A World of Curiosities

“Jean-Guy felt drawn to this man, this stranger. Felt his DNA attach itself to him, like a mariner lashed to the mast in a ferocious storm, to keep him from being swept overboard.”

This quotation occurs in the retrospective narrative describing the investigation of Clotilde Arsenault’s murder, which brings Gamache and Jean-Guy Beauvoir together for the first time and forever changes both of their lives. They end up working closely together, and Jean-Guy marries Gamache’s daughter, Annie. The metaphor of a sailor tying himself to part of a ship (the mast) conveys how strongly the two men relate, as well as how Jean-Guy perceives Gamache: as a source of support, security, and safety.

“They were murdered because they were women. For having opinions. And desires.”

Here, Gamache reflects on the horrifying events he witnessed early in his career, when he was one of the first to arrive at the scene of the Montreal Massacre, an actual event, when more than a dozen female engineering students were targeted and shot. This quotation reveals the misogynistic hatred that motivated the attack and shows that women can be targeted for choosing to pursue education and professional lives. The quotation also sets the stage for the subsequent plotline about Anne Lamarque, who was persecuted for similar reasons, hundreds of years earlier.

“Jean-Guy missed the look in Sam’s eyes as he turned to the Chief Inspector. But Gamache did not. He saw satisfaction. Almost amusement. He saw a challenge.”

This quotation occurs in Gamache’s recollections of the events that took place while he and Jean-Guy investigated the murder of Clotilde Arsenault. These events permanently shaped Gamache’s perception of Sam and Fiona; he has been mistrustful of the former ever since. Here, as Sam confides that Fiona attacked him and coerced him into participating in the death of their mother, Gamache sees (or thinks that he sees) an expression that leads him to believe that Sam is manipulating and taunting him. This moment sets subsequent plot events in motion because it leaves Gamache with the permanent belief that Sam is dangerous and deceptive. However, the moment is also highly subjective and lays the groundwork for the question of whether or not Gamache’s perception of Sam is accurate.

“While he didn’t know what the ‘Amontillado’ thing meant, Gabri was pretty sure whatever was up there wasn’t happy puppies.”

This quotation occurs after members of the Three Pines community confirm that there is a hidden and sealed room located above Myrna’s loft; this discovery leads them to speculate about why the room was sealed up and what it might contain. The quotation uses an allusion “The Cask Of Amontillado,” a short story by Edgar Allen Poe, to reveal the foreboding mood that the discovery of the sealed room introduces into the text. In the short, the protagonist gets revenge against another man by luring him into a small, subterranean space and then sealing it up, leaving his victim to die an agonizing death. The allusion to this story suggests that, even before the sealed room is opened, the residents of Three Pines are unsettled by its presence and assume that it is not concealing anything good. The literary allusion also subtly hints at the purpose behind the whole elaborate scheme: Like the protagonist of Poe’s story, Fleming is driven by a desire to get revenge.

“Something stirred in him. Something deep and dark and disconcerting.”

This quotation occurs shortly after the sealed room is opened, as Gamache inspects the painting found within. It reveals that Gamache is immediately unsettled by the painting and establishes Gamache’s motivation for pursuing a somewhat surprising investigation. Although for quite a while, there is really no reason to investigate the painting or to connect it to the death of Patricia Godin, Gamache has a hunch that there is something important and sinister about the painting and the fashion in which it was uncovered. The quotation uses alliteration to heighten the sense of unease that Gamache feels and sets the stage for how Gamache will navigate the early stages of the investigation: relying heavily on hunches and intuition.

“All four women in the room knew they too would have been targeted. For dancing and reading and having breasts and wombs and minds of their own.”

This quotation occurs as members of the Three Pines community learn about the history of Anne Lamarque and the persecution she experienced. As women, they feel a connection to Anne, as well as gratitude for living at a time when they have much more agency and control over their lives. All of the women in Three Pines have creative and professional lives (including careers as painters, poets, psychologists, engineers, and archivists), and they do not take these accomplishments for granted. Learning about the story of Anne Lamarque reminds them that they owe a great deal to women who came before them and challenged the status quo.

“Patricia Godin was murdered not to stop the letter, but to make sure it was sent on. To the people who needed to see it. Then he looked at the Post-it note, also written, he was sure, by her killer.”

This quotation shows Gamache’s reasoning as the investigation deepens and he begins to connect seemingly unrelated events. While the exposition of his thought process draws readers into his rationale, his theory is still just a theory, and the possibility that Gamache may be incorrect in the assumptions he is making contributes to the ongoing suspense of the novel.

“Was he a psychopath? No. Was his sister? That, for Jean-Guy, was an open question. It worried him a lot that his father-in-law could not see it.”

This quotation offers an important counterpoint to Gamache’s theory that Sam is dangerous and deceptive, which he maintains throughout the novel. Jean-Guy takes the opposite viewpoint: He thinks Sam was simply a misguided child and that Fiona is really the manipulative and violent one. The discrepancy between the perspectives of Gamache and Jean-Guy reminds readers that Gamache could be dangerously mistaken. Both men are operating on the basis of subjective impressions that they formed years prior.

“It not only offended, but there was something aggressive about it. It seemed an attack, even as it just lay there on the cold concrete floor.”

This description of the painting that Gamache uncovers in the sealed room reveals why he becomes so obsessed with understanding it. Not only is the painting mysterious, but it has a sinister aura. The quotation is an example of ekphrasis, a literary technique in which a writer makes a work of visual art (such as a sculpture or painting) a centerpiece in a work of poetry or prose.

“Was he doing to Sam Arsenault what had been done to Anne Lamarque and so many others? Judging and condemning without evidence.”

This quotation reveals Gamache second-guessing himself and questioning whether or not he is accurate in his negative assessment of Sam Arsenault. The quotation develops Gamache’s character by revealing that he is reflective and self-aware; Gamache knows that he is not invincible and that he is capable of being wrong. While Gamache has a keen awareness of human psychology and instincts honed by decades of hunting criminals, he never stops questioning himself.

“But Gamache knew that resurrection was not always a blessing. Not everything dead should come back.”

The quotation links the setting of the novel to its thematic elements and establishes juxtaposition. The events of the novel take place in early June, as the environment around Three Pines is coming back to vibrant life after a long, harsh Canadian winter. This springtime setting is usually positive and optimistic because of its association with rebirth and renewal, but here, Gamache links it to menace. Fleming is a known criminal, whom Gamache has engaged with before and who is believed to be securely imprisoned; his return and resurrection as an active antagonist are unwelcome and frightening.

“Armand covered his mouth with his hand and turned back to the canvas. Forcing himself to meet those eyes. To let those faces, those people, come to him. And with them came some rough beast slouching toward him.”

This quotation marks the moment when Gamache confirms the suspicion that has been gradually dawning on him: that John Fleming was the one to create the painting and is using it to taunt and threaten Gamache. This realization is triggered by Gamache noticing that the individuals included in the painting have the faces of the seven people that Fleming was convicted of murdering. Gamache’s recognition is tied to Fleming’s victims because this confirms why the realization is horrifying: Fleming is a seasoned killer who will not hesitate to kill again. The quotation also alludes to W. B Yeats’s poem “The Second Coming,” which contains the lines: “And what rough beast, its hour come round at last, / Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?”

“It went beyond anger, beyond rage into a territory Beauvoir had never seen in the Chief Inspector. Gamache was losing it.”

This quotation describes Jean-Guy’s perspective as he watches Gamache lose control and lash out against a prison official after realizing that Fleming has been at large for years, preparing his terrible plan. Gamache is furious when no one seems to be capable of seeing the gravity of the situation and physically attacks the prison official. Jean-Guy’s perspective reveals how unusual and frightening this situation is, since Gamache is usually very calm and composed.

“Armand almost, almost, had to follow through with that terrible calculation. Release a madman into society to murder again. And again. Or allow plans for a weapon of mass destruction to be sold to the highest bidder.”

This quotation provides some brief exposition about the history between Fleming and Gamache and alludes to events in Penny’s earlier novel The Nature of the Beast. Some years before the action of this one, Gamache had led Fleming to believe that in exchange for his help, he would free Fleming from prison. Gamache desperately needed Fleming’s assistance to avoid having the plans describing how to construct a terrible nuclear weapon become available to arms dealers and warlords. Fortunately, Gamache was able to find the plans without releasing Fleming, but he unleased the vendetta that Fleming has held against him ever since.

“I’m afraid Fleming will kill my family. I’m afraid I won’t be able to save them.”

These are Gamache’s words when he consults with Agent Hardye Moel, a trained psychologist. Gamache seeks help because he is disconcerted by the strong reaction he had upon learning that Fleming had escaped and because he doubts his ability to catch Fleming. Gamache is typically able to maintain his composure no matter what, so these doubts reflect his fears and vulnerability. The quotation also adds nuance to Gamache’s character by showing what he fears the most: that his family will be hurt. It also foreshadows subsequent events wherein Fleming threatens the life of Reine-Marie, along with Gamache’s children and grandchildren.

“Honestly, if what you’re saying is true, then he’d almost certainly be here. He’d want to see you squirm.”

Agent Hardye Moel makes this observation as she and Gamache discuss Fleming and his likely behavior. Gamache has been assuming that Fleming is far away, avoiding detection, but Agent Moel suspects that he is actually somewhere nearby, hiding in plain sight. This observation opens a new direction in Gamache’s investigation, leading him to believe that someone he has already encountered is actually Fleming in disguise. Gamache identifies suspects including Monsieur Godin, Claude Boisfranc, and Robert Mongeau; the theory that one of them is actually Fleming is correct, but it also adds complexity to his investigation and causes delays as Gamache tries to figure out which man is the dangerous killer.

“Anne Lamarque had defied her tormentors. Instead of being damned, instead of dying, she’d made a home. Here. Found a home here.”

This quotation gives Harriet’s point of view as she looks out at the wooded landscape surrounding Three Pines, accompanied by Sam, which, in turn, leads Harriet to remember Anne and her bravery. The situation is ironic because as Harriet thinks about another woman who narrowly escaped death, she has no idea that she is herself in danger. Only moments later, Sam knocks Harriet unconscious and leaves her in the woods. The quotation also foreshadows the resilience and desire to survive that Harriet will display in events to come.

“You can never say it too often. You can never let someone know too often that they’re precious. That they’re missed.”

Here, Fleming, disguised as Robert Mongeau, urges Gamache to reach out to Reine-Marie and tell her that he misses her. The moment seems like a sweet and earnest exchange between two men, especially since it occurs right after Sylvie Mongeau dies. The reality, however, is that Fleming is cunningly manipulating Gamache and revealing just how well he understands his adversary. Fleming wants to lure Reine-Marie back to Three Pines, and he knows that she will interpret a statement of how much her husband misses her as a sign that she should return. Fleming takes advantage of Gamache’s capacity for love and empathy in order to get the results he wants.

“[Amelia] saw into his soul. And there, smiling, her arms open, was Madame Gamache.”

This quotation occurs after Agent Amelia Choquet returns to Three Pines, even though Gamache told her to stay with his wife. Gamache is upset about this because it means that Reine-Marie is unprotected. The quotation reveals the depth of love between Gamache and his wife and also hints that this makes her a source of vulnerability. This vulnerability will come to the fore only hours later, when Fleming will terrorize Gamache by threatening to kill Reine-Marie.

“The fact he’d initially turned Amelia Choquet down still haunted him. It was an act of very slow, deliberate murder. […] It gave him insight into the evil that decent people could do.”

This quotation provides additional context about the history between Amelia Choquet and Gamache; it alludes to events that occur in Penny’s novel A Great Reckoning. When Amelia first applied to study to become a police officer, Gamache knew that she had great potential and also that it would be a life-changing opportunity for Amelia (who formerly had an addiction). However, Gamache initially held a grudge against Amelia because she is the daughter of the man who killed his parents in a car accident. This quotation compares Gamache’s initial plan to reject Amelia to an act of murder, since going to the police academy was her only hope of a future. It also develops his character by showing that Gamache is someone who can reassess an initial opinion; he now trusts and respects Amelia deeply, even though he initially had such a negative impression of her.

“You didn’t recognize me because all you really saw when you looked at Robert Mongeau was the fact he loved his dying wife. It never occurred to you that John Fleming could love that deeply.”

Here Fleming reveals to Gamache the key to how he was able to successfully hide his identity for so long. Gamache did in fact have moments of suspicion about Mongeau, but he was swayed by the deep love that Mongeau/Fleming held for Sylvie. Fleming might have loved Sylvie only because of her deep loyalty and ability to enable his terrible plans, but it does seem that Fleming sincerely felt something for her. Gamache astutely observes that Fleming killed Sylvie because he did not want her to suffer waiting for a natural death. The quotation reveals that even someone as intelligent and observant as Gamache can be swayed by their biases and assumptions.

“Maybe this, she thought, was why she’d spent her adult life running. She’d thought it was to get away, but maybe she’d been in training to run towards.”

This quotation occurs as Harriet and Amelia are making their way through the woods, frantic to reach Three Pines and save Gamache. Although Harriet is initially so terrified that she considers giving up, she finds a sense of courage and resolve, which this quotation illustrates. Harriet is an accomplished runner, and her speed and fitness help her to make her way swiftly through the dark woods. The quotation reveals the development and transformation in Harriet’s character as she becomes bolder and more confident in her abilities.

“If Fleming could get into Gamache’s head, and he could, then Gamache could get into Fleming’s.”

This thought occurs to Gamache as he frantically tries to come up with a way to stall Fleming’s plan and throw him off-kilter. Gamache is unarmed and physically restrained, so his only weapon is his ability to manipulate Fleming psychologically. The moment represents a reversal of the dynamic that has animated the rest of the plot, in which Fleming has been tricking and manipulating Gamache all along. Gamache’s ability to unnerve Fleming gives him the opportunity to be alone with his antagonist in the basement and regain control.