V. (Perennial Classics)
1 journaler for this copy...
I finished V. today, courtesy of my friend Duncan.
I have an understanding of the general shape of the story, but...many questions remain. This is not a book that is capable of easy interpretation. I think I'm not going to release it just yet. I'm going to hold onto it and read it again later. But if anyone wants to borrow it, let me know.
Let me see if I understand: V was originally Victoria Wren, except she may not have really been Wren's daughter, but his mistress, and therefore we may never have known her real name. She took up Catholicism as religion and espionage and couture as professions. She was the lover of a young ballerina in Paris, the lover of old man Stencil in Florence, was Veronica Manganese in Malta (again Stencil's lover, and also the lover of old man Maijstral), Vera Meroving in South Africa, and the Black Priest again in Malta. She somewhere along the line lost an eye and took up wearing a glass eye with a clock face. She had her teeth removed and a special jeweled denture made by Eigenvalue? The plastic surgeon comes into this too, yes? Her feet were amputated (perhaps for her own aesthetic reasons?) and replaced with beautiful, elaborate, artificial appliances. Her Veronica identity was the inspiration for Fr. Fairing's naming a rat after her when he went all loopy and started a parish of rats in NYC's sewers. How does the robotics manufacturer, Yoyodyne come into this? Did they help rebuild her?
Or is all this wrong? At some time did she switch identities with young Godolphin by virtue of plastic surgery? Young Godolphin's face was ruined and he waved a feminine gesture toward Stencil's boat as it sailed away from Malta in 1919. Then old man Stencil's boat is inexplicably wiped out by a water spout. Huh?
V., through the course of the book, becomes more and more an inanimate object (intentionally). Benny Profane abhors an inanimate landscape. What's the connection?
The lost country of Vheissu, reachable only by lost tunnels underneath the Antarctic ice. How does this figure in? Seems like we should have found out more about it.
Seems like there ougtta be a sequel or three to tie up all the dangling plot threads.
Did I like it? I'd have to say yes. There's a wonderful sense of mystery there, and lots of interesting digressions and ribald tales.
I especially liked the Mondaugen's Tale section that deals with Southwest Africa in the days before WWII.
I have an understanding of the general shape of the story, but...many questions remain. This is not a book that is capable of easy interpretation. I think I'm not going to release it just yet. I'm going to hold onto it and read it again later. But if anyone wants to borrow it, let me know.
Let me see if I understand: V was originally Victoria Wren, except she may not have really been Wren's daughter, but his mistress, and therefore we may never have known her real name. She took up Catholicism as religion and espionage and couture as professions. She was the lover of a young ballerina in Paris, the lover of old man Stencil in Florence, was Veronica Manganese in Malta (again Stencil's lover, and also the lover of old man Maijstral), Vera Meroving in South Africa, and the Black Priest again in Malta. She somewhere along the line lost an eye and took up wearing a glass eye with a clock face. She had her teeth removed and a special jeweled denture made by Eigenvalue? The plastic surgeon comes into this too, yes? Her feet were amputated (perhaps for her own aesthetic reasons?) and replaced with beautiful, elaborate, artificial appliances. Her Veronica identity was the inspiration for Fr. Fairing's naming a rat after her when he went all loopy and started a parish of rats in NYC's sewers. How does the robotics manufacturer, Yoyodyne come into this? Did they help rebuild her?
Or is all this wrong? At some time did she switch identities with young Godolphin by virtue of plastic surgery? Young Godolphin's face was ruined and he waved a feminine gesture toward Stencil's boat as it sailed away from Malta in 1919. Then old man Stencil's boat is inexplicably wiped out by a water spout. Huh?
V., through the course of the book, becomes more and more an inanimate object (intentionally). Benny Profane abhors an inanimate landscape. What's the connection?
The lost country of Vheissu, reachable only by lost tunnels underneath the Antarctic ice. How does this figure in? Seems like we should have found out more about it.
Seems like there ougtta be a sequel or three to tie up all the dangling plot threads.
Did I like it? I'd have to say yes. There's a wonderful sense of mystery there, and lots of interesting digressions and ribald tales.
I especially liked the Mondaugen's Tale section that deals with Southwest Africa in the days before WWII.
