kaus-quietis

[kaus-quietis]

“So are you to my thoughts as food to life, Or as sweet-season’d showers are to the ground; And for the peace of you I hold such strife (…)”

#and with this I am once again leaving my blog in Eliott's hands - logging out soon after leaving this fanart here #still humming Vocalise to myself so often... this fanart was made with peace in my heart #I hope future BSD chapters will expand on Fedya's character in meaningful and exciting ways #can't wait to see him again~ #till then... and till I return to my blog - take care everyone <3 #for a quick shortcut to my Fedya fanarts - my tag for that is: #unsolved and endless

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Greetings, Anon! Thank you for your questions. I have to admit, even in the past, I refrained from posting reactions or speculations as BSD chapters release, but you already knew that, so I will indulge you. I'll answer each part of your ask. BSD ch113 thoughts below, manga spoilers ahead.

♠ "What was your raw reaction?" It was not a calm, quiet one, I can tell you that. No, in fact I screamed with excitement as if I was in a Roman amphitheatre and my favourite gladiator just got back up on his feet, out of sheer force of will, grinning and sweaty. My scream was the fastest way I could "verbalize" the fact that I was overjoyed to see him alive again, even if it's in the 15th century, and on top of that he seemed to be some kind of spy monk all chained up and having what seems to be a ridiculous amount of fun getting caught and discussing with Bram. This is all very in-character for him.

♠ "Was that something you expected?" Absolutely not. Yes, yes, I truly did not expect a jump back in time and this infobomb drop, despite the fact that we did get a few hints that Fedya seemed present at past events when all the other character really appeared younger than him (near the end of S4ep3, where on a rooftop Fedya says "It's not V, it's Five" and I am seriously like bruh I give up what I want to say is I need more data to work with, what am I supposed to do with this, rationally speaking?). However, we can't yet extract anything conclusive from this. Is he ageless? A time-traveler? Immortal? Does he revive? When was he born? Was he born at all or created differently somehow? Is he of BSD's world, or an external one (Beast liveaction finale anyone?)? Is this all within the Book and he's just… idk flipping the pages? Anything is possible and I refuse to spend a lot of time working with incomplete data. This is not very follower-friendly (as in, my blog is basically inactive in-between), I know and I apologize, but if after many chapters there will be something worthwile to add to my essay (with what Fukuchi said in ch113 I already have important stuff to add), under those circumstances I will consider writing an update. It's not yet time.

♠ "<Was that> something you felt different for the characterization we all made for Fyodor?" Hmm, I would hesitate to refer to a characterization "we all made" for him (I wish! T o T), because my analysis and blog are but a tiny tiny part of the fandom (I think…? I wonder about my Fedya essay's reach or influence sometimes). But let's say here we refer to one that comes close to what I tried to show in my essay. In that case, I would say that there is nothing to fear here in this chapter, but it's very understandable to have massive trust issues at this point. We went through a miserable, miserable time when the previous ones made the guy who visually memorized a full deck of used cards somehow not notice Chuuya wearing contacts and fake vampire teeth, despite knowing the vampire race since… well, the 15th century! I cannot even begin to describe what I felt reading ch111.5-112, I was beyond repulsed. Lovers of "villain" characters understand the following thing well: in most media, our fav has to lose, he has to die or disappear at some point, with rare exceptions. I, too, know this well, but that was no compelling way to solve BSD's villain threat. I still don't know how BSD will wash away that narrative stain, as I consider it, but then again one of the reasons we love this manga is that it keeps us on the edge of our seats and the most absurd yet fun turns can happen out of the blue. We can reasonably ask ourselves: ok, what is the purpose of showing Fedya's backstory now? If it's for build-up, we can already start grinning like Cheshire cats. What could possibly be next? I'm cautiously optimistic, things look in-character and good to me. Very good, in fact.

♠ "Or do you think it is later on going add some depth to his character?" Backstories are shown usually for a very clear purpose. We don't know the purpose yet, but if it's done well, then… then my whole essay could be at risk lmao (and I love this sensation). New info could add so much depth to his character, in fact, that his previously observed traits could gain new meanings, or even contradictory ones. Whichever it will be, I think it's pretty safe to bet on "his backstory will be very relevant".

♠ Bonus: even if I enjoy going "full analytical" and enter conference speech mode when asked, I am driven by strong emotions, by which I want to say – I am not immune to assassin/spy monk Fedya chained up like that and having the time of his life again. I missed seeing him entertained like that, and his current …………. visual representation in the.. uh. ..chapter, yeah, well, it's doing things to my Depeche Mode-worshipping heart.

Anyway, to conclude with some facts we know as of now:

a. Fedya and Bram are inside the Bran Castle, close to the Romanian city of Brașov, "deep in the Carpathians" although not built at high altitude itself. It's basically a fortress built between 1377-1388, with several later additions. The BSD representation of it is very accurate to how it looks today. It's near perfect, actually, I applaud.

b. Bram mentions King Matthias, and in this context that can only mean Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary for 1458-1490. The meeting between Fedya and Bram thus happens some year during his reign, when Transylvania was still part of the Kingdom of Hungary. What is still strange to me is that I can't pinpoint Bram's exact position, as in… were his people independent? Or avoided? I feel like I need to re-read past Bram-related chapters to think about this.

c. Nevermind Bram, the things that Fukuchi says, those are the real goldmine here, but the gold is still… encrypted? I mean: Fedya made the DoA plan (more than confirmed now), and because Fukuchi asked for the condition to keep casualties under 500, Fedya respected that and we got entertained for like half of the whole BSD manga: using coin bombs for terror, for economic/political destabilization, using the vampire infection to avoid further violence, these things. The more you think about it, the more insane it gets. Since Fedya agreed to this condition, it means causing (more) deaths and violence were expendable things to him. (But imagine this: Fukuchi said "I want max. 500 deaths" and Fedya said "Yeah I can do that", now if Fukuchi would've said "I want max. 2 deaths" I really believe Fedya would've still said "Yeah I can do that". What can't he do, especially since murder for murder's sake isn't his goal?). This is in perfect harmony with his "necessary deaths only" approach so far, and much much more. There are far more implications in what Fukuchi said, which I won't type out here now. Gotta keep them and build around them for a future analysis update.

This was a rather long read, but still, I hope this satisfies your curiosities, Anon. *bows dramatically & disappears in a borderline insufferable ENTP way*

#Lav answers #I can't believe I wrote so much #yet still I will keep true to my principle of not over-speculating with insufficient data #a proper essay update would be much more valuable than making separate monthly posts even though in this way I can't contribute to the hype #or despair #or both #but fans of patient analysis will profit .. richly from this #someday! #sigh why is it I can talk about Fedya for hours #why can't I..... ugh....... #Iiiiiiii caaaaan't stooooop lovinggg youuuu #OTL................ #man I've chosen the best manga character of all time frfr #also as of ch113 my Philosopher!Fedya fanfic is basically.................canon-friendly to the highest degree and I can't believe it #it happens in like the 1440-1450s and I dont even know how to feel about this reveal skjdfng

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Here we are. Hello, music lovers from all corners of this hellsite! I have returned once again to share 4 new character playlists with you, and once more for other fandoms than BSD: Vergil and Dante (Devil May Cry 5), W.D. Gaster (Undertale), and Higgs Monaghan (Death Stranding). Serving your usual story-driven strategic order (shuffle is not recommended) and genre rollercoaster, dive in and enjoy the music~

Photon readings: negative: Greetings. It appears I am stuck in this Sp■tify descripti■n b■x. With y■ur [_], n■t f■r l■ng. If x, put y■ur Ḩ̵̳̝͓̼̲͈̯͋̈́͝͝Ȇ̵̢̛̛̳͖̫̹̪̳̤͍̱̟̳̝̯̍̽͛̀̚A̵̻̳̠̳͔̟̯̥͖͊̓̿̓R̶͙͕͎̘̥̤̱̗̠̞͇̰͙̍̐̑̊͒̾͆̓͊́̐̏T̷͍̦̭͈̙̅̆̀̏̀̈́̅̀͊̌̂̕ͅ in it and f■ll■w my |?|. Y■U ACKN■WLEDGE THE P■SSIBILITY ■F PAIN AND |?|. S H A L L W E B E G I N ? [Hand-picked tracks in a strategic order for |?|?|?|] [art, edited: indori] Centre of my sinful earth: Sow the wind & reap the whirlwind with this character playlist for Vergil (Devil May Cry 5). Match his soul’s intensity, let it enrapture you, & watch the half-demon walk the line between love and hate for humanity. [icon photo: drusoona] Heaven of my hell: Rock on, demon hunter, with this character playlist for Dante (Devil May Cry 5). Tap into past memories & future hopes, lose yourself in the infernal party that follows you around, sure, let it swallow your regrets, but do remember: you now have a family to return to again. [icon photo: drusoona] Apostle of the End: Isn’t this what you’ve been waiting for? A character playlist for Higgs Monaghan (Death Stranding)? Let the Particle of God permeate your mind, watch him embrace the role of destroyer, but oh, what’s that spark of fun in the madman's eye?

♫ My previous character playlists can be found in these posts: Part 1 (BSD Fyodor, Dazai, Nikolai and Sigma), Part 2 (BSD Decay of the Angel group, Akutagawa, Chuuya and Ango), Part 3 (Undertale's Sans, Mystic Messenger's 707, and Mob Psycho 100's Reigen Arataka).

#undertale #gaster #devil may cry #vergil #dante #dmc5 #dmc vergil #dmc dante #death stranding #higgs monaghan #wd gaster #undertale gaster #utdr gaster #character playlist #playlists #dante devil may cry #vergil devil may cry #higgs death stranding #death stranding higgs #character playlists #once again a lot of genres except some parts are more uniform for immersion - Dante's playlist is more of a mood playlist #while Vergil's is full narrative and includes the Lady in Red - yup some songs I imagined there to reflect her own voice #following the thought that maybe maybe she is a nun and indeed Vergil is the son of her worshipped entity...... the tension is sublime #Higgs...... (derogatory) - joking i love him thus i made this but i dont know ENOUGH edgy songs for him but I tried to make a fun ride ther #Gaster's playlist is :)......................................... you'll have to jump in and see...... his situation is very normal #feel free to tell me your impressions in the tags~ I think I have 15 character playlists in total now #now THIS you call music variety >:D see ya on the soundwaves~~~

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A Circus Library - quick recommendations of short stories, poems, comics and novels I've recently read #1

Hello there! I'm the circus resident poltergeist, Eliott, managing this blog until Lav comes back. Today I offer you a slightly different formula of my super awesome super rare super bookclub post, as Lav would say!

Hello hello hello! Is this a bookclub?! Is this chaotic ramble?! Ding ding! You got it wrong!

Writing full on reviews is tiedous and long, and while I appreciate doing it, I'm myself not always in the mood to read a long post explaining why a book is genius. Do I love that from time to time? Yes! Do I have the attention span to write one now? Nope! However, I still wanted to share some titles I recently (re)discovered, and that I think are marvellous reads for anyone wanting to dive into something new.

Here you'll find a few recommendations with the shortest of words to tell you why they are great, or just scream about it.

short disclaimer before I begin because this is tumblr and while I forgot a lot about this website, I remember how the TW thing works lol, it's at your own discretion to search for the works beforehand if you have any trigger you don't want to encounter.

Jack Spicer - Billy the kid

The master of my fate, captain of my soul as Timothée Chalamet would say idk I barely know the guy. Classic and gold, Spicer is an amazing writer and this poem is phenomenal. It's quite short and perfect if you want to know more about the wonder that was US American poetry during the 20th century. Of course I'd encourage you to read all of his works, but Billy the Kid is perfect to start somewhere.

Ryunosuke Akutagawa - Hell Screen

Classic and iconic, I've recently pushed further than Rashomon and boy oh boy am I never turning back. Hell Screen is a phenomenal short story displaying all the elegance and cruelty Akutagawa can incorporate in his works. It's mesmerizing, it aches, it's everything I love. I read this story in Jay Rubin's translation (Penguin Classics), and even though I do not speak Japanese so I cannot compare, I dare say it's a very good one.

Lucie Bryon, Thieves

I never recommended comic books before but I wanted to for a change! I am a huge comic book lover, but most of the ones I usually read are not available in english language. This one is, though. Thieves is a beautiful comic about growth, falling in love and finding acceptance in others and in yourself. It's light and heartwarming, like eating candy.

Ottessa Moshfegh, Lapvona

Now, this book exploits one of my biggest plot weaknesses ever, and that is fucked up people in medieval settings. Lapvona tells the story of Marek, a sheperd's son, who'll be caught in a series of unfortunate events, political struggles, and secrets, all inside the town of Lapvona. It's dark and unsettling, the characters are scandalous and horrible, yet sickeningly human. Now, I said to check the TW yourselves, but be very careful with this one, if you can think of a TW, then it's certainly in this book.

Osamu Dazai, Early Light

In the Storybook ND series, this book contains three short stories : Early Light, Three Hundred Views of Mount Fuji, and Villon’s Wife. I'd recommend the three of them, as it's a fantastic dive into Dazai's shorter works. I think that reading his short stories is very important to understand his work and the width of the subjects and stories he wrote about. It helps that once again, in my opinion, the translation chosen by this publishing house is so good.

This is it for today! Here you have five of the works I read (or re-read) this summer, and that I'd warmly recommend. There are two short stories (Dazai, Akutagawa), a comic book (Bryon), a novel (Moshfegh) and a poem (Spicer). 'Till next time!

#circusghost #here we go again #this is a shorter formula but i'm glad it allows me to talk about several books #really #i cannot stress it enough #please read Jack Spicer at least once in your life #i am not a fan of contemporary US american literature and media whatsoever #however there was a wave of poetry that's really interesting during the last century and Spicer was part of it #lololol anyway #i have a newfound love for Akutagawa these days and he makes me want to read Gogol again #these authors are the same dudes in different fonts #this summer i read mostly japanese and american lit and it shows lol #lapvona is a great book but it's also the darkest out of this list so beware! #its ending is phenomenal tho #let me know if you read any of these or if you have some book recs yourselves! #or if you want specific ones #my book year started again and we're currently sitting at 33 since july #hurray! #eliott

[kaus-quietis]

Étude- t a b l e a u 9 / shh…

#and so i take my leave again~ take care everyone and see you next time~ a discreet old fanart remains as my only online trace - Lav

[kaus-quietis]

Lav's All-smiles Problem-solving Roooooundtable ch108 edition!

Welcome, welcome! To Lav's BSD ch108 discussion! Delivered to you via my funky dove Eliott, acting as my mystic messenger. These are random thoughts I had after reading this brilliant chapter, which, writing-wise, made the best possible use of Fedya's character, expanding it even more without even betraying his backstory. Maybe a backstory isn't needed after all, just look at how much FUN he is right now. I am in BLISS

Putting aside the fact that he is literally carrying the plot at this point, come sit with me, I make you a delicious Chinese black tea with rose petals and casually share my thoughts. Hello there, dearest Kat, yes, "where is Lav when you need her?", I am here, I offer you a hug, and to all my friends here who share the sentiment, I hug you too.

A. Before you say ANYTHING about "oh but? maybe Fedya is telling the half-truth? or a half-lie? what if his ability really is the evil one?", my brothers and sisters in Christ, listen to yourself. This man functions almost on a meta-level of character consciousness: he changed his facial expression and aura so convincingly, his tone, his speech, his posture, even the shade of his eyes, fooling not only Sigma, but the readers as well. We are used to characters changing the shade of their eyes when they change mental states or have certain (new) decisions in mind, we as a community are so used to this, all it took was one panel from the Conjurer doing this trick for so many of us to actually believe him and start, yet again, to spiral down the "what if he is good but his ability is evil? what if he is two entities? what if?" rollercoaster. This is so amusing to me, and in a meta-sense must be amusing to Fedya too. While speculation can bloom again based on this, I wouldn't be putting too much effort into reading into his lines here. I take it as a trick. It worked splendidly, almost like it attacked the fandom's major concerns and theories about his character and weaponized them against everyone. That's a meta-kind of tomfoolery. Trolling, if you will. I LOVE that Asagiri made him bamboozle every reader like this. His character so far goes into the best direction, it cultivates and expands his traits and skills in the best way. But let's pretend Fedya really is telling a half-truth there, which is there being an opposition between him and his ability. I talked about this in my essay (see pinned post), there really seems to be a divergence at the core of his character, but it manifests subtly, not like what we saw in ch108. Then again, not even on that can we arrive at any conclusive statements, because if we remember that, of course, "crime and punishment are close friends", it could well be that he and his ability are partners, and you bet I imagine they would BOTH indulge in peak tomfoolery like this together, if that meant one of them switching in and the other out for a sec. Remember, dear souls: aside from his "higher mission", abstract as it still is lore-wise, Fedya's keyword is "fun" or "entertainment", repeatedly. And oh he himself is even more fun now~

B. if Fedya would have wanted to mortally wound Sigma, he'd have chosen a more suitable place to stab him; it looks like a abdominal, lower quadrant, lateral stab, a deliberate choice, I would say, that technically avoids critical, most vascular organs (kidney and spleen for example) and main veins/arteries. I am no doctor, but from what I gathered, Sigma won't bleed out fast at all, and if untreated might get a deadly infection in a longer time (not counting the possibility of septic shock if we assume the knife penetrated and heavily opened an intestine). Sigma needs a medic asap (our queen Yosano when?), but will likely be conscious and quite able to move around and whatnot. Like I argued in my essay, Fedya most likely does not want to kill Sigma, or anybody for that matter, because keeping everyone alive to fulfill various roles and see how their will tosses them in all kinds of directions is more fun for him, more entertaining, but also more useful. He is a long-term strategist, like Dazai. "Our beloved monsters" ❤

C. Fedya evidently exerts some serious mental torment on Sigma, by making him stand by his choices, his will, just like he always desired. The flip side is that Fedya takes his time, or should I say gifts Sigma his time, in which he teaches him the full lesson of what Sigma wants. The responsibility that comes with acting on your own, the terror of facing the consequences when choosing on your own: right now, to Sigma, this freedom is terror. But Fedya is never a one-dimensional character. It's most probable he calculated and devised strategies for both possibilities (a. Sigma with rekindled determination touches him; b. Sigma backpedals on what he decided and does not touch him). The irony is that both scenarios are an affirmation of Sigma's will, because, while the first decision can be seen like foolish bravery, the second one can also be seen as wise self-preservation, if the circumstances so demand it. BSD is not a black-and-white series, diving head-first into danger is not its definition of bravery or heroism. BSD was always about measured decisions, ones the characters take upon themselves willingly. It may be time Sigma does that too, in his own way, and Fedya wants to see that. Why? Well, my guess is because it's fascinating to watch humans grow, and Fedya lives for the entertainment that comes with it. It is actually more interesting if we remember his line from ch42 (“People can be so simple… They truly believe they are thinking for themselves. (…) They don’t want to think they’re being led by the nose”): the pattern is, Fedya puts others under harsh circumstances, and then, under pressure, lets go of them, waiting for their free decision, the true test and expression of their hearts, so to say (which could make a superb discussion if we make a parallel between Kunikida and Sigma, since essentially what happened to Kunikida is happening now to Sigma, except Kunikida did indeed break down, but thanks to healthy support from his comrades he slowly regained his sense of self, and stronger than ever at that time, however… Sigma is alone, isn't he? but what if he needs to be in order to finally get a hold of his own self?). Anyway, how much of that expression is free, or how much is guided or manipulated, is a debate in itself, since it implies relating the freedom to the individual vs relating the freedom to the external factors and possibilites.

D. I do need to underline, just like Fedya also underlined it: Sigma already made his decision, right there when he still tried to get the gun before getting kicked in the face. Fedya moved on to the next step: testing how strong Sigma's will is when an actual chance to act appears. Sigma already accepted the physical pain, but how will he face the mental anguish? That is more Fedya's territory, a "specialist" of breaking people by simply knowing them thoroughly and choosing the right words. But now we gained new info: even in close combat, apparently, Fedya is not to be underestimated. That was a rather strong kick, anyway. But more importantly, he completely turned the tables in a situation where he would be in a total disadvantage. * chef's kiss * that was very bungou stray dogs of him.

#bsd #bungou stray dogs #bsd manga spoilers #bsd fyodor #bsd sigma #stopped working on my PhD to indulge in ritualic chants and expressions of love and devotion towards BSD's greatest character #the man himself #it's always Fedya #my love knows no death #yes I even typed these tags out for Eliott #I hope she has been a good circus ghost #but even is she was a bad or absent circus ghost I forgive her #she is the best and you agree #unless you think I am the best and in that case you're right lol #this was your daily dose of sensible ENTPs faking a massive ego #if you have questions please reply here or send an ask but dont stress the funky dove mystic messenger #we are both vanishing ENTPs like the Queens song Now Im Here Now Im There #i will still not be on my blog till a long time I have a PhD to write #no an ACTUAL PhD not my marriage proposal PhD that is already posted #but that one I will update too after more chapters pile up - maybe in November

[kaus-quietis]

The circus videoclub - November, by Rainer Sarnet

There are movies that haunt you, years after you watched them. These movies give off a particular feeling, one you cannot get out of your mind. Today in the circus videoclub, I want to share with you November, a masterpiece produced by estonian director Rainer Sarnet.

Hello there! I'm the circus resident poltergeist, Eliott, managing this blog until Lav comes back. Here in the circus videoclub I share with you my most recent discoveries / films I wish everyone would watch one day!

Rainer Sarnet was born in Rakvere, Estonia, in 1969. He is an estonian director and writer who started his work in animation. His film, November, was released in 2017, and is based on Rehepapp ehk november (the currants of november), a novel by famous estonian writer Andrus Kivirähk.

I have a lot of passions in life, which include black and white movies, folklore, good movies, books, and beautiful sceneries. November might have been just the perfect work for me in all these regards. Released in 2017, the movie is based on a novel, Rehepapp ehk november by Andrus Kivirähk (we will get to this author in another episode of the Circus Bookclub).

A quick note on Rehepapp ehk november, which happens to be one of my favourite novel: I cannot recommend it enough, however it hasn't been translated into english yet, from what I am aware of. You can read it in many other languages though, including finnish, latvian, russian, hungarian, french, etc. It is a great novel and has inspired a lot of artistic creations in Estonia (including this movie and a beautiful graphic novel).

In November, we follow the life of a nameless, fictional estonian village in the 19th century. The action takes place during the month of November, when winter is already there and life becomes harsher. In this village, however, things are not as ordinary as one could think. The villagers seek the help of treasure-bearers (kratts) to steal from each other and accomplish tasks, make deals with the devil at crossroads to buy a soul for their kratt in exchange of their own (fooling him, each time), trick the Plague and some turn into werewolves and ask the advice of witches. It is a strange and fascinating ballet of folktale, mythological themes, somber atmosphere and strange, beautifully written interactions between the villagers and the strange creatures/habits/phenomenas they live with, without questioning them. These strange things are part of the life of the villagers, and their acceptance of them gives to this movie a beautiful and particular ethereal feeling.

I simply love when such weird, strange situations are not perceived as weird and strange by the people living them. In November, these are just part of the story, without taking too much space or being put into question. As we see a kratt stealing, it is simply that: a kratt stealing, not a mystery to be solved. This is I think part of what makes Rainer Sarnet's movie so powerful, this perfect balance between the strange and the mundane.

November is a beautiful movie, with great images and well-written dialogues. It is strange and ethereal, but this strangeness is masterfully crafted, and does not put us outside of the action. From the first shot, the movie creates an atmosphere, a space from which it is impossible to free ourselves from: we have to wait for the credits. November is described as a fantasy horror drama film, and this mix of genres creates an original, unique and inspiring work. There is no movie like this one. As Hideo Kojima said on his twitter account: November is the movie for me.

I cannot encourage you enough to watch it. Not only is it a unique masterpiece, it is perfectly crafted from every angle, be it the scenario, the acting, the photography, the dialogues, the rythm, everything. Everything feels perfectly thought about, controled, and therefore flows perfectly in this strange yet fascinating film that unfolds. The main story itself -although there are many, many stories in this film, is quite simple, and it is a good thing. It allows the universe to unfold and takes all the space it needs and the atmosphere to settle.

This is it for November! I discovered this film a few years ago and it has been one of my biggest cinematic shocks so far. As time goes, I see this film gaining more and more recognition, and this makes me extremely happy. I hope you will enjoy it as well!

#circusghost #rehepapp ehk november #november #andrus kivirahk #rainer sarnet #i do not know if this movie have been dubbed but even if it has -if you are able to watch a movie while reading subtitles #please please please watch it in its original language #it is so important and estonian is sublime #i cannot express enough the love i have for this movie -it is a masterpiece #it so beautifully uses andrus kivirahk's novel as support and conveys it perfectly #yes i mentioned hideo kojima are you proud of me Lav

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The circus bookclub - The Letter Killer Club, by Sigizmund Krzhizhanovsky

There are some authors I simply cannot get enough of, and Sigizmund Krzhizhanovsky is one of them. In this first ever edition of this new bookclub, here in the circus, I'll share with you my most recent read of him! And what more fitting title than The Letter Killer Club to introduce the bookclub, right?

Hello there! I'm the circus resident poltergeist, Eliott, managing this blog until Lav comes back. Here in the circus bookclub I share with you my most recent reads/amazing books I wish everyone would pick up one day!

Sigizmund Krzhizhanovsky is an Ukrainian author born in 1887 in Kyiv, who died in Moscow in 1950. He wrote his works in russian language, and was little published in his lifetime: most of his works were published posthumously.

The Letter Killer Club is a short novel (approx. 100-150pages according to the publisher/language of translation) written in 1926. Its story revolves around the life of a Club, the Letter Killer Club, run by 7 individuals. The story starts when they welcome an 8th member, a writer intrigued by the peculiar people seeing each other once a week, in a quiet room lit by the fireplace.

In the Letter Killer Club, the members think that writing their ideas on paper would denature them. In their philosophy, ideas stay pure when they only stay to this stage: ideas. Every week, the members of the club tell each other their book ideas, scenarios, without ever writting them on paper. Each week, one member speaks. This is how the seven chapters of this book are organized, by the story of one individual, followed or interrupted by the occasionnal remarks or conversations around it (reminding me of Marguerite de Navarre's Heptameron, if some of you are familiar with french late medieval literature here). In these stories, Krzhizhanovsky seems to always explore a philosophical thought, or ideas about literature and what it is to be a writer. This is, according to me, part of what makes this book so interesting to read.

These stories are strange, almost metaphysical at times, funny and tragic. I will not go in details about them so you can fully enjoy this book, should you decide to read it, but what striked me in The Letter Killer Club is how well balanced Krzhizhanovsky's writing was, between telling the stories and the characters of the Club themselves. With very few elements, Krzhizhanovsky succeeds in creating a particular atmosphere, one that engulfs you and makes you feel like you are seated there, amongst them, almost as a 9th member of this strange reunion.

Krzhizhanovsky is an incredible writer. These themes of the idea vs. writing it, putting it on paper, what it is to write, to have ideas, to be a writer, are extremely present in most of his works, but they seem to be particularly explored in this one. During his lifetime, while he wasn't much published, Krzhizhanovsky was very present in literary circles, and therefore certainly involved in many philosophical discussions of what it meant to be a writer at that time. This shows in his works, and he explores these questions in a very clever way.

Krzhizhanovsky's writing is demanding and his ideas need some thinking and time to be well reflected upon, but I believe his works are extremely interesting if you ever want to explore more of the literature of his time. Often using fantastic elements or situations to convey his ideas, his writing is a clever mix of fantastic, abstract, absurd and reflection on writing itself.

I hope this made you curious about this author's works! Krzhizhanovsky has written many short stories as well, and these are also great if you ever want to give a chance to reading his writing.

Sources : his wikipedia page for the bio / goodreads for the english edition of the letter killer club

#circusghost #putting up the chairs in the cathedral bringing books to the table #have you missed these bookclub sessions? i certainly did #not only is that insightful for me to write but it also makes sure i actually concentrate enough on what i read #when you read around a hundred books a year this helps a lot #the letter killer club is the 58th book i've read this year (i start my book year in july) so i still have a long way to go #i'm really happy i got to share Krzhizhanovsky's books with you today! #if you ever feel like it give him a shot #he is worth it #sigizmund krzhizhanovsky #the letter killer club #there is a lot to say about him but i always keep these bookclub sessions short so it's #1/ easier for me to write #2/ more accessible to anyone #thecircusbookclub #tagging this as the bookclub so it's easier to find if i ever make more #which i certainly will #look Lav it's happening i set my little circus bookclub on your blog #I loved the sound of Saint-Petersburg's bookclub as well but that was an era and we have to move on from it don't we #from Saint-Petersburg to the Circus #what a trip #I hope you liked this first session!!! let me know your impressions if you want to!

[kaus-quietis]

It has come to my attention (a true shock, really) that most people here must be very confused about the current situation. "But Lav, who is this circus stranger you abandoned us to? boo boo come back" Well, Lav won't be able to respond to that since I am taking over her blog for now, but I can! Hi there! I'm Eliott, and I am housesitting this blog for a while. Some people here know me from my former (deleted) blog where I basically wrote some stories and managed an occasional bookclub. I left tumblr to find some peace (which I found), but chaos called and who am I to deny it, right?

This blog is my circus for now, consider me its resident poltergeist. You won't be able to reach Lav but as she instructed in her previous post, you can address me asks! I will not open any DM though.

I'll drop by occasionally for some random chaos and book recommendations! Listing good books is what entertains me the most so let me know if you need help with your next read :)

🎪🎪🎪🎪🎪

#circusghost #i have sparkles on my little clown suit i have a stage i have a whole CIRCUS #yes this is a cathedral but let's spaceyburg-ise it a little shall we #don't worry i'll just put my circus tent over it i won't paint the walls #i'm just putting up a nice little bookshelf for lav to find when she comes back #until then it's you and me and the circus #ooooh this will be fun #is this too vague of a description? #well you only need what i just said and to realize that this whole circus theme gives away my fave in bsd

[kaus-quietis]

It's me, hi, I'm the circus, it's me 🎪

#circusghost #hello babygirls babyboys and babypeople #my oh my how time have passed #welcome to Lav's blog- or should I say welcome to the circus? #that's right #this is my circus and you're the clowns in it now #i forgot how to use this hellsite and look at me now #for those who don't know me- did you live under a rock? #i'm eliott #hi #get comfortable 'cause I'm gonna stick around for a while

[kaus-quietis]

C-CAN YOU HEAR THE CIRCUS COMING?!? CAN YOU? CAN YOU??

#bsd #bsd nikolai gogol #bsd nikolai #bungou stray dogs #bungou stray dogs nikolai #bungou stray dogs nikolai gogol #bsd fanart #traditional fanart #fanart #i REFUSE to draw him with any other eyecolour than yellow #the YELLOW EYES stay ON in my fanarts #THIS HELLSITE IS THE CAGE #AND I NEED TO ESCAPE #but how?... and who could help me? #hmm... #can you hear The Circus coming? inside our Cathedral here... can you hear the music getting louder? #taking over? #can you? can you? #won't you before it's too late?

[kaus-quietis]

Bloodborne Chalice Dungeons: The Co-Op Quest for Platinum || Photo Album Fragments 2/2 || with @echo-from-the-void

#bloodborne #bloodborne co-op #bloodborne chalice dungeons #chalice dungeons #jolly co-operation #co-op sessions #soulsborne #fromsoftware #video games #defiled amygdala #oh amygdala... oh amygdala... you did not have mercy on us poor bastards... #it tooks us what? 4 sessions to beat Defiled Amy twice? *shivers #and if 1 session was around 4 hours we can do the math and be horrified #the whiteclad hunter is mine

[kaus-quietis]

Come take... this... hand... at twi... light’s... door... I’ll meet...  you... there We’ll share the moonlit floor through the driving rain –

#bsd fyodor #bsd #bsd fyodor dostoyevsky #bsd fyodor dostoevky #bsd fanart #bungou stray dogs fyodor #bungou stray dogs fyodor dostoevsky #after I read Kat's fanfic that I requested... the one I gave her Siouxsie and The Banshees's 'Lands End' lyrics for... #I found myself suddnely drawing this #only for my pleasure and further character exploration #and now that he returned so beautifully in the manga - it feels natural to share this with you my dear souls #I'm referring especially to my time-blog transcending mutuals - yeah perhaps you will be happy to see the no-fanart promise broken #at least from time to time #but really I've been at much more peace now that I don't engage with the fandom that much anymore #I'm only open to character analysis topics on this blog and put other stuff aside #I'm glad that from time to time people discover my fanarts buried in who knows how many reblogs on other blogs and #they add sweet tags or lose their minds there - I love it #but as for me... I'll use some Depeche Mode lyrics for this--- #'oh leave me here forevermore - I found the peace I've been searching for' #ah but I guess the Angel of Love is still upon me - #'I was lost.. I was found!'

[kaus-quietis]

enough for a lifetime

#unsolved and endless #радость моя #bsd #bsd fyodor

[kaus-quietis]

the reason he doesn’t have a yet  r e l e a v ed older brother is that we co||ective|y do not deserve a Mikhail

#queuing a few fanarts so that new visitors would find my fanarts first - and these are just a small selection you can find under my tag - #unsolved and endless #bsd #bsd fyodor #Asagiri give us Misha please I beg you

[kaus-quietis]

Alas I respond to this heartwarming answer! Ahhh I am so glad that my poetry gift brought happiness, and to receive A Dream Within A Dream in return exceeded my hopeful expectations, really T o T This is so beautiful, and so angsty still, I swear he is made of 40% intensity 40% depth and 20% competitiveness, I just can’t describe it otherwise. I’m not from an English-speaking country either, so reading through Shakespeare’s works is simply my own curiosity and passion for human nature. Your fics blending literature and Vergil’s character in such an organic way make me connect certain works with his image and your portrayal of him instantly, and everything becomes even more beautiful that way. 

Speaking of the Sonnets, did you know that Dan Southworth recited Sonnet 18 in Vergil’s voice? Here’s the link to that blessed recording. Ever since I heard it, in my mind while reading it, I am unable to dissociate Vergil’s voice from this sonnet. And what better way to end my reply than with transcribing the second half of Sonnet 18? It never fails to give me life, a sensation precisely like that.

“(…) But thy eternal summer shall not fade, Nor loose possession of that fair thou ow’st; Nor shall Death brag thou wander’st in his shade, When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st: So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.”

Greetings! This is not a request, not even a suggestion, but a gift (?) in form of sharing a poem. I still think with pleasure and gratitude of your Vergil fics, my mind immediately went there when I was re-reading Shakespeare's Sonnet 87. Here it is, an open door to angst: "Farewell! thou art too dear for my possessing,And like enough thou know’st thy estimate.The charter of thy worth gives thee releasing;My bonds in thee are all determinate.For how do I hold thee but by thy granting,And for that riches where is my deserving?The cause of this fair gift in me is wanting,And so my patent back again is swerving.Thy self thou gav’st, thy own worth then not knowing,Or me, to whom thou gav’st it, else mistaking;So thy great gift, upon misprision growing,Comes home again, on better judgment making.Thus have I had thee as a dream doth flatter,In sleep a king, but waking no such matter."^ this, this all haunts me. goodbye fksjdfgfdg

Look. I dunno if I'm crying because this is too beautiful or the fact that you read some Shakespeare and remembered of lil' ol' me and my writings - and then SENT ME A SONET AS A GIFT.

This is one of the most beautiful and heartwarming things someone has ever done for me. There are no words to express how thankful I am and for how flattered I feel for all this.

At the end of the day, I write for myself but also for everyone else who can find some solace in these words. Thank you, really.

Now, for that sonet, I hadn't read it before! I'm not from an English speaking country, so we don't really study Shakespeare and sonets and such - it's mostly a hobby for me, so I'm delighted to get to know something new ^^

Aaaaaand it's Vergil all over. Angsty, thinking he is undeserving of the person giving him love, releasing them from the shackles of staying with him (he's dumb 'cause he doesn't realize it isn't a shackle though - or, if it is, it's something his s/o chose willingly - cue in Arwen and the "I choose a mortal life" bit).

Now, now. I do think his s/o would answer with something along the lines of:

"Take this kiss upon the brow!And in parting from you now,Thus much let me avow - You are not wrong, who deemThat my days have been a dream;Yet if hope has flown awayIn a night, or in a day,In a vision, or in none,Is it therefore the less gone?All that we see or seemIs but a dream within a dream."(Edgar Allan Poe, A Dream Within a Dream)

And go sort of "if we can't know where a dream ends and reality starts, and all is a dream within a dream, then it makes no difference if I decide to be with you, even if you deem yourself unworthy, for like hope, is it less gone if we are in a dream or in reality?" or something like that. Just a little possible interaction to haunt us between Vergil and his s/o ;)

Once again, thank you so SO much. You are too kind and I'm lucky to have you around, reading my works and appreciating my words. I hope to keep seeing you in the bibliothéque, you're always welcome

#Lav answers #Polaris #poetry time #yup I am using that tag too for this now lol #dear writer just continue writing for yourself - be purest and freest results come that way straight from the heart and mind #the fact that you share them is just your kindness and our luck #these fond memories of your Vergil portrayal are always present in my brain - yup I really think they got me to meditate even more #and he became a more complete character in my mind as I kept thinking and lingering #similar effect to how writing my long Fedya essay made me understand him more closely more intimately (BSD-related) #my answer is short but this exchange of replies is very sweet and a lot of fun #thank you for everything and take care <3 #nah actually one last tag I need to say this I just LOVE how straightforward you are when you sum up Vergil as 'he's dumb' when he is #why does he do that? why does he spiral down the darkest most heartbreaking thoughts? -- 'he's dumb' -- yea this is still DMC alright lmao

[kaus-quietis]

Hello again, gorgeous music lovers! I have returned with 3 more character playlists, this time for other fandoms than BSD: Sans from Undertale, Reigen Arataka from Mob Psycho 100, and 707 / Saeyoung Choi from Mystic Messenger! Be it their love for outer spacey sci-fi stuff or shared genius for f r a u d convincing others, explore the layers of their complicated souls with me and fuel the fun with understanding love~

semantic consequence: do [not] forget. do [not] care deeply. do [not] hope. do [not] do [not] do [not] give up, he [never truly] did. playlist for Undertale's mysterious comic Sans, to dare jump in his nebula and try to find him under the weight of all timelines. hand-picked tracks in a strategic order for higher immersion.

Our All, Reigen Arataka: Become "somebody"? Oh, Arataka, for each heart you reached with your kindness, you are "our all". Character playlist for Mob Psycho 100′s Reigen Arataka, The Greatest Psychic of the 21st Century. Join his search of self, public and private, his organized chaos, making life fun and making life HIS.

To the SPACE STATION!!: Oh no!!! You discovered my secret playlist for having fun and thinking about Mystic Messenger's 707!! Emergency!! Emergency!! [Welcome to what is basically a glitchhop ENTP playlist for all your high-intellect flaming chaos needs!! made by yours truly a fellow ENTP with no chill ever]

♫ In case you’re interested in my previous character playlist projects, here’s Part 1 and Part 2 of my Bungou Stray Dogs playlists. Part 1 includes Fyodor, Dazai, Nikolai and Sigma; Part 2 includes the Decay of the Angel as a group, Chuuya, Akutagawa and Ango.

#undertale sans #reigen arataka #saeyoung choi #mystic messenger 707 #undertale #sans #mob psycho 100 #reigen #mystic messenger #mp100 #playlists #tumblr sexyman #character playlist #ut sans #og sans #classic sans #mysme 707 #imagine closing your eyes in 2016 only to open them again in 2022 & find out your favs win tumblr sexyman polls... that's me #besides Fedya they are the characters closest to my heart and in Saeyoung's case that has been the case since 2016 #time flies... yet somehow they stay and I take comfort in this fact - I spent so much time with them in my mind and analyzing them #Reigen joined the club of favs I write PhDs for in my mind fairly recently and I'm often overwhelmed by how well-thought out he is #see how the pink I chose for his background is dull instead of bright? in this house we treasure manga Reigen & serious Reigen too #it simply cannot be otherwise - in his playlist I included many rapid mood changes and moments of excitement as well as of genuine care #or simply moments of doubt or recollection or sounds that rather connect to his private alone time then once again his charisma outbursts #while Sans' playlist is more story-focused and walks you through his different states (restless ones excited ones tender ones vulnerable..) #and his immense boundless love for outer spacey sci-fi stuff as stated by Papyrus - sounds that make u think of theoretical / astrophysics #Saeyoung's playlist is more atmosphere and fun-focused so that it's a continuous rush of excitement instead of a psychological deep-dive #but towards the end the playlist carries echoes to his cries for help... not to forget where he came from.. I doubt he ever forgets #might update Reigen's playlist to include more Pink Floyd tho! I never forget the poster he has in his room!! I'll handpick some nice stuff #he got bits of everything - Sans has synthwave lofi jazz breakcore - Saeyoung mostly glitchhop - I hope you'll enjoy the diversity <3