{"id":4898,"date":"2019-03-08T05:00:36","date_gmt":"2019-03-08T13:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/?p=4898"},"modified":"2019-03-03T18:33:14","modified_gmt":"2019-03-04T02:33:14","slug":"mark-reads-making-money-chapter-4-part-iii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/2019\/03\/mark-reads-making-money-chapter-4-part-iii\/","title":{"rendered":"Mark Reads &#8216;Making Money&#8217;: Chapter 4, Part III"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In the third part of the fourth chapter of <i>Making Money<\/i>, ABSOLUTELY THE FUCK NOT. Intrigued? Then it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s time for Mark to read <i>Discworld<\/i>.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><b>Trigger Warning: For talk of stalking and obsessive behavior.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Hi, I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know if I have ever NOPED right out of a character faster than this. Y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122all, this isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t where I thought Pratchett was taking this story or the character of Cosmo Lavish. But the clues were that, spelled out in all their horrible glory! He told me that Cosmo had the same black coach as Vetinari and had styled his facial in an identical manner. IT WAS RIGHT THERE. And the eyebrow thing!<\/p>\n<p>RIGHT.<\/p>\n<p>THERE.<\/p>\n<p>Y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122all, this is so creepy, and I almost used \u00e2\u20ac\u0153unbelievably\u00e2\u20ac\u009d as a modifier there, but it is 100% believable, and I say that because the first guy I ever got with BASICALLY DID THIS. It was to a much lesser extent, but I found out that he researched my life and befriend people who were close to me so that he could \u00e2\u20ac\u0153have\u00e2\u20ac\u009d all the same interests in me and impress me. It was UNREAL the lengths he went to mimic me and the things I was into, and I figured it out after a couple months. It was a deeply unsettling and disturbing experience. (Though not my first of this nature; I seriously attract stalkers and people like this with a horrible regularity.) So, I was bound to be unnerved and horrified by this, though I imagine many of you were, too, even if you didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have any experience with this sort of thing. This level of obsessive behavior is SO GODDAMN CREEPY, and putting us in Cosmo\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s head during all of it? Oh my god, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a LOT.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>And it also gives insight into how Cosmo perceives Vetinari. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s interesting to see how he <i>is<\/i> right about the power that Vetinari has, that the Patrician appears to always come out of things \u00e2\u20ac\u0153unscathed,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d too. But from that place of wanting to understand power, Cosmo goes to a dark, dark place:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>And then one day he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d read in some book or other: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153If you want to understand a man, walk a mile in his shoes.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n<p>And he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d had a great and glorious idea&#8230;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Yeah, he hires a secretary\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe previously mentioned Heretofore, who acquired a duplicate of Vetinari\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s ring\u00e2\u20ac\u201dto be his Drumknott, and then tasks him with STEALING A PAIR OF VETINARI\u00e2\u20ac\u2122S SHOES. Literally, that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s what he wants!!! Granted, Heretofore, well aware that he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s in over his head, doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t quite do what he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s asked, but that doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t make this any less creepy. Instead of learning Vetinari\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s methods, Cosmo is <i>becoming<\/i> Vetinari. Gods, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s such an upsetting thought. He really is starting to believe that his transformation won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t just get him closer to unlocking the truth of Vetinari. He actually thinks he will <i>replace<\/i> him as the Patrician.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>What\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Cosmo willing to do in order to achieve that? Oh, theft isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t even the half of it. There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s poisoning and threats and MURDER. We know Mr. Morpeth was probably killed by Mr. Cranberry, the apparently hairless assassin. (WHY IS THAT DETAIL IMPORTANT.) And then there is the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153boy in the hat shop,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d who Cranberry killed, too, and Cosmo thought it was a fair fight? I couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t tell if he actually believed that or was being facetious.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Regardless: what a NIGHTMARE of a person! Pratchett pulls us into Cosmo\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s mind a few times during this section of the chapter, but he <i>also<\/i> shows us how Heretofore got wrapped up in this and why his initial lie about working in the palace has ballooned into something inescapable. How do you get away from a man like Cosmo Lavish, especially when they have so much money and power? Yet even in this situation, Heretofore believes he might have a genuine way out. But this is a <i>Discworld<\/i> book! I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think his plan is going to work, nor do I think someone like Heretofore will escape accountability. He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been complicit in a number of murders already, all because he is afraid to reveal that he lied. (Well, he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s also liking the money he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s making, too, though I wouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t argue that this is his main motivating factor.) So, what one item does he think he can \u00e2\u20ac\u0153obtain\u00e2\u20ac\u009d to get the same amount of money as he did for the ring? I genuinely don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know!<\/p>\n<p>Yet.<\/p>\n<p>There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s also a brief update about Adora here, and SHE TOTALLY LEFT A GOLEM OR GOLEMS BEHIND. That tunnel collapse was probably on purpose. But <i>why<\/i>? What did the golems find???<\/p>\n<p>Ah, I want to know. So badly! I also don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t see how that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s going to intersect with the main plot back in Ankh-Morpork. I assume the discovery will have some relevancy to the bank or the Royal Mint? Right?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Okay, back to the Lavishes, who are just&#8230; lord. One thing I got from the big final scene in this chapter is that Pratchett really feels like he was having a blast writing this messy, chaotic family. His criticism of them and their ridiculous ways is spot-on. The lawyers! They bring lawyers with them because they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re all suing one another! There is no happiness or love in this family; they are the <i>essence<\/i> of greed and hoarding wealth. They don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t even want the people in their own family to have money! It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s an all-against-all mentality, and it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s <i>seething<\/i>. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re clearly meant to despise these people, and I, for one, will delight in seeing Moist best them all over the course of this novel.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Yet Pratchett goes from that big, messy meeting about the bank right back to Cosmo\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s obsessive, frightening thoughts. And in this is something I truly do not understand. (Yet.) He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s convinced that Mr. Bent is the key to getting to Moist, and there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s this bit:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Mr. Bent was&#8230; not just Mr. Bent. He was something out of nightmares. At the time the revelation had scared young Cosmo, and later on he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d been ready to sue his father over those sleepless nights, in the very best Lavish tradition, but he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d hesitated and that was just as well. It would have all come out in court and he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d have thrown away a wonderful gift.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m sorry, <i>what<\/i>??? How is Mr. Bent \u00e2\u20ac\u0153something out of nightmares\u00e2\u20ac\u009d? What revelation is Cosmo referring to? Look, the guy is very particular and is good at math and likes things to be precise, but how is that <i>scary<\/i>? Is he&#8230; a vampire, maybe? There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s some lore about how vampires are compelled to count things, so maybe that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s why he is the way he is? Except that doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t really make sense, and he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been out in the daylight, hasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t he? Also, vampires are pretty recognizable in this universe, so&#8230; what the fuck??? Oh no, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m back to being 100% unprepared again. DAMN IT.<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/youtu.be\/2jyWivSi97s<\/p>\n<p><b>Mark Links Stuff<\/b><\/p>\n<p>&#8211; <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markoshiro.com\/blog\/2018\/12\/19\/the-anger-is-a-gift-paperback-edition-is-out-may-7-2019\">The paperback edition of my debut, ANGER IS A GIFT, is now up for pre-order!<\/a> It comes out on May 7, 2019.\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong><strong>If you&#8217;d like to stay up-to-date on all announcements regarding my books, <a href=\"http:\/\/eepurl.com\/ey636\">sign up for my newsletter<\/a>! DO IT.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the third part of the fourth chapter of Making Money, ABSOLUTELY THE FUCK NOT. Intrigued? Then it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s time for Mark to read Discworld.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[451],"tags":[558,463,248],"class_list":["post-4898","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-discworld","tag-making-money","tag-mark-reads-discworld","tag-terry-pratchett"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4898","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4898"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4898\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4898"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4898"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4898"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<!-- WP Super Cache is installed but broken. 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