Saturday, June 07, 2008

Cassandra

What did you think of the narrative voice? Did it consistently engage you?
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8 comments:

Erin said...

It did. It was the best thing about the book for me. She was so funny and smart. I marked dozens of lines that made me smile. I also found it fascinating the way the voice sort of changed throughout the book. At the beginning, I remember thinking that she sounded younger than 17. By the end, she seemed much older to me.

11:24 AM, June 10, 2008
kc said...

I noticed that, too. At the beginning I kept having to remind myself that she was older. Even though she exuded a lot of maturity, she still seemed very kidlike in ways, possibly because she had lived such a solitary and odd life in the castle. Often she referred to knowing that people did "X" because she saw it "on the pictures," but Rose didn't go to movies, so she didn't, for example, know how to act with gentlemen.

Even the Americans (maybe it was just Simon), in the bath scene in the kitchen, were surprised to learn they were talking to a near-adult when Cassandra stepped out of the bath.

But, yes, by novel's end — after some emotional upheaval good and bad — she seemed older.

11:40 AM, June 13, 2008
kc said...

Also, did you think Cassandra was "consciously naive," as the Americans said?

(I thought that scene was really terrific).

12:15 PM, June 13, 2008
Erin said...

That scene was terrific!

I was sort of perplexed by the "consciously naive" remark. I had to think about it for a while. I'm wondering if maybe he was talking about the same thing we are: that she seemed too kidlike for a 17-year-old.

1:26 PM, June 14, 2008
rev amy said...

I felt I would have loved her immensely had I read the book at 15. I did love her imagination and descriptive abilities.

The tide turned for me when she fell so quickly and completely in love with Simon. I disliked her greatly at some moments then. Perhaps that was intentional by Smith

8:59 PM, June 15, 2008
kc said...

I was sort of confused by "consciously naive," too, but I think they were saying that her "innocence" and good nature was something of an act ... possibly they thought this because she was so different from American girls her age.(?)

Weird. Dodie Smith was in her 50s when this book came out. I wonder if she had any kid diaries to rely on or if just really had a keen memory of what it felt like to be a teenaged girl.

Did you dislike Simon, AEL?

2:51 PM, June 16, 2008
rev amy said...

I didn't exactly dislike Simon, perhaps I thought him the fool. Here he was madly in love with Rose, for what reason I am really unsure beyond he was in love with England and marrying an English girl fit with that. He obviously had a better connection with Cassandra in terms of the arts and perspective on the world. I had hoped after their magical evening in the music room where he showed her the wonders of Bach that he would realize this. The story never hinted that he had had anywhere close to as wonderful an evening with Rose.

11:09 AM, June 18, 2008
Erin said...

I admit I had a similar feeling about Simon. I figured that when he kissed Cassandra he was finally coming to his senses, realizing how much more they had in common, etc. And maybe he did, by the end. Maybe that's why he invited Cassandra to come to America with him, because he saw that they were compatible, that it would be nice and convenient if they were a couple. But that kind of "settling" isn't enough for Cassandra.

11:52 AM, June 18, 2008

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