tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3982837118358902227.post6602006988987684783..comments2023-07-14T06:17:49.677-04:00Comments on The Daring Novelist: A Fangirl's Guide to The Prisoner of ZendaThe Daring Novelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01676188266569869059noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3982837118358902227.post-10878643931028147852013-03-01T23:41:53.223-05:002013-03-01T23:41:53.223-05:00I don't recall "gad, you're thirsty t...I don't recall "gad, you're thirsty tonight" as a specific line at all. I could not have told you where it appeared, so I looked it up. (It's not before the final sequence, it's at the end of the first act -- just before a one-page action scene after they discover the king has been kidnapped.)<br /><br />I can see why you'd remember it -- it's a great line in context, because it expresses great emotion. Rudolf wants to avenge the dead servant, and he wants to do it personally, with steel rather than a pistol.<br /><br />I think it's cool that you remember it as launching the final fight -- because I think the death of loyal Josef arouses a level of personal emotion and empathy that the threats to the king never quite manage.<br /><br />One of the things I'm going to talk about on Wednesday is how personal our reactions and retention of such stories are.<br /><br />For instance, the 'shave him and he'd be the king' line is not so memorable to me, because I think the part about Rudolf _looking_ like the king is the least interesting part of the story. But I knew the concept before I read it, so there was nothing dramatic in the moments in which it was revealed. The line I remembered more was the dry humor, "A man doesn't expect to see double this time of day."<br /><br />As for the sequel -- it is actually pretty forgettable. It's a tear-jerker, and as such it is a lot less fun.The Daring Novelisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01676188266569869059noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3982837118358902227.post-53912269492683723622013-03-01T22:49:17.977-05:002013-03-01T22:49:17.977-05:00Well, thinking about it more, the first quote laun...Well, thinking about it more, the first quote launches the story (after all the discussion about relatives and European trips). The second launches the big fight scene near the end. And the last *is* the end of the book.<br /><br />So...forgettable?<br /><br />I remember the first time I saw the B&W movie. Must've been in the early 90's, when I was still under 25 and the last time I read the book hadn't been so long before. I remember thinking it was pretty true to the book, but, for me, all ties go to the book.<br /><br />I think that was when I learned there had been a sequel to the book, and requested Rupert of Hentzau from the library. I know I read it...I just don't remember anything about it. I liked the Rupert character a lot, but I guess everyone did. Too bad I don't remember his book...<br /><br />-DavidDavid Michaelhttp://www.gunsandmagic.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3982837118358902227.post-79735702771607328122013-03-01T12:41:19.903-05:002013-03-01T12:41:19.903-05:00Wow, that's interesting. Because I would have...Wow, that's interesting. Because I would have thought those two lines, and the moments involved, to be the most forgettable.<br /><br />Probably for me the most memorable line would be from the movie not the book (which makes sense because I have a good aural memory): "Half my kingdom... for a match."<br /><br />In some ways I'd have to say that the 1937 movie was better than the books in terms of memorability -- because it took moods and abstracted themes and turned them into memorable moments: the scenes between Flavia and Rudolf in the carriage, when he suggests they wave across one another, the ballroom where everybody has to stop dancing every time he pause to ask her a question.<br /><br />I do think that the gestalt of so many versions, though, is a part of what makes the story memorable. But also how it can mean many things to many people.<br /><br />That's a part of what I'll be talking about on Wednesday.The Daring Novelisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01676188266569869059noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3982837118358902227.post-84792566908425026452013-03-01T11:12:11.115-05:002013-03-01T11:12:11.115-05:00I discovered Prisoner of Zenda as a teenager. Prob...I discovered Prisoner of Zenda as a teenager. Probably read it at least 5 times in jr high and high school. I've watched the 1937 movie and the 1952 movie, but never felt any need to watch them again. Not sure why.<br /><br />The lines I most remember are:<br /><br />"Shave him, and he'd be the king!"<br /><br />"Gads, you're thirsty tonight!"<br /><br />Rudolf. Flavia. Always.<br /><br />I'm almost tempted to re-read it once again...but I'll probably leave it alone. Don't wanna mess with a cherished childhood memory. =)<br /><br />-DavidDavid Michaelhttp://www.gunsandmagic.comnoreply@blogger.com