We are all former students at Lakenheath High School and other public schools in East Anglia. We were in school in the 70s and 80s and drank deeply from the well of British culture of those decades - the pints, the telly, and of course the footie!
posted by Bivalve88 @ 1:45 PM
We are all former students at Lakenheath High School and other public schools in East Anglia. We were in school in the 70s and 80s and drank deeply from the well of British culture of those decades - the pints, the telly, and of course the footie!
6 Comments:
A roller coaster ride, indeed. Before we get to talking about Evan, let me just mention an intriguing exchange in Chapter 13.
Billy and Malena have just returned from trying to track down Fidel in the hinterlands where he's joined the anti-Trujillo forces. They settle in for a "steak and mojito" at a restaurant that Malena calls a "tourist trap," when they encounter Canillo.
After Malena leaves the club, Canillo, who seems more and more a shadowy and very connected figure (Batista compatriot? Mafia?), warns Billy in no uncertain terms that "she (Malena) will only bring trouble to a person, an American, like yourself."
What are we to make of this warning? It reminds me of a similar scene in Graham Greene's "The Innocent American." It Canillo warning about staying out of politics or staying out of Malena's life - or both?
My take on Canillo's warning was political, since he specifically mentioned Billy being an American. I agree that Canillo seems a very dark figure - I expect more to come from him, and not in a good way. He does seem to be more authoritative than just an informant.
I agree - whenever a character like Canillo appears early in a movie, Karen leans over to me and whispers - "he did it!" More often than not, she's right.
So what about the strange little "morning after" scene that takes up much of Chapter 15. Billy and Malena are enjoying a nice lie in with some coffee when Fidel strolls in on them. The odd thing is that he doesn't seem at all disturbed by seeing them together, so I suppose that clinches the reality that Fidel and Malena are not an item. Fidel and Billy go out onto the veranda with a pitcher of mango juice and Fidel announces that he's decided to pitch for the Senators after all. Wha???? I'd never thought of Castro as that capricious a character. From history, we know that he did no such thing and within months was off in the Mexican jungle plotting the assault on the Moncado barracks. Be that as it may, though. What gives? Are we really supposed to think that the future leader of Cuba blew with the wind in this fashion?
I don't believe that Fidel really is serious about wanting to pitch for the Senators. Although, my first thought was that he wants to get to the United States and cause a ruckus here, especially since the team is based in D.C. Then I wondered if it was just to set Billy up somehow, that he was about to stab him in the back in retaliation for his relationship with Malena. It'll be interesting to see what happens next, since we all know how it all played out in the end.
Whenever an author includes a historical figure in a novel, it can be a slippery slope. I, personally, don't have a problem with someone changing history for the sake of creative license - as long as it isn't passed off as fact. I can't wait to read more!
I completely agree - that's my major issue with historical fiction. I love the genre as long as the author stays faithful to the basic arc of the historical events. One more issue: too often contemporary authors insert characters that behave in wildly anachronistic ways - e.g., enlightened plantation owners in the 18th century, second-wave feminists in Victorian Britain.
Thankfully, Wendel doesn't suffer from these problems. I assume that in the next few chapters, Fidel's going to slip off to Mexico after the Moncada debacle and prepare for the landing in the Sierra Maestre. I like how some of the events are delineated in the contemporary chapters with Billy, Evan and the daughter and some of them in the flashbacks. Nice touch.
Sorry that I've dropped out for a while. I borrowed the book from the library but had to finish it before it was due. I can't stick with this chapter by chapter progress but will try to contribute with comments when I can.
Post a Comment
<< Home