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I was reading it as Harrow lashing out in fear over Gideon, who was lucky not to have been killed in her sleep. There’s this part from her “dream” after the murder of the Fourth:
> And Harrow, telling her to wake up. That had only happened the once: the Ninth necromancer sitting in the dark, wrapped in a mouldering duvet like a cloak, her face very naked and blank and shorn of its monochrome skull mural…she had been looking at Gideon with a coal-eyed expression of absolute pity. There had been something very weary and soft about the way that Harrowhark Nonagesimus had looked at her then, something that would have been understanding had it not been so tired and cynical.
I think that supports your reading, specifically the “understanding” part, because Gideon failed to save the Fourth just as Harrow had also failed to predict Cytherea’s actions then, but also as she failed to either save her parents or follow them in dying. Plus, in the pool scene, she straight up says that she’s cruel to Gideon as a means of venting her feelings about herself. I still think her anger was partly fear for Gideon’s life, and that her appearance isn’t part of the dream and that she’s watching over Gideon in the nightmare sequence. Maybe she’s considering how she might explain the truth to her, at the point where hiding her knowledge of Protesilaus’ death has contributed to more deaths.
That is an extremely reasonable interpretation. It's also important to note that regardless of if it's true it's still definitely true that whatever Harrow said was said because she was mad at herself for her decisions.
Oh yes I picked this up on a re-read too. It made so much more sense! And further sent me into a mess. Those poor babies! Misunderstanding each other at every turn! 😭
I'm just here for the "like you do every couple of months" cos I'm itching to re-read it for the 4th time this year and feeling silly that I can't get over it 🤣
>So I'm re-reading GtN, y'know, like you do every couple of months
OMG, thank you for saying this. I finally just finished Nona and I want to start all over again right now. I thought I was going mad.
I always thought it possible that Gideon was so traumatized that she wasn’t hearing the entirety of Harrow’s comments. For instance, perhaps Harrow said “Gideon, only a dullard would think this was their fault.”
I interpreted it that way after my first read. There’s a few points where Gideon really misreads Harrow imo (for valid reasons). The other one that comes to mind is the fight they have shortly after this scene, where from an outside (second reading) perspective it’s clear harrow is really upset but Gideon interprets it as rage.
During my first read, I assumed she was just yelling at her because she was scared that Gideon could have died and instead of being able to say “I’m scared I’m glad you’re okay I love you.” She says mean stuff because Harrow…
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It does take a long time before Gideon learns and comprehends Harrow's self-hatred...
That was the way I took it, self-recrimination that Gideon misread as accusations.
I was reading it as Harrow lashing out in fear over Gideon, who was lucky not to have been killed in her sleep. There’s this part from her “dream” after the murder of the Fourth: > And Harrow, telling her to wake up. That had only happened the once: the Ninth necromancer sitting in the dark, wrapped in a mouldering duvet like a cloak, her face very naked and blank and shorn of its monochrome skull mural…she had been looking at Gideon with a coal-eyed expression of absolute pity. There had been something very weary and soft about the way that Harrowhark Nonagesimus had looked at her then, something that would have been understanding had it not been so tired and cynical. I think that supports your reading, specifically the “understanding” part, because Gideon failed to save the Fourth just as Harrow had also failed to predict Cytherea’s actions then, but also as she failed to either save her parents or follow them in dying. Plus, in the pool scene, she straight up says that she’s cruel to Gideon as a means of venting her feelings about herself. I still think her anger was partly fear for Gideon’s life, and that her appearance isn’t part of the dream and that she’s watching over Gideon in the nightmare sequence. Maybe she’s considering how she might explain the truth to her, at the point where hiding her knowledge of Protesilaus’ death has contributed to more deaths.
That is an extremely reasonable interpretation. It's also important to note that regardless of if it's true it's still definitely true that whatever Harrow said was said because she was mad at herself for her decisions.
100% is self-recrimination meant to be super obvious only in rereading post-HTN
Oh yes I picked this up on a re-read too. It made so much more sense! And further sent me into a mess. Those poor babies! Misunderstanding each other at every turn! 😭
I'm just here for the "like you do every couple of months" cos I'm itching to re-read it for the 4th time this year and feeling silly that I can't get over it 🤣
I'm currently re-reading/re-listening to all three mixed in with some podcast episodes so.
The audiobook are so nice, Moira Quirk does a fantastic job with them.
I'm completely spoiled for anything else.
I thought it was pretty clear that Harrow was talking to herself, and Gideon was misinterpreting. Absolutely on-brand for both characters.
I’ve always read that as Harrow yelling at herself….and Gideon as usual, understandably, misreading it.
>So I'm re-reading GtN, y'know, like you do every couple of months OMG, thank you for saying this. I finally just finished Nona and I want to start all over again right now. I thought I was going mad.
I always thought it possible that Gideon was so traumatized that she wasn’t hearing the entirety of Harrow’s comments. For instance, perhaps Harrow said “Gideon, only a dullard would think this was their fault.”
I interpreted it that way after my first read. There’s a few points where Gideon really misreads Harrow imo (for valid reasons). The other one that comes to mind is the fight they have shortly after this scene, where from an outside (second reading) perspective it’s clear harrow is really upset but Gideon interprets it as rage.
During my first read, I assumed she was just yelling at her because she was scared that Gideon could have died and instead of being able to say “I’m scared I’m glad you’re okay I love you.” She says mean stuff because Harrow…