Little Dorrit: Chapters 1 - 11

[Judy]

I agree the Circumlocution Office is a brilliant creation and Tite Barnacle and his family too, their name perfectly expressing how they cling to the department like parasites. Dickens at his best - so funny and so angry at the same time.

[Judy]

Ashley wrote: "Also, ancestry.com says that the surname Rigaud is a derivative of Richard. I just thought that was interesting, though not super relevant to the story, unless someone knows why that would matter to Dickens or influence his choice of name.

Thanks very much for this, Ashley - I think it's really interesting! Dickens often uses versions of his own name for characters, with lots of Charles and Dicks (I have read that he was nicknamed Dick by literary colleagues). Richard possibly also ties in with that as the long version of Dick (there is a Richard Doubledick in one of his short stories). So Rigaud may be another obscure reference to his own name - although this villainous character is definitely not a self-portrait!

[France-Andrée]

I just caught up with the chapters and the comments after a couple of days in the country.

Hope you are getting well, Ashley.

I like the nickname "Little Mother" for Amy Dorrit, she does mother everyone, I think she's very practical. I also liked Maggy, I do appreciate how Dickens represents disability.

I agree with what has been said.

On the last chapter and the circumlocution department, I couldn't stop myself of thinking of Asterix and the Mansions of the Gods where our heroes literally run from office to office (on different floors) and have a similar experience with the employees of the state. It made the chapter funnier to me to imagine poor Arthur out of breath and just trying to get a result.

[Susan]

I think this chapter shows why some people dislike Dickens’s novels. I realise he is deliberately writing in a circumlocutory style to make his point, but he does rant a bit!

[Mark]

The Circumlocution Office of Dickens reminds me of the Court of Chancery in Bleak House. Both are extreme satires of out-of-control bureaucracies. And the CO has as its great mission statement : How Not to Do It! haha.

The absurd element of the Circumlocution Office that ties everything up in red tape and has endless forms that serve no purpose shows, I think, the influence that Dickens had on Kafka who loved Dickens (especially the late Dickens).

That bit in the chapter about going from room to room to try to find out who's supposed to know who can answer Arthur's question, that reminded me of a scene in Kafka's Das Schloss/The Castle. In that scene the main character is a surveyor and he is trying to get permission to do something (I forget what) but the bureaucracy is maddening with its paper forms. K.,the surveyor, is in the Castle and the hallway has various doors, and behind each one is a bureaucrat, and they just keep shoving forms out the doors and arguing with one another. K. never cam see the bureaucrats, only see the doors shake and papers shooting out. So even though Arthur enters in the various CO rooms, he gets no answers, just more circumlocutions.

Titus (Tite) Barnacle is one of my favorite Dickens' names! Dickens even says they are stuck to the ship of state. lol

[Kathleen]

While reading this chapter, I wondered what had recently happened to Dickens which set off this wonderful rant. And, isn’t it a rant that only a city person would have the experience to make?

[Judy]

Kathleen wrote: "While reading this chapter, I wondered what had recently happened to Dickens which set off this wonderful rant. And, isn’t it a rant that only a city person would have the experience to make?"

I've been looking up what inspired it, and it's said to be his dismay over the government's handling of the Crimean War and in particular the Treasury department - I've found lots of mentions of this but all the pages have spoilers so I won't put a link here!

[Bionic Jean, "Dickens Duchess"]

Countless writers have been influenced by Charles Dickens over the years, although sometimes we come to the later pieces first! How funny that there's one in the Asterix series France-Andrée! Perhaps there's one in Tintin too! (I always think of those together; they are both surprisingly clever :)

Mark - Do you think Kafka might have been influenced by this satire? Or come to the idea himself? I'm sure there were many examples in his own experience.

"The Circumlocution Office of Dickens reminds me of the Court of Chancery in Bleak House." Yes! Great point - they're very similar and the thought had occurred to me too. Since he'd written Bleak House a few years earlier, (with the bitter satire on Economics, Hard Times in between) he might have thought it was time to have a go at another of Britain's great institutions!

Kathleen - Your observation about it being a city person's rant was interesting. That hadn't occurred to me. Years ago I assumed it was specifically British bureaucracy, until other European friends enlightened me about their countries, and now I'm discovering many other countries recognise and can relate to this.

Thanks Judy for finding what the trigger was, for Charles Dickens taking on the arm of the government represented by the Civil Service, and why it became a particular focus of the novel wrote at this time.

It seems a great shame to leave the Circumlocution Office, but I'm sure we will return to its labyrinths and comfortable sinecures soon.

[Bionic Jean, "Dickens Duchess"]

Chapter 11:

Back in eastern France, near the river Saône, we see one lonely man, moving ever on. He limps along, footsore and weary; his clothes are sodden with rain and he limps along in pain and difficulty. He curses the countryside he walks through—and he also curses the inhabitants, and shakes his fist at them:

“I, hungry, thirsty, weary. You, imbeciles, where the lights are yonder, eating and drinking, and warming yourselves at fires! I wish I had the sacking of your town; I would repay you, my children!”

Finally he reaches Chalons and looks for somewhere he can spend the night. He discovers an ironically named tavern, “The ‘Break of Day” and orders a meal and bed for the night from the landlady. As he eats his food, a conversation about a “wicked wretch” starts up again, which clearly had been underway before he went in. The stranger listens attentively.

They talk of a murderer who has been released in Marseilles, because his crime could not be proved. He had been accused of murdering his wife, and all the angry people of Marseilles are against him nevertheless. They say that that night the devil had been let loose again, and his name is Rigaud.

The traveller enjoys a good meal with wine and rum, and smokes a cigarette. Then he joins in the small talk, but his manner is overbearing, and one by one the other customers drift away. The stranger is left with the landlady, and he returns to the topic of this Rigaud. As they talk, the landlady is never quite sure whether he is a good-looking man, or a very ill-looking on. When his moustache goes up under his nose, and his nose came down over his moustache, she finally decides he is the latter. Her husband had thought him an ill-looking fellow all along.

The traveller has to share a room, and is curious about the man sleeping in the next bed:

“He could not see his face, for he had drawn the sheet over it. The regular breathing still continuing, he put his smooth white hand (such a treacherous hand it looked, as it went creeping from him!) to the sheet, and gently lifted it away …

‘Death of my soul!’ he whispered, falling back, ‘here’s Cavalletto!’“

The sleeping man wakes, and as soon as he recognises the other, springs out of bed, terrified. John Baptist Cavalletto seems more inclined to make a dash for it, than to renew this acquaintance. He had expected this man to have been condemned to death. However, the traveller uses his “old tone of condescending authority”, and Cavalletto soon resumes his old servitude. The traveller tells him that he now goes by the name of Lagnier—and he had better remember it:

“Do you want me to be trampled upon and stoned? Do you want to be trampled upon and stoned? You would be. You don’t imagine that they would set upon me, and let my prison chum go? Don’t think it!”

Jean-Baptist had left the prison just two days after “Lagnier”, and now says he intends to go to Paris and then England. Lagnier describes his vile journey ever since he had been acquitted, and is savagely indignant against all those who condemned him:

“society has deeply wronged [me] since you last saw me … But society shall pay for it … I too, a gentleman with manners and accomplishments to strike them dead! But the wrongs society has heaped upon me are treasured in this breast.”

Lagnier says he too had been thinking of going to Paris and England, so they will travel together. Lagnier is sure he will persuade everyone that he is a gentleman, and Jean-Baptist will also benefit by this favour. He begins to order Jean-Baptiste round in the old way, and goes to bed.

Oddly, Jean-Baptist does not get ready for bed, but puts on all his outdoor clothes before he gets in. At daybreak, he creeps downstairs, opens the door, and runs away:

“a black speck moved along the road and splashed among the flaming pools of rain-water, which black speck was John Baptist Cavalletto running away from his patron.”



Making Off - by Phiz

[Bionic Jean, "Dickens Duchess"]

This third installment has three chapters. The farcical Circumlocution Office is flanked by the claustrophobic episode about the Marshalsea, and Arthur getting locked in, and the bleakly dark, dramatic chapter about our favourite moustachioed villain. I do love how Charles Dickens varies his moods like this, giving us something to laugh at when we can’t stand the tension any more!

So now we have a new name—if not a new character. And it was interesting how the innkeeper’s wife gave us her views on prisons. Remember this indignant outburst?

“Hold there, you and your philanthropy,’ cried the smiling landlady, nodding her head more than ever. ‘Listen then. I am a woman, I. I know nothing of philosophical philanthropy. But I know what I have seen, and what I have looked in the face in this world here, where I find myself. And I tell you this, my friend, that there are people (men and women both, unfortunately) who have no good in them—none. That there are people whom it is necessary to detest without compromise. That there are people who must be dealt with as enemies of the human race. That there are people who have no human heart, and who must be crushed like savage beasts and cleared out of the way. They are but few, I hope; but I have seen (in this world here where I find myself, and even at the little Break of Day) that there are such people. And I do not doubt that this man—whatever they call him, I forget his name—is one of them.”

She seems her to be defining a psychopath, and also making it clear that it is up to the law to protect society from criminals, rather than think of trying to reform criminals. Her guest largely agreed, and the narrator comments:

“The landlady’s lively speech was received with greater favour at the Break of Day, than it would have elicited from certain amiable whitewashers of the class she so unreasonably objected to, nearer Great Britain.”

Charles Dickens here, through his narrator, sounds as if he largely agrees—or at least objects to whitewashing any evidence.

It’s interesting that the landlady is never quite sure whether she has a good-looking man in front of her, or an ugly one. Is this because he can turn on the charm and flattery when he wants to, perhaps?

By the time the stranger goes to the bedroom which he has to share with another traveller, we are pretty sure who “Lagnier” is! And that we have met him before.

What a wonderful fiery description at the chapter’s end, where:

“When the sun had raised his full disc above the flat line of the horizon, and was striking fire out of the long muddy vista of paved road with its weary avenue of little trees, a black speck moved along the road and splashed among the flaming pools of rain-water.”

I wonder if Cavalletto will manage to escape the man with the “little evil white hand” and whose “moustache goes up under his nose, [while] his nose came down over his moustache”.

We are now at the end of the third installment, and Charles Dickens has come full circle in a way. So tomorrow is a good time to begin a new thread :)

[Bionic Jean, "Dickens Duchess"]

And a little more …

Phiz’s illustration here, is another, especially good example of a “dark plate”, which emphasises the use of light and shade. As we look, we see the emergence of details from the darkness. John Baptiste has taken flight and is “Making Off” as the plate is called. There is an elaborate pattern of light and dark; the hazy light of the rising sun on the horizon over the town, balanced with the faint glimmer of wet puddles along the muddy road. There is a darkly ominous line of trees taking our eyes onwards towards the vanishing point and into unfathomable darkness.

[Martha]

Susan wrote: "I think this chapter shows why some people dislike Dickens’s novels. I realise he is deliberately writing in a circumlocutory style to make his point, but he does rant a bit!"

Susan- So far, I only have read four of Dickens - D. Copperfield, The Old Curiosity Shop, Oliver Twist and The Christmas Carol. So, I have not experienced his tirades on Govt. Departments before. (Oliver Twist was many years ago -maybe he did something in here - I cannot remember. )

[Martha]

Now, this Chapter XI was great! Ahh, the Dickens I love. Perfect!

[Robin P]

The illustration is perfect for the mood of the chapter, which is Romantic in the capital R sense - melodramatic, enhanced emotion, Nature as a part of the setting, extremes of dark and light.

[Jenny]

So now we know why Lagnier was locked up! I wonder if he is really innocent or not... Either way, he is not that nice of a man!

[Sara]

I loved Chapter Ten and immediately recognized the bureaucracy that makes all our lives so much more enjoyable. If you have ever had any close dealings with the government and not come away wanting to pull out your hair, you are a stronger person than I.

Mark - I also thought of Kafka, but it was The Trial that came to mind. The Dickens influence is much more pronounced than I had recognized.

Following that with this darker chapter is masterful. I suspected it was Rigaud, but the moment the mustache and nose began to move it was confirmed. Another Dickens ploy that I love--the way he describes people and gives them peculiarities that make them instantly identifiable without being named. Speaking of names, another Dickensian trait, multiple names for the same character, though this name switch has a sinister undertone.

I was glad to see John Baptist was smart enough not to travel with Rigaud, but I wonder if he has been fortunate enough to slip him altogether and how these characters will intersect with those in England, ignorant of the fact that they are awaiting their arrival.

[Anne]

I love the landlady's speech. It's not so different from people today who have very strong views on people or other matters but have very little evidence to support those views. Throughout her speech I kept asking myself "what real evidence does she have to so fully condemn this man?"

[ClaraBelle]

Anne wrote: "I love the landlady's speech. It's not so different from people today who have very strong views on people or other matters but have very little evidence to support those views. Throughout her spee..."
#Truth

[Debra Diggs]

Great chapter. I hope John Baptist gets away from Rigaud. But I am worried that simply running away is not going to do it.

[France-Andrée]

Great chapter, I love how in the beginning we are not sure that it’s Rigaud, that was a nice little reveal. Poor Cavaletto, to get out of prison only to meet with his cellmate!

[Martha]

I have a question - what does “sacking“ mean here (by Rigaud as he is walking close to the town) “I wish I had the sacking of your town, I would repay you with my children.”

[Petra]

This was a great chapter. So atmospheric.
I feel for John Baptiste and his dilemma. He cannot get away from Rigaud/Lagnier. Imagine meeting again once you think you're clear of the devil!! What a shock that would be.

[Robin P]

Martha wrote: "I have a question - what does “sacking“ mean here (by Rigaud as he is walking close to the town) “I wish I had the sacking of your town, I would repay you with my children.”"

sacking in this case means pillaging, going through town stealing, destroying, maybe capturing, violating or killing people

[Elizabeth A.G.]

My interpretation of Rigaud's statement is that of a threat. As Rigaud trudges along in hunger, thirst, and weariness, he spies the lights of the town where he imagines the townspeople with abundant food, drink and warmth from their fire. He views this as a taunting of his own condition and is angered, wanting to plunder/attack/sack the town in revenge.

The quote is: "I wish I had the sacking of your town; I would repay you, my children." He is addressing the townspeople as his children and not saying he would repay with my children. He also treats Cavaletto as his inferior and as a child when he commands that his former cellmate to "put my shoes there" and to "hang my cloak to dry there by the door. Take my hat."

He is filled with vengeance and goes through a litany of wrongs and humiliations committed against his sensitivity, bravery and ability to govern. As the situation demands, he is both charming and menacing. He vows that "society shall pay" for these wrongs.

Once again there is reference to Rigaud's moustache going up as his nose goes down - a menacing picture:
pinterest.co.uk

[Bionic Jean, "Dickens Duchess"]

Yes, that's the correct reading, Elizabeth.

Apologies for not being able to edit my earlier post, so that the summary is separate, and the italics correct! For some reason GR will not let me. Nor can I edit elsewhere on GR. Perhaps my signal is continually fluctuating. Anyway it seems to be set now :(

I'll try to correct this when I'm in a different area, but am not hopeful.

So the summary starts in the middle of a comment, and I'll delete this if I ever manage to split it correctly. Please just continue the interesting discussions ...

[Anne]

Jean, the editing problem is throughout the site and started yesterday.

[Elizabeth A.G.]

I could not connect for a time yesterday due to high use of Goodreads site. OK today, though.

[Bionic Jean, "Dickens Duchess"]

Thank you Anne! I rather wish I had not spent so long on it now, looking to see if my quotations had accidentally imported some unusual characters etc. But it's hopeful :)

Right, back to the plot as they say ...

Martha - "I have not experienced his tirades on Govt. Departments before"

When you were reading Oliver Twist, you probably noticed Charles Dickens's tirades against the Workhouse. (This was because a new Poor Law had recently been passed, which was even stricter than earlier.) But at that very early stage of his career, he was not so skilled at making his rants entertainingly memorable!

Most of his novels contain outspoken criticism against some Institution or other, whether the Civil Service (as here in Little Dorrit) the Law Courts, Poor Schools etc. It could have started from his days as a young parliamentary reporter, but his cynicism grew more and more.

Elizabeth - I loved Andy Serkis in that role. It was a bit different from "Gollum"! I still think it's a great shame that Rigaud was completely missed out of the 1987 version, which was otherwise excellent.

Sara - "Another Dickens ploy that I love--the way he describes people and gives them peculiarities that make them instantly identifiable without being named".

Me too :) It is something that is difficult to dramatise - maybe an extreme close-up, or a gloved hand around a corner, or a silhouetted figure in the shadows. But nowhere would there be such a controlled build-up of tension as Charles Dickens can give us by using this device, in the text.

[Judy]

I think a lot of Rigaud's dialogue is literal translation of French idioms, so when he is addressing the townspeople as "my children" here it sounds a bit unusual, but Dickens is possibly thinking of him saying "mes enfants" in French?

[Robin P]

Judy wrote: "I think a lot of Rigaud's dialogue is literal translation of French idioms, so when he is addressing the townspeople as "my children" here it sounds a bit unusual, but Dickens is possibly thinking ..."

Dickens did know French, so that's possible. In the US, a villain might say something like "Watch out, kids, I'll get you", where it's not literal children.

[Bionic Jean, "Dickens Duchess"]

Judy - I like that theory very much, and do believe "mes enfants" to be idiomatic. France-Andrée - or any first language French speakers?

Rigaud repeatedly declares himself as a "citizen of the world", so he would probably choose the most appropriate idiom for each situation.

[Martha]

Robin P wrote: "Martha wrote: "I have a question - what does “sacking“ mean here (by Rigaud as he is walking close to the town) “I wish I had the sacking of your town, I would repay you with my children.”"

sackin..."

Thank you, Robin- this makes sense.

[Martha]

Elizabeth A.G. wrote: "My interpretation of Rigaud's statement is that of a threat. As Rigaud trudges along in hunger, thirst, and weariness, he spies the lights of the town where he imagines the townspeople with abundan..."

This sounds good - thank you! Yes, now I see the extra preposition- which makes a Big difference to the sentence. :)

[Martha]

Just want to let you all know - this is a tough read for me. And, I do not know why! I miss little things (even though I read slowly and carefully). I feel like I am studying this story- like for a class. HAhahaha! I started Chapter XII and right away I’m like- “Who, what, where?” Who are they talking about? So, I go back and research where it started. Not complaining, mind you, just an observation about me. Lots of characters. I am writing notes along the way- but I need to write down EVERY new character introduced because it looks like they come back in a future chapter. I think Jean said this at the beginning! Happy reading!

[Sara]

Hang in there, Martha. When in doubt, just go back and check the summaries Jean provides--they never leave out anything that is important!

[Elizabeth A.G.]

Martha wrote: "Just want to let you all know - this is a tough read for me. And, I do not know why! I miss little things (even though I read slowly and carefully). I feel like I am studying this story- like for a..."

Martha, I don't think you are alone in feeling that way. I find myself re-reading passages and chapters for understanding and trying to sort out the various characters that pop in and out. Dickens also jumps locations in chapters and between chapters which can be confusing.

[Bionic Jean, "Dickens Duchess"]

Martha - Oh dear :( I hate to think you're having to take notes ...

"this is a tough read for me"

That is one of the reasons I write the summaries! (Thanks Sara for saying what you did :)) And the reason they are so long, is precisely because I make sure everything important to the plot(s) is there, plus a bit more of Dickens's humour/descriptions etc., so it's not too deadpan to read. Maybe they would help you too Elizabeth.

Please use them; there are different approaches. I know some members read both, and some just skim the text and read my summary, and some ignore it. Whatever works for you is right!

This is all about enjoying Charles Dickens in a group of friends. You might like to get hold of one of the DVD BBC miniseries we talked of at the beginning as well :)

And as we go on, you get to know little catch phrases each character uses, or something about them (like Rigaud's moustache) which is unforgettable! Charles Dickens knew his readers had to remember a character for a very long time, so he puts in clues - aide-mémoires - to help us. I include these in my summaries too, either by including a quotation about them, or directly quoting a catch-phrase they say.

We are also working out a way to link just to the summaries. I know I said I couldn't do any more when Jenny asked, but another member has very kindly offered a way of doing this for me. I don't want to "out" her until it's settled though :)

[Jenny]

Martha, you're not alone in being easily confused :) I too usually have to reread some things to fully understand what Dickens is trying to get across. I'm glad you are sticking with it, as this has been a great group to answer questions, and just to chat in general.
Jean, I'm glad someone was able to help you with that! I know just enough about computers to be dangerous lol!

[Bionic Jean, "Dickens Duchess"]

It's the extra time it takes which is the problem, Jenny. I don't want to advertise another group here, but as I know you are in the general group I also moderate, take a look at the "Step-by-Step guide" in the "Technical Tips" folder there, and you'll see how to do links :)

So I am very grateful to Nisa for painstakingly going through all the comments to find the summaries, and doing this :)

[Martha]

Sara wrote: "Hang in there, Martha. When in doubt, just go back and check the summaries Jean provides--they never leave out anything that is important!"

You are right! Her summaries are excellent- I read them everyday. I should have checked those first before rummaging through my book.

[Bionic Jean, "Dickens Duchess"]

I'd love to be able to direct you to wiki, but it's hopeless as even a simple list of characters there has spoilers :(

And thank you! I'll try to add Nisa's links tomorrow, as it's getting on for midnight now.

New thread tomorrow :)

[Martha]

Bionic Jean wrote: " Martha - Oh dear :( I hate to think you're having to take notes ...

"this is a tough read for me"

That is one of the reasons I write the summaries! (Thanks Sara for saying what you did :)) And t..."

Oh, Jean - I hope you don’t think I am complaining. Your summaries are perfect. I read them everyday. I just didn’t think to look through them to find the character I missed (Mr. Plornish) for Chapter XII -But, I found him in Chapter VI, Chapter VIII and Chapter IX. So I am good. This is like a puzzle and it is great for my brain exercises!

[Bionic Jean, "Dickens Duchess"]

LOL as long as you are enjoying it Martha :) And it's good to be honest, as then we can help each other.

I think the "novel" by Charles Dickens with the most characters is The Pickwick Papers. I think it must be several hundreds - most little cameo roles - but still described, not just mentioned!

[ClaraBelle]

Bionic Jean wrote: "LOL as long as you are enjoying it Martha :) And it's good to be honest, as then we can help each other.

I think the "novel" by Charles Dickens with the most characters is [book:T..."
Wow didn’t know that about the PP even though I wasn’t a fan of it

[Bionic Jean, "Dickens Duchess"]

I tried to keep count once ClaraBelle, and gave up!

[Katy]

Debra wrote: "Great chapter. I hope John Baptist gets away from Rigaud. But I am worried that simply running away is not going to do it."

I agree, Debra. The whole time Rigaud/Lagnier was talking to John Baptist I was thinking "Run!" and I was glad when he finally did. But like you, I don't think this will be the end of it. I hope John Baptist changes his destinations from those he told Rigaud about.

[France-Andrée]

Mes enfants is a way to address a group, it can come often from a priest talking to his flock, it’s not necessarily condescending but it often is. Sometimes it’s used affectionately. I think it’s pretty rare nowadays, I think the last time I heard it was a nun (the principal) in an assembly and I was a kid.

[Ashley]

Chapter 10 was also my favorite. So funny! I didn’t really consider Dickens as funny until I just re-read DC and now this! I didn’t even think about the name of the office. Or course brilliant. Not only is it a good commentary on bureaucracy, but also on the prison system. We have a character who his friend thinks should not be in prison. Maybe I missed it, but I don’t know exactly what he did, so I can’t judge. But the conversation seemed very poignant to today. In the US (and probably elsewhere in the western world) we are having conversations about who deserves to be imprisoned and what is fair. I thought about a lot of that while reading. It’s interesting how in touch Dickens was with issues of the time. And it’s interesting how things haven’t changed all that much, even though they have changed a lot.

Also, I love seeing how authors treat mental illnesses! My degree is in psychology and I did some undergraduate work in various situations, so it’s something that stands out to me. Maggie is a very unique situation and well presented character.

[Robin P]

Bionic Jean wrote: "LOL as long as you are enjoying it Martha :) And it's good to be honest, as then we can help each other.

I think the "novel" by Charles Dickens with the most characters is [book:T..."

But in Pickwick, most of the characters never return. You can enjoy them for that chapter and not have to remember them (with a few exceptions). David Copperfield was a good book to start with because it is much more linear, staying with David's point of view. Occasionally characters returned but we usually knew them again. Here there are multiple stories and points of view and it's hard to know what is important. Or a character is introduced and you don't know immediately that is a returning person (like Rigaud).

[Elizabeth A.G.]

Bionic Jean wrote: " Martha - Oh dear :( I hate to think you're having to take notes ...

"this is a tough read for me"

That is one of the reasons I write the summaries! (Thanks Sara for saying what you did :)) And t..."

Thanks for your excellent summaries, Jean. I do use them but usually read any particular chapter before the summary is posted. I like to grasp the meanings, connections, and plots myself as I read, so I don't mind re-reading if that is required. Your summaries are always spot on and provide insights that may have been missed.