How different from our own dear Queen
Sep. 8th, 2009 11:44 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nineveh_ukGiven that this jacket looks like something Rupert of Hentzau would wear on a day off, I am obviously not going to make it. Well not in Loden muddy-mountain green, anyway. Maybe a sort of heathery purple? Or seriously dark crimson?
Anyone know how Burda sizes connect to a Vogue 12? And is the no seam allowance business really tedious?
This reminds me that I never did post about reading Rupert of Hentzau, now a year ago. I regret to say that this is in fact because Rupert of Hentzau just isn’t anything like as good a book as The Prisoner of Zenda. Zenda is a joyous romp in which the bored aristocrat finds, however briefly, a higher purpose, whilst also dashing about the countryside having adventures, impersonating the King, and falling in love with the girl. It has a couple of effective villains, and, crucially, takes its reader, but not itself seriously.
Unfortunately, though Rupert remains a credible villain in the sequel, most of the lightheartedness is gone. It is narrated by a supporting character of the first book, Fritz von Tarlenheim, who is rather Teutonic and serious. The plot is sparked by Rupert’s theft of a secret love letter that the Queen is sending to true-love the imposter King, Rudolf Rasendyll, which is stolen by Rupert. Our Heroes then have to save her honour. Naturally I as reader turn the pages muttering “Her reputation, not her honour!”, and wondering what Aral Vorkosigan would say to it all. It is possible that they might also be saving Ruritania from civil war, but they don’t actually mention that (and indeed to be fair to the author Fritz does acknowledge at one point that villain as Rupert may be, technically he could be doing the right thing by the king as he sees it, notwithstanding his ulterior motives). It certainly proves the feeling in the first novel that Ruritania would be a hell of a lot better off with Michael as king.
It is also rather less slashy than the original, although there are still some entertaining lines and remarks upon Rupert’s good looks and “firm full lips”. Fritz himself gets to enjoy a moment of being pinned down on the highway: Rupert's left hand did not leave my throat, but his free right hand began to dart about me, feeling, probing, and rummaging. Ahem.
The best line, though, concerns Rupert’s activities between the two books. He has been exiled and his rents sequestered, and is wandering broke around Europe.
Hampered by his own guilt, he dared not set his foot in the kingdom from which by rare good luck he had escaped, but wandered to and fro over Europe, making a living by his wits, and, as some said, adding to his resources by gallantries for which he did not refuse substantial recompense.
Yep, that's canon: Rupert's a rent boy.
Anyone know how Burda sizes connect to a Vogue 12? And is the no seam allowance business really tedious?
This reminds me that I never did post about reading Rupert of Hentzau, now a year ago. I regret to say that this is in fact because Rupert of Hentzau just isn’t anything like as good a book as The Prisoner of Zenda. Zenda is a joyous romp in which the bored aristocrat finds, however briefly, a higher purpose, whilst also dashing about the countryside having adventures, impersonating the King, and falling in love with the girl. It has a couple of effective villains, and, crucially, takes its reader, but not itself seriously.
Unfortunately, though Rupert remains a credible villain in the sequel, most of the lightheartedness is gone. It is narrated by a supporting character of the first book, Fritz von Tarlenheim, who is rather Teutonic and serious. The plot is sparked by Rupert’s theft of a secret love letter that the Queen is sending to true-love the imposter King, Rudolf Rasendyll, which is stolen by Rupert. Our Heroes then have to save her honour. Naturally I as reader turn the pages muttering “Her reputation, not her honour!”, and wondering what Aral Vorkosigan would say to it all. It is possible that they might also be saving Ruritania from civil war, but they don’t actually mention that (and indeed to be fair to the author Fritz does acknowledge at one point that villain as Rupert may be, technically he could be doing the right thing by the king as he sees it, notwithstanding his ulterior motives). It certainly proves the feeling in the first novel that Ruritania would be a hell of a lot better off with Michael as king.
It is also rather less slashy than the original, although there are still some entertaining lines and remarks upon Rupert’s good looks and “firm full lips”. Fritz himself gets to enjoy a moment of being pinned down on the highway: Rupert's left hand did not leave my throat, but his free right hand began to dart about me, feeling, probing, and rummaging. Ahem.
The best line, though, concerns Rupert’s activities between the two books. He has been exiled and his rents sequestered, and is wandering broke around Europe.
Hampered by his own guilt, he dared not set his foot in the kingdom from which by rare good luck he had escaped, but wandered to and fro over Europe, making a living by his wits, and, as some said, adding to his resources by gallantries for which he did not refuse substantial recompense.
Yep, that's canon: Rupert's a rent boy.
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(no subject)
Date: 2009-09-08 01:35 pm (UTC)A re-telling set on Mars in 2314 would probably work very well.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-09-08 01:37 pm (UTC)Although I'm not crazy about apparent slashiness. *shakes head*
(no subject)
Date: 2009-09-08 01:46 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-09-08 01:46 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-09-09 07:15 pm (UTC)