Monday, March 30, 2015

Chapter 41 (Old Friends and New Threats)


Straightaway a couple things struck me about this chapter. Perrin, who we last saw being tortured then rescued, but still pretty much himself is now morose, hanging his head at everything and and more non-talkative then normal (and as I write this I realize many of my impressions come from the coming chapter, but it starts here). Also - Mat seems to have gone downhill rather quickly, that or Rand just didn't notice, and we've already talked about reasons that Rand may not have noticed. Still - for me when Moraine opened that door and Mat's lying there - it somehow was still abrupt. 

Maybe, partially because the "disease" was supposed to be so insidious - which up until that point it had been, but when they open the door and it's so blatant that something is wrong with him, that's what I had a problem with? I'm not sure. Thoughts anyone?

Something I really like about this chapter - when Rand's telling Master Gill about Rand's happening to fall into the castle and meet, well, pretty much every important there - Master Gill, while skeptical at first, ends up believing him without too much trouble. I almost believe you aren't making fun. "How often in fantasy, do they disbelieve a boy, who isn't prone to "telling tales" who comes to them and tells them something important? I'm completely switching genres and mediums here, but all too often it's like when the President (or other Very Important People) doesn't believe Jack Bauer in 24, especially in anything after season one - it's like, duh - dude doesn't make this up - how often has the threat not been real?

Back to fantasy, or at least Randland. The other scene I enjoyed reading was Master Gill kicking out the Whitecloaks, even though they're threatening him with the Dragon's Fang, oh my! Was just fun. I like Master Gill. "Whitecloaks hold no writ in Caemlyn. Two."

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