On Sat, 15 May 2004 Gaertk at aol.com wrote: > In a message dated 5/14/2004 9:28:38 PM Eastern Daylight Time, zarkon at illrepute.org writes: > > > > > On Fri, 14 May 2004, Philip Hart wrote: > > > > @> > @> > @> > > > @> > @> > @> > > > @> > @> > @> > > > @> > @> > @> > > > @> > @> > @> > > > @> > @> > @> > > > @> > @> > @> > > > @> > @> > @> > > > @> > @> > @> > > > @> > @> > @> > doo dee doo > > @> > @> > @> > > > @> > @> > @> > > > @> > @> > @> > > > @> > @> > @> > > > @> > @> > @> > > > @> > @> > @> > > > @> > @> > @> > > > @> > @> > @> > > > @> > @> > @> > > > @> > @> > @> > > > @> > @> > @> > > > @> > @> > @> > > > @> > @> > @> > > > @> > @> > @> > > @> > @> > > > > @> Here I don't follow you at all. We know Vlad's account is > > @> wrong from internal evidence (beheading != permanently > > @> killing)... > > > > Bull. If Vlad says "Sethra Lavode says X and Y", I believe him. > > The beheading thing is almost certainly a problem with the book's > > pre-series squirreliness... err.. I mean, a typo. Or a pronoun > > gender problem. Yeah, that's it. > > The beheading thing is an official Mistake, and does not appear in > the omnibus. Wow. > > Also, in the "Paarfi is a big liar" vein, there's the speech > > patterns. > > "In the interests of accuracy it must be admitted that one aspect of our > author's depiction of these events is not, in fact, strictly in > accordance with the actual practice of the times..." Good point. > > > @> > And Paarfi has nothing to gain by rocking the boat, and > > @> > everything to lose. More on this in a second. > > @> > > @> Controversy sells (current affairs) books. Sometimes I think > > @> little else does. > > > > It seems to be considered a historical work, even given the > > lifespans of the people involved ("Historical Romance"). > > You've never read any Historical Romances, have you? Dumas > invented his hero whole, and you doubt Paarfi would twist a scene > to his advantage? I suspect John's on your side here - I'm arguing for Paarfian accuracy on the points discussed. Note that Dumas was writing about events hundreds of years in his past. Paarfi's D'Artagnan lives on in his day. Note though that I'm happy to posit that Sethra fed Paarfi a line re the concluding events of _FHYA_. > Note that FHYA was published after laws were passed to protect > cross-breeds. What laws are these?