:D It's being a very rewarding research project, certainly.
Out of the Attic—definitely the bit on Broster is interesting, but I wouldn't pay expensive-book-price money just for that and I do not know what the rest of the book is like. Maybe if there are other authors in there you particularly want to read about (can you view the version on archive.org?).
(FWIW, first editions of FotH are not necessarily very expensive—mine was £12—although the situation in Australia may be different).
I like your interpretation that Keith is simply wrong. That line always bothered me, but if the narrative is hanging out a sign saying 'he's being a total twit' at this point, which I missed, that makes me feel better about it.
I wouldn't say it's exactly hanging out a sign, but looking at the broader context—Keith going back to the hut to help Ewen is clearly a good thing, as are the general feelings for Ewen that are motivating him, and I think it's clear that the narrative is showing this as a misjudgement from Keith's carefully cultivated cynicism. (I mean, the intention is probably 'no, it's not womanly' not 'no, there's nothing wrong with a man acting "like a woman"', but even so; also, worrying that there's something unmanly about his feelings for Ewen seems somewhat significant, which I like even in the context of those ideas all being sexist).
As for Broster trying her hand at comedy novels, perhaps I should re-read a few of them with that in mind. The misadventures of Nugent Carew, for instance, which luzula has reminded me of; I simply wanted to shake the guy, but perhaps I was missing the point completely!
I think some of her books definitely have a prominent comedic element—Ships in the Bay! and, yeah, The Sea without a Haven—but was perplexed by the idea of them as totally parodic. And World Under Snow just seemed like a normal detective novel to me. IMO Broster's ability to use her sense of humour while keeping an emotional seriousness to the story—gently laughing without turning the characters and story into a joke—is amongst the many especially good things about her writing. I had no particularly strong feelings about Nugent!
no subject
Out of the Attic—definitely the bit on Broster is interesting, but I wouldn't pay expensive-book-price money just for that and I do not know what the rest of the book is like. Maybe if there are other authors in there you particularly want to read about (can you view the version on archive.org?).
(FWIW, first editions of FotH are not necessarily very expensive—mine was £12—although the situation in Australia may be different).
I like your interpretation that Keith is simply wrong. That line always bothered me, but if the narrative is hanging out a sign saying 'he's being a total twit' at this point, which I missed, that makes me feel better about it.
I wouldn't say it's exactly hanging out a sign, but looking at the broader context—Keith going back to the hut to help Ewen is clearly a good thing, as are the general feelings for Ewen that are motivating him, and I think it's clear that the narrative is showing this as a misjudgement from Keith's carefully cultivated cynicism. (I mean, the intention is probably 'no, it's not womanly' not 'no, there's nothing wrong with a man acting "like a woman"', but even so; also, worrying that there's something unmanly about his feelings for Ewen seems somewhat significant, which I like even in the context of those ideas all being sexist).
As for Broster trying her hand at comedy novels, perhaps I should re-read a few of them with that in mind. The misadventures of Nugent Carew, for instance, which luzula has reminded me of; I simply wanted to shake the guy, but perhaps I was missing the point completely!
I think some of her books definitely have a prominent comedic element—Ships in the Bay! and, yeah, The Sea without a Haven—but was perplexed by the idea of them as totally parodic. And World Under Snow just seemed like a normal detective novel to me. IMO Broster's ability to use her sense of humour while keeping an emotional seriousness to the story—gently laughing without turning the characters and story into a joke—is amongst the many especially good things about her writing. I had no particularly strong feelings about Nugent!