Alastair Reynolds' 'House of Suns'

[tamaranth]

I have a Theory about this book and none of the reviews I've googled seems to have reached the same conclusion. If you've read it and are up for spoilery discussion, continue under the cut ...



My Theory is that it's a love story not only between Campion and Purslane but between Abraham Valmik and Abigail Gentian. All depends if 'little boy' -> Abraham Valmik -> Spirit of the Air -> Hesperus, and perhaps Abigail -> Purslane. (Which latter would also explain why Purslane's narrative voice is so similar to Abigail's -- more so, to my mind, than either is to Campion's.)

Yes, I know there is a great deal more to it than the love story: but this element of the story intrigued me, and might explain a few things.

If you don't want to discuss in public, email me, tamaranth at livejournal.com

Comments

[autopope.livejournal.com]

*Scratches head*

It's a few months since I read it, but ... was the boy Abigail used to play with as a girl ever named? And if so, was his name Abe or Bram or something similar, perchance?

[tamaranth.livejournal.com]

He's never named -- Abigail claims she's forgotten his name, and in fact makes quite a big deal of her forgetfulness (as though it's linked to the other big thing she's forgotten?). But he does end up pretty much trapped in Palatial, and altered by the virtual personality of Count Mordax.

[fjm.livejournal.com]

I had the same thought.

[tamaranth.livejournal.com]

Glad it's not just me! And it adds an intriguing layer to the story (and to some of the elements that have been tagged as problems).

[ladymoonray.livejournal.com]

Ooh, that's interesting. I have the impression that the little boy who became Count Mordax was meant to have been irretrievably corrupted, and I didn't get that from Abraham Valmik. But he's had millions of years to sort himself out, I suppose.

I am pretty much convinced that Purslane is the real Abigail Gentian, but I am also convinced that it doesn't matter. There are some fascinating ideas about cloning and the effect of environment on genetically identical humans (e.g. Campion being a bit of a shit while Purslane clearly isn't). What made him like that? Interestingly, it doesn't quite counter the ickiness of their relationship.

[tamaranth.livejournal.com]

the little boy who became Count Mordax was meant to have been irretrievably corrupted
in real life, yes, but they sent him back into Palatial because he was happy there ...

Eee, you also made the Purslane / Abigail equation! Interesting that Campion is so different -- isn't there something somewhere about Abigail picking and choosing different personality traits for the mix for each clone?

And I think I should have been more squicked by their relationship than I was. ... Perhaps it was countered by the thought of how lonely the rest of them seem to be.

[ladymoonray.livejournal.com]

isn't there something somewhere about Abigail picking and choosing different personality traits for the mix for each clone?


Ah. If there is, I missed it. I shall have to grab the book back from swisstone and have a look.

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

What made him like that?

Presumably, his far more frequent pruning/editing of his memories.

[tamaranth.livejournal.com]

hmm, interesting notion. I do wonder if there were actual experiences that didn't make it back into the gestalt -- or perhaps there is more to the Vigilance-visit ...

Purslane as Abigail Gentian

[(Anonymous)]

It's been months since I've read the book, so forgive me if my memory is off here, but...

**** SPOILERS ****

...there was a scene aboard Purslane's ship, Silver Wings of Morning, in which Purslane realizes there's a secret space concealing the game Palatial.

That's the biggest clue the book offers, but it's a about as big a clue as possible without coming out and saying it.

I'm not so sure the little boy could have been Valmik. But maybe Valmik was his father, because Valmik was described as a man with "immeasurable wealth and influence." His family's specialty was also robotics vs the Gentian family's expertise in genetics, wasn't it?

I'd have to go re-read the book to be sure, but that seems plausible to me.

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

I agree that the little boy is almost certainly Abraham Valmik, but I'm not sure I could describe his relationship with the original Abigail as a love story.

I also didn't think Purslane's and Campion's voices were very differentiated; their characters are, but that's not at all the same thing. Both explicitly refer to the Palatial flashbacks as "my" memories, so I think we're meant to see the continuity there more than divergence.

[tamaranth.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure I could describe his relationship with the original Abigail as a love story.

It casts quite a different light on Hesperus's actions in the last part of the book if we assume that he is at least partly Valmik.

I would have to dig around for distinctively different excerpts from Purslane's and Campion's narratives, but I find P's voice more measured and more prone to description. Or is that me reading into the text?

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

It casts quite a different light on Hesperus's actions in the last part of the book if we assume that he is at least partly Valmik.

Certainly; I just don't think that love comes into it.

And you may be right about the voices -- I just didn't notice any such differences myself.