I loved the description of Perpetua keeping a secret: "like a loosely hooped old barrel filled with a gurgling, bubbling, fermenting young wine, of the tap didn't blow off, every stave was bound to creak and leak and drop so much that, soon enough, you'd be able to name the wine inside."
I also was intrigued by Griso's speech, which is an interesting mix of regret and defensiveness. Not a good apology by today's standards, but puts him and Rodrigo on more even footing, to my reading. And was further delighted that I could generally parse the Italian original, even with my own bare beginnings of learning the language!
Yes, that was a delightful metaphor about Perpetua! I was interested too that Griso submits but doesn't grovel, and takes the risk of being a bit surly. Either his pride is a bit more robust than his fear of Don Rodrigo's rage, or he knows from experience that that rage is somewhat performative.
The line that stuck out today was from the tavern-keeper who “if he was to be believed, he did not even remember whether he had seen people that night, and was careful to say that a tavern is like a seaport, with people coming in and out.”
A repeat of the phrase he told Renzo - right before he blabbed everything to the bravi.
One thing I think the author is trying to explain is that everyone has their own honor code (influenced by their upbringing/their fears) and adhering to that erroneous sense of honor causes a lot of chaos.
That is a great point, and really explains so much of human life, human behavior. Everyone running around with their own sense of what is the right thing to do, the right way to live. Free choice strikes again! BTW, I am both being a wee bit ironic while also being absolutely truthful here.
For me it was not the consolation in life is friendship paragraph but pp. 190-191 describing the common folk starting wonderfully with Perpetua and continuing with Tonio’s wife and Menico’s parents.
I also loved “on that journey in his heart he must have killed Don Rodrigo and resuscitated him at least twenty times. “
The spread of gossip and the secret take the prize for me today. Attilio and Don R. fell sort of flat to my ears, until Griso brought things back to life. But the accounts of how the news travels were brilliant.
So when the narrator says of Don R., “...since this was the biggest and riskiest thing the brave and valiant man had ever attempted.” He means it ironically. I was wondering 🤔😂😂😂😂😂
"brave and valiant" is certainly ironic, but I was puzzled by "biggest and riskiest" -- I had to think what was big and risky about it? -- with his bad rep he must have done worse than a kidnapping? (and I have to confess that irony on this point never occurred to me)
Impressed by how Manzoni is weaving this tale. The detour to Gertrude’s backstory, then return to the evil machinations of Don Rodrigo, and the reconstruction of the story based on rumor and gossip, as well as the brief exposition on the nature of secrets is exquisite. Also, Don Rodrigo and Count Attilio are such stereotypical ‘bad guys’ they verge on farsical. I predict their downfall will be glorious. At least I hope. Also, now that the betrotheds whereabouts seems to have been discovered, will Lucia be safe under Gertrude’s care? Nail-biter this novel 😅
After this chapter, I like Griso more than I should. His mission went all to hell, but he doesn't cower before the boss and would rather not take the next assignment. In Monza he doesn't get along so well with the police, whereas here he treats them like friends ("it does me no honor but anything for the sake of a peaceful life" 🤣), shielded by his betters in exchange for some threats and evil deeds now and then.
And Attilio made me laugh, claiming that in Rodrigo's place with Cristoforo, he would not have remembered "there were any other Capuchins in the world besides that insolent rascal."
more catching up. love: "On the other hand, too many people had a piece of the puzzle for everyone to agree to keep quiet." This novel has the right dose of folksy / fabulist tone for my taste.
I loved the description of Perpetua keeping a secret: "like a loosely hooped old barrel filled with a gurgling, bubbling, fermenting young wine, of the tap didn't blow off, every stave was bound to creak and leak and drop so much that, soon enough, you'd be able to name the wine inside."
I also was intrigued by Griso's speech, which is an interesting mix of regret and defensiveness. Not a good apology by today's standards, but puts him and Rodrigo on more even footing, to my reading. And was further delighted that I could generally parse the Italian original, even with my own bare beginnings of learning the language!
Yes, that was a delightful metaphor about Perpetua! I was interested too that Griso submits but doesn't grovel, and takes the risk of being a bit surly. Either his pride is a bit more robust than his fear of Don Rodrigo's rage, or he knows from experience that that rage is somewhat performative.
The line that stuck out today was from the tavern-keeper who “if he was to be believed, he did not even remember whether he had seen people that night, and was careful to say that a tavern is like a seaport, with people coming in and out.”
A repeat of the phrase he told Renzo - right before he blabbed everything to the bravi.
One thing I think the author is trying to explain is that everyone has their own honor code (influenced by their upbringing/their fears) and adhering to that erroneous sense of honor causes a lot of chaos.
That is a great point, and really explains so much of human life, human behavior. Everyone running around with their own sense of what is the right thing to do, the right way to live. Free choice strikes again! BTW, I am both being a wee bit ironic while also being absolutely truthful here.
For me it was not the consolation in life is friendship paragraph but pp. 190-191 describing the common folk starting wonderfully with Perpetua and continuing with Tonio’s wife and Menico’s parents.
I also loved “on that journey in his heart he must have killed Don Rodrigo and resuscitated him at least twenty times. “
The spread of gossip and the secret take the prize for me today. Attilio and Don R. fell sort of flat to my ears, until Griso brought things back to life. But the accounts of how the news travels were brilliant.
Everyone’s playing telephone in the village of Lecco today.
So when the narrator says of Don R., “...since this was the biggest and riskiest thing the brave and valiant man had ever attempted.” He means it ironically. I was wondering 🤔😂😂😂😂😂
"brave and valiant" is certainly ironic, but I was puzzled by "biggest and riskiest" -- I had to think what was big and risky about it? -- with his bad rep he must have done worse than a kidnapping? (and I have to confess that irony on this point never occurred to me)
Impressed by how Manzoni is weaving this tale. The detour to Gertrude’s backstory, then return to the evil machinations of Don Rodrigo, and the reconstruction of the story based on rumor and gossip, as well as the brief exposition on the nature of secrets is exquisite. Also, Don Rodrigo and Count Attilio are such stereotypical ‘bad guys’ they verge on farsical. I predict their downfall will be glorious. At least I hope. Also, now that the betrotheds whereabouts seems to have been discovered, will Lucia be safe under Gertrude’s care? Nail-biter this novel 😅
After this chapter, I like Griso more than I should. His mission went all to hell, but he doesn't cower before the boss and would rather not take the next assignment. In Monza he doesn't get along so well with the police, whereas here he treats them like friends ("it does me no honor but anything for the sake of a peaceful life" 🤣), shielded by his betters in exchange for some threats and evil deeds now and then.
And Attilio made me laugh, claiming that in Rodrigo's place with Cristoforo, he would not have remembered "there were any other Capuchins in the world besides that insolent rascal."
more catching up. love: "On the other hand, too many people had a piece of the puzzle for everyone to agree to keep quiet." This novel has the right dose of folksy / fabulist tone for my taste.