Danger and Delight

Overview and Issue

"'Danger and delight grow on one stalk' wrote John Lyly in 1580. Today we grasp that stalk with willing hands for the novels of DD offer us those two qualities in abundance, particularly in the Lymond Chronicles and the HON."

WG069, WG070, WG071, WG072, WG073

Abstract

WG069

" And herein lies my first danger. I stand here to talk about narratives so well-known, pages so well-thumbed, characters so busily filleted and scaled that analysis may seem unnecessary or impertinent. But- grasp the stalk! We are here for Delight....Perhaps the greatest magic of all is the melding of danger and delight for whatever scrapes, disasters or death-defying adventures our heroes and their associates face, we face them too, with the delight of being in their extraordinary company, willing them to survive, holding our breath at the impossibilities created for them. So clearly has their author fleshed and clothed her characters that we are in great danger of assuming them to be known to us personally."

WG070

The author looks at different aspects of danger in DD's novels: "DD is fond, too, of the danger of the hidden villain. In all the volumes, we have a traitor in the camp whose presence we cannot always spot." However, there are also drugs, a cheetah, poisoned cottingnac, natural catastrophes, and battles. She analyses how skilfully DD creates suspense, the precursor to danger and (hopefully) results in delight when the danger is passed. ,

WG071

The author addresses DD's STYLE: "DD's style is weighted with her attention to prose rhythms, to cadences of phrase, challenging language, a musical skill in bathos and crescendo. It is fair to claim that this prose style, rich in description, in pictorial imagination, in detailed observation, in the sound of juxtaposed images, is in the top rank. I know of few writers whose choice of words can excite and enchant at the same time."

WG072

In Pt 4 the author focuses on the crafting of central characters, their talents and gifts, (in particular how her text at times sounds like a musical score)

WG073

The author concludes with DD's sheer cleverness and ability to continually outsmart the reader with her intricate plots, meticulous research and ability to make it all seem so obvious at the conclusion. She points, in particular, to the puzzles set in the first novels and skillfully interwoven throughout the Series. She also focuses on the distinctive verbal style that DD is so skilful with, for example, the verbal bantering between main characters.