5.15.2014

Lady Audley's Super Secret Readalong, week 3



   WELL, I am late to this gravy train, and new to this readalong idea, but I like both the train and the idea so here we are. I've now read up to chapter 15, and this post will spoil many of the events of the book but really you've had quite a few years to read it so this barely counts as spoiling anything.

   Clearly, clearly, Lady Audley's secret is that Lady Audley/Lucy Graham=Helen Talboys and now Lady Audley's OTHER secret is that she pushed poor George Talboys down the well to his watery demise. And of COURSE Phoebe saw it and of COURSE she tole Luke and of COURSE they're blackmailing Lady Audley and they also get married, to which I say "Whyyyyyy so many cousins getting married, M.E. Braddon?"

   Let's lay out a cast of characters:
  • Robert Audley: the favourite. The lazy unintentional hero! 
  • George Talboys: a bit dumb, and now dead :(
  • Alicia Audley: headstrong! Goes hunting! In love with Robert, who is her cousin (whyyyy)
  • Lady Audley/Lucy Graham/Helen Talboys: a sociopath! And surprisingly strong? George is always called a "big dragoon", but tiny Lady Audley can shove him in an old well???
  • Lord Audley: who cares
  • Phoebe Mark: didn't have to change her name when she got married because she married her cousin (uuugh). A potential candidate for another Lady Audley switcheroo! 
  • Blah blah other people.
   Mary Elizabeth Braddon is not good a a few things, mostly subtlety, but this has been a delightful romp so far. 

   I feel bad for Robert, who was George's best friend, and for Alicia, because everyone writes her off. There's so much of the book left! Will Robert and Alicia get married even though they are related by blood? Will Phoebe and Luke be at least marginally happy (no)?? Will Lord Audley stop being a dithering idiot??? Will Lady Audley KILL AGAIN????

8 comments:

  1. I'm apparently the ONLY one of us who didn't connect Robert with the well. Guess I should start paying more attention!

    I don't really see how she could have though - being so 'delicate' and all. And, God forbid, she might have messed up her ringlets!

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    1. The ringlets! Ugh the ringlets. I get it, Mary Braddon, she's got curly hair.

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  2. I hope Lady Audley kills again. Everyone, down the well! Lord Audley really has no purpose does he, other than to buy Lucy things.

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    1. I'm hoping that Lady Audley uses her new found murder skills to help Phoebe shove Luke into the well with George.

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  3. I'm glad we're all on the same page with the whole Lady Audley-pushed-George-down-the-well thing.

    I really hope Robert and Alicia don't end up together. I like them both but COME ON, YOU GUYS ARE COUSINS! STOP THAT

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    1. Exactly! Alicia is great and Robert is endearing but maybe they can just be good pals instead of entering wedded bliss.

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  4. I super hope Lady Audley kills again. I hope she kills Luke this time! At least we can all feel certain that Luke deserves to get murdered.

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    1. It's like a mantra at the back of my mind whenever I'm reading it: "push Luke down the well, push Luke down the well, push Luke down the well"

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