The Readers Review: Literature from 1714 to 1910 discussion

Welcome to Week 4! If you are behind, don't worry. These threads will remain open. As long as Goodreads' notifications don't crash (happens every once in a while), we'll be able to respond to each other's discussions as more people catch up.

There are a lot of things going on in this section with different characters, only loosely related.

What was your favorite story from this section?

Has your opinion changed regarding any of the characters?

How are these stories tied together, in your opinion? Do you see any common elements or themes?

I am still catching up, still in the middle of the section of week 3. Somehow I have been a little more intrigued by Daniel Deronda than this one, but maybe it is also due to my reading it in Swedish - and sometimes an older form of Swedish.
But I am not giving up… 😉

And Daniel Deronda has a coherent plot, too!
This book is definitely beautiful, but I found it very "putdownable" due to the structure.
It does pick up in the next section.

With the schedule extension, I set this aside for over 2 and a half weeks to make sure I read some other February reads and so that I didn't get ahead of the discussions. Its not that I reveal spoilers, but my comments can't help but be affected by knowing too much of the future storyline and character development.

Lori wrote: "What was your favorite story from this section?"

This reading section felt like two parts. The first part, which I preferred, spent more time on the Countess Marta/Count Henrick/Countess Elizabeth relations and the second part more than the stories about the individual cavaliers, witch, minister and squire. The witch story did involve the old Countess so attracted my interest.
On second thought, the stories on the cavaliers were also a bit intriguing. I haven't quite figured out these cavaliers. I thought they were all wastrels like Gosta, salvaged and provided a living by Margarita, who can then offer them up to the devil in repayment. I was a bit surprised that the cavalier Lilliecrona hasa small farm called Lovdala about a whole days walk away from Ekeby. The manor property is described as "a more beautiful place did not exist." His wife and children live there and he loves them. Yet, the narrator says that "the master of the house prefers to live as a cavalier at Ekeby." I will now echo Lagerlof's increasingly annoying habit and ask: "Why does he choose to live at Ekeby than at 'the most beautiful place?'" Does the devil make him do it?

Lagerlof populates this story with more question marks than the usual story narrative. Again, I'll ask why? My guess is that it is intended to add to the fable/folk tale feel of this story. The book and story certainly has a different feel than other historical novels, so perhaps the constant questions do their job.

I figured that all the pensioners were irresponsible or "useless" in some way. Guess that guy just couldn't stay in a place where truly productive work was being done, even if he wasn't the one doing it?

I was quite happy with the convocation of corvids around Countess Marta.

I still have a feeling that the women are getting off rather poorly as a common theme even though you would think that Gösta Berling would be in the focus of it all.
His drinking had such importance in the beginning that I thought that to be a topic, but that has been driven into background.
I was also surprised about the family that Liljecrona had. I thought these cavaliers were all lonely, broken, desperate men, but he actually has a home, but it does not seem sufficient to him. Is that a theme? Being unsatisfied with the “normal”, settled life and greedy for more?
The scene with the birds reminded me almost of Hitchcock. Though I am not a fan of the old Countess, that scene was quite scary and terrifying. It also showed this fairy-tale like setting again with the witch from the mountains.