Author Topic: [BG spoilers!!] Revisiting the short story "Monsters"  (Read 8269 times)

Offline Mira

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Re: [BG spoilers!!] Revisiting the short story "Monsters"
« Reply #45 on: November 22, 2020, 07:04:06 PM »
Mostly agree. Marcone and Harry know exactly what the other is, due to the soulgaze. Marcone also knows what Harry thinks of him because Harry tells him so every Tuesday. But I don't think Harry knows what Marcone thinks of him. That is why us readers don't really know what Marcone thinks of him.

But yes, their knowledge of each others helps them to use each other.

I think we were given some idea of what Marcone thinks of Harry in the earlier books.  I just don't think Marcone fully understood what he was seeing, or if he did, he wasn't getting the whole picture.
I think early on he understood the kind of power Harry would wield, so he attempted to use him, cooperate somewhat with him so he could use him.  Then about mid-way he realized that Harry isn't
the kind that could be used, so he tried different paths that helped him to get what he wanted from the supernatural world, the big prize for now being the coin of Namshiel. 

You could be right that Harry doesn't understand what Marcone thinks of him, but Harry does understand Marcone, he is a full blown predator.

Offline TheCuriousFan

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Re: [BG spoilers!!] Revisiting the short story "Monsters"
« Reply #46 on: November 22, 2020, 07:10:35 PM »
I think we were given some idea of what Marcone thinks of Harry in the earlier books.  I just don't think Marcone fully understood what he was seeing, or if he did, he wasn't getting the whole picture.
I think early on he understood the kind of power Harry would wield, so he attempted to use him, cooperate somewhat with him so he could use him.  Then about mid-way he realized that Harry isn't
the kind that could be used,
so he tried different paths that helped him to get what he wanted from the supernatural world, the big prize for now being the coin of Namshiel. 

You could be right that Harry doesn't understand what Marcone thinks of him, but Harry does understand Marcone, he is a full blown predator.
Ignoring the times when he's done exactly that.
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Offline Arjan

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Re: [BG spoilers!!] Revisiting the short story "Monsters"
« Reply #47 on: November 22, 2020, 08:23:50 PM »
Ignoring the times when he's done exactly that.
Jury Duty for example. And in this story he was quite sure he could have used Harry.
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Offline Dina

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Re: [BG spoilers!!] Revisiting the short story "Monsters"
« Reply #48 on: November 22, 2020, 08:33:54 PM »
Yes, they have used each other many times, but I think Mira meant that Marcone cannot just employ Harry.
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Offline TheCuriousFan

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Re: [BG spoilers!!] Revisiting the short story "Monsters"
« Reply #49 on: November 22, 2020, 08:50:49 PM »
Jury Duty for example. And in this story he was quite sure he could have used Harry.
With the risk of somehow ending up at war with Canada of course.
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Offline Bad Alias

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Re: [BG spoilers!!] Revisiting the short story "Monsters"
« Reply #50 on: November 22, 2020, 11:04:34 PM »
Mostly agree. Marcone and Harry know exactly what the other is, due to the soulgaze. Marcone also knows what Harry thinks of him because Harry tells him so every Tuesday. But I don't think Harry knows what Marcone thinks of him. That is why us readers don't really know what Marcone thinks of him.
Marcone might know Harry better than we do. Maybe even better than Harry knows himself. As Harry has repeatedly said, he's not big on introspection. I wouldn't be surprised if we knew Harry better than he knows himself.

Anyway, my initial point wasn't that Harry would ever properly use Marcone, just that he should have. He could have signed on with Marcone in Fool Moon. Harry didn't because he didn't want to be corrupted by Marcone, but what he failed to realize was his ability to corrupt Marcone and ability to basically not do what Marcone wanted him to. Most of what Marcone would have wanted Harry to do wouldn't have been covered by the contract he offered Harry.

Offline Mira

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Re: [BG spoilers!!] Revisiting the short story "Monsters"
« Reply #51 on: November 22, 2020, 11:26:38 PM »
Marcone might know Harry better than we do. Maybe even better than Harry knows himself. As Harry has repeatedly said, he's not big on introspection. I wouldn't be surprised if we knew Harry better than he knows himself.

Anyway, my initial point wasn't that Harry would ever properly use Marcone, just that he should have. He could have signed on with Marcone in Fool Moon. Harry didn't because he didn't want to be corrupted by Marcone, but what he failed to realize was his ability to corrupt Marcone and ability to basically not do what Marcone wanted him to. Most of what Marcone would have wanted Harry to do wouldn't have been covered by the contract he offered Harry.

Yeah, but that was pre-Lash, plus she was a she, so Harry didn't know he could possibly change Marcone back.  All Harry knew from the soul gaze was Marcone was someone he didn't want to work for, why?  Marcone didn't seem disturbed by what he saw in Harry, at all.

Offline Bad Alias

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Re: [BG spoilers!!] Revisiting the short story "Monsters"
« Reply #52 on: November 23, 2020, 06:58:05 PM »
Yeah, but that was pre-Lash, plus she was a she, so Harry didn't know he could possibly change Marcone back.
I'm not sure what you're getting at here or what Lash being a she has to do with it.

Offline Dina

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Re: [BG spoilers!!] Revisiting the short story "Monsters"
« Reply #53 on: November 23, 2020, 07:37:53 PM »
*confesses* I was wondering the same.
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There are many horrible sights in the multiverse. Somehow, though, to a soul attuned to the subtle rhythms of a library, there are few worse sights than a hole where a book ought to be. Someone has stolen a book (Terry Pratchett)