[OB] The Threads of the Screw

[Dlyol]

I'm not certain whether this is deliberate or not but this chapter title seems to me to be a reference to The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, the 19th Century American novelist. The novella is ghost story marked by its pervasive feeling of unease and questions over whether the female narrator is in fact sane. Given this chapter deals with the second murder and the questions Shallan has around Renarin, I wonder whether Brandon is attempting an oblique bit of foreshadowing here although of exactly what I'm not sure. Brandon, I'm sure has read the novella and both the chapter and novel seek to create similar senses in the reader so it's possible it is just a reference to that though.

Anyway, it seemed to be clear enough that it was worth mentioning (also if anyone else has spotted any references like this one in Brandon's works this could be a nice place to dump them)

Edited September 21, 2017 by Dlyol

[Aleksiel]

Could you be more specific? Which chapter title? How is it referencing the said novel? 

[Dlyol]

@Aleksiel it is the title of chapter nine in the Oathbringer excerpts sorry I should have been more clear. The reference is mostly atmospheric but as I say I do wonder if it might not also be suggesting something about Shallan as an unreliable narrator or foreshadowing something as yet unclear 

[Aleksiel]

Ah, I thought you were talking about something from this week's release. Yes, it's an interesting catch, but I don't know if you're onto something, you might be. What follows from this? Can you apply the novel to OB plot somehow? I haven't read it, so I can't tell.

Edited September 21, 2017 by Aleksiel

[Dlyol]

@Aleksiel so my thought is essentially that the Henry James novella is essentially about whether or not the sinister is in the mind of the narrator or not especially as no one else senses it. In Oathbringer so far Shallan has being getting sinister senses off Renarin and Urithiru that other people haven't so Brandon could be setting something similar up here where Shallan keeps getting feeling certain things no one else does

[Aminar]

I highly doubt what you're picking up on is intentional. In all of writing excuses they've always denied purposefully doing this kind of thing.