Greg S > Recent Status Updates

chapter one: the case (also, Watson is a misogynist)

I like this ominous antithesis with Kevin.

I’m alarmed that I’ve heard Kevin’s exact ignorant minimizing just last year, in 2023. When was this published? 1979.

thumbs down for another blue-eyed character — “Mrs. Flood’s eyes were sky blue. Had Agatha forgotten, or simply not noticed?”

thumbs down for the “potato-shaped” marysue — “…rather plain and potato-shaped in all..”

it’s always funny to see what convoluted reason the author thinks to bring two people together.

Terrifying.

Margaret complications.

What a gentle discussion!

The story rigidly repeats itself and escalates the problem at each episode.

This book reminds me of Twain’s Connecticut Yankee in King Arthurs Court

“…you do me the courtesy of calling me what I like to be called.”

A Sci-fi thing happened to a lady.

You’d think Joyce would hate Tennyson, the poet laureate, with all of Tennyson’s adherence to orthodoxy. Maybe the author of this book just wanted to put in that Tennyson poem.

just agree on a new contract. it’s not hard, people.

It might have been fun to count how many compliments Sylvia got in this book. — “Ernest had added, “And it’s because you published it first…”

Err, what?

I assume that the people who can’t afford the beach can’t afford her store either? — “…her shop that was empty of customers because everyone had gone to the seaside…”

Wouldn’t it be sad if Sylvia’s dad was a decent person in real life, instead of the monster depicted here?

gross. — “You are keeping the real writers afloat.”

Sylvia is beginning to conflate Joyce’s book with herself. She took a compliment to the book (written by Joyce) to be a compliment on herself.

am I crazy or could Sylvia go and visit them instead? — “…but hoped one or both of them would visit her soon so she might ascertain what was happening…”

Sprinkling a few french words every now and then seems shallow and pointless to me. — “…arranged like flowers; many cheeses and breads and saucissons and salads, and the pièce…”

Does a story need causality or can it be a long collection of thoughts?

Tom is either gullible or I’ve become cynical. Either way, there’s no data for either of us to draw any conclusions.

Suddenly, it’s a thriller.

I noticed that Adrienne goes to Shakespeare and Co., but Sylvia doesn’t go to La Maison…— “…Adrienne propped her up every day. What was Shakespeare without La Maison? A half dream, a twin missing its sister.”

Nothing happens except the rando is Hemingway. This book is like walking through a zoo sometimes.

it’s a good thing Sylvia has Adrienne (who has done everything first).