The idea of the law being on the side of the rich and powerful and the weak and poor needing heroic champions reminds me of the steong Robin Hood connections in this book. Robin the outlaw archer fighting for the downtrodden against the lawful oppression of the Sheriff of Nottingham.
Nick, what fun that must have been to get your own tutorial with John! And how astute of him to suggest the meaning is "the law is helpless in aiding the injured but can be easily weaponized to serve the powerful." I'd like to suggest another theme, one that I didn't notice until I'd read the epilogue, that of happiness (or unhappiness). Sally asks for reassurance that Will is happy, and though he insists he is, the subject of happiness is repeated. Sir Colin writes to Kevin "extremely unhappy" about Kevin's public behavior. The epilogue opens with a very happy scene: Qing, re-christened Sally, chasing bubbles (and surrounded by BPs lol). Later Lucy beams at Strike saying,"... as long as you're happy" and "what you said about Leda... you've really helped me." But Strike has a heavy heart on the way to see Amelia, who says of Charlotte "she was always so... unhappy." And Strike replies,"it's dangerous to make a cult of your own unhappiness. It's hard to get out..." and he shares with her a quote from Aeschylus he once quoted to Charlotte,"happiness is a choice that requires effort at times." Later when Robin notices how depressed Strike is he talked about giving Amelia the reassurance that nobody could've stopped Charlotte except him. And he knew what her last words to him would be, that he'd never be happy without her and that "she knew I was in love with you." After a confused and shocked Robin leaves with Ryan, Strike left himself, his last thought was how happiness is a choice requiring an effort at times, and "it was well past time to make an effort."
How many days to the next book?? I'm also going to be making an effort to choose happiness till then.
The idea of the law being on the side of the rich and powerful and the weak and poor needing heroic champions reminds me of the steong Robin Hood connections in this book. Robin the outlaw archer fighting for the downtrodden against the lawful oppression of the Sheriff of Nottingham.
Nick, what fun that must have been to get your own tutorial with John! And how astute of him to suggest the meaning is "the law is helpless in aiding the injured but can be easily weaponized to serve the powerful." I'd like to suggest another theme, one that I didn't notice until I'd read the epilogue, that of happiness (or unhappiness). Sally asks for reassurance that Will is happy, and though he insists he is, the subject of happiness is repeated. Sir Colin writes to Kevin "extremely unhappy" about Kevin's public behavior. The epilogue opens with a very happy scene: Qing, re-christened Sally, chasing bubbles (and surrounded by BPs lol). Later Lucy beams at Strike saying,"... as long as you're happy" and "what you said about Leda... you've really helped me." But Strike has a heavy heart on the way to see Amelia, who says of Charlotte "she was always so... unhappy." And Strike replies,"it's dangerous to make a cult of your own unhappiness. It's hard to get out..." and he shares with her a quote from Aeschylus he once quoted to Charlotte,"happiness is a choice that requires effort at times." Later when Robin notices how depressed Strike is he talked about giving Amelia the reassurance that nobody could've stopped Charlotte except him. And he knew what her last words to him would be, that he'd never be happy without her and that "she knew I was in love with you." After a confused and shocked Robin leaves with Ryan, Strike left himself, his last thought was how happiness is a choice requiring an effort at times, and "it was well past time to make an effort."
How many days to the next book?? I'm also going to be making an effort to choose happiness till then.
I think you’ve absolutely identified something significant, Sandy! Thanks so much for posting this.