"Mountains of Mourning" & The Vor Game

[flourish]

I fail at discussion-starting.

Any initial thoughts on these readthroughs? Here's a couple of mine:

Mountains of Mourning

• This is the first time we actually learn about the Dendarii hill country, but it ultimately becomes pretty important in the series, both as character background for Miles and as a metaphor for Barrayar.
• This is also the first time we learn about the extent to which Barrayar is filled with subsistence farmers. We've heard it before, but it's different to see it. Specifically, until now, we've seen Barrayar as a place that's essentially in the 20th century or a little advanced with regard to technology. Here, we see that those technological advances are actually very recent, and haven't filtered down.
• How much is this based on Appalachia?

The Vor Game

• Apparently, the US armed forces genuinely do have a place that's the equivalent of Kyril Island.
• Is there something special about Miles' affinity for drains? Other than the fact that he's so small. I wonder whether his eventual Lord Auditor status could be considered the equivalent to being a "plumber," the "fix-it man." :P
• It's so clear that this is the other half of The Warrior's Apprentice in theme, not just for Miles but for Gregor. Seeing Gregor in this book makes me regret very much that we don't get to see him in The Warrior's Apprentice.
• Is Metzov intended as a dark mirror of Miles' father? 

What are your thoughts?

I should add: We press on on July 15 to Cetaganda and "Labyrinth," which I think are thematically connected enough to read together.

Comments

[feuervogel]

I'm going to blatantly self-promote a blog post I made on how much I love The Mountains of Mourning. (I did a companion piece on Memory.)

MoM is very thematically connected with Memory, and iirc in the Tor.com discussion, LMB said that she wrote it to prove to Jim Baen that Miles had to be Vorkosigan, not Naismith. And it showed us his heart, there on Barrayar, which would eat him whole if it could. (And adds another layer of meaning to "The only thing you can't trade for your heart's desire is your heart.")

I advocate reading MoM and Memory together; it adds ever so much.

Now for your thoughts:

I'd say there's a large basis in Appalachia for the hill country. I've been to Appalachia, doing mission trips with my mom's Methodist church, and some parts are a strange mixture of modern (satellite TV) and old (outhouses). I vaguely remember hearing that some rural county (in NC?) just got internet access. in, like 2008.

TVG:

There are people who hate this book, who think the appearance of the Prince Serg is contrived and a deus ex machina (I had this discussion on a panel at Dragon*Con last year, and I was confused.) It isn't, so much, I think. It's all there, if you look. Miles is deliberately creating comm traffic in his area, and he reveals himself to the ImpSec plant on ship, and between Miles and the plant, they get ImpSec's attention in the right place, then dun-dun-DUN, Aral to the rescue.

I think the "imperial plumber" is a nod to TVG (Miles does refer to it on a few occasions.)

Definitely, I wish we could see Gregor in TWA. He starts to grow into the Imperium here, and by Memory, he *is* the Imperium.

I have a tendency to become enamored of the side characters rather than the leads. (My adoration of Ivan is no secret!) Sure, I like Miles, but I think if I met him in person, I'd want to strangle him. TWA and TVG!Gregor needs a hug, then he grows into a confident person, and I like that.