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When we think of the settings of Louise’s books, we tend to envision the comfortable surroundings of Three Pines, of home. But The Grey Wolf takes us far from home, from Montréal to DC, Paris to Rome, and many remote locations in between. How do all of these different locations affect the tone of the novel? How do they move the story forward? How do you feel about the books exploring different locations?
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I think seeking information at the different locations heightens the tension and keeps the pace fast, especially as characters seek critical information at various locations simultaneously. Each locations holds pieces to the puzzle, such as DC provides the linkage between the clergy and Newfoundland reveals a significant family relationship. I enjoy “visiting” the various locations and in this story feel it lends credence to a terrorist plot as the Italian connection, in particular, illustrates the international sourcing angle while a relationship with French law enforcement highlights the necessity of foreign partnerships.
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I liked those aspects of all the different places too. And you’re right, the foreign partnerships are very important. Gamache and his team have to lean heavily on his international connections to solve the puzzle. I thought it made the story exciting.
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As much as I enjoy Three Pines and its generous and quirky or colorful residents, I enjoyed the forays into other locations and agree that each location holds a piece of information that is integral to the plot. I am amazed at Louise’s ability to weave all of those together and, at least for me, they all fit. Fundamentally, they fit because Gamache has to cast a wide net and folks keep showing up from, going to or being connected to different places. The remoteness of Saint-Gilbert-Entre-les-Loups, the Saguenay region, the “windswept Les Iles de la Madeleine” and Blanc-Sablon paint a picture of remote and rugged country, a stark contrast to the relaxing setting of Three Pines where one enjoys a cafe au lait by the fireplace or an aperitif on the terrace. And the float plane ride to the Abbey was nothing short of harrowing. Both the Vatican and DC are the embodiments of intrigue! For all of those reasons, they set the tone for a tense story. They are central to connecting the people and clues. And I personally appreciated the inclusion of different locations and LP’s vivid descriptions of those places.
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I loved all the different places in Quebec that Louise mentions too. I enjoyed the parts of the book with Blanc-Sablon and Commander Michaud. I hope Gamache and the team visit Les Iles de la Madeleine next because it sounds very interesting!
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The various locations give TGW the intrigue and tension of a thriller with international implications. The efforts to shatter trust and create distrust with disproportinate political response in TGW can happen at any time in any foreign or domestic locale and it does not have to involve trying to poison a water supply. The various locales that LP uses seem to emphasize, I think, the feeling of aloneness and not knowing what to do and if what is being done is the correct thing for Armand, Isabelle and Jean-Guy.
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The different places definitely give the terrorist plot an international scope and increase the stakes for our heroes. There’s added suspense and tension during Isabelle’s investigations in Rome and France because she’s in no position of authority to demand answers, so there are difficult challenges for our team in getting the information they need. The different locations also provide us with interesting history (especially of the power structure within various religious orders).
Also, Jean-Guy’s interactions in DC are important in bringing together the clues they need. These diferent places gives Louise an opportunity to reintroduce some of Gamache’s powerful foreign allies, which I thought were fun call-backs to earlier novels and were quite organic to the plot!
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I believe my feelings here might be showing more than usual. I read The Grey Wolf at a tumultuous time in American history. I read it when I was feeling particularly insecure and wanted to feel wrapped in the warmth of Three Pines to escape the anxiety of an unsettling reality. Even if only for a few hours a day. However, this novel was full of mystery and anxiety causing suspense. I think the changing settings, the constant need to be in another part of Canada or the US or Europe intensified the degree of suspense. It increased the feelings of chaos. It certainly kept the plot moving along as there was never a dull moment. But, like I already said I truly missed Three Pines and the interactions of our friends there, especially right now. As time moves forward, my nerves settle, and we adjust to our new reality I will re-read The Grey Wolf and see if I feel any different about the setting. Louise has always neatly wrapped up her books with a sense that all is well. But Armand is sitting on the bench in Three Pines having to text Isabelle who is right next to him because all is not well. He is still unable to hear. And, for the first time, she has left us with a cliff hanger. Wherever might we end up next?
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I am also feeling unsettled, both about where the U.S. is headed and what comes next for Armand. This ending reminds me of how I felt at the end of “The Beautiful Mystery” when Jean-Guy was unwell, unable to hear in a different sense and Armand struggled to help him. The difference for me is that after reading TBM, I could go immediately to “How the Light Gets In.” I appreciate in TGW that LP takes us back to the Abbey of St. Gilbert and weaves the location and those people into another story and time.
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Yes Jane, the ending of A Beautiful Mystery left me very upset. Fortunately I was able to read the next book right away.We have to wait almost a year now to learn about Armand’s injuries. It took me awhile to get used to the setting at the abbey but eventually found it very interesting and calming. That’s why I think The Grey Wolf at this particular time in my life was more upsetting than it might have been at another time. The setting change did not in any way ruin the book for me though.
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Jane and Libby, I hear what you’re saying and totally concur. I’m unsettled by the state of things for Armand and the world in general at the moment. I hate cliff-hangers, yet must admit that they do work in the arts (not so much in the real world; they just raise my BP!) — I want, need to find out what comes next. I was devastated at the end of The Beautiful Mystery, and was SO glad that I could binge read the books and find out what happened next. And I absolutely loved that LP brought Armand and JG back to that setting in TGW to provide a sense of closure and positivity in their relationship; those incidences did indeed break them, but then made them stronger. I am very concerned about Armand’s present injuries, but am trusting that LP is going to take good care of him. He may have some residual damage, like the scar that he bears, but I do hope that he can function at the top of his skills no matter what the challenge is; and from a practical standpoint, I think he could fully recover from the injuries if she chooses to take him down that route. My mother suffered a ruptured eardrum when she was a child and lost her hearing in that ear for a while, but it healed and she was fine eventually. Tinnitus can be a challenge, though— I wonder if that will improve for Armand (and I certainly hope it does). Guess I’ll just have to wait and see…
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I really enjoy when LP takes us out of Three Pines into different parts of the world, because I feel she never does it gratuitously; there is always a plot-driven reason for the characters to be where they are, and it always sets a different tone when our beloved characters become fish out of water, basically. In this instance, sending Isabelle to Europe and JG to the USA while having Armand going to various locations in Canada upped the ante for suspense and tested the characters individually regarding their resourcefulness and competency while also showcasing how well these three work together in a crisis. It shows that these people can hold their own and do amazing work not only in a smaller, quieter setting, but also on a global scale. It engaged me emotionally, raised the tension, and I wanted everyone to do well, be successful, and be safe. I absolutely love Three Pines and the villagers, and think they are essential to the stories, but I feel the stories are driven by Armand and his team most of all; they are the responders to, and solvers of, the crimes that occur that move the plots forward, and given the scope of their jobs, I do expect them to have cases that take them out into the larger world at times. I will gladly follow them there, and will also be comforted and uplifted when they return to Three Pines, to the people who help keep them sane in an often insane world.
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I know this does not answer the questions here but I hope folks will forgive a little digression.
First, I enjoyed the interview of Sr. Irene in the men’s restroom in the Vatican, because why would one reasonably expect to find a women’s restroom in the Vatican, of all places!
Second, this question also makes me appreciate the photos of locations that the admins have added to “The Grey Wolf” Discussion page. LP’s descriptions are evocative and add so much to the story and I also really enjoy the photos.
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Nothing to forgive, I enjoy your comments very much! I hope you will digress as much as you see fit.
I enjoyed the restroom scene too. Every detail is so cleverly thought through!
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As I mentioned yesterday, I really felt that the chaos in the plot left both Gamache and us unsettled. I think the multiple locations and the challenge of getting answers from those contacts in time added significantly to the stress we were all feeling.
I found it masterful!-
I agree about how clever Louise was to write those scenes, one right after another, each more exciting and suspenseful. I felt a lot of anxiety, but I was also completely engrossed and found myself reading very quickly. It was an edge of my seat type of experience and I enjoyed it immensely despite the stress and anxiety.
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Great comments everyone! I don’t know if I have much more to add to this conversation; I agree with all the various perspectives and felt quite unsettled with the various locations and not knowing if the answers would be found at any one locations or if it would be a complete waste of precious time for our team. That increased the tension, suspense and anxiety for me significantly, so they worked well with the intense tone and action of the thriller aspect of this book. Chasing down the leads in remote areas was critical to achieving the tension and to solving the mystery so as Susan says, I think LP has good reason to take us away from Three Pines. Trust LP, I always think, and she always delivers. For me, I think LP wanted us to feel exactly how we do. Think back to the use of scents and familiarity in settings or subjective characteristics, and we see that she has put us where she wants, now eagerly awaiting The Black Wolf, due to all the unsettling events in TGW and the state in which she has left Gamache. If one wants to write a cliffhanger and have the second book well read, this is how to do it. Brilliant!
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Good point! Deliberately moving the settings away from Three Pines leaves us all unsettled and missing the comfort and security of our home village. That loss of emotional safety LP knows she’s providing with Three Pines was missing, enabling us to empathize with Gamache and his incredibly emotional and difficult task in The Grey Wolf. How emotionally unsettling and upsetting is it to know that someone has broken into your home? Someone violating your personal space and perhaps rummaging through your underwear drawer or dipping dirty fingers into your peanut butter? That’s the feeling Gamache started with in this book and that discomfort is something we feel being away from Three Pines. LP’s mastery of her craft is simply amazing. And these feelings we have make all of us look towards The Black Wolf with eager anticipation to see Gamache happy and well and to return to the comfort of Three Pines.
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Each place certainly brought in a distinctive culture, atmosphere, and set of characters that I thought affected the tone of the story a great deal. When Gamache goes to Blanc-Sablon and talks to Dom Philippe’s family it’s such a different interview from when Isabelle visits the Curia and talks with Sister Irene. And compare those with Jean-Guy in DC. All the places added a lot of intrigue for me. Some of the places like Blanc-Sablon reminded me a lot of Port-Menier and Tabaquen in The Long Way Home given they are remote fishing villages and only accessible by plane or boat. But as several of you have mentioned, LP isolates our heroes from one another a fair bit. Jean-Guy in DC, Isabelle in Europe, Gamache all over Quebec. This made me feel uneasy because I felt they were each exposed to more danger on the own and being separated from each other made them vulnerable to attack. That certainly is what ended up happening to Gamache. Like others, I felt so bad for him and still do!
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