Group Read: Arcadia Part 4, Chapters 34-44

Woo! Things are flying. I just finished chapter 44 and tried to make sense of my scribbled notes.

Ch 39 Funny - at the start of this chapter which continues the look at Lady Catherine’s Abasement Ceremony, I wrote that it was an interesting way to remind the powerful where that power comes from and that it seemed it wasn’t abused out of good faith and conscience. Then in like the next paragraph they all get waylaid by Pamarchon’s men. It’s interesting that no one recognizes her or what’s going on.

Ch 40 p 315 so Angela sends Chang to Anterwold and I can only imagine his scrambled brains.

Soonafter she discovers that Henry’s ancestor Charles Lytten is Lucien Grange (who is also the father of the child that her forced pregnancy created). It’s this Charles guy who buys the Devil’s Handwriting document which is thought to be a fake artifact.

At this point it’s interesting to see the parallel stories of spies, suspected spies and clandestine operations.
Volkov is shot at in 1960
Cullen is shot in Anterwold
Jack is on some secret mission that gets discovered by Oldmanter and when Jack eludes him after their meeting, O knows something bad is going on that will get in the way of him getting Angela’s tech. and will probably get shot or shot at.

Had a laugh on page 319 at Sam Wind’s unnamed and cryptic companion - is it Fleming or le Carre? LOL.

Ch 42 - so now it’s clear that Jaqui is actually Chang who seems to really like playing the hermit in some ways and when he starts experimenting with Etheran to test Angela’s security measures, it’s kind of painful. If he started exploring new ideas outside of the Story, even the idea that they can come from outside, would in effect, cause the world to implode. Instead E implodes and dies without having had an original thought and the world continues.

Since Angela’s warning about her timeline being the Fifth day of the Fifth year of the ruler of Willdon, he needs to speed up that timeline and kill Thenald.

Given’s Henary’s challenge to Gontal’s semi-legal usurpation of Catherine’s domain when she doesn’t come back from the Abasement, it seems awfully convenient that Pamarchon has slipped through that particular loophole - the rightful heir until Willdon decides he isn’t and therefore has to be found. At least until the Fifth day. Gontal is a piece of work. That whole challenge scene was pretty spine-tingly.

Ch 44 - I love the description of all the space junk that’s trapped us on our planet. I think I read something or heard something about scientists today complaining there are too many satellites now and that it’s getting in the way of them doing their work.

Phew! Things are really heating up and starting to mesh tighter. I found Chapters 23-33 slower moving than 34-44. Laying the groundwork and setting things in motion. While it’s not quite as engrossing, I love when things connect to back then and I have to look at my notes and go back and read stuff again.

Done! What a trip! Loved it. The constant shifting of perspective made me feel like those few characters in the book that were transported (many of them unwillingly) from one world to another. I have to admit there were a few nights I crawled into bed and knew I didn't have the brain power to read even a few pages of this book. After reading about a third of it I was able to stop taking notes because the cast of characters didn't change much. Thankfully.

Where is everyone? LOL

>3 clamairy: Work is getting in my way. It is most frustrating.

At least now I have set a retirement date. 354 days 8 hours 12 minutes.

I'm not counting. Honest.

>4 pgmcc: Oh, congrats! That's wonderful news.

Sorry, I've gotten side tracked the last few days! Stuff with photos and my catalog and organizing and making photo books. It's fun, but basically takes all my time when I get sucked into it. That and I went and had a massage and facial yesterday. Today I have some chores and stuff to do so maybe tonight or tomorrow I'll get back to it. I will start the last two threads though so you can jump on those if you want.

>6 Bookmarque: No worries. I am just afraid I'll forget what I read if I don't talk about it sooner rather than later. And thank you for starting the threads.

>7 clamairy: I'm here too. Have not yet finished the book, (similar to Peter, that pesky thing called 'work' has been getting in the way here as well). Getting close though as I read through chapter 50 last night.

>4 pgmcc: Congratulations! (354 : 3 : 54)

The retirement countdown! Yay! A good friend of mine is doing the same and we all are with her, too. She and her husband have a weekend place on our street and he has already retired, so he's cleared the place where they are going to build. He's been actively looking at plans and all kinds of stuff. They've been fixing up their current home to sell, too, all while she works full time. We don't have a date exactly, but we are anxious for her to be done and for them to live on our street full time. The countdown is real and I think everyone does it.

>4 pgmcc: great news! congratulations.

I'm still laughing at "You scratch my backside, I'll scratch yours."

The place name Yeovil reminded me of Peter Yang-Yeovil, a detective in The Stars My Destination. I read an article about Bester's book and discovered that he used a UK telephone directory to find names for his characters. So Yang-Yeovil was presumably named for this small town, near which the UK's version of Guantamo Bay was apparently located. Or perhaps I should say that in the 25th century, Peter will be named after this town?

Yay for a retirement date!

Finished the book last night. Wow! I have quite the book hangover!

I loved how all the characters’ plot lines were intertwined. Rosie was probably my favorite character. I loved how she stood up to people and got down to business. And the ending! Perfect!

Are all of his books like this? Many characters and complex storylines?

>4 pgmcc: Congratulations to you! I haven't set my final date for retirement (although I did warn my boss it was coming). I am hoping it will be during 2022; more importantly, I know the finances are best served if I make it mid-year. Assuming no one decides the time is right to launch a nuclear missile or something of that ilk.

>12 catzteach: Are all of his books like this? Many characters and complex storylines?

Yes, but not all have this element of fantasy/sci fi. You could have a go with Stone's Fall next. I think @pgmcc is inclined to read it, too, and I could have my arm twisted.

Another that is good, but even more of a brain-bender in terms of more classical, philosophical and religious themes is The Dream of Scipio, which I also have and could be persuaded to re-read.

Of course that means I have to finish this one first!

>14 Bookmarque: hmm, I’ll have to try his others. One of the reasons I liked this book was all the different connections in the storyline. :)

All his books do that, but he tackles different things with each one. Apart from The Portrait which is written in second person and doesn't have many threads or characters. His most famous An Instance of the Fingerpost is an enormous book with four characters that intersect, but tangentially. It's historical fiction at its grittiest.

>4 pgmcc: Congratulations! It's great to have that to look forward to.

I'm a few chapters from the end, but without the book to hand I can't remember which sections things happened in, so I'm afraid of putting comments in the wrong thread and spoiling it!

I love the way the plot threads intertwine and little details that were mentioned in passing turn out to be important. I guessed correctly that Jaqui was Chang (or vice versa!) - Jaqui pretty much had to be from "our" world and it became clear that Chang was the most likely candidate

>1 Bookmarque: Ch 44 - I love the description of all the space junk that’s trapped us on our planet. I think I read something or heard something about scientists today complaining there are too many satellites now and that it’s getting in the way of them doing their work.

This jumped out at me too, as I've read similar articles. The Starlink satellites are adding to the clutter up there in a big way.

>17 Sakerfalcon: Congratulations! It's great to have that to look forward to.

Thank you!

350 days, 4 hours, 51 minutes, 38 seconds. Still not counting.

>17 Sakerfalcon:
I can't remember which sections things happened in, so I'm afraid of putting comments in the wrong thread and spoiling it!

I find myself in the same position, even with the book to hand. :-)

In terms of your guess, I had noted that Jaqui had to be from a different timeline and had made a mental not to work out who it would be. I put that mental note at the back of my mind and forgot about it, so I read about Jaqui being Chang and thought, "Bother (or words to that effect), I should have worked that out.)"

I loved the intertwining of the story lines and the little hints at links that cropped up here and there. It is a very enjoyable book.

>18 pgmcc: Interesting that your non-countdown started almost exactly one Muslim lunar year before "D-day". Is that simply coincidence, or is there a deeper reason?

>20 hfglen:
Hugh, you know I cannot discuss such things.

>18 pgmcc: I worked with a guy who had his retirement date picked out several years in advance. Every morning, before he did anything else, he would decrement the counter on the corner of his whiteboard. This went on for at least a year and a half, and then he ended up staying another two years. I hope nothing like that happens to you!

>22 Jim53:
Thank you for the warning.

I am trying to get them thinking about succession planning and they are dragging their feet. Your friend’s fate could happen to me. :-(