The People's Treasure: Part II - In John Battle's Wake

[Edward C. Patterson]

Welcome to New York and the world of the Metropolitan Museum and Madama Tostocaroni's little Exposition.  

Chapters One - Two - Three - Four - Five

1 - Have any of my reader's been in the spaces described here? Either the Met itself and/or Dendur?

2 - Why would Rose want to exhibit in Dendur?

3 - Why would this author decide on setting the exhibit in the midst of an Egptian Temple?

4 - And then we have the German. Max Vauntry should remind the reader of some other characters from the other books? Which ones?

5 - Inspired by a Gradn Opera scene, Carter Vein's entry describes a different type of administrator. How close do you think this adminsitrative structure is to realiity?

6 - How does Json Meers strike you, initially?

7 - This is the largest brace of new characters I've introduced in a long time. Why is that? How is New York presented differently than San Francisco?

8 - What scene is invoked on the stairs of the Metropolitcan Museum?

9 - How would you describe family relationships in the Tostacaroni clan (especially here in New York).

10 - Were you surprised at Rafaelo's intruduction to the bird?

11 - Rowden's appearance is timely - why?

12 - Why do I include the Chinese Tradtional House in this setion?

13 - Tadzio is channelling (obviously). Why does Rowden seem mistrustful of this interaction?

14 - How does Rowden remember Jason Meers?

15 - Who wins the manipulation contest - Rowden? Vauntry? Vein or Rose?

Now back to the Temple . . .

Ed P

[Ann in Arlington]

Welcome to New York and the world of the Metropolitan Museum and Madama Tostocaroni's little Exposition. 

Chapters One - Two - Three - Four - Five

1 - Have any of my reader's been in the spaces described here? Either the Met itself and/or Dendur?

Not that I recall

2 - Why would Rose want to exhibit in Dendur?

I guess it's the biggest, best lighted space. . . .

3 - Why would this author decide on setting the exhibit in the midst of an Egptian Temple?

Again, the biggest and best lighted space. . . .

4 - And then we have the German. Max Vauntry should remind the reader of some other characters from the other books? Which ones?

Didn't like him from the start -- well, he was anti-Rose so of course I wouldn't -- but won't say more as I'm well past this point and have learned of his past. . . .he did remind me of Pelesar and Gyllenhall from the start though. . .

5 - Inspired by a Gradn Opera scene, Carter Vein's entry describes a different type of administrator. How close do you think this adminsitrative structure is to realiity?

I have no idea.

6 - How does Json Meers strike you, initially?

I liked him. . . and I still like him. . . seems like he's approached Battle's legacy from a different direction which will shed light on things Rowden hadn't considered before

7 - This is the largest brace of new characters I've introduced in a long time. Why is that? How is New York presented differently than San Francisco?

  New York has a different character than SF. . . .
New characters . . . .well, whatever. . . it would probably get boring if there weren't a few extra spoons stirring the pot now and then.

8 - What scene is invoked on the stairs of the Metropolitcan Museum?

you mean when Rose had her episode?  I just saw it as her realization that the Jade Owl was near. . .

9 - How would you describe family relationships in the Tostacaroni clan (especially here in New York).

They're close, but like all the 'spouses' of the ch'i tang, Rafaelo stays on the periphery at best. . . .Rose worries more about the boys (especially Tadzio for obvious reasons) than their natural father. . .

10 - Were you surprised at Rafaelo's intruduction to the bird?

I guess not because I don't recall the scene specifically.

11 - Rowden's appearance is timely - why?

well, duh. . .there's the bird. . .there are the 'sisters'. . . .he's the main man.  If something's gonna happen he ought to be there!

12 - Why do I include the Chinese Tradtional House in this setion?

Well, it makes a good, less formal area for brief scenes. . .and of course they're all comfortable there as they've been to China. . .

13 - Tadzio is channelling (obviously). Why does Rowden seem mistrustful of this interaction?

He want's to believe that part of Nick still lives. . .but also doesn't want to be disappointed. . .so he's wary. . .

14 - How does Rowden remember Jason Meers?

Mousy Meers. . . I gather he was a bit of a nerd and not part of their 'crowd'.

15 - Who wins the manipulation contest - Rowden? Vauntry? Vein or Rose?

Well, the show will go on in the designated space, so. . . .Vauntry definitely didn't win. . . .

Now back to the Temple . . .

Ed P

[Edward C. Patterson]

 

You are considerably ahead of me, and I'm glad, because it means that maybe you like the book. 

I'll stil lay the Chapter questions out in a liesurely manner for the others. (Hello - hlistens to an echo).

A few things, from above:

Rose's premonition (Seeing) on the stairs is reminiscent of the scene when the ch'i-tang are in Yu shui-ch'ien and the villagers are approaching her.

The Met (BTW) has a different administrative structure than the one I propose - each discipline being its own corporation. It is for that reason, this is the first of the Jade Owl books to have a disclaimer (for the Met, Columbia University and the Waldorf Asotira).

The Egyptian setting is not coincidental. I minored in Egyptology, so I'm at home in it. 

Well, I'll be runnig behind you, but I'm glad its caught fire, because structurally this one is different than the other three.

Ed P

[Ann in Arlington]

I'm done.

I'll just check back periodically in case anyone else is reading.

[Edward C. Patterson]

Wow. Finished. What did you think?

[Ann in Arlington]

I think I liked Dragon's Pool better. . . .it seemed to come to more of an end.

OTOH, I wasn't totally surprised at the threads left dangling. . . . .

When's the next one come out? 

[Edward C. Patterson]

Aha! The last book, In the Shadow of Her Hem is tentatively scheduled for the fall of 2012 (I have Swan Cloud, Belmundus and The House of Green Waters next in the line up, as well as A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon and Other Ravings from the Blogosphere). The Dragon's Pool, of course leave us dangling, but since there's a year between the two books, I'm more finalized with that one. In the Shadow of Her Hem begins the day after The People's Treasure and will take the reader through a Chinese maze that promises to be the most exciting of the five books. Needless to say. my favorite book in the series is The People's Treasure (from a writing stand-point, it's my best work to date, except the one coming out. But that's always the case. The next book must always be better than the one before it and The Road to Grafenwöhr is the trump card. Although, because of the main character, Turning Idolater is still my favorite child).

Ed P