Phantom Thoughts pt. 19
Jan. 11th, 2019 04:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
zellephantomAs I poked my head out of a large pile of academic writing, I wondered what I should do for a break. "Oh, I know!" I said. "More writing!"
But seriously, I'm having a blast writing these, and in the past day or so I've gotten so many nice & funny comments! Thank you to everyone who's commented, and I'm glad you're enjoying this! (Next book will be Pride and Prejudice- yay! But we're only on chapter 7 of Phantom so unless I decide to start it early and have it running concurrently, it could be a while.)
{The first act passed without incident, which did not surprise Carlotta's friends, because Margarita does not sing in this act.}
WAITWAITWAIT- did I miss something earlier? I thought these were just a cadre of devoted fans and underlings, not genuine FRIENDS. Who are they? What are they like? How do they put up with Carlotta??
{"I did ... My concierge had never been to the Opera—this is, the first time—and, as she is now going to come every night, I wanted her to have a good seat, before spending her time showing other people to theirs."}
REDSHIRT ALERT REDSHIRT ALERT- not literally, though, since this lady is described as being dressed in black. Also as "a rather vulgar woman", which is... not very nice even though I'm not entirely sure what that's supposed to indicate. Is it because she's fat? (That would be terribly offensive, if so.) Because she's 'uncultured' and has never attended the opera before? (That's slightly better, but still- vulgar?) Is there some cultural thing I'm just not getting here?
{The ghost! Moncharmin had almost forgotten him.}
You're probably the only one who has, Moncharmin, since the novel is NAMED AFTER HIM.
{"It seems there's a plot got up by Christine Daae's friends against Carlotta. Carlotta's furious."
"What on earth ... ?" said Richard, knitting his brows.
But the curtain rose on the kermess scene and Richard made a sign to the stage-manager to go away. When the two were alone again, Moncharmin leaned over to Richard:
"Then Daae has friends?" he asked.}
And the ever-polite Moncharmin wonders aloud how Christine Daae could have any friends at all, given that she's a delusional weirdo loner.
{"The Comte de Chagny?"
"Yes, he spoke to me in her favor with such warmth that, if I had not known him to be Sorelli's friend ..."}
Ah, yes, Sorelli's 'friend' who definitely doesn't sneak off after performances to have romantic rendezvouses. That friend.
It's interesting that *Philippe* is the one speaking highly of Christine here, even though we don't know if they've ever interacted directly in the course of the novel. Does someone have a celebrity crush, or is he just helping out an old friend of his brother's?
{"That's his brother, the viscount."
"He ought to be in his bed. He looks ill."}
Raoul, sweetie, go get some rest. Christine will be waiting for you afterward.
{Siebel made her entrance. Christine Daae looked charming in her boy's clothes; and Carlotta's partisans expected to hear her greeted with an ovation which would have enlightened them as to the intentions of her friends. But nothing happened.}
Ohhkayy.. Well, I guess if Christine really needed to go into hiding, she could just disguise herself as a boy? Meanwhile, Carlotta's fans have revised their opinion and realize that Christine is a friendless loser after all.
{Some, who seemed to be better informed than the rest, declared that the "row" would begin with the ballad of the KING OF THULE and rushed to the subscribers' entrance to warn Carlotta.}
The opera audience: fight fight fight fight
Also, interesting tidbit- the King of Thule is a poem originally written in German by Goethe and set to music by many composers (so idk which music is intended here). It's about a king (duh) who was given a golden goblet by his dying mistress which becomes his most prized possession. He won't drink out of anything else, even when he's dying. One day, he finishes drinking from it and decides, for whatever reason, to throw it into the sea. He watches it sink and fill up with seawater AND THEN... he dies. the end.
(Summary might not be entirely accurate as my only source of research was Wikipedia. I issue a formal apology to all my English teachers.)
But seriously, I'm having a blast writing these, and in the past day or so I've gotten so many nice & funny comments! Thank you to everyone who's commented, and I'm glad you're enjoying this! (Next book will be Pride and Prejudice- yay! But we're only on chapter 7 of Phantom so unless I decide to start it early and have it running concurrently, it could be a while.)
{The first act passed without incident, which did not surprise Carlotta's friends, because Margarita does not sing in this act.}
WAITWAITWAIT- did I miss something earlier? I thought these were just a cadre of devoted fans and underlings, not genuine FRIENDS. Who are they? What are they like? How do they put up with Carlotta??
{"I did ... My concierge had never been to the Opera—this is, the first time—and, as she is now going to come every night, I wanted her to have a good seat, before spending her time showing other people to theirs."}
REDSHIRT ALERT REDSHIRT ALERT- not literally, though, since this lady is described as being dressed in black. Also as "a rather vulgar woman", which is... not very nice even though I'm not entirely sure what that's supposed to indicate. Is it because she's fat? (That would be terribly offensive, if so.) Because she's 'uncultured' and has never attended the opera before? (That's slightly better, but still- vulgar?) Is there some cultural thing I'm just not getting here?
{The ghost! Moncharmin had almost forgotten him.}
You're probably the only one who has, Moncharmin, since the novel is NAMED AFTER HIM.
{"It seems there's a plot got up by Christine Daae's friends against Carlotta. Carlotta's furious."
"What on earth ... ?" said Richard, knitting his brows.
But the curtain rose on the kermess scene and Richard made a sign to the stage-manager to go away. When the two were alone again, Moncharmin leaned over to Richard:
"Then Daae has friends?" he asked.}
And the ever-polite Moncharmin wonders aloud how Christine Daae could have any friends at all, given that she's a delusional weirdo loner.
{"The Comte de Chagny?"
"Yes, he spoke to me in her favor with such warmth that, if I had not known him to be Sorelli's friend ..."}
Ah, yes, Sorelli's 'friend' who definitely doesn't sneak off after performances to have romantic rendezvouses. That friend.
It's interesting that *Philippe* is the one speaking highly of Christine here, even though we don't know if they've ever interacted directly in the course of the novel. Does someone have a celebrity crush, or is he just helping out an old friend of his brother's?
{"That's his brother, the viscount."
"He ought to be in his bed. He looks ill."}
Raoul, sweetie, go get some rest. Christine will be waiting for you afterward.
{Siebel made her entrance. Christine Daae looked charming in her boy's clothes; and Carlotta's partisans expected to hear her greeted with an ovation which would have enlightened them as to the intentions of her friends. But nothing happened.}
Ohhkayy.. Well, I guess if Christine really needed to go into hiding, she could just disguise herself as a boy? Meanwhile, Carlotta's fans have revised their opinion and realize that Christine is a friendless loser after all.
{Some, who seemed to be better informed than the rest, declared that the "row" would begin with the ballad of the KING OF THULE and rushed to the subscribers' entrance to warn Carlotta.}
The opera audience: fight fight fight fight
Also, interesting tidbit- the King of Thule is a poem originally written in German by Goethe and set to music by many composers (so idk which music is intended here). It's about a king (duh) who was given a golden goblet by his dying mistress which becomes his most prized possession. He won't drink out of anything else, even when he's dying. One day, he finishes drinking from it and decides, for whatever reason, to throw it into the sea. He watches it sink and fill up with seawater AND THEN... he dies. the end.
(Summary might not be entirely accurate as my only source of research was Wikipedia. I issue a formal apology to all my English teachers.)
