"Brothers in Arms"
Oct. 8th, 2006 12:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stoutfellowI just finished rereading Lois McMaster Bujold's Brothers in Arms, and I have to say that my appreciation for the book has gone up. Specifically, I've (finally?) noticed how important BiA is in the overall architecture of the series; a number of important developments are foreshadowed or otherwise set up in this book.
1) We get, I think, the first clear discussion of cryofreezing, in Miles's discussion with Siembieda, and in particular its effects on memory are mentioned.
2) Early in the book, Miles has - at least in words - learned a key lesson: "I just have to learn to resist the temptation to play field officer. The place for my ass is in a nice padded tactics-room chair, not on the line." Of course, he didn't take the lesson to heart...
3) BiA introduces Mark; I don't think I need go into the importance of that, given his central role in Mirror Dance and his important, though lesser, role in A Civil Campaign.
4) Mark's arrival onstage also sets up a change in the relationship between Miles and Ivan. Early on, Miles thinks of Elena as "his oldest friend" - with not a thought for his cousin, whom he has known every bit as long. Near the end, he comes to a realization: "Ivan... was a hundred times more his brother than Mark could ever be. It was just possible he had underappreciated Ivan's merits." And despite his territorial reaction when Ivan intrudes on his conference with Ekaterin, he does display increased respect for his "feckless cousin" on a couple of occasions - and his acceptance of Ivan's refusal to help in ACC in turn pushes Ivan into acting on his own initiative instead of being Miles's donkey (and thereby save Dono from defeat in the Council vote).
5) The conversation between Miles and Mark in the pumping chamber outlines Mark's future trajectory almost exactly. After Mark mentions his hatred of the cloning business, Miles presses him on tactics. Mark suggests blowing up the labs and rescuing the kids; Miles instead urges him to consider seeking a medical breakthrough, and to amass a personal and financial power base and complete his education.
So. In large measure, I think, it's a preparatory work, but it lays a great deal of groundwork, and does so unobtrusively. I still don't rate it as among the best of the series, but it's more important than I had realized.
(Cross-posted to the LMB list.)
1) We get, I think, the first clear discussion of cryofreezing, in Miles's discussion with Siembieda, and in particular its effects on memory are mentioned.
2) Early in the book, Miles has - at least in words - learned a key lesson: "I just have to learn to resist the temptation to play field officer. The place for my ass is in a nice padded tactics-room chair, not on the line." Of course, he didn't take the lesson to heart...
3) BiA introduces Mark; I don't think I need go into the importance of that, given his central role in Mirror Dance and his important, though lesser, role in A Civil Campaign.
4) Mark's arrival onstage also sets up a change in the relationship between Miles and Ivan. Early on, Miles thinks of Elena as "his oldest friend" - with not a thought for his cousin, whom he has known every bit as long. Near the end, he comes to a realization: "Ivan... was a hundred times more his brother than Mark could ever be. It was just possible he had underappreciated Ivan's merits." And despite his territorial reaction when Ivan intrudes on his conference with Ekaterin, he does display increased respect for his "feckless cousin" on a couple of occasions - and his acceptance of Ivan's refusal to help in ACC in turn pushes Ivan into acting on his own initiative instead of being Miles's donkey (and thereby save Dono from defeat in the Council vote).
5) The conversation between Miles and Mark in the pumping chamber outlines Mark's future trajectory almost exactly. After Mark mentions his hatred of the cloning business, Miles presses him on tactics. Mark suggests blowing up the labs and rescuing the kids; Miles instead urges him to consider seeking a medical breakthrough, and to amass a personal and financial power base and complete his education.
So. In large measure, I think, it's a preparatory work, but it lays a great deal of groundwork, and does so unobtrusively. I still don't rate it as among the best of the series, but it's more important than I had realized.
(Cross-posted to the LMB list.)
no subject
Date: 2006-10-14 01:07 am (UTC)