Tigana Part Two - Dianora - discuss

I hope no one minds me kicking off this little discussion, I just saw that it hadn't happened yet...

I love this section of the book, Dianora is a very strong character, and this whole section of the book is just fantastic. Ok, so that's not exactly much of a discussion starter, but hey... we have to start somewhere.

What did you make of this part of Tigana?

I loved it, but I can't remember why...

Oh right! I thought it was heartbreaking that Dianora fell in love with the man who destroyed her country and her family, and yet she remained determined to bring him down. What a nice addition/twist to the story this section was, in my mind.

Thanks for starting this, Tane. :o)

You're welcome... Altough the revelation that her brother was someone we'd already met in the story was obvious, the fact that it was Baerd adds a whole extra level of detail to his character, up to this point he's been quite reserved - this certainly fleshes him out.

Although there's one point that stands out a bit, we know this book has its fair share of sex, of pretty much all kinds, but I guess we should bring up the whole issue of incest... GGK handles it well, I guess, and doesn't particularly dwell on it... you understand that these are desperate young adults living in very desperate times... but I'm not sure I'd sleep with my sister because there's a war on.

Still, as I say, it's a minor point in an otherwise excellent section.

Yeah, but what if she were really hot? Sorry... I am just being silly. It's interesting to us, because we have a huge taboo about incest in Western Culture, but obviously that taboo doesn't exist in all cultures. Look at the Egyptian dynasties, for heavens sake.

I thought the incest was actually a very critical part of explaining how human these two characters were, because in all other areas they were almost superhuman in their virtue and willingness to suffer for their cause. The incest humanized them both, for me. Sadly, though, it seemed that Dianora paid the price for this sin, and her brother may have gone on to a happier life.

Well, she knew what would happen to her, and her brother, if she stayed around and was discovered as the “Magician's Consort.”

It was a sacrifice made of love, I believe. Love and despair. But I am discussing the end of the book.

In the second part, I found Diorama entirely believable. She helped put herself in this situation, but quickly found herself quite tightly controlled and helpless. Helpless in many ways.. and she responded like many helpless people do. And then she discovers her enemy is not entirely without good qualities...

Very believable. The tragedy is not what she did, but in the guaranteed response that her human behavior would bring out in people once her 'owner' was brought down.

"Diorama?"
That's some typo, JPB
*giggle*

And, yes... I agree with you.

I guess I am going to be alone in thinking this was my least favorite part of the book. I don't think I bought the premise of falling in love with the oppressor. She already made so many sacrifices in her quest only to be so passive for so many years when she actually had the means to do something about it.

Supposedly the reason was Brandin's wizardly powers, but it seemed a pretty subtle effect that only has power when she was in his presence. Also, she was able to overcome that spell when properly motivated later in the book. Why wasn't she properly motivated sooner?

I think of it this way. She suffered from some variation of Stockholm Syndrome.

Once falling for it, she was stuck. And, there is something called “the proper level of response”. A man who destroys, deeply, a country that killed his son in open warfare may be grieving, but he is doing so in a very evil way.

I always have trouble changing gears from Sandre and Tomasso at the end of part 1 to Dianora in part 2. Part 1 leaves me with such a lingering feeling of regret that it takes me a couple of days to be able to deal with Dianora. And each time I read Tigana, I'm disappointed all over again that Dianora falls in love with Brandon, even knowing what a deeply selfish person he is.

I thought Brandon was a great character. Very complex. And he would make me so angry :oP ! He was so used to siphoning off his emotions to his Fool that he couldn't deal with the intense emotion caused by losing a loved one. And a part of me couldn't believe he really loved his son. Maybe he was just so angry that any people would reject Brandon so thoroughly as by killing his blood kin. Think of how hurt he was by his wife and remaining son's betrayal later on, yet Brandon was the one who left them for another country, another life.

I thought the part where Dianora comes back to the city and notices the tower missing was a very moving experience. It made me think a native New Yorker going back to the city after the Trade Centers were gone.

I thought it was interesting and somehow in how she had to behave as if she loved him and wanted him she ended up loving and wanting him. It made me thing about how how we behave can influence how we think.

It was interesting also to see Baerd's background with hers and the different ways they try to rebel and cause their world to be returned to the way it was, you can also see the questions as to whether or not it's possible to go back.