EPBOT Readers discussion

This is the section for parts 3 & 4. Again, some questions mine, some from the official guide.

As we meet Addie’s many lovers, Remy stands out as the first man who lived up to her girlhood fantasies. On the magical night they met, Addie was dressed in a pair of trousers, a buttoned coat, and a tricorne hat. How did her disguise (as “Thomas”) stoke their passion? Why do you think the following morning was so hard for her?

In Part Three, Chapter II, the author writes, “The time between Thursday night and Saturday afternoon is merciless, every second doled out with the care of an old woman counting pennies to pay for bread. Not once does it seem to quicken, not once does she lose track of it. She can’t seem to spend it, or waste it, or even misplace it.” How does the possibility of an infinite lifespan change the way Addie sees life itself?

What are your thoughts on Henry's story? How does it relate to Addie's situation? How are their deals similar, or different?

How does Bea relate to Henry's story? Do you think she was affected by his deal?

As the intention behind Bea’s project was revealed, what did you discover about the power of art to preserve hidden truths? In what way is Addie’s identity written in the stars?

Any other thoughts on these sections?

The main characters are all fairly bi/pansexual so extending that courtesy to Remy doesn't seem like much of a stretch. Add to that the attractiveness of being in on a secret and the subversion of societal expectations, and you have sparks fly! For Addie, Remy is the first to be willing to make that space for her when it comes to what is appropriate for a woman, so she feels seen in a way that she wasn't even before her bargain and even though the memory will be fleeting as always.

To Addie, time is much like her ring - even if something happens, there will always be more, it will always come back. Which is the very antithesis of Henry's outlook. On the other hand, both their bargains have essentially rendered them invisible.

I love Bea's friendship with Henry. Their friendship goes back far enough that any cursed effect on her just involves how good a friend he is, not the nature of their relationship. Maybe it's because my best friend is a guy, but I was proud the author didn't devolve their relationship into something sappy.

I had simply considered her freckles to have been the device by which Addie is recognizable through the ages, not in any way a reflection of her fate being "written in the stars"! That's a neat way of looking at it. I feel like Addie's curse worked on people's conscious minds only, so artistic expressions, deja-vu and other areas where the subconscious is influent could still perceive the edges of her existence.

I don't have a lot to add to what Daniele said above. I did spend some time thinking about the part just after that quote from chapter 2, when Addie realizes she's nervous about meeting Henry again, and how there isn't really anything to be nervous about if no one remembers you. I tried to come up with other scenarios in which she could be nervous, and all I got was that if there were a limited window to get something she wanted - an invitation or an item or something - and she would only have one chance (or even a few) to execute a plan, she might be nervous about pulling it off.

I'm surprised everyone in the book sees Addie's freckles as stars, as I'm having a hard time envisioning that. For one thing, they're dark on a light background, right? I think I need to see some of the art pieces at full size in order to appreciate the imagery. (I don't know how they look in the book, but they're not clear enough in the Kindle edition to get the freckle effect.)

I was also surprised that Addie thought Luc had made a mistake. He appeared without summons to someone who is exactly Addie's type, in the same city... I suspect he knew what he was doing. I did go back to see if the "lifetime" term of the deal was discussed in the description of the meeting, and it seems not, so if there is a mistake I think that's where it will be.

at this point, i was still suspicious that Henry might by Luc, or that he made some kind of deal himself.

i think Bea - they way she kept saying the same thing when she met Addie - showed how Addie kept feeling everytime that happened to her, and Henry begin all confused at it was also how Addie probably felt the first few times it happened to her as well. (i hope that makes sense!)