So I’m confused by something in the book I’m reading right now. There’s a character named Des Voeux. He’s around for about 165 pages and now …. he’s gone. Two hundred pages later and nary a mention. In his place, there seems to be a character named Le Vesconte. Now, of course, I just think this because they’re two French names and because I don’t think deep thoughts and so two French names are obviously the same person, duh. But where is Des Voeux?? I have to know. I need to know. I need closure. Look, this book is seriously freaking me out in every way. (I saw a review that called it “Patrick O’Brian meets Stephen King.”) That’s a pretty good description, you know, because there’s a thing — a giant white demonic thing — stalking and killing people out on the ice and it’s all so horrifying and why do I read this before I fall asleep? Then — then — the ships are trapped in the ice and everyone’s gonna starve if the thing doesn’t get them first and, still, all I can think about is: Where is Des Voeux?? I know the thing didn’t get him. I know that. He was just there in the story and now he’s not. No explanation. No, “exit, pursued by a bear” which would actually make sense in this story. Nothing. And, honestly, it’s not like I cared about him all that much. I care more about his sudden disappearance from the book than I do about his well-being in the story. Mainly because I don’t want to believe that the author just up and switched names on me. I really don’t want to believe that. There was Des Voeux and now there’s Le Vesconte and maybe I’m just simple-minded enough to think they’re the same person because they’re both French and they both have a capital V. Or …. or … maybe I’m just condescending enough to believe that the poor widdle author is confused and senile and can’t keep his characters straight. And maybe I’m just writing this inane quibbly post because I had to put the book down and decompress and breathe and try not to have a reading-induced anxiety attack.
I’ll bet Des Voeux is just hiding out in the freezing hold of the ship. With all the dead bodies. You know, where it’s safe. That’s probably it. I have another 400 pages or so for him to magically reappear. I’m sure he will.
It’s all gonna be fine.
You know I devoted FAR too many hours to reading Underworld by Don Delillo. He has somebody’s wife in there for one freakin’ scene where she’s using drugs. Why do we care? We never hear from her again for the rest of the effin book. She probably got 3 pages out of 999.
This must be some uber-post modern writerly movement to lose characters in the middle of a story. It’s SO REAL!!!
Doesn’t it get discouraging, when a book gets confusing like that? Once I was reading a book where people started calling one character by a nickname that was way too similar to a completely different character’s name. I’d rather have to backtrack and reread something because I want to enjoy it once more, and not because I can’t tell who’s who.