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What does Narcissa Malfoy's name say about her character?
Many of the names in the Harry Potter series are chosen so as to reflect some trait of their character. For example: Sirius Black the black dog, Remus Lupin the wolf, Severus the severe teacher, Luna Lovegood the eccentric but caring friend, and so…
Rand al'Thor
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What does "men of straw" refer to in this passage from an Arsène Lupin story?
The story in question is "Le coffre-fort de madame Imbert" or in English "Madame Imbert's Safe". The passage reads, in the translation I've got:
For six months, I have worked on this affair, investigated it, studied it, questioned the servants, the…
pathOS
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Meaning of this William Faulkner quote
In a specific scene of Requiem for a Nun by William Faulkner, Temple Drake states that
Temple Drake is dead.
In response, Gavin, Nancy's lawyer, responds:
The past is never dead. It's not even past.
What does this famous quote mean in this…
Harini
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Why did Martin Eden live at night with the gods in a colossal nightmare?
Re-reading Jack London's Martin Eden for my project, I've come across this passage:
Martin had ascended from pitch to pitch of intellectual living, and here he was at a higher pitch than ever. All the hidden things were laying their secrets…
Gallifreyan
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Detective novel: “1.5 gallons of blood doesn’t sound like a lot to most people. Pour 1.5 gallons of milk on your kitchen floor and get back to me.”
I'm looking for the detective novel matching this description:
I have nothing to add, except that one of my favorite lines from a detective novel (long since forgotten which one) was to the effect of “1.5 gallons of blood doesn’t sound like a lot…
AncientSwordRage
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Source of quote about businessmen conspiring when they meet
I'm trying to find the source of a quotation, which goes something like, "when two businessmen meet, they will naturally conspire to create a consortium against the interests of a third". This is an approximation; I think the quotation might also…
user254694
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How do they decide who to save/bring to Earth in Hard to Be a God?
In Hard to Be a God, the main character (Anton/Rumanta) falls in love with Kira and decides to take her with him back to Earth.
Since their task is to be as undercover as possible, it’s obvious that they are not allowed to save everyone/whoever they…
Swizzler
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How long was the Little Prince on Earth?
In The Little Prince, the titular little prince lands on Earth.
How long was he there?
If I recall correctly, the prince left on the 8th day of the pilot being lost in the desert. I don't know if the prince landed the same time the pilot crashed.…
user72
12
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Can W.G. Sebald's walks in "The Rings of Saturn" be traced?
In W.G. Sebald's 1995 novel The Rings of Saturn, the author describes different walks he takes. In some paragraphs, he describes the paths he takes very carefully, while in others he only mentions directions or how long he walked.
Can those walks be…
Jari-chan
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Origin of the war-cry "Eulalia" in Brian Jacques's Redwall series?
In Brian Jacques's Redwall series, "Eulalia" is the traditional war cry of the badgers and hares of Salamandastron. It's also the title of one of the books in the series, but it's used throughout all books as a battle cry.
What is the origin of this…
Rand al'Thor
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What do "Sedgemoor trade-mark" and "white-sleeve badge" mean?
Can somebody please explain this expression from a Mark Twain story, A Double Barrelled Detective Story: 'Sedgemoor trade-mark, white sleeve badge'?
Here is the context:
Among other things he said that my character was written in my face; that I…
Batuhan Tas
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Short story about paranoid parents whose baby dies in the barbed wire set up to protect it
My daughter told me that she had to read a short story (about two pages long) about an overprotective couple that were so paranoid that something might harm their baby that they put up all kinds of defenses. At some point in the story, the baby…
user2708817
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Why did the characters in "No Exit" agree to torment each other?
Once the characters in No Exit realized that they were placed there to torment each other, why didn't they refuse to do so? When Joseph says "eh bien, continuons" ("very well, let's get on with it") at the end, is he implicitly consenting to…
EJoshuaS - Stand with Ukraine
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What differences in attitude can be seen in the text of Twilight and Midnight Sun?
Stephenie Meyer's four-book Twilight series has an unofficial and lesser-known companion novel, Midnight Sun, which retells the story of the first novel Twilight from Edward's point of view instead of Bella's. Meyer never completed this book, but a…
Rand al'Thor
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What is the reason for partial highlighting in "The Sandman"?
I was just re-reading Preludes and Nocturnes, the first volume of Neil Gaiman's The Sandman. In the story titled The Sound of Her Wings, the following conversation takes place:
Death: You are utterly the stupidest, most self-centered, appallingest…
Gallifreyan
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