Discussion post: 2.2.2

[genarti]

And now, chapter 2.2.2, continuing the classical theme with more Latin: "Magna testantur voce per umbras."

Comments

[flo_nelja]

This scene reminds me a little of Hugo's theatre. All dialogue (with facial expressions, and intonations, and the clothes and attitudes described before, but no introspection) ; use of Public Domain Character as myths and symbols, and not real persons nor even real characters ; and a lot of killer one-liners.

Also you could say, not very big respect of history (the dispute Vendée vs Germany is totally artificial and comes from nowhere but sure makes the exposition more lively, as dialogue is all we get for exposition) ; heavy foreshadowing ; mix of humor and tragedy (this chapter is the only one since the beginning which made me laugh at loud) ; but you could argue that Hugo regularly does this in his novels too.

I don't know enough to take every historical reference and explain what is true, what is not. But I should go to historian hell, because I know Robespierre, Danton and Marat are caricatures (or symbols, depending how you look at it), but I still love how they're written, how they're charismatic and frightening and funny in the discussion of trivialities all the same.

[thjazi]

Yeah, even what little i know (and it is LITTLE) is enough to have me going "Hugo, no." But then it's not the first time he's thrown historical people in flavor text; in some ways this is easier to take than when I actually know the context and end up screaming YOU CAN'T JUST LIONIZE COLUMBUS LIKE THAT. I almost wish I could decouple my history-brain from my reader-brain at points here, because as you say, it is really effective at setting up a mood, and the Hugo-AU of these people are interesting characters, they just aren't quite...them.