Madam, want to talk about author Mary Stewart? discussion

Spoilers for first five chapters may be discussed. Remember to use the spoiler tag and keep the posts off your feeds.

Bump. I'm just getting started on chapter six.

I have to say that while reading this section of the book I felt exceedingly uncomfortable because (view spoiler)[the dolphin got beached on the - well, beach - and Lucy runs up the pathway to get a rope to help but runs smack into Max where she has a rather lengthy conversation. All I could think was for her to hurry up and get back and help that poor dolphin! (hide spoiler)]

Susan wrote: "I have to say that while reading this section of the book I felt exceedingly uncomfortable because [spoilers removed]"

haha, same feeling here. I kept thinking (view spoiler)[DON'T FORGET THE POOR DOLPHIN. HE NEEDS HELP! (hide spoiler)]

Not clicking. No way.

Hannah wrote: "Susan wrote: "I have to say that while reading this section of the book I felt exceedingly uncomfortable because [spoilers removed]"

haha, same feeling here. I kept thinking [spoilers removed]"

:D

Same here. I wanted to (view spoiler)[slap the stupid girl (hide spoiler)]!

Did anyone notice Phyl "looking enchantingly pretty in some voluminous affair of yellow nylon"? *snort*

And me!
And as for the nylon; hilarious. Nylon undies later, too...

I like this book, always have, although it's not one of my absolute favourites. But I do have to grit my teeth a little at the (view spoiler)[sudden turn-around. Let's be honest, if I had spent the last few days thinking someone was no good, it would take a little more than just one act of helpfulness to make me fall madly in love with him! (hide spoiler)]

Oh but you know... (view spoiler)[ she always was but hadn't admitted it to herself. It's those unacknowledged feelings that made her think so badly of him. Apparently. This seems to be a staple of pretty much every Gothic ever written so I suppose we do have to grin and bear it. (hide spoiler)]
The scenery remains good, though.

Anne wrote: "I like this book, always have, although it's not one of my absolute favourites. But I do have to grit my teeth a little at the [spoilers removed]"

That seems fairly common in most of Stewart's books. I don't read a lot of romantic suspense, but isn't it a fairly common trope?

I do adore the scenery. There are so many authors who can go on and on describing a setting and it just rolls off my shoulders as unimaginable and then there's Mary Stewart.

Catie wrote: "And me!
And as for the nylon; hilarious. Nylon undies later, too..."

Yep, gotta love those nylon undies which dry while you're in the bath. Miracle fabric indeed!

haha - yep, more nylon in this book as in Madam, Will You Talk. It get all itchy when I see the word :D

Anne wrote: "I like this book, always have, although it's not one of my absolute favourites. But I do have to grit my teeth a little at the [spoilers removed]"

2 of the 3 Stewart books I've read featured (view spoiler)["insta-love" between the two main characters, both after the guy roughed the woman up a bit, (hide spoiler)] too! lol

This section explained a lot of things, gave us more of Sir Gale's story, for example, which made it much more interesting than the first 5 chapters.

Yes, I noticed the (view spoiler)[insta-love again, but for some reason, it didn't bother me quite so much as it did in Madam. Maybe because Max wasn't suspected of being a murderer like the hero in Madam was. I tend to agree with Catie that your Stewart heroine has fallen in love with the hero so subtly that not only we the reader can't see it, she can't either - that's pretty subtle, indeed - lol! (hide spoiler)]

The message clearly is, if you want to fall in love (view spoiler)[ pop down to the beach at midnight and rescue a dolphin with someone you previously thought you disliked (hide spoiler)]. The course of true love will run much more smoothly if you are (view spoiler)[ wearing quick-dry nylon undies at the time (hide spoiler)].

Hannah wrote: "Yes, I noticed the [spoilers removed]"

I don't know if I like the (view spoiler)[rough the woman up and then kiss her passionately (hide spoiler)] aspect of it. It is definitely a sign of the time the book was written in.

Kim wrote: "The message clearly is, if you want to fall in love [spoilers removed]. The course of true love will run much more smoothly if you are [spoilers removed]."

Worked for me! lol

Hannah wrote: "Yes, I noticed the [spoilers removed]"

Maybe not, but she did think that (view spoiler)[ Max had been taking pot shots at a dolphin (hide spoiler)]. In literary terms, that must be up there with (view spoiler)[ being suspected of murder (hide spoiler)]! ;)

Kim wrote: "The message clearly is, if you want to fall in love [spoilers removed]. The course of true love will run much more smoothly if you are [spoilers removed]."

Lol. Speaking of the dolphin, for those who have finished - was it ever explained why *someone* was trying to do him in?

Jeannette wrote: "I don't know if I like the [spoilers removed] aspect of it. It is definitely a sign of the time the book was written in."

In lamenting (view spoiler)[ the possible loss of her ring (hide spoiler)], Phyl says something to the effect that (view spoiler)[ she might enjoy her hubby beating her up when he found out (hide spoiler)]. They don't write dialogue like that any more. (view spoiler)[ Except maybe in "Fifty Shades of Grey"! (hide spoiler)]

Misfit wrote: "Kim wrote: "The message clearly is, if you want to fall in love [spoilers removed]. The course of true love will run much more smoothly if you are [spoilers removed]."

Lol. Speaking of the dolphin..."

Please answer this in the spoiler section, because I still have a long way to go! ;)

Kim wrote: "Jeannette wrote: "I don't know if I like the [spoilers removed] aspect of it. It is definitely a sign of the time the book was written in."

In lamenting [spoilers removed], Phyl says something to..."

True! I was thinking, too, of MWYT?, where the guy went from (view spoiler)[wanting to murder her, to kissing her (hide spoiler)] in about 60 seconds, and she didn't even blink.

Kim wrote: "In lamenting [spoilers removed], Phyl says something to..."

That struck me as weird, too, Kim. I was thinking to myself (view spoiler)[dainty little Phyl likes it rough? I guess there's more interpretations to the title then first implied.... But seriously, I've read alot of gothics/romantic suspense from this period up until the early nineties, and that's generally how relationships played out. Alpha males were the thing, and pretty much dominated the heroine, however pert and sassy she was. As a reader, I prefer this pseudo-caveman mentality from my fictional heroes as compared to the more recent evolution of the wimpy, tortured, conflicted hero with "issues" and baggage. (hide spoiler)]

Misfit wrote: "Anne wrote: "I like this book, always have, although it's not one of my absolute favourites. But I do have to grit my teeth a little at the [spoilers removed]"

That seems fairly common in most of..."
I read a lot and this seems to be the main set up, sometimes it's harder to tell who's going to be the villain, If it's well done, like I think Stewart does it, I just try to suspend judgment. Same thing happened with Madam. No huge amount of internal monologue like we read to day to see the feelings change, don't you think?

Misfit wrote:

Lol. Speaking of the dolphin..."

Yes it is. Later on.

No-one's commented on the amusing description of the Castello's furniture, the weapons on the walls, and the cases and cases of moth-eaten stuffed birds. I had to smile when Lucy describes the hallway as "Murder Alley" at the end of chapter 10.

That was funny. And, that she expected to see mouldering skeletons on the wall down to the cellar.

Lorraine wrote: "No-one's commented on the amusing description of the Castello's furniture, the weapons on the walls, and the cases and cases of moth-eaten stuffed birds. I had to smile when Lucy describes the hal..."


Here's my favorite from Chapter Ten:
"Your bathroom is along there." He pointed ahead to a vast door, opposite which hung a tasteful design in crossed whips and spurs.

haha - good stuff!

I bet that was rather "racy" at the time it was written! lol

Susan wrote: "I have to say that while reading this section of the book I felt exceedingly uncomfortable because [spoilers removed]"

I was thinking the same thing. I also cringed with the way they saved the poor dolphin. Couldn't they find a tarp with which they could have placed him on so he wouldn't be dragged across the sand?

As for the insta-love, I rather enjoyed the wild, passionate kiss from out of nowhere. Those just don't happen anymore in books (or movies for that matter.) They always make me chuckle.

And that comment from Phyl cracked me up. Her and Leo sound a little kinky. LOL

...Her and Leo sound a little kinky.


Rick James approves.
:D

New group members, please review Misfit's instructions in the first post above, regarding spoilers.

I have to admit I'm rather confused about using spoiler tags. I thought we just didn't go into a section until we'd finished what it covered? I've waited until I've finished chapter 11 before I looked at this thread. Isn't that why we have these separate threads?

Anyway: (view spoiler)[there are some hints that she's feeling Max's fatal attraction even before they tangle with each other over the dolphin. She doesn't want to examine too closely her motives for not giving him away over having seen Yannis the night before they find his body, or that she saw him go back to examine his body. I do find it sweet that just because they've shared some kisses Phyl assumes/knows that he cares for her. As for the insta-love, remember it really did happen to Mary Stewart (she and her husband fell in love the moment they met, married very quickly, and were happy together until he died). (hide spoiler)]

Speaking just for myself, sometimes I'll look at a thread like this when I've only read the first chapter or two, especially if I have a thought or a question that I don't want to forget. Then it's nice to have comments on the later chapters in spoiler tags. Also, if you use spoiler tags then you can let your post show up in your update feed; otherwise you have to remember to uncheck it.

Chapter 7: "And when Max Gale reiterated to the police (view spoiler)[that he had not laid eyes on Yanni Zoulas since a possible glimpse of this boat on Saturday afternoon, I had not said a word." (hide spoiler)] I definitely agree with you, Hj. She doesn't want to examiner her own motives too closely! (view spoiler)["I could stay in my enchanted bubble and keep quiet. It didn't matter one way or the other. . . ." And this a few paragraphs later: "The best way of forgetting how you think you feel is to concentrate on what you think you know. . . ." (hide spoiler)] Mary Stewart is laying the groundwork for us(view spoiler)[ for a shift in Lucy and Max's relationship (hide spoiler)], very subtly.

"the telephone was on a party line . . ." LOL! I remember our family having one of those in the early 70's. It's hard to imagine now how people put up with them! And on the next page the record on the turntable with the auto-changer. Cutting edge technology in Phyllida's house!

Chapter 7: Phyllida "was looking enchantingly pretty in some voluminous affair of yellow nylon . . ."



These are actual vintage 1960s nighties. :D

Phyllida's scene where she's getting all unreasonable (view spoiler)[about her missing diamond ring (hide spoiler)] cracks me up. "Your foul dolphin'll eat it." "and it's worse in lire, millions of lire".

Tadiana wrote: "Chapter 7: Phyllida "was looking enchantingly pretty in some voluminous affair of yellow nylon . . ."

"

Loooooooooooooooooooooool! Keep these coming.

Chapter 9: (very spoilerish)(view spoiler)[I love this kissing in the ocean scene between Max and Lucy, especially where they're talking and you have to read between the lines to know that there's some pretty serious making out going on. "You pack a pretty lethal charge, don't you?" Lol. (hide spoiler)]

Friedrich Nietzsche, Thus Spake Zarathustra: "Man shall be trained for war, and woman for the recreation of the warrior: all else is folly." Not the most PC quote in the world. :p

This line (Ch. 6) is great:

"Coffee," I said, "as hot as love and as sweet as hell."

I will have to use that one in a restaurant sometime. :)

Chapter 6. OMG who forgets a diamond that big! No wonder Phyl was a wreck.

I love that dolphins are called Apollo's Child. Had never heard that before. Having seen them in person, dolphins are huge! No way Lucy could have done anything by herself.

Tadiana wrote: "Chapter 7: Phyllida "was looking enchantingly pretty in some voluminous affair of yellow nylon . . ."



These are actual vintage 1960s nighties. :D

Phyllida's scene where she's getting all unreas..."

I had a white one similar to this. They are hot as hell.....especially during a South Texas summer.

Chapters 8,9

"He was very strong." Of course he was.

Always love the insta love...MS does it so well and with such conviction!! :)

The scene between Max and Lucy has always been one of my favorites. I mean really, Corfu, the beach, a gorgeous man, a rescued dolphin, and lots of adrenalin! Doesn't get better than that.

The scene between Max and Lucy has always been one of my favorites. I mean really, Corfu, the beach, a gorgeous man, a rescued dolphin, and lots of adrenalin! Doesn't get better than that. ..."

Yes, but knee-deep in the water? While they're both drenched? But otherwise, I agree.

And cold! But I love this: "I'd love to die with you and be buried in one grave, but not of pneumonia, it's not romantic . . ."

Chapter 6, Why Oh why would you wear an expensive diamond to the beach!!

My question exactly. Maybe if you're that rich a huge diamond that you wear all the time is not that big a deal to wear to the beach, but if you're the one to lose it, and it's an heirloom, THEN it becomes a big deal.

Exactly, I don't think she is very bright, and I think she just wanted to flash it around. I like Lucy a lot, and I'm beginning to like Max too. That poor dolphin!!