So I’ve explained mostly what the deal is here — I was sick last week with a stomach bug and couldn’t update — and thus I’ll keep this brief. I’m updating all of last week’s chapters tonight along with tonight’s, so just go through one by one. I’ll try to keep them quick and brief.
Night 16: This chapter is a bit of a fun one because it truly carries on the trend set by Vicar Robert’s last appearance in showing just how antagonistic he is to the Players by outright going to the police. Especially when you consider his attitude compared to theirs in the recollection of the interview. He’s the only one drawing any attention at all, trying to place the constable’s death at the feet of anyone and everyone. When you compare this to the attitude of the Players who all notably make themselves as inconspicuous as possible like Jack, Morris, and MacCab or as believably conspicuous as possible like Jill and Rastov. It puts across the impression that for all we as the audience know they’re involved in an arcane ritual, they still come across as rather everyday to most people. Another brief, interesting note is the attitude the familiars take towards the rest of the wild kingdom, as pointed out by Snuff in this chapter when he calls a regular bat a ‘civilian’. Because that really is all they are to the more intelligent and mystical animals. Just innocent bystanders who might get caught in the crossfire.
Night 17: This might be the most iconic chapter in the entire book. The graverobbing scene is so striking in how it’s presented that it really sells everything else that’s happened up to this point. The fact that it’s such a generally taboo affair and yet the Players all go about it as though grocer shopping makes for a stark contrast. Especially with how they trade with each other, taking comfort in the psuedo-anonymity of the darkness to allow one last bit of cooperation. Because this is the last chapter in which cooperation is really possible since it’s noted that alignment is open information to those who seek it going forward. The openers and closer will, one way or another, draw lines in the sand and start actually working against each other. But for this one last night they can be as amiable as they please and help even their rivals if it means getting something they need.
Night 18: A rather fun chapter because it’s the first that really delivers on some of the set-up earlier in the book. While it’s not necessarily that subtle, especially if you know to look for it, this is the first time it’s confirmed Larry really is a werewolf. And that alone puts him in a unique role as a human Snuff can really cooperate with since they can communicate without issue. It also proves that there was more to Vicar Roberts than one might have first thought. While it’s another bit that isn’t necessarily subtle, it’s still a fun little twist that the ostensibly fire-and-brimstone churchman is actually one of the most involved in the ritual the whole time and his whole act of holy judgment is just his way to try and weed out rivals. And this is the chapter that actually reveals what the whole Game is about and what’s behind the door the Players are trying to open or close: the elder gods. And and this chapter confirms that Snuff and Jack are closers and therefore on the — more or less — good side in all of this. It’s where everything that’s been built up so far really takes off and the story stops pulling any punches, as it were, because every night from here on out will have someone taking action in some way.
Night 19: Mostly two interesting turns in this chapter. The first is the inclusion of ‘Linda Enderby’ as the newest disguise of the Great Detective. Largely because this shows that he’s taken enough interest in the Game to stop skirting around the edges [Footnote 1]. And given this is The Great Detective we’re talking about, it’s exciting since it makes you wonder just what he’s about; just what he’s figured out so far and how he intends to solve the crimes presented before him [Footnote 2]. The other is the introduction of the… Is Romani the polite way to say it these days? I will go forward assuming it is, since I understood the other was considered a bit of an insult in modern times and apologize if I step on any toes thereby. But it’s a neat little sidenote because it goes a little extra step in proving that, yes, the Count really is that Count. While they give a throw-away explanation here, any readers of the original Dracula will know exactly what the book’s talking about, calling to mind the great, big cross-countries chase at the end.
Night 20: Let’s say this is another rule of three chapters. The first curious detail is Snuff and Graymalk’s conversation early on about what the repercussions of the Game might be. In the first place because it, more than anything, confirms that Jill and Graymalk are closers and therefore in direct opposition to Jack and Snuff despite such a good rapport on both accounts. And it goes to show that the Players can’t necessarily be neatly drawn into ‘good and evil’ based on their alignment. I think most of us can agree we’d prefer the closers to win since we’d rather the elder gods stay Outside, but the way Graymalk discusses her own life proves it’s not a simple thing. Some of the people trying to open the door genuinely wish for a better world and think that’s the best — or maybe only — way about it. The second interesting detail is again with the Great Detective, as this chapter offers another compelling yet believable proof of his skill. Two even. The first in his commitment to his disguise, keeping it on even when home alone (Watson doesn’t count). The second in his powers of observation, with the brief note that he recognized Graymalk from a single visit and her presence snooping about his manse is enough to prove there’s strange things afoot. Graymalk also further supports his excellence in disguise by proving she can’t see through the disguise and still thinks he’s just some old lady. The last of the advances in the plot is the introduction of the Experiment Man. While that’s another easy to predict turn and it is a bit of a shame they went with the popular approach to the monster [Footnote 3], it’s still fun to confirm that the Good Doctor really is Frankenstein and he still hasn’t learned his lesson in this universe. All the more exciting when considering how such a monster might affect the outcome of the Game with other arcane horrors about.
Night 21: This chapter has a lot of very, very interesting advances to the story in it, so I’ll just try to sum up quickly. The first is the news that the losing side of the Game dies in the backlash. Because that proves something huge about Jack and Snuff, knowing their previous involvement. It proves they’ve always one and always been closers — implicitly, since the world is still un-eldritch. And it means that anyone who knows they’ve participated before knows they’re closers. The second is in the reveal that Quicklime and Rastov are closers, since it a) proves Snuff and Jack aren’t alone and B ) adds to the other interesting quirk that Rastov is another character who’s traditionally villainous. Or at least antagonistic. And yet both are on the closest to good side there is. Next is the Count’s staking [Footnote 4], since it’s the first really impactful death in the story. Given who and what he is, you’d expect the Count to be a very, very important Player. But seeing him get taken out so easily shows that realistically, anyone can die. And the fact that the Ring is missing shows it wasn’t just an idle death either. Which leads into the Bowl and its ownership. Because the fact that it’s in the Vicar’s possession proves he’s a little more of a threat than first expected and proves the Good Doctor isn’t as much of threat, the Experiment Man aside. Which in turn leads to the introduction of Lynette, the damsel in distress. Her existence alone is troubling, as an innocent being prepared for sacrifice, but the reaction the familiars have to it is almost as much. The fact that their issues with it are more in how unnecessary it is rather than with the simple fact of killing a child is… distressing. And goes a long way to proving there isn’t exactly a ‘good and evil’ here. And the last I find really fun here is the Great Detective’s show at the Romani camp. in the first place because it touches on the classic Holmes hobby of violin and in the second because it offers one of the most concise and compelling bits of characterization in the book. It shows off how Holmes is a wild man restrained only by his sheer will. Only by his dedication to the hunt for the truth. An attitude which makes Snuff’s newfound respect make all the more sense since the Great Detective almost is a bloodhound in human form. He cares not about the morals of his search, just the ‘justice’ of it. Making sure that no culprit goes free. It’s an interesting inspection of his Humanity.
Night 22: First off, this chapter is useful in confirming Snuff and Graymalk are on opposite sides. Likewise, interesting for implying Morris and MacCab are openers. But the meat of this chapter is in the Dreamlands sequence which is another of the more compelling of the book — in a certain sense. The first time I read the book, I didn’t know much about Lovecraft and the mythos he helped build. So I found the whole sequence incredibly interesting, particularly with how lush the descriptions of the eldritch lands are. Now that I can recognize it as parody, it’s even more interesting in a somewhat humorous way. And make no mistake, it is parody. You’ll note that easily three quarters of the whole sequence, if not more, is utterly irrelevant. At one point there’s a small paragraph dedicated to describing trashcans. But I still like it in both ways. The parody’s amusing, but I still take a certain wonder in reading the descriptions and imagining. I don’t know. Is what it is. I also like that the High Purring One is the best character in the story and the true hero. I’ll let you decide if that’s sarcasm, hyperbole, or other.
Night 23: A few things here, and some bits I’ll leave out of discussion for brevity’s sake. The first being Larry’s apparent prior acquaintance with the Good Doctor. It’s just a fun little nod to the fact that as a werewolf, he stands among the gothic horror monster icons with the Experiment Man. Nothing major, but a neat little nod. The second with Rastov’s murder, since it continues the trend of important deaths. Wile Rastov wasn’t necessarily as immediately recognizable as the Count, the fact that he was Snuff’s first confirmed ally (Larry’s a bit of an exception, as the book has discussed) makes it hit harder. Especially since he was barely even a true ally long enough to do anything. That he died so quickly after that reveal shows things aren’t going to be easy for the protagonists and things are going to keep getting worse. The last, of course, being the scene with the vivisectionists. It’s another of those very, very striking scenes since it’s — I believe — the only time we really see Jack in action. Sure, what actually happens happens offscreen. But we know. ‘Never met a man as really knows how to cut’ and ‘seas and messes [of blood]’. We know what Jack did and the fact that all it takes is ‘Well-met’ and a cut-away to convey it is powerful. I’ve also always loved how this chapter depicts his curse. Because I don’t know for a fact that it’s actually meant to be taken this way, but the ‘Dzzp!‘ as a ‘high-pitched whine descending to a low throb’ always came across to me as something like a textual representation of the classical horror movie strings. That there’s a kind of diegetic — if only audible to dogs [Footnote 5] — ‘dun! dun! dun!’ accompanying Jack as he goes full slasher mode.
Footnote 1: Pun unintended, but not unwelcome.
Footnote 2: I also only just realized the potential humor in Holmes getting involved with the Game, since it turns out that the Game is very much afoot.
Footnote 3: Strictly speaking the story implies this Experiment Man isn’t the Good Doctor’s first. Through this we can interpret that the more intelligent and cunning monster of the original book still exists, maybe even going so far as to say the lower intelligence of this one is Frankenstein’s attempt to rectify his mistakes. That the way he almost treats him like a child is his attempt to actually raise the Experiment Man into a proper Human.
Footnote 4: So this chapter has always confused me in regards to Snuff’s statement of ‘It seemed most inappropriate for one of his persuasion’, in regards to the Count and his coffin. Because he later goes on to say he guesses the Count was an opener, but this statement seems to imply he outright knows the Count’s alignment. Furthermore, I’ve never understood how and open coffin would be inappropriate for an opener. Unless it’s meant to imply that Snuff actually thought he was a closer and just trying not to freak Quicklime out by telling him they’d just lost a comrade. I’ve just never really gotten it because to me, it feels like it’s backwards here. Unless it wasn’t about alignment but him being a vampire, but I never read it that way.
Footnote 4A: And yes, I know the Count’s actual alignment; it gets revealed later in a conversation. But that doesn’t help. I’m still confused because the statement here seems unrelated to that information since Snuff shouldn’t know at this time either. Maybe. I don’t know.
Footnote 5: And that it’s only audible to dogs furthers the impact, since dogs knowing when the villain is around before the characters is another classic horror movie trope.
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