Book question - Something More

[EliHarel]

Book question - Something More

In the short story, can someone explain the meeting Geralt has with the woman when visiting the Sodden Hill monument? Page 215 in the fan translation. Who, what, why? Huh?

I'm not sure if it's because it's a translation or just the way the books are written, but there are plenty of dialogues and interactions that I just don't understand. Makes me feel a bit like a dimwit. Or maybe it's just annoyingly vague, I don't know. I don't think I followed anything of what they said about needing something more than destiny, for example.

 

[Sephira]

I'll keep it short... It's Death.

 

[EliHarel]

Yeah, rereading it like that, now I really do feel stupid.

And the something more that keeps being mentioned?

 

[Sephira]

Now I'm already sorry if I can't be more clear than that, but I'll try.
Destiny is not enough, it has to be something more, something that keep the destiny together, someone that can give you a goal at the end of the road, instead of wandering without a clue.
There are a lot of something more, in this case, at the end of the short story, at the end of the journey with Yurga, Geralt finds something more...and it's Ciri.

The goal matter is not mentioned only in that part but also at the beginning of the book, in Limits of the Possible:

"Witcher," Three Jackdaws said suddenly. "I'd like to ask you a question."
"Ask away."
"Why don't you turn back?"
The witcher looked at him in silence for a while.
"You really want to know?"
"Yes," replied Three Jackdaws, turning to him.
"I walk in the column because I'm only a servile golem, only a strand of oakum carried by the wind on the highway. Where should I go? Tell me. For what purpose? In this company there are plenty of people to talk to. Some don't even cut short their conversations when I approach them. Those that don't like me tell me to my face, rather than talking behind my back. I accompany them for the same reason that I went with you in the bargemen's inn. Because it's all the same to me. I'm not expected to be anywhere in particular. There's nothing for me at the end of the road."
Three Jackdaws cleared his throat.
"At the end of every path, there is a goal, a purpose. Everybody has one. Even you, in spite of your difference."
"It is now my turn to ask you a question."
"Go for it."
"Do you see a goal at the end of your path?"
"I see one."
"Lucky."
"It's not a question of luck, Geralt. It's all a matter of what you believe and to what you devote yourself."

 

[sfinx]

@eliharel;
Sephira5 is right, she is just small pale girl, she takes our hand and takes us across mist

---------- Updated at 11:07 AM ----------

and about "Something more"

Yennefer: Samotný osud nestačí, je to příliš málo. Je třeba ještě něco víc. ~ Destiny is not enough, it's too little. There have to be something more..
this is about their relation-ship with Geralt, I believe "something more" can be human acts, choices .. for example. You have to go to meet your destiny, not just stand and wait. There can be also other things, but I believe this is one of them.

The sword of destiny has two edges - one of them is you.

Geralt to Calanthé - Nevím, zda vůbec něčemu věřím. A pokud se týká toho osudu…Obávám se, že jen on sám nestačí, že je zapotřebí něco víc. ~ I don't know if I believe to something. And in case of destiny...I am worried it's not enough, there has to be something more.

There is also last sentence in that short story ... (what Geralt told to Ciri )

“It's just like they predicted, Geralt! Like they predicted... I'm your destiny? Say it! I'm your destiny?”
Yurga saw astonishment in the eyes of the witcher. He heard Chrysididae's discreet sobs and felt her shoulders trembling. He knew that he would not understand the answer, but he waited anyway. With good reason:
“You're more than that, Ciri. More than that.”

Czech translation is little bit different: You are something more, Ciri. Something more..

 

[EliHarel]

Am I alone here in not connecting to these themes in this franchise? Maybe my imagination is just lacking. I feel TW is much better whenever it tackles relatively mundane things like adventures, wars, politics, investigations, etc. Guess I'm just a man of simple tastes, but I always felt weird during the pages about destiny, in this form or that.

 

[Sephira]

Am I alone here in not connecting to these themes in this franchise? Maybe my imagination is just lacking. I feel TW is much better whenever it tackles relatively mundane things like adventures, wars, politics, investigations, etc. Guess I'm just a man of simple tastes, but I always felt weird during the pages about destiny, in this form or that.

I think these themes (and not only these) are important to estabilish character's background. But it's a matter of taste, you can find more wars, politics and investigation in the novels than in the short stories.

and about "Something more"

Yennefer: Samotný osud nestačí, je to příliš málo. Je třeba ještě něco víc. ~ Destiny is not enough, it's too little. There have to be something more..
this is about their relation-ship with Geralt, I believe "something more" can be human acts, choices .. for example. You have to go to meet your destiny, not just stand and wait. There can be also other things, but I believe this is one of them.

The sword of destiny has two edges - one of them is you.

Geralt to Calanthé - Nevím, zda vůbec něčemu věřím. A pokud se týká toho osudu…Obávám se, že jen on sám nestačí, že je zapotřebí něco víc. ~ I don't know if I believe to something. And in case of destiny...I am worried it's not enough, there has to be something more.

There is also last sentence in that short story ... (what Geralt told to Ciri )
Czech translation is little bit different: You are something more, Ciri. Something more..

Exactly, Geralt and Yennefer are that bunch of characters whose background is influenced by those themes, and also by other "clues" you can find in short stories collection and in the novels.
By the way, talking about translation, italian one is the very same: "Sei qualcosa di più, Ciri. Qualcosa di più." (You are something more, Ciri. Something more.)

 

[sfinx]

Am I alone here in not connecting to these themes in this franchise? Maybe my imagination is just lacking. I feel TW is much better whenever it tackles relatively mundane things like adventures, wars, politics, investigations, etc. Guess I'm just a man of simple tastes, but I always felt weird during the pages about destiny, in this form or that.

This story does not belong to the simple ones.. But I have to say I like it. When I was reading Eddings or something like that, I though it was like fairy-tale for kids (not bad, but just too simple, too easy)

This is more complicated - there is also politics, battles, fights, simple events, but also philosophy, magic and unclear things. Prophecy and such things can't be simple. Not everything has to be clear. Something you'll never know, something will be explained later..

 

[EliHarel]

Could be that I'm not remembering the saga well enough, but I don't recall the philosophy in a good way. And now after finishing both of the short-stories books again, I really had to force myself through those parts. There were these dialogues that fell into the format of one character trying to say fancy things, and then the other character retorting by calling the other down, and basically saying "you're just saying fancy things, spare me". It felt a bit forced to me.

My opinion about it all is still in the making, so maybe in the future I'll be able to phrase what I think about it in a more clear manner.

 

[wichat]

I guess Sapkowski play with Geralt making the Fate be mocking him, and allowing Geralt to mock the Fate... and so making the reader asking if mocking the Fate is at least a way of the Fate for mocking of you...

 

[Sephira]

I guess Sapkowski play with Geralt making the Fate be mocking him, and allowing Geralt to mock the Fate... and so making the reader asking if mocking the Fate is at least a way of the Fate for mocking of you...

How to explain the whole saga and precisely the ending.

:hai:

 

[sfinx]

Could be that I'm not remembering the saga well enough, but I don't recall the philosophy in a good way.

Well .. if you read Border of limits (not sure with that name), there was nature-friendly philosophy from Dorregaray and reflections about role of woman . Woman's need for raising a child played also important role. So some philosophy/psychological aspects are there.

I was maybe little bit wrong - psychology is better word. Philosophy is also there, but it's not so common and not so apparent. When Triss talked about war/beasts/duty - there could be some philosophical 'movement', but it was mainly about behaviour, responsibility, rationality..


I hope you will like it ..

 

[KingHochmeister]

I guess Sapkowski play with Geralt making the Fate be mocking him, and allowing Geralt to mock the Fate... and so making the reader asking if mocking the Fate is at least a way of the Fate for mocking of you...

There is no better sentence to better explain it.

:hatsoff:

 

[wichat]

There is no better sentence to better explain it.

:hatsoff:

Thanks a lot but I would happy to see that sentence writen in its correct way

I cannot assure it, but I guess that translators are part of the undesrtood of this world. The Spanish translation is delicious, accurate and doesn't profane the northen air nor the middleage details of the novels.

 

[Sephira]

Thanks a lot but I would happy to see that sentence writen in its correct way

I cannot assure it, but I guess that translators are part of the undesrtood of this world. The Spanish translation is delicious, accurate and doesn't profane the northen air nor the middleage details of the novels.

I cannot assure how much the translation is accurate (for me it is, it flows very well with italian syntax), but if the books grasped me and, since we are talking about this short story, they made me cry (yes, yes, don't look at me like that please) for a book after a long time... well I guess the translation nailed the feels at least.

 

[wichat]

Crying while you are reading The Witcher Saga?!?!?

I never, NEVER did/do it. in any case it would be sand in my eyes!

 

[shivano1]

Hey!

So I have a slightly different question about this topic:

Yennefer says to Geralt the following on their Belleteyn intermezzo:

Yennefer: ... ~ Destiny is not enough, it's too little. There have to be something more..

In this conversation, she also said the following (like): "Go back [to Calanthe]. Don't do the same you did 6 yeras ago [= not to not take with him Calanthes grandchild aka Ciri]"

So according to that, the following dialog between Calanthe and Geralt occured 6 six years before the one above:

Geralt to Calanthé - ... ~ I don't know if I believe to something. And in case of destiny...I am worried it's not enough, there has to be something more.

How could Geralt know this particular words of Yennfer in that moment he said them to Calanthe? Because that moment took place 6 years before Yennfer said that to Geralt on Belleteyn.

I hope you get my point and sorry for the bad english. But I always wondered, if this is an error in the timeline of the short stories.

 

[wichat]

Yennefer can read mind... And she read Geralt's mind more than once.

 

[sfinx]

How could Geralt know this particular words of Yennfer in that moment he said them to Calanthe?

As wichat pointed, Yen can read in mind, so you can just turn it over ... she maybe just used his phrase to Calanthé

If I remember, there are also quite often same themes in some stories - like in border of limits, sword of destiny,.. one and the same idea is mentioned several times by different people.

And Geralt and Yen are soul mates ... they could just have the same idea on mind - Geralt just needed more time to accept it and do something for it.

PS: don't worry, I no speak americano either

 

[shivano1]

Yeah, I guess you guys are right, this could be an explanation.
Though it does not really satisfy me that much

Thank you anyway!