I just finished The Eyre Affair ... after picking up Lost in a Good Book at the airport the other week. Excellent! Very fun.

But I have a question. If Neanderthals only speak in the third person, why does Mr. Stiggins speak in the first person at the end of The Eyre Affair.

Apologies if this has been asked before. I'm new. (Be gentle!)

Zenda

It's been asked before, but still not answered.
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Logic is like Fire, a good servant but a bad master.

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Possibly a mistake? Or the break in the convention was there to imply an emotional bond? I can't quite remember where he talks in the third person. If it was to introduce himself, I'd guess it's because the joke/reference doesn't work otherwise.

It was at the very end at the wedding. I noticed it too, but chalked it up to an afterthought on Jasper's part, since we didn;t actually know they spoke in third person until book 2.

It happens again at some point, I think TN4. Towards the end, Mr Stiggins asks them to come to "my house". Later, Thursday reflects there was something odd about the conversation but she can't remember what.

I don't have the book here with me but I'm sure I remember the incident because I went back to try and find what could be "odd" and that was the only thing I could find.

Maybe this is a plot point that will become clear in later books.

Or maybe JFf just made a mistake.

If I recall Mr. Stiggins understood people more than other Neanderthals did, so maybe Japser was using the first person refferences to point out the bond between him and Thursday by having him speaking in 1st person to appeal to the human way a bit more and represent how he understands because if anyone has read Something Rotten yet (apologies if I ruin anything for those who haven't) he plays in the croquet tournament and get some other Neanderthals to as well, and he only did to help Thursday because he could tell it was important to her. I think it represents a connection more then anything else.



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