| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Alaundo |
Posted - 01 Jun 2007 : 17:15:45
Well met
This is a Book Club thread for the short story of The More Things Change, in The Best of the Realms, Book III anthology, by Elaine Cunningham. Please discuss herein: |
| 2 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Rinonalyrna Fathomlin |
Posted - 22 Jun 2007 : 00:51:50
I have to admit it...this story really didn't do much for me. I understand that the whole point is that people who swing from one worldview/lifestyle to another don't always real change that much (and I know this happens in really life--I'm especially thinking of people who swtich from one political extreme to the other). But I just felt that Elaith's change of lifestyle happened too quickly--I didn't feel that whatever it was that triggered him to change was explored as deeply as I would have liked it to be. Also, I'm sorry, but the description of Amnestria's beauty really irked me. I thought it went very overboard--it could be summed up as, "Amnestria is pretty much perfect in every way."
That's not to say that the story's message isn't a great one, though. "Question what you're told" is a lesson that I think everyone can benefit from, and should take to heart. I agree with KEJR's thoughts on it. |
| KnightErrantJR |
Posted - 21 Jun 2007 : 21:29:49
First off, a brief comment about Elaine's introduction. It is interesting that there really is a world of difference between someone that espouses a world view, philosphy, or way of life because they have determined through careful examination that that way of life "speaks to them" or is a part of them, and those that follow a given way of life, credo, or what have you due to the fact that they have never even tried to see any other point of view. "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy . . . "
What is interesting in here is that it reminds me of of some other pivotal Elaith moments in other books. Elaith truly seem to have a hard time accepting that Elaith is Elaith, and seems to want Elaith to fit some kind of mold, any kind of mold. He almost seems afraid to be who and what he is, wherever that takes him.
As an elf, he is an exemplar of everything right and good about elves, and never will he step off the established path for fear that he might not be seen as the elf ideal.
As a crime lord, he seems to almost push himself to do things that are despicable so that he fits the mold there as well. Its not that he has to artifically import darkness into himself, but that it has to be a certain kind of "bad deed" to convince himself he is "doing it right."
It reminds me of The Dreamspheres where Eliath desperately wants the kiira to just tell him if he is "good" or "evil" so he knows weather to keep wrestling with his concience or to just give in.
It also reminds me of Elaith in City of Splendors when it doesn't really occur to him the kind of authority he has beyond the simple privlages of being a crime lord, because the fact that he might be seen as some kind of authority figure, one with responsibilities beyond maintaining what he has, doesn't fit the crime lord "template" before that particular moment.
Its one of the reasons I like reading about Elaith. I think we all, at some point in time, just wish that we could take the easy path, or wished that there was just a "template" that we could follow without having to deal with the conflicting emotions, thoughts, and responsibilities that pop up.
I also liked the distinction that Elaith made when enjoining Arilyn to train his daughter. He doesn't tell her to teach her the rules so she can defy them, or break them, but rather, he tells her to teach her question them. If the answers lead her to break them, then that's one thing, but if she questions them, and still chooses, with open eyes, to follow them, than she will be her own woman. |
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