Infinite Summer

I'm running ahead, as I have to start school and don't want to give in to the temptation to drop a class to keep digging into this book, so this is way -ish

Thanks, Troybob, for pointing this stuff out. I read the note the first time around and (embarrassing confession) didn't think it was necessary to return to it when I got to page 732. (What was I thinking?!) I'd made the Poutrincourt connection but missed the Day one entirely.

So what do you suppose it means that Day, despite having studied the AFR at some length, doesn't recognize one of its members when he's right in front of him? Not that Marathe would have "AFR" written across his forehead--but he is a double amputee with a Quebecois accent. Shouldn't Day at least be intrigued?

I figured that it was because Marathe was wearing a veil, which doesn't seem typical of AFR; in his essay Day had described AFR as assassins of stealth, striking at night; Ennet has residents of varying degree of disability, so he might not pay as much attention to it; and an addiction-recovery house would seem the least likely place political assassins would be operating. Also, he seemed preoccupied showing off intellectually in the 'portability' discussion.

In the chapter, I did enjoy how Marathe ended up being approached by the guy paranoid about people made of metal, and talking about mechanical "whirring," reminiscent of the squeaking associated with AFR assassins.

And also Marathe referring to the halfway house as a "demi-maison." On this reading I've gotten more into the French-English mangling, and particularly how the narrator's voice often matches the idiomatic idiosyncrasies of the character being discussed.