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<DIV><FONT size=+0><SPAN class=030361617-23032009><FONT face=Arial size=2>A
couple of news items this week made me think of places in An Evil Guest.
</FONT></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=+0><SPAN class=030361617-23032009><FONT face=Arial
size=2></FONT></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=+0><SPAN class=030361617-23032009><FONT face=Arial size=2>The
first was a report of a large quake (7.1 magnitude) associated with the eruption
of an undersea volcano--about 130mi southeast of the main isle of the Tonga
group. I seem to recall earlier discussions on-list mentioning the Friendly
Isles as an analog of Wolfe's Takanga; I don't have much to add to
what's already been noticed.</FONT></SPAN></FONT></DIV><FONT size=+0><SPAN
class=030361617-23032009><SPAN class=030361617-23032009>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><BR><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2>The second
news item <SPAN class=030361617-23032009>was </SPAN>about the fatal
accident of actress Natasha Richardson at a ski resort in the Laurentians.
This directed my attention to Mont Tremblant. <SPAN
class=030361617-23032009><SPAN class=030361617-23032009>In an early chapter of
AEG, Gid and Cassie drive to a mountain where Gid magnifies Cassie's natural
star quality. W</SPAN><SPAN class=030361617-23032009>e get <SPAN
class=030361617-23032009>a </SPAN>clue to the location of <SPAN
class=030361617-23032009>the mountain</SPAN> when <SPAN
class=030361617-23032009>the black car</SPAN> pass<SPAN
class=030361617-23032009>es</SPAN> a sign pointing to "Toronto" and Gid says "we
have to reach Canada and travel another hundred miles." Mont Tremblant
is about 150 miles from the Vermont border so the distance isn't
unreasonably far off. Does Vermont fit the book's geography? Kingsport is a
stand-in for Marblehead in Lovecraft's universe, so the natural route to Mont
Tremblant would be by way of I--89 through Vermont. This is not
inconsistent with a road sign pointing to Toronto--along the way, you'll see at
least one sign pointing to Toronto.</SPAN></SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=030361617-23032009><SPAN class=030361617-23032009><FONT
face=Arial size=2></FONT></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=030361617-23032009><SPAN class=030361617-23032009><FONT
face=Arial size=2>What cinches it for me is that Mont Tremblant is the home
of the Order of the Magnificat of the Mother of God, a religious order that
split from the Catholic Church about 100 years ago. It's not much of a stretch
to connect this symbolically to the magnification of Cassie's animal magnetism
on the trembling mountain.</FONT></SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=030361617-23032009><SPAN class=030361617-23032009><FONT
face=Arial size=2></FONT></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV></SPAN></SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>- Stephen Hoy</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><A
href="mailto:Hoystephenhoy@yahoo.com"></A></FONT> </DIV>
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