well dressed one. :)

Poor nameless un-werewolf, and Alexia's uncle, though I guess if stuff didn't turn out the way it did, we would not have Alexia.

All in all some cool interesting stuff here, though coming in after few years of a break, i had to google quite a lot of the lingo. Definitely will be advising newcomers to read the -less books verse to get familiarised better.

So happy to be doing this. Happy New year everyone. <3

[Melissa]

Floote is still one of my absolute favorite characters in the verse. I do enjoy getting to see him in his younger days with Alessandro.

Plus you can really see how the acerbic nature of the Tarabotti line really plays true. I do believe it’s more than just their soulless state that prompts such behavior in Alexia and her father.

[Justyna]

Melissa wrote: "Floote is still one of my absolute favorite characters in the verse. I do enjoy getting to see him in his younger days with Alessandro..."

All the dead cat shenanigans were funny :)

[Stacy]

Love reading about Mr. Tarabotti. Would love a novella on him. Floote is one of my favorite characters, love his wittiness.

[Beverley]

I cheated a little and started the book yesterday so just finished it. I agree with everyone else who want more floote, but he'd be a hard man to do be the main character for a while book.

also, I didn't realise that Alexa's uncle was a drone for Lord A until the re-read because I saw the bit about Eustace and googled him. That's a bushy family tree!

[Melissa]

Kopfkino wrote: "Alessandro and Floote remind me of Sherlock and Watson..."

100% yes, and I love it.

[Madison]

I had never actually read this story. I really like Alessandro as a character and I agree I would love if this was longer or if there were more short stories about him.

[Sunshine]

This is still one of my favorite lines in the book

““What was surprising was that he did this while still clutching the jar.”

Excerpt From
The Curious Case of the Werewolf That Wasn't, the Mummy That Was, and the Cat in the Jar
Gail Carriger
https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/M...
This material may be protected by copyright.

[Tami]

I’m currently reading and where is Eustace a drone to Lord A? When Alessandro first meets Alexa’s uncle Percival, Percival says he inherited the title because his older brother Eustace became a claviger to a loner. Does he later give that up to be a drone?

[Tami]

Wait......Aggie and Pru are related?????? Sneaky Ms Carriger, very sneaky.

[Hallowmas]

Definitely need some More adventures of Floote and Alessandro

[Beverley]

so I googled this and didn't connect it up myself, but remember in Soulless that there's a drone that covers up Lord Maccon after he and Alexa get kidnapped and he transforms back from a werewolf? That drone is called Eustace. Soulless never says that he's Alexa's uncle, but it would be a big coincidence and that's what the wiki says (http://gailcarriger.wikia.com/wiki/Eu...)

We really should make a big family tree across all the books because Gail has obviously put a lot of thought into connecting between the books!

[Annie]

Floote totally sounds like Carson from Downton Abbey in my head. - “Not your aunt’s feline, sir. The reports were perfectly correct; no one remembers how to mummify anymore. I found a willing apothecary, but the results were, regrettably...” A delicate pause. “Squishy.'

[Bookworm]

Skye (Skye's Scribblings) wrote: "Welcome to the start of The Great 2019 Parasolverse Read-Along!
(See the Info & Schedule post here for all the details.)

Our first read, to be digested January 1st - 6th, is the short story: The ..."

You see so much of alexias wit in alessandro!! Id like to know hisbearly life with Alexias mother

[Kat]

Sara wrote: "Definitely need some More adventures of Floote and Alessandro"

I couldn't agree more!

[Stephanie]

Like most everyone else, I'd love to see more of Floote. And I'm not sure if it was just me, but Alessandro just seemed like... not a fabulous human being?

[Justyna]

Stephanie wrote: " And I'm not sure if it was just me, but Alessandro just seemed like... not a fabulous human being?"

Yup. I enjoyed the sarcasm, decisiveness and fab dress sense, but he's not someone I would not want to meet in a dark alley for sure...

[Brooke]

Justyna wrote: "Stephanie wrote: " And I'm not sure if it was just me, but Alessandro just seemed like... not a fabulous human being?"

Yup. I enjoyed the sarcasm, decisiveness and fab dress sense, but he's not so..."

I agree. He was pretty much exactly as I expected from what we learn about him from his journal and Lyall.

[Andy]

Beverley wrote: "We really should make a big family tree across all the books because Gail has obviously put a lot of thought into connecting between the books! ..."


I am working on one—or rather, the foundation and format of one—that can be edited by fans. Maybe on the Parasolverse wiki.

The hard part is doing a friend tree that would be visually appealing.

Andy

[Tami]

That’s great Andy but don’t make it fan editable. It would be better if only verified (in the books) information was on it. Otherwise you will have fans putting their ideas or assumptions on it.

[Elizabeth]

Good point Tami. If it is editable by fans it should have an option to be approved first. Fans could suggest things and show documentation for their comments (page numbers etc.).

And Andy, thanks for getting one started. I know it’s probably a lot of work, but it’s appreciated!

[Nicqui]

Tami wrote: "Wait......Aggie and Pru are related?????? Sneaky Ms Carriger, very sneaky."

OMG!!! I'm just now making the connection. Could Aggie be the offspring of Eustace during his Claviger years? Or are there more relatives? A brother of Leticia's father perhaps? So many questions.

[Nicqui]

Beverley wrote: "so I googled this and didn't connect it up myself, but remember in Soulless that there's a drone that covers up Lord Maccon after he and Alexa get kidnapped and he transforms back from a werewolf? ..."

But in this book he is mentioned as having become a claviger to a werewolf loner not a drone to a vampire. When would the switch have happened?

[Nicqui]

Stephanie wrote: "Like most everyone else, I'd love to see more of Floote. And I'm not sure if it was just me, but Alessandro just seemed like... not a fabulous human being?"

This is my feeling too. I love Floote but Alessandro is decidedly not my favourite character. Maybe it's the Templar upbringing but he is not a very likeable person.

[Nicqui]

Andy wrote: "Beverley wrote: "We really should make a big family tree across all the books because Gail has obviously put a lot of thought into connecting between the books! ..."


I am working on one—or rather..."

Thanks for your effort, Andy. It is much appreciated.

[Shirley]

I agree that the sharpness of the Alexia and Alessandro are probably less a soulless thing and more a family thing, but it seems like it’s a shared reaction to similar situations. Also it’s funny how features they share are better tempered and more likable in Alexia than her father

[Tami]

Nicqui wrote: "Beverley wrote: "so I googled this and didn't connect it up myself, but remember in Soulless that there's a drone that covers up Lord Maccon after he and Alexa get kidnapped and he transforms back ..."

I don't think the 2 men are the same. I think it is just a popular name or something. I highly doubt Lord A would tolerate a drone in his 40's which is an estimate of the age Alexia's uncle Eustace would have to be by this point in the timeline.

[Isa]

But I have something we NEED to discuss. On Gail's blog about this short story she wrote:

"Sneaky Gail Is Sneaky

-Is there a hint about Alessandro meeting Lyall in this story?
-Who did Floote fight it Scotland, and might it account for his latter tendencies towards shooting a certain someone?
-Remember the name Phinkerlington… it’s going to show up again, a long ways down the line."

Now the Phinkerlington I think we all figured out, but has anyone noticed anything connected to Lyall? And what about Scotland?? Help me!

[Matthew]

Due to logistical problems, I wasn't able to get to 'The Curious Case ...' until today. Now on to the next book. I should be caught up to the group in a week.

[Emma]

Oh golly, I only discovered these books last year and I'm not reading them in order so I'm totally missing the order of the read-along. Bad Emma! I do so love this story though. One of the things I find most excellent about the books is that I'm not minding spoilers because the stories are all so interwoven, the stories are more fun actually knowing things. I am, alas, skipping the Finishing School series as I've just started The Custard Protocol, but I'll return to them soon I'm sure!

I do so wish there were an Alessandro novel. I want to find out why Floote is so loyal to him and whether he truly loved Lyall (who wouldn't). That is, assuming we don't find out in other novels and my Google-fu has failed me.