Quote:
Originally Posted by gmw
I've never tried an audiobook, so can't be sure, but the idea never appealed because I feel like I would always have trouble keeping my focus. (I regularly lose half of any music album I might be listening to due to wandering thoughts.)
I tend to think of Colonel Race as an occasional guest star rather than a series character. Same with Superintendent Battle and Ariadne Oliver. These are never the main protagonists in the stories, in the way Poirot, Marple or Tommy and Tuppence are. And knowing about Colonel Race in advance would be a significant spoiler for The Man in the Brown Suit, I think.
I am curious to see that none of us has yet mentioned the sexism and racism implicit in this book (after having had a good go at Tarzan). The racism is no more than I would expect of the era, but the sexism is interesting...
Such a strong and independent female lead, and yet she falls for (and directly justifies doing so) the stereotypical macho male - one who even threatens ‘I shall carry you away and beat you black and blue!’ It was tongue-in-cheek, sort of, but still made me somewhat uncomfortable to read (especially as Anne was reported as "pleasurably excited" by these declarations of violence). I wonder how much was deliberate satire, and how much was merely a reflection of the times.
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The way Anne is exists still today. Lots of women are strong and independent in their public lives but are submissive in their private lives and they like it that way. Same with men too. it's not sexism. It's how they are. Some like being dominated just like some like dominating. So as long as it's consensual, it's all OK. it's when it's not consensual that it becomes a problem.
Sir Eustace is sexist. he wants a woman for her looks to coddle him. He doesn't care much for Miss Pettigrew because she's not a pretty young girl who will faun all over him.