Yes, it took me a week to muster the willpower to read another chapter of this. This was tiresome, as expected: Britannia and Jake have two farewell dinners, because her holiday is almost over. She wears a lovely pink dress each time, which Jake appreciates. He even says kind things, and kisses her, but it doesn't matter because of Britannia's unaccountable obsession about Madeleine.
On her last afternoon, she rides her bike over to his house, to look at it again. She falls off the bike, and gets a mild concussion and a sprained ankle as a result. The bike falls on top of her - and yes, I know bicycles were heavier back in the day, but I still have a hard time taking this seriously. I'm not impressed with her inability to save herself; she just keeps fainting and crawling a bit until Jake comes and saves her. He somehow knows where she will be - must be a handy skill to have.
Well, at least something happened this chapter!
Showing posts with label saves the day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label saves the day. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Awakened Heart, chapter 8
I couldn't find the book for a while. Sorry. On the bright side, I've clean forgotten the first seven chapters of The Awakened Heart, which should make this blog post more fun to write.
Sophie's upset because her husband (whose long Dutch name I've forgotten) was spotted with an attractive woman in his car. Because Betts heroines are always stupid about these things, she immediately assumes the worst, and hops on a bus to go home.
Her husband (Rijk! That's his name!) picks her up at the bus stop, without mentioning the Mysterious Woman, and drops her off at home. He tells her he has a meeting, and that she shouldn't wait up. Chillingly, both he and Sophie understand that his "don't wait up" isn't a polite phrase, it's a directive (p. 153: "She went to bed early because he had made it clear that he didn't expect to see her when he got home").
The next day Rijk gives her a cheque-book that shows how large her quarterly allowance is. She's shocked, but he makes it clear that she can't be seen too often in the same dress. What happened to having a good, serviceable wardrobe?
Sophie feeds the dog chocolate! Surely that's not good for him? More to the point, "he expected it", so clearly he's in the habit of eating it. Aren't these people medical professionals?
This is a killing-time chapter. Sophie spends it puttering around the house and village, feeding the dog chocolate, and saving a small child from a freezing lake. Actually, she does no such thing - she sees that he's in there, goes in there herself, and sends the dog to Rijk for help. Good thing the chocolate hadn't made the dog too sick to move. After her recovery, she hears Rijk on the phone, talking to Irena about dinner that evening (Irena will, of course, turn out to be the woman in the car) .
The most interesting thing in the chapter is a revelation from Rauke, the manservant, that he and Rijk's father were in the underground resistance together during WWII.
Sophie's upset because her husband (whose long Dutch name I've forgotten) was spotted with an attractive woman in his car. Because Betts heroines are always stupid about these things, she immediately assumes the worst, and hops on a bus to go home.
Her husband (Rijk! That's his name!) picks her up at the bus stop, without mentioning the Mysterious Woman, and drops her off at home. He tells her he has a meeting, and that she shouldn't wait up. Chillingly, both he and Sophie understand that his "don't wait up" isn't a polite phrase, it's a directive (p. 153: "She went to bed early because he had made it clear that he didn't expect to see her when he got home").
The next day Rijk gives her a cheque-book that shows how large her quarterly allowance is. She's shocked, but he makes it clear that she can't be seen too often in the same dress. What happened to having a good, serviceable wardrobe?
Sophie feeds the dog chocolate! Surely that's not good for him? More to the point, "he expected it", so clearly he's in the habit of eating it. Aren't these people medical professionals?
This is a killing-time chapter. Sophie spends it puttering around the house and village, feeding the dog chocolate, and saving a small child from a freezing lake. Actually, she does no such thing - she sees that he's in there, goes in there herself, and sends the dog to Rijk for help. Good thing the chocolate hadn't made the dog too sick to move. After her recovery, she hears Rijk on the phone, talking to Irena about dinner that evening (Irena will, of course, turn out to be the woman in the car) .
The most interesting thing in the chapter is a revelation from Rauke, the manservant, that he and Rijk's father were in the underground resistance together during WWII.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Apple from Eve, chapter 9
If you'll remember, chapter 8 ended with some sort of catastrophic disaster (it turns out that a gas main exploded, wrecking most of Euphemia's ward, though the rest of the hospital escapes with minor damage). Tane comes to save the day, helping Euphemia and half a dozen sick men get out the fire escapes.
The next day, Euphemia is informed that her patients will be sent to another hospital while her ward is rebuilt, and that Tane has suggested that she take over as relief Sister for a while. I'm not sure why this idea bothers Euphemia so much, unless it's because Tane is interfering to arrange her career. (If you'll remember, Euphemia is annoyed with Tane, because he bought the mortgage to her house).
The doctor on staff insists that Euphemia go to her own home to recover for a few days (Tane has given permission for her to use the house). I mean, he makes her promise, and won't let her switch her days off. Astonishingly, this doesn't make Euphemia suspicious. Tane shows up on the second day, as she is cleaning the kitchen floor and crying. I'm not sure why Betts decided to go for this Cinderella image of the heroine crying in the muck, as the hero tells her he loves her and gives her the papers for the house, but there you go.
To my amusement, this last scene takes place with Tane dressed in "a trendy waistcoat", among other items of clothing. My SO swears there is no such thing.
Tomorrow: The Awakened Heart!
The next day, Euphemia is informed that her patients will be sent to another hospital while her ward is rebuilt, and that Tane has suggested that she take over as relief Sister for a while. I'm not sure why this idea bothers Euphemia so much, unless it's because Tane is interfering to arrange her career. (If you'll remember, Euphemia is annoyed with Tane, because he bought the mortgage to her house).
The doctor on staff insists that Euphemia go to her own home to recover for a few days (Tane has given permission for her to use the house). I mean, he makes her promise, and won't let her switch her days off. Astonishingly, this doesn't make Euphemia suspicious. Tane shows up on the second day, as she is cleaning the kitchen floor and crying. I'm not sure why Betts decided to go for this Cinderella image of the heroine crying in the muck, as the hero tells her he loves her and gives her the papers for the house, but there you go.
To my amusement, this last scene takes place with Tane dressed in "a trendy waistcoat", among other items of clothing. My SO swears there is no such thing.
Tomorrow: The Awakened Heart!
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
All Else Confusion, chapter 8
Jake and Annis are home from Lisbon. Annis buys a dress, they go to a party, they go to Bath, they visit Jake's family. Everyone - Annis, Betts, and certainly I - am just waiting until chapter 9. Jake throws the "man with the head..." quote from Tennyson at Annis, which would make me run away, but Annis doesn't (she does protest,"But I'm a person! Why should I obey blindly just because you want me to?", (p. 159) but doesn't pursue it after Jake changes the subject). They go back to London and Annis goes sightseeing every day to fill in the time, but never mentions it to Jake lest it bore him (though he explains the "intricacies of business" to her in some detail).
They have a dinner party, and afterward Annis is cross with Jake because he assumes she had nothing to do with the preparation. She exclaims that "I can't think why you married me, and I can't think why I married you either!" (p. 162). Jake had been planning to dump her off at her parents' house while he went overseas; when she protests, he maddeningly says, "Remember Tennyson?" and changes the subject. He's horrible, honestly, and even his timely intervention when little Audrey is carried off by a party of tinkers (!) doesn't make him much better.
They have a dinner party, and afterward Annis is cross with Jake because he assumes she had nothing to do with the preparation. She exclaims that "I can't think why you married me, and I can't think why I married you either!" (p. 162). Jake had been planning to dump her off at her parents' house while he went overseas; when she protests, he maddeningly says, "Remember Tennyson?" and changes the subject. He's horrible, honestly, and even his timely intervention when little Audrey is carried off by a party of tinkers (!) doesn't make him much better.
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