Slowly making progress

Somehow I have relistened to a good portion of the book this week, I do not believe that I will finish by the end of the month since that is tomorrow, sorry. It was good for me to repeat it since I missed some important parts of the story.

I am up to the part (again) where Densher is visiting Millie after she missed the dinner at Aunt Maud's house. (I may not be spelling the names correctly since I returned my copy of the book to the library.) They are just about to take a ride together in the carriage.

I am not sure that I believe Kate to be in love with Densher or if she were truly in love she would have "taken him as he is". From the scheming going on, do I understand correctly that Kate is pushing him to Millie that he would get together with her and since she is ill, would inherit her wealth when she passes away? It is sad to me that Millie's wealth is what they are most interested in and not her as a person.

Kate and her Aunt are not likable women but they are definitely interesting characters. I am anxious to see what happens with the Dr. and Susan Shepherd. Densher must truly be head over heels for Kate for him to follow along with her plans. She is weaving a web of deception, perhaps the only one she is honest with is herself, or is she?

You may already be finished, if so, sorry. I will really work on finishing this week.

Truckin'

I don't know about you, but once I got past the language usage the story became more interesting? I'm just not used to the round-a-bout way James explains things. I am at Chapter 20.

1. Lord Mark is an interesting character- you're right. I personally think he likes Milly. :) It seems that he is meant for Kate though.

2. I see what you mean about Kate being the one with connections and Milly being the one with nothing. Perhaps you could look at it from both perspectives- the girls are more similar then they are dissimilar. That is why I'm glad you are reading with me, because we aren't always going to take away the same things. :) Her illness sounds very serious. The way Kate describes her condition to Densher seems almost comical.

3. Yes, as far as I can remember- that is exactly how Aunt Maud came "into" her money.

4. Coming up- I don't want to spoil it, if you haven't gotten there yet... Aunt Maud makes a very interesting comment to Densher about her comments to Milly concerning the relationship.

5. I was confused the entire time I was listening to the doctor visit. I really have no idea what is going on with that.

6. The feeling I get from Densher and Kate is always changing. One minute I think they are truly in love and other times I get the feeling it is just an infatuation. I really want them to get together in the end, but I don't want them to do it in a way that could damage Milly. She seems incredibly fragile.

I like Densher, he is genuine (he is in love and being a man- this obstructs his good sense). I also really like Milly (more than I like Kate). She represents a strong, intelligent, and also insecure woman. Money can't buy everything, especially health and peace. What about you? Could the older ladies be reflections of the girls in some way? A look into the future? I will try to finish by the end of the month, I think it is a good goal since I started this book like four months ago. I ordered Absalom, Absalom and it hasn't arrived yet.

Continuing on...

Lindsey,

I have been working on the book for the past few days and have found it does pique my interest a little more than at the beginning. I do have many more questions now that are starting to be answered as the story unfolds and becomes a little more twisted. I just completed Volume 1, Book 5th.

1. The comment that Lord Mark made at Aunt Maud's dinner party that no one does anything for free I believe this helps set up the story. What is his part going to be in the story? Is he going to get together with Kate or Milly?

2. Kate's beauty is mentioned and esteemed by all, especially Milly. Kate has family to fall back on if her Aunt decides that she is through with her, even if they are not the most desirable kin. Milly really is the one who has nothing, no real friends or family connections since they have all died. Even if she has money and Mrs. Stringham, why doesn't she have any other connections in the U.S.? Has she been ill long and therefore out of society?

3. Do you recall how Aunt Maud got her money? Did she marry well and then become a widow?

4. The mystery of Mr. Densher and how Milly and Mrs Stringham are not supposed to mention knowing him to Kate seems to really show Mrs. Lauder as manipulative. Why wouldn't she want it mentioned? It's just to control and manipulate the situation in my opinion, not truly out of caring.

5. What is the doctors real interest in Milly? Is she going to be okay or is he telling her to live while she can?

6. As far as the relationship between Kate and Densher, it was my understanding that they truly loved one another but neither of them wanted it to be revealed to Mrs. Lauder so that they can take from her whatever they could. Both Kate and Densher know that they are being played but because they both hope to gain financially they are willing to wait.

7. The point at which Mrs. Lauder asks Milly to ask Kate about Mr. Densher and if he is back in town to me shows that she set her up for a test. Milly didn't do as she was asked and further spoke to Kate about Lord Mark and never mentions Densher.

I just got past the scene in which Milly runs into Kate and Densher at the museum and they all have to act cordially to one another. Now the secret is out, Milly knows Densher. It seems like Milly believes what Mrs. Lauder told her about the relationship, that Kate is not in love with him.

Do you like any of the characters yet? Is Kate the likable one or is it Milly? I feel like Mrs. Lauder and Mrs. Stringham are sort of playing show and tell and that the young women are the objects that they are showing off. Neither of them have their own children? Are they trying to live vicariously through the girls?

I don't want to leave you hanging on the reading of this book. My goal is to have it completed by the end of the month, I will have about 30 minutes to listen Monday-Friday while communting back and forth to school plus there will be time before I pick up the carpool. Why don't you let me know what pace works best for you.

I have another book I am also listening to right now, "I Feel Bad About my Neck" by Nora Ephrom. It is a collection of essays which are random rants about life and being a woman. She is very clever and holds nothing back; she is the author of "When Harry Met Sally". I will say that this is much easier to get into in comparison to the Wings of the Dove.

Not Giving Up.

Is this book tedious and boring, or is it just me? The thing is- I know there are good books on this list, I've read some of them!! I'm still waiting to read a book from this "top" list that I can't put down and think to myself the entire time I'm reading it: WOW! Wings of the Dove is not that book. However, I have a hard time giving up on it because, I have already invested so much time in it and I'm halfway done. It certainly helps being able to listen to it while I'm doing other things.

Just a few things:
1. Milly appears to have a deep admiration (is that the right word?) for Kate. While Kate has nothing to "offer"- Milly still longs to be her. Is this due to Kate's beauty, good health, or her being English? It is funny to think that the girl who has lots of money and connections should want to be the girl who is stuck in an unfavorable situation with no family or friends to speak of. The grass is always greener, right?

2. Did I understand correctly when I read about Aunt Maud liking Densher she just doesn't think that Kate is really in love with him? That DOES make sense though. I'm not sure that Kate can ever be in love with anyone aside from herself. Poor Densher, poor any man that falls in love with Kate.

3. I'm confused about the doctor visit, but I get the feeling that Milly isn't doing well and is on the verge of dying. Sad.

You talked me into it...

I think you will be rather proud of me. I downloaded the book onto my ipod (I am so hopeless when it comes to electronic devices). It makes the LONG drive to Wyoming not so worthless. Every time I thought of six hours in the car that could be used for reading, I cringed. So, my first experience with listening to a book went fairly well!

Since I have not seen or read Great Expectations I can only take your word for the comparison. She is very much like all the powerful women you ever read about, money is her tool for control. There is a part of me that actually believes she wants the best for Kate though. Unlike Kate's family (they seem to be in it only for themselves) Aunt Maud has good intentions.

I too am interested in the parts that Milly and Mrs. Stringham play. It sounds as if they both have lead very sad lives. Is Milly sick, or heartbroken?

In a fictional story, Kate and Densher should marry for love and assume the rest will follow. In real life- it would be hard for them to survive on love alone. I'm glad it's fiction. :)

I will read as much as I can but finals are coming up very soon. In about three weeks, there will plenty of time for reading.

Reading again

Lindsey, I have started listening to the story again, sorry I got sidetracked and busy with other things.

Mrs. Lowder somewhat reminds me of the Miss Havashim from Great Expectations. Money is how she controls those around her, they all see that they can benefit in some way if Kate stays in tight with her.

I have been introduced to Milly and Mrs. Stringham but don't yet know how they fit into the story. Is Mrs. Stringham to Milly as Mrs. Lowder is to Kate? Do their lives parallel one another?

I am not sure that Densher won't be easily swayed by what Mrs. Lowder can do for him and his career. She seems to hold everyone's future in her hands and is well aware of it and seems manipulative enough to play them all as pawns in her schemes.

Would it be best for Kate and Densher to marry for love and to be together no matter how they struggle rather than to hope for their fortunes to come from someone who is so controlling and maybe evil?

I really like the way that this story is written, I believe that the author is clever in his writing style.

Are you ready to continue or should we hold back until the quarter is over?

First Thoughts...

I don't want you to think I've given up, because I haven't. I'm just trying to find that balance in my life at this moment, you know? Anyway- here are some things I wanted to share since I've started reading this book...

I feel bad for Kate? Not really sure if she is supposed to be the villain or heroin, but I definitely find myself feeling sympathy for her. She certainly is stuck between a rock and a hard place. Family should be the saving grace in your life- your safe zone. Kate unfortunately has no family member that can help her in the way she needs help. Women's roles have changed extremely since the time this book was written, thank goodness. I can't imagine not being able to be with the person I love just because he has no money. Unfortunately- money does shape the future for Kate, because so many people are relying on her to make the "best" choice. Sad. I must say I'm glad I don't have a sister like Kate's.

96. Wings of the Dove

Henry James' The Wings of the Dove

Response

Lindsey, I do hope that my dissatisfaction with the book did not influence you since you were looking forward to reading it. I very much like your interpretation of the "brother", that feels right to me.



Did you notice on p. 68 it makes mention of Kafka? I can only assume that it Franz Kafka. So glad we read The Trial first because otherwise I would not have caught it.



Over the weekend we happened to have two moths come into the house and just as described in the book, they both stayed in one place on the wall for days. I had never noticed this phenomenon prior to reading it in the book, I too will never look at moths in quite the same way again. When on my front porch, when the porch light is on, I will check out all of the different varieties and have been know to call my family out to see them too.



The life that Austerlitz lead seemed extraordinary although it is sad that he always had the feeling that something was not quite right. Such heartache and mental anguish tortured this poor man. Facing your past is something that can be troublesome and difficult, it seems that his life and well being could have moved in a different direction had he been able to seek out this information earlier about who he really was.



Do you think he used the retelling of the story through the narrarator for ease of writing? Isn't it similar to Frankenstein that way?



I'm curious to know if the author had a stack of miscellaneous photos lying around and decided to tell a story based on them or if he wrote the story and then sought out the photos. Without the photos, I don't believe the story would have veered off course as much.



I'm looking forward to our next book, I am going to download it because my library only has the books on tape, not cd. If this is too much for you to deal with right now in your life, let me know. It is truly no pressure so I hope you don't feel any.

Keeps on Going

I really am not sure if it is because you had a hard time with this book and it influenced me or if I was just let down immensely. I wanted it to be good, something worth getting excited about- difficult is more like it. At times I forgot what the story revolved around (the Holocaust) due to the way the author wrote about it. Too many tangents and none-relevant details. Frankly, I was as lost as you were and very uninterested.

I wasn't sure if you wanted me to say if I think he had a brother or not- honestly I think he was referencing the hole left in his soul after his real parents were gone. A void maybe that he was trying to fill? Sad. That is just my interpretation of course.

One of the things I remember vividly was his description of time. I thought that was so interesting. I'm glad that you made mention of it too. I know that there are too many instances where I catch myself feeling governed by time instead of me choosing to rule time. What a universal thing time is.

I just wanted to point out another scene I remember: when Austerlitz hears for the first time the fate of his mother. What a horrible thing to have to imagine your mother helpless and alone. Then you think about her not worrying about herself but what is going to happen to her child and if he is okay. As a Mother, it hits a tender spot.

I finished! some thoughts, more to come...

This book was difficult for me to get involved in for several reasons. The story was only sprinkled throughout the book, you were only allowed to get it in bits and pieces while listening to the details of the architecutural surroundings. Although the descriptions are vivid, I would have preferred more of a story.

Towards the beginning of the book, p. 54, he tells about being able to see dead people and that they walked around in grey cloaks. "nothing but a piece of silk like that separates us from the next world." He stated that he felt like he had an invisible twin brother walking beside him, the reverse of a shadow. At the end of the book he mentions people in grey and again mentions the idea of a brother with him on the train. Did he have a brother too? Or is it that he is just remembering himself?

The narrarator eluded to his own life here and there, we never got to learn more about it either. He had mentioned eye problems and I don't recall much else about himself.

I liked the ideas that Austerlitz stated about time, (pages 100-101), That it's possible to be outside time. How he had not owned a clock of any kind seemed improbable if he was a student or took public transportation. We definitely plan our lives around the clock, what time does class start?, when does the plane leave? concert start? If you are a part of society you are bound to the almighty clock.

The Moth

I wanted to make mention of the part I just read because I thought it was very interesting and I found myself becoming engrossed. Austerlitz describes the conversation he has with Uncle Alphonso about moths. Truly, I will no longer look at moths the same way. As a person who believes that your spirit moves on to other life forms after death I can appreciate his sadness for the death of the moth in his home. I really liked this story within a story.

Beginning...

I never noticed how much I rely on the existence of chapters. Then I started reading Austerlitz- at page 30 I was frantically flipping through the pages trying to find a break, a place to stop. You are right about the endless sentences (if sentence is the correct term). Also, I'm glad that you found the beginning description of architecture hard to get through. I thought perhaps I had missed an important piece of information, but I'm glad I stuck with it because the developing story is well worth it.

I'm not really sure why this idea came to mind but when he thinks of Austerlitz over the years it reminds me of how you think of yourself at different times in your life. It was as if Austerlitz is an extension of himself (the narrator). Finally Austerlitz begins his tale...

The most interesting and compelling detail of his identity being questioned is when he describes looking for people with his same last name. It really brings to life what it must be like to realize your reality has been a lie. How bizarre that he makes a strong friendship with one of his professors based mainly on his last name and its connection to one of the greatest battles in history. Hilary gives Austerlitz a decent male figure to look up to- a replacement for his "barely there" foster father. What did you think of the way he describes his foster parents?

I did not know this was the newest book on the list. I did notice that it was "recently" written, however I had not considered that it could possibly be the newest book.

At the beginning...

Austerlitz. Yes Lindsey, I can see what you mean that this book is hard to get into. I did start reading it over the weekend. OK, what is with the endless sentence on pg. 9? I bet he did not use a program like Word that has a grammatical sentence checker because he would have gotten a message like "wordiness, consider revising". Also, I understand what you meant about all of the information at the beginning of the story regarding the details of the architecture, etc.



I worked on my stained glass project over the weekend and listened to the recorded version of the story and that was much easier to digest. Except the mention of all of the foreign places and names, I won't ever be able to recall them.



Austerlitz and the main character have met back up after 20 years had elapsed since they last saw one another. I can see the story being able to move forward from here with Austerlitz retelling the story of his mysterious childhood, who is he really? It was tragic that his foster parents both passed away before they could tell him about his past. How horrible to find out that your name is not really yours and that you are really someone else. It reminds me of the Boston Legal where Denny Crane (William Shatner) tells Alan Shore (James Spader) that his son, Donny Crane (Freddy Prinze Jr.) is not really his. It's clear that Donny is devastated by hearing this news. Your version of reality is totally turned upside down upon hearing news like this and you have to figure out who you really are.



It's uncanny how the narrator and Austerlitz meet up in the strangest of circumstances and continue their conversations where they had left off from their last meeting. I am not familiar with geography and need to brush up so I can understand the distances between the countries that are referred to in the story.



I did not realize that this was a newer story, when I heard that they meet again in 1996, I had to go and see when the story was published. Do you know, is it the newest book on our list?

97. Austerlitz

W.G. Sebald's Austerlitz

Final Thoughts

Ever since our conversation I think that the analogy of K. being stuck in a childish state of mind makes the most sense to me. He is easily persuaded by people to do things he shouldn't, such as finding himself in conflicts with his superiors. I think you are right about him lying a lot- especially to authority figures.

I wonder what the painter represents. Possibly the three different outcomes for the trial are three different ways of living your life. Actual acquittal is the best way and the only way to be done completely with the trial (this is my way of over-analyzing).

All of your observations are excellent and spot on. I also thought that K=Kafka, interesting. Does he feel as if he were on trial himself? In what way are we supposed to interpret this?

The V. President is a pivotal character, does he represent Josef's guardian- like a parent? He is in constant conflict with him and the don't see eye-to-eye on anything. As a reader I felt sympathy for the V.P. because I thought he was just trying to help Josef. However, Josef was always so suspicious of him.

I was so shocked by the end of this novel, not expecting what happened at all. Why does he mutter, "Like a dog"? What does that mean? Was he treated like a dog, or was his death like a dog's- I'm not sure. The entire book seemed symbolic- why did he buy 4 paintings that were exactly alike? Who was the person stretching out their arms in the building right before he died? Most likely it was a woman.

I have nothing else to say about The Trial. I am more interested in what your thoughts are.

Final thoughts

At K's initial inquiry he is asked if he is a house painter, now why would they ask him this if they knew who he was? It should be clear that he is a bank officer, not a house painter. Does the painter represent creativity? Is the reason that he sells K the 4 paintings that look alike show that K's life is like the scenery? It doesn't really change from day to day, month to month, season to season. Titorelli is in the story to speak of the judges and their arrogance and to show that there are courts everywhere and nothing is free from their presence.

The priest told K that he asks too much outside help, particularly from women. Once again, you do not know who is giving the information, who is friend and who is foe? If the surveillance during that time was so deep and infiltrated into all parts of K's life imagine what it would be like now in the day and age of electronic media and all of the footprints we leave behind.

The parable that the Priest tells K about the country man, the law and the gatekeeper is interesting but seems misplaced in the story. I am not sure how exactly this related to the story except to show that there is no entry to the law but who was the gatekeeper in regards to K's case? At the end of discussing the story he comments that "You don't have to consider everything true, you just have to consider it necessary." and K. replies "Lies are made into a universal system." Is this how we must consider our existence?

Again, K. is concerned that he doesn't know how to get out of the Cathedral and asks for assistance just like when he was at the law offices. I think these circumstances are a reflection of his trial, he is tangled up in this web so to speak and needs help getting out. He asks for help though those he ask don't show him the way but tell him where to go. He was told more than once that he needs to not ask for so much outside help with his trial and he keeps trying to find help from outsiders.

When K is taken by the executioners to his death and mutters "like a dog" I believe that he is succumbing to the powers/influences and has now become like a dog. Although I personally think of good things with dogs (man's best friend, loyalty, comfort, etc.), that is not what is meant by this. It's more like a mongrel than a pet. Something lowly and despised. The chapter in which Block, the merchant, is introduced when he's with the lawyer and crawling on the ground, it is noted that K. no longer considered Block a man, but an animal, the lawyer's dog. In the chapter where K. was going to take the Italian to the cathedral, Leni had called to speak to K., she told him that he was being "hounded". I could be reading more than I should into this but it seemed like another dog reference.

K was executed on his 31st b-day, he did not seem surprised by the men who showed up at his house, he thinks "I'm grateful that they've sent these half mute insensitive men to accompany me on this journey and that it's been left to me to say myself what needs to be said." I thought this meant that he ultimately is the one who has the last word in his case regarding his own guilt or innocence.

At the end, I thought that the person who was in the building would have been the final judge who condemned him to die. But who that was I cannot say clearly. Had it been a mirror or a pool of water then I would say K. of course however, it's not clear. I have considered it being the Vice President since it seemed to me that he would have benefited the most by not having K. around.

I did not understand the Fraulein Burstner character? Was she affiliated with the courts? Perhaps her character was going to be developed further upon completion of the story. Kafka must not have liked women because no of them were shown to have positive attributes in the book.

There were several references to lips in the book too. These were the ones that stuck in my mind.

1) Block tells of the superstition that many people can predict the outcome from the face of the defendant, particularly the lines of the lips. The people at the court predicted that K was to be convicted soon according to his lips.
2) K. could not see the Italian's lips and therefore stopped trying to listen to him since he was speaking to quickly and in a different dialect.
3) In the fragment chapter about Fraulein Burstner, Fraulein Montag had looked at K's lips and he got upset because in K's mind it was as if she had already assumed control over what he had to say.
4)The first encounter with Fraulein Burstner where he kissed her violently on her neck, right on her throat before he rested his lips there.

When K is taken by the executioners to his death and mutters "like a dog" I believe that he is succumbing to the powers/influences and has now become like a dog. Although I personally think of good things with dogs (man's best friend, loyalty, comfort, etc.), that is not what is meant by this. It's more like a mongrel than a pet. Something lowly and despised. The chapter in which Block, the merchant, is introduced when he's with the lawyer and crawling on the ground, it is noted that K. no longer considered Block a man, but an animal, the lawyer's dog. In the chapter where K. was going to take the Italian to the cathedral, Leni had called to speak to K., she told him that he was being "hounded". I could be reading more than I should into this but it seemed like another dog reference.

All in all I will have to say the book left me questioning and searching as if I missed something in the story. After reading what critics and others have thought about the story it has shown me that there are many differing opinions about the meaning of the story. Interesting, frustrating, confusing, done.

Additional observations/questions

I am trying to piece the story together. Who knows which are really the clues to the outcome?

One conflict - K. tells the washerwoman that he won't be induced to bribery yet he tries to bribe the guard to let Franz and Willem off during the flogging.

K. tends to tell lies quite often in the story to cover up his ignorance or to hide his intent. He lied when trying to find the court offices, he lied to the assistants at the bank when the flogging was occurring, he lies at work, he lies to the girls and tells them that the painter is going to paint his portrait. I find that he lies so often that it makes me wonder if he really is innocent.

The courts presence can be felt everywhere K. goes. When he visits the attorney there is the court clerk hiding in the darkness. The painters house is in different court offices, the flogging at his own business, are any of the women or the people he has assembled to help him with his defense trustworthy? How would he know who he can trust?

Do the girls represent innocence lost? The world of the courts that K. visits is dark and vile. The courts are secretive and do not follow the written law, the judges can be influenced by personal contacts but not evidence.

K. esteems himself highly and believes that others feel the same about him too. He is clearly suspicious and wary of the Vice President. What does he represent in the story? I see that he is a threat to how K. has defined himself as a successful businessman that has quickly worked his way through the ranks.

At first K. is not distracted by his trial but as it goes on he gets to a point where he cannot conduct his daily business. He is walking around in a haze and stupor. Whenever he visits the courts the air is choking and he can barely function. How can he defend himself in this state?

The painter makes a comment that K. has a particular love for the somber (he says this after he practically forces his work upon K.). I took this as a statement about Kafka himself, could it be that K. = Kafka?

None of the three outcomes that the painter explains to K. sound very likely to happen. Actual acquittal would be the best of all but it does not sound as if this ever occurs even if the defendant is innocent. Apparent acquittal and Protraction seem as if they are no better than just letting the case take it's course.

I don't know if it has any significance but the lawyer told K. a "true" story of the elderly officials who threw all of the lawyers down the stairs. Titorelli tells the girls that if they aren't quiet he is going to throw them down the stairs. Is there anything here or is this just coincidence?

What I have observed regarding the court system -

• Lawyers aren't officially recognized but merely tolerated
• The officials involved in cases don't know where they come from or where they go but only know the portion that they have to deal with
• The court seems to know all and is everywhere
• The defendants and their lawyers cannot learn about the charges against them and therefore have difficulties in building a defense
• Cases could be removed from the reach of the lawyer
• Defendants had to stick with their lawyer once engaged

more soon...

Next...

So- I finished! That is all I'm going to say because I want to wait for some of your thoughts on what is going on. I will say, I felt at the end as if a fairly significant event had taken placed and I missed it. What happened?!

Response...

For some reason I get the feeling that the V.P. has something to do with Josef's trial. Is he involved in the court maybe and wants to get Josef "out of the way" at the office? I could be totally wrong, but the V.P. just seems suspicious. He seems to be conveniently around when Josef has important matters with his trial. Such as: when Josef is trying to get away from helping the men waiting in the hallway including the manufacturer. You are right about men not asking for directions- I think there a lot of instances where typical "man" thinking comes into play during this novel. Probably because it was written by a man.

K. does seem to not be taking it very seriously and making poor decisions. However, it appears that even if he was taking it seriously there wouldn't be anything he could do. He makes his Uncle look like a fool and all for the comfort of a woman. Then you think about it- he got some of his fellow bank workers in trouble because he wanted to make amends for a woman. Then he gets into a scuffle with a man from the court- to try and save a helpless woman. More "male" thinking.

The episode of the three men being flogged in the closet was unbelievable. Why would the court conduct that sort of behavior, and at their place of work no less? Then they didn't leave the next day? It would be most advantageous to be a part of the court system as soon as possible and therefore avoiding any charges brought against you. Which brings me to the painter....

So many people are aware of Josef's trial. The painter wants to help and tells K. that he can get him off or at least try. Josef doesn't know what to say. I think Josef is in extreme denial about how serious this is. Does he really think that doing it on his own he can achieve actual acquittal? The painter thinks this is almost impossible- even if he is completely innocent. What is going on with the three UNDERAGE girls hanging out in his apartment? The most astonishing thing about the painter is he lives among another set of court offices. The painter informs K. that there are offices all over the city in almost every attic. These people are incredibly influential and all over the place so is this like the mob?

I'm glad you pointed out how K. seems to have multiple personalities. Sometimes he is bold and in control and other times he is whiny and out of control. I have a hard time connecting with his character, but I feel sympathy for him.