7: The Horse and his Boy: C. S. Lewis: ISBN 0-261-167048-4

[lnr]

Book three in the Narnia chronicles mostly takes place outside Narnia. Again it's rather a good one, with some nice world-building in terms of the vaguely Eastern land of Calormen. Though illustrating the darker Calormen as cruel and owning slaves seems a little racist in modern eyes. Long-lost twins is always a bit of a cliche as plots go, but never mind, they're both nice lads. And Aravis is nice too. I love her bit hiding behing the sofa listening to the plotting of Prince Radabash. And I'm mildly amused by the line near the very end: "Aravis also had many quarrels (and, I'm afraid, even fights) with Cor, but they always made it up again: so that years later, when they were grown up, they were so used to quarrelling, and making it up again that they got married so as to go on doing it more conveniently." What a sad view on marriage! Obviously Richard and I should never bother, since we still haven't seemed to get the hang of falling our very much ;-) Anyway another book read quickly and with nostalgia and enjoyment, and looking forward to the rest.

Comments

[rmc28]

I think it depends if the quarrel-and-make-up sequence achieves something, rather than going over the same things again and again. I used to point at my parents' arguments as an example of constructive quarrelling, however that stopped being true some years ago as (I now realise) their marriage started breaking down. Now they're divorced, they hardly argue at all ...

Bad arguments are very unpleasant, but I rather feel the book is referring to the 'good argument' type - more a firm and frank exchange of views. As it happens, Tony and I haven't quite managed to fall out very much yet, but we do have plenty of time to practice ;)

[hoiho.livejournal.com]

I rather feel the book is referring to the 'good argument' type

I imagine that's why he used the softer word quarrel, rather than argue. To me, anyway, quarrel seems to carry an implication of good nature, where argue suggests more overt hostility. But maybe that's just me.

[simont]

I think it must be; to me, "quarrel" suggests an event capable of puncturing a plate-mail breastplate at a thousand paces, so any good nature is fairly well hidden.

But maybe that's just me ;-)

(ObCarStereo!)

[damerell.livejournal.com]

I'd bolt if something like that happened, rather than stick around to prod buttock.