Lunchtime read: Venusberg

This is quite slow but the crux of the story appears to be about the possessiveness of love with Lushington finding that after obsessing about Lucy back in England he in then becomes the source of jealousy in the Baltics.

Aside from that the other theme seems to be around the idea of intrigue with the general state of rumour and secrecy that exists in a state that is not within too far a distance from Russia and its revolution.

Pope, the rather comic manservant, borrows clothes, reads Lushington’s papers and borrows money he never intends to pay back. He is just one of a handful of extreme characters that seem to have a rather two-dimensional character that leaves they playing a role in the story, acting as contrasts with Lushington’s Englishness and the other characters.

There is one bizarre scene where Lushington visits a Russian count and enters an apartment that is crammed full of people all doing their own thing and ignoring each other. The Russian émigré talks about the joy of living with family but it hardly seems to be backed up be events.

Still maybe things will pan out tomorrow a bit more…