r/thegrayhouse • u/coy__fish • Jan 01 '21
Year of The House A Year of the House — 2021 Book Club Hub
A Year of The House
January 23, 2021 — November 27 December 18, 2021 (& beyond!)
New to the House?
- Get a copy
- Read reviews
Already a fan?
- Browse old posts by flair
- Join our Discord server
This post is your information center for the 2021 Year of The House book club here on /r/thegrayhouse. Have a question? Comment below or message the moderators. Last edited May 13, 2021.
How It Works
On Saturdays between January 23 and December 18, one of our community's moderators will post a discussion related to The Gray House.
We'll alternate between book discussions (which will cover approximately 30 - 40 pages each) and character discussions, which will often focus on someone who played a major part in the section we've just read.
New readers and returning fans are both welcome to participate. Spoilers for anything beyond the section we're currently on as a group will be hidden behind a spoiler tag, but if you're joining us partway through the year, you may want to catch up before clicking on recent discussions.
We also cover our weekly discussion topic in the #library channel on Our Discord server, where we host weekly chats every Saturday from 7 - 9pm GMT. Click here to convert to your time zone.
- (We'll probably say hi when you join, but at least half of us are incredibly shy, so we'll get it if you're not up for responding.)
Reading Schedule
Page numbers are taken from the English paperback edition. If you're reading a different version, you can find a spoiler-tagged listing of chapter titles (in English, Russian, and French) sorted by discussion date at this link, or find the Google Docs version (including all post types & untagged English chapter titles) here. (Dates need updating as of May 13)
Note that our moderators live in very different time zones, so the exact date you see a post pop up may be slightly different than what's listed.
Date | Pages | Discussion Links |
---|---|---|
January 23 | 1 - 30 | New Readers & Rereaders |
February 6 | 31 - 74 | New Readers & Rereaders |
February 20 | 75 - 111 | Discussion Three |
March 6 | 112 - 146 | Discussion Four |
March 20 | 147 - 183 | Discussion Five |
April 17 | 184 - 217 | Discussion Six |
May 1 | 223 - 251 | Discussion Seven |
May 15 | 252 - 282 | Discussion Eight |
May 29 | 283 - 308 | Discussion Nine |
June 12 | 309 - 331 | Discussion Ten |
June 26 | 332 - 351 | Discussion Eleven |
July 10 | 352 - 382 | Discussion Twelve |
July 24 | 383 - 404 | Discussion Thirteen |
August 7 | 405 - 420 | Discussion Fourteen |
August 21 | 421 - 450 | Discussion Fifteen |
September 4 | 455 - 501 | Discussion Sixteen |
September 18 | 502 - 532 | Discussion Seventeen |
October 2 | 533 - 566 | Discussion Eighteen |
October 16 | 567 - 604 | Discussion Nineteen |
October 30 | 605 - 640 | Discussion Twenty |
November 13 | 641 - 662 | Discussion Twenty-One |
November 27 | 663 - 697 | Discussion Twenty-Two |
December 11 | 698 - 721 | Discussion Twenty-Three |
December 18 | Deleted scenes (optional) | Final Discussion |
A Final Note:
It is always okay to post, comment, or ask questions! I know it can look intimidating when the majority of posts are these big discussions, but we get that people have different ways of interacting with the media they love. You are welcome to post memes, share artwork, express your utter confusion at some part of the story (trust me, we've all been there) or just about anything else.
r/thegrayhouse • u/lakezeke • 13d ago
WordPress book club discussion on The Gray House
During my most recent (third) reading of The Gray House, I stumbled across this satisfyingly-lengthy book club discussion. Thought you all would appreciate it.
https://silviacachia.wordpress.com/2017/03/30/the-gray-house-book-club/
r/thegrayhouse • u/lolo_ishigame • 13d ago
Good book for book club?
Having seen this book raved about on another sub, would you recommend it for book club? Is it easy enough to read (like Harry Potter), or like The Da Vinci Code complicated? We are wanting a book that isn't an effort to read. Thanks!
r/thegrayhouse • u/constant-reader1408 • Jan 12 '23
New to the group. Half way through the book.
I can already tell when this is finished, it's going to be one of those books where afterwards, nothing else will compare. I'll be in a reading rut. So, what are some more similar books you have enjoyed? Well, magical realism anyway. Please tell me some favorites. Two I enjoyed as well was The Library at Mount Char and The Hike by Drew Margery
r/thegrayhouse • u/Jynxbunni • Sep 13 '22
Who is Triton? *spoilers*
Working on my first re-read, and just coming up on the third book.
Sphinx is the only Jumper/Strider/Poxy Sissy who left the House.
However, Triton is the only one who stayed (sleepers and over completely) who is neither a jumper or a strider.
Do we know anything about him at all?
r/thegrayhouse • u/Jynxbunni • Aug 31 '22
Question about Amazon English printing, possible error.
Reading the book my second time (everything makes sense now!).
On page 164, near the bottom it says “Out of the corner of my eye I catch the last reflections in the last cabinet- Alexander under his softly snuffling burden, Sphinx right behind him…” however, the “author” of the chapter is Sphinx. Is he referring to himself in the third person? Or some sort of error?
r/thegrayhouse • u/FrauMausL • Aug 29 '22
Too late for the party
I started listening to the audiobook a while ago and no book had ever captivated me this much.
After about half of the book I started over and I wish it would never finish.
Now I only have 5 hours left and I’m trying to extend them as long as possible. I also have the book here and will start reading as soon as the audiobook is finished.
I was really happy to find this sub - is anyone here still active? As I don’t want to be spoilered I only allowed myself to have peeks at your fantastic artwork.
r/thegrayhouse • u/AvelWalarn • Mar 12 '22
Graduation ceremony: interpreter
Here is something that still bugs me: why is there an interpreter during the graduation ceremony? I don’t remember any mention of the Rats, or anyone else, needing an interpreter in the House.
This is also the only mention of Ringer as far as I can tell.
“Take that! Yeah . . . that’s the way,” Rats drone two rows ahead of us, after the “interpreter,” forcibly divested of the earphones, attracts their attention by gesticulating wildly and then relates the news to them. “Keep on it, listen, you’ll tell us all later,” they encourage the interpreter before the entire pack plugs the phones back in. Well, not the entire pack, rather a dozen of its imprisoned representatives, but for Rats that’s a lot when we’re talking about a function as dull as an all-hands meeting. Red loudly cracks a nut with his teeth and spits out the shell. Ringer, the interpreter, sighs and turns back toward the lectern
r/thegrayhouse • u/MedvedTrader • Feb 16 '22
Наружность - should have been translated
as "outsideness". I think.
r/thegrayhouse • u/i_hate_this_nickname • Jan 02 '22
My illustration to The Gray House, Knife, digital, 2021
r/thegrayhouse • u/i_hate_this_nickname • Dec 21 '21
My illustration to The Gray House, Blind, digital, 2021
r/thegrayhouse • u/FionaCeni • Dec 11 '21
Discussion Character discussion: Corpse
It’s just that Corpse has this delicate tint to his skin, and every little thing changes it for the worse. Smoking, for one. They told him long ago that his first drag was going to be his last. So every day he keeps experimenting, getting more and more pissed at those liars.
Quote from the chapter Red (this one probably has some number too if you count the Red chapters before this one. Was there one or two?. Lets just call it Red n)
Please spoiler-tag all the information that has not been explicitly stated in the chapters we have read so far! You can learn how to mark spoilers here. If spoiler-tags don’t work for you for some reason (it happens) just scream SPOILERS at the beginning of your comment.
Hello everyone!
We’re continuing the side character appreciation discussion posts. Corpse won the race against Gaby, so it’s his turn this week! He barely even appears but when he does, it’s memorable.
Since he doesn’t have a large role and we’re near the Big Spoilery End anyway, I have decided not to separate the questions into two categories this time. That’s also why they are in the post itself and not in the comments this time.
So, here they are:
•If you could/had to add a scene with Corpse in Book 1, how would you do it? When and where would he appear and what would happen?
•I’ve seen him being shipped with Red a lot. Do you ship them or are you meh about it?
•Corpse is better at looking like a corpse than anyone else in the House, which kind of qualifies him for a leader position. Why is he not a leader? Would he like to be one?
•What makes Corpse an “exceptional individual”?
As always, you are not limited to the discussion questions, you can write any Corpse-related questions, headcanons, theories, fun facts, etc. that you can think of in the comments.
Have fun!
r/thegrayhouse • u/neighborhoodsphinx • Dec 04 '21
Discussion Nineteen - Pages 522 - 532
Discussion Nineteen
Chapter Title: Red
Please mark spoilers for anything beyond page 532. Or, if you prefer, you can mention at the top of your comment that you'll be discussing spoilers.
Colored green, for me. For everyone else they’re probably gray.
The Rats have their supposed monthly cleaning of the Second. Red engages in feeble attempts to guide them; it is not a success. Red has this air of resignation about him, like he’s been thrust into this position unwillingly. But based on his earlier conversation with Smoker in Soot of the Streets, he takes pains to fit the image of a leader, or a “walking corpse.”
* Do you have any theories about why this is? * Are there perks to being a Leader? Is it an assigned obligation?
Red takes a trip to the Canteen where he is besieged by a group of angry girls.
- Why do you suppose the girls attacked Red? It seemed like they were hoping for the opportunity when he hit Gaby. Is it as simple as concern for a wronged friend, or is there more to it?
Ginger extracts Red from the scene and helps him wash up before taking him to the Sepulcher. We get some insight into their relationship and its one-sided nature.
- Why do you think Ginger has changed so much from when she was younger? Does it make sense to you how secretive she is?
Post-Sepulcher, Red and Corpse find refuge in the bathroom and Corpse rescues Red from a plastic bag. Red claims he appears to others in their sleep right before they die.
- What do you make of all this? More magic? Is it symbolism, a reference? Are we simply witnessing the result of strong emotions in an isolated population? All of the above, none?
As always, please share any scenes, quotes or ideas from this chapter that you found memorable.
r/thegrayhouse • u/FionaCeni • Nov 20 '21
Discussion Character discussion: Chimera
High cheekbones, narrow eyes, hair dyed emerald green. A living doll. She’s got a plaster collar around her neck, green eye shadow extends all the way to her temples, lips are the same bright red as the dress, and there’s so much powder that it completely conceals her eyebrows. I recall that as she walks something is always clanking under her clothes and her gait is somewhat stilted, making the image of a broken toy even more apt.
Quote from the chapter Sphinx (probably with some number)
Please spoiler-tag all the information that has not been explicitly stated in the chapters we have read so far! You can learn how to mark spoilers here. If spoiler-tags don’t work for you for some reason (it happens) just scream SPOILERS at the beginning of your comment.
Hello everyone!
Side characters deserve attention too (at least if they are side characters in the House) so this week, we’ll discuss Chimera (don’t forget to drink some coffee). So far, she only appeared in this one chapter but she made sure that we’d remember her.
As usual, there are discussion questions with and without spoilers in the comments (technically there is only one spoiler-question because this gets harder with every major reveal).
Have fun!
r/thegrayhouse • u/neighborhoodsphinx • Nov 13 '21
Year of The House Discussion Eighteen - Pages 502-521
Discussion Eighteen
Chapter Title: Sphinx
Please mark spoilers for anything beyond page 521. Or, if you prefer, you can mention at the top of your comment that you'll be discussing spoilers.
“We’re on the Boundary, not inside. We can go back any time we want.”
Sphinx and Noble race to the attic, where they encounter a girl named Chimera, who tells a story about a boy she saw standing on the roof and considering jumping. Sphinx uses his insight (or maybe his magic), questions Blind, and finally arrives at the Fourth, where he confronts Alexander with his suspicions.
- This scene with Chimera reminds us how much is happening beyond what we, as the readers, are filled in on first-hand. Although Alexander shared his perspective in Confessions of the Scarlet Dragon, he never mentioned Chimera. Does this surprise you?
Sphinx, in his distress, drinks with Black and becomes everything in the room at once, both people and objects.
- Some fans interpret Jumping as a form of dissociation or similar stress response. What do you think about this?
- How did you like the writing style during this scene, in which everything and everyone inherits a first person perspective?
- What do you make of Black, who seems to have taken a 180 in terms of his relationship with Sphinx?
Noble joins Sphinx on his Jump. We learn that while Jumping, or what Sphinx refers to as “the game”, the rules are different for everyone - Noble is a less beautiful version of himself, Black, older and tougher, Blind almost unchanged. They meet some others: Two girls in a convertible, a hyena with flower petal wings who turns into a somber middle aged man, a “raucous gang of old farts in black leather”, and a skeletal angel with broken wings who turns out to be Alexander.
- Do you have any guesses as to why the “rules” are different for each person? Are there any implications here?
- Any guesses at who the unnamed others are?
By the end of the chapter, it seems a tentative resolution has arrived between Alexander and Sphinx. The chapter ends with this quote:
“There we go. The need for expression has driven them to the ceiling, it’s only a matter of time before ceilings start looking like walls with all the writings and drawings, and whoever would want to read them would need a stepladder, so we’re going to have an infestation of stepladders in the House.
I sit in silence and think about all of this.”
Sphinx is simultaneously a passive observer and a force of change in this chapter - he doggedly pursues the answer to a mystery and literally becomes one with a wall.
- Do you think this consistent with the theme of his character so far, or is he growing increasingly of two minds, two worlds, two philosophies, etc. as the story progresses?
- Alternately, is the above question in bad faith? Is he just helplessly reacting to things as they come his way?
To return to a quote from Book One:
“Our Leader, may his Leadership days last and last, is blind as a bat and so has some trouble reacting. He usually entrusts it to Sphinx. ‘Do me a favor, react for me,’ he says. So poor little Sphinx ends up reacting double. Maybe that’s why he went bald. It must be very tiresome, you know.”
As always: Are there any scenes, quotes, or impressions that stuck with you in this chapter? Any insights you’d care to share? Please do so here!
r/thegrayhouse • u/FionaCeni • Nov 06 '21
Discussion Character discussion: Humpback
Humpback played his flute, and the backyard listened. He was playing very softly, for himself only. The wind whirled the leaves in circles. Then they were caught in the puddles and stopped. Their dance ended. They ended. Now they would turn to mush and dirt. Just like people. Softer. Softer still. The slender fingers flitting across the holes, the wind throwing the leaves right in the face, the coins in the back pocket cutting into the skin, the bare ankles freezing, covered in goose bumps. Comfort is a piece of sibilant wood. Calming, lulling, if you allow it to be.
Quote from the chapter The Backyard – Interlude (I had to stop myself from copying the entire chapter)
Please spoiler-tag all the information that has not been explicitly stated in the chapters we have read so far! You can learn how to mark spoilers here. If spoiler-tags don’t work for you for some reason (it happens) just scream SPOILERS at the beginning of your comment.
Hello everyone!
This week we’ll discuss our favourite pirate/birdlover/animal-rights-activist-with-a-crossbow/Pied Piper/poet. Humpback had to suffer so much in the role of the lightning rod last chapter that it’s only fair if he gets his own post today.
Have fun!
r/thegrayhouse • u/neighborhoodsphinx • Oct 30 '21
Year of The House Discussion Seventeen - Pages 475 - 501
Click to return to the Year of the House Book Club Hub (under construction)
Discussion Seventeen
Chapter title: Sphinx
Please mark spoilers for anything beyond page 501. Or, if you prefer, you can mention at the top of your comment that you'll be discussing spoilers.
This beast of a chapter has finally come to a close! Thanks for bearing with us.
We see more of Mermaid and Sphinx's relationship.
- How does this timid, self-conscious version of Mermaid compare to the Mermaid we saw in Sorcery?
Mermaid points out to Sphinx that Black, rather than despising him, actually admires him to the point of emulation. Sphinx is shocked, then in denial.
- Is this in line with your image of Black, or were you as surprised as Sphinx?
- Does this change your perception of Black as a character? What is your perception of him?
r/thegrayhouse • u/a7sharp9 • Oct 26 '21
Fanwork More art
I know I've brought this guy here before, but he continues to put out good stuff (in my opinion); and what's interesting is that he picks a different technique and approach for each, instead of doing it in a uniform style.
I think you can guess the scene.
This is the album of what he has on the House so far: https://vk.com/andreinelen?z=album72061795_279035048
r/thegrayhouse • u/FionaCeni • Oct 23 '21
Discussion Character discussion: Sphinx
The mirror is a mocker. Purveyor of nasty practical jokes unfathomable to us, since our time runs faster. Much faster than is required to fully appreciate its sense of humor. But I do remember. I, who used to look into the eyes of a bullied squirt, whispering, “I want to be like Skull,” now meet the gaze of someone who looks much more like a skull than the eponymous character. To compound the joke, I am now the sole possessor of the trinket that was responsible for his nick. I can appreciate the humor born behind the looking glass because I know what I know, but I doubt many would wish to pay for that knowledge by spending countless hours talking to mirrors.
Quote from the chapter Sphinx – Visiting the Sepulcher. Using quotes from Book 1 fills me with nostalgia now.
Please spoiler-tag all the information that has not been explicitly stated in the chapters we have read so far! You can learn how to mark spoilers here. If spoiler-tags don’t work for you for some reason (it happens) just scream SPOILERS at the beginning of your comment.
Hello everyone!
It’s been a few weeks since the last character discussion but they’re back now. Technically, we already had a character discussion for Sphinx/Grasshopper a while ago but back then we officially weren’t sure if they are the same person so now he is back. And we are back. Everyone is back (except for Wolf because Wolf is dead). Everything sphinxy is allowed in the comments and will make me happy.
Have fun!
r/thegrayhouse • u/neighborhoodsphinx • Oct 17 '21
Year of The House Discussion Sixteen - Pages 455-474
Click to return to the Year of the House Book Club Hub (under construction)
Discussion Sixteen
Chapter title: Sphinx
Please mark spoilers for anything beyond page 474. Or, if you prefer, you can mention at the top of your comment that you'll be discussing spoilers.
Remember L.N. and never lose hope.
Many major developments happened between the events at the end of Book Two and the beginning of Book Three. We find that Black is the new leader of the Sixth, a student died on the Longest, Ralph is on a mission to learn more about the House and the individuals who are trying to leave. There is a restless air in the House - people are antsy, nervous, even scared.
- What are they so afraid of?
- Is this what you expected?
We’ve skipped ahead a bit in the timeline since the end of Book Two, and stumble upon Sphinx and Black Ralph having a frank conversation about Jumping and the night of the Graduation.
r/thegrayhouse
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u/a7sharp9
•
Oct 09 '21
Extras A new Q&A with Mariam
Came across a new "interview" with Mariam yesterday and did a quick translation.
Nothing much new for inveterate House dwellers, but interesting details regarding Ginger, and some reading recommendations.
Russian original here.
(apparently another Q&A session is planned for 10/18; I'll let you know if anything interesting comes from it)
r/thegrayhouse • u/neighborhoodsphinx • Oct 03 '21
Year of The House The Gray House: Books One and Two Retrospective
The down already hovers
over the smoldering thistle.
Soon your gloved hand shall count
the abandoned nests
—Alfred Gong, Boedromion (source, potential spoilers)
Hey everyone! We’ve reached the end of Book Two and are waiting to dive into Book Three. So much has developed and changed from the beginning of the story.
Please mark spoilers for anything beyond Book Two. Or, if you prefer, you can mention at the top of your comment that you'll be discussing spoilers.
- Do you have any questions? Is there anything you are confused about?
- Smoker has transitioned from the front-and-center main character, to a prominent point of view character. Is this what you expected? How has this transition impacted the way the story is delivered, and has it changed how you see him?
- How did you like Tabaqui as a narrator? Does he help to create a greater understanding of the House, or just give you more questions?
- More and more, we see that the House residents’ superstitions are less imagined than a reality that they experience. What’s your take? Is it magic? Mass hallucination? Lead poisoning? A committed group of very imaginative role players? Do you think the author has any one specific intention here, or is it up to the reader to decide? This seems to a popular point of contention among readers!
- Are there any scenes that have really stood out to or spoken to you? What’s the most memorable part of the book so far?
- Do you have a favorite character? Someone you want to know more about?
- If you haven’t read to the end yet, do you have any hopes or expectations for how things will turn out?
- Has reading The Gray House inadvertently introduced you to any other stories or works of art? Or, has anything you’ve read, watched or listened to conjured up similar feelings or ideas for you? Has it inspired you to create anything yourself, even if you haven’t started working on it yet?
P.S. - The current Year of the House schedule that is posted is no longer accurate. We are actively re-working the schedule to try and promote more consistent and timely posts. Thanks for bearing with us and pardon our dust!
r/thegrayhouse • u/Na-Nu-Na-Nu • Sep 22 '21
Question Mass lead poisoning?
Recently I have been learning about lead poisoning. (Specifically, I have been reading the amazing book, A Terrible Thing to Waste: Environmental Racism and Its Assault on the American Mind, by Harriet A. Washington). As I read, I can't help but draw parallels to The Gray House.
Lead poisoning can cause hallucinations, learning disabilities, developmental difficulties, behavioral changes, hostility, depression, and/or anxiety, among other symptoms. There is evidence that lead exposure is associated with increased levels of crime.
The CDC says, "Lead-based paint and lead-contaminated dust are the most widespread and hazardous sources of lead exposure for young children in the United States." Lead paints are/were also widely used in Armenia and other eastern European nations. Part of the danger of lead is that it makes things taste sweet, and so children are more likely to put leaded items such as lead toys and paint flakes in their mouths.
We know that the Gray House was an old house, and so therefore likely to contain lead paint, which would very likely have been flaking, and the paint dust would have been in the air. “It is raining down plaster and weeping from the cracks.” We know Blind, in particular, regularly ate the paint from the walls.
I am not suggesting that the kids there were originally disabled by lead paint in their home environments, though some could have been. But I can't help but wonder if lead toxicity could have played a very active role in making The Gray House - and its inhabitants - what and who they were.
I have no evidence at all that Petrosyan had lead poisoning in mind, by the way. But I still can't help but make the connection.
Thoughts?
r/thegrayhouse • u/a7sharp9 • Sep 19 '21
Extras "The House is a weird place,” I say. “Here people have identical hallucinations."
"I was stationed between Angel from the Third and Monkey from the Second."
"HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE."
I am fairly certain that this is not a quote (I mean, if I were writing it, it would most certainly be), even though Pratchett's "Hogfather" formally predates the House. But what a subtle way to characterize Smoker.
Oh, and another one; I don't remember if I showed it here yet or not.
"I imagined my own pitted, crumbling mug among them, with paintings behind me, one more hideous than the next. “He was dubbed the next Giger when he was just thirteen.”"
I specifically asked Mariam if this was the one she meant, and she said she'd never seen it before.
r/thegrayhouse • u/FionaCeni • Sep 11 '21
Discussion Character discussion: Tubby
Tubby has this sincerity about him. I like the idea. […] Tubby would be the next-best choice, our wingless messenger pigeon, innocence incarnate coupled with an exhaustive lack of any understanding of events around him. But they don’t want him either. And what a subtle move that would have been! Ralph would be drowning in tears in his dusty office.
Quote from the chapter Tabaqui – Day the First
Non-spoilery fanart by Angel Ti
Technically spoilery fanart by Gregory Welter
Please spoiler-tag all the information that has not been explicitly stated in the chapters we have read so far! You can learn how to mark spoilers here. If spoiler-tags don’t work for you for some reason (it happens) just scream SPOILERS at the beginning of your comment.
Hello everyone!
To end Book Two on a happy note, let’s talk about the one character in the book who really did nothing wrong: Tubby.
I have decided to separate the questions a bit differently this time. There will be a comment for questions that do not have spoilers and can be answered both by new readers and by re-readers and a second comment with questions that had to be spoiler-tagged. The reason is that questions often work for both groups and I end up putting them in the comment that had less questions until that point, which might discourage the other reader group from answering them. Your answers to non-spoiler questions can still include spoilers (marked as such). If you prefer one way of separating the comments over the other, please let me know.
Have fun!
r/thegrayhouse • u/coy__fish • Sep 04 '21
Year of The House Discussion Fifteen, pages 421 - 450
Click to return to the Year of the House Book Club Hub
Discussion Fifteen
Chapter titles: The Longest Night (& Sphinx: The Longest Night)
Please mark spoilers for anything beyond page 450. Or, if you prefer, you can mention at the top of your comment that you'll be discussing spoilers.
There's this song I think about during this pair of chapters, because of the line live on borrowed time. See, when I stole this album from my parents (along with their Zeppelins), my mom said she used to think it was live on ballroom time. Which made perfect sense to her: Isn't a ballroom exactly the sort of place where time might behave strangely? You're all dressed up, full of anticipation, probably celebrating a beginning or an ending. The spell may be broken when the clock hits midnight, but something about the atmosphere always makes it seem as if the party could go on forever.
I think the Longest is this way, at least for those who look forward to it. The seniors are living on borrowed time; graduation is coming, and one way or another, their lives in the House are coming to an end. The Longest Night serves as a slight reprieve from all that. It is (minus the murder attempts, anyway) a place where you can put on a slow song, dance the night away, and forget what's supposed to happen next.
Some scheduling notes: I'm still running a week behind. There's just too much material in the next section (one 50 page chapter) to combine into this one, so I'll do my best to work something out. I started this year out knowing I was being a bit ambitious and might struggle to stay on target, but even then, I had some supports in place that are no longer present, and every week it gets tougher to catch up. I can only hope that if I fully admit to myself that these supports are gone, I'll manage to be a little more realistic and reliable in what I set out to do.
For now, I'm also going to say that I won't be attending Discord meetings at least for the month of September. I've never been great at keeping a conversation going through chat programs, and I've fallen into the bad habit of using scheduled meetup time to write up replies here on Reddit instead, so I'd like to see what happens if I formally step away from that one for a while. I hope you will all continue chatting with one another when the mood strikes, and I hope to regain the ability to do the same one day soon.
I am sorry about this, you guys! No force in the world is strong enough to make me lose interest in the House or in you as a group, but lately I am just not managing to show it. Enough of that, though; on to the Longest Night, with fingers crossed in hopes that the sunrise, whenever it comes, will lead to clearer days ahead.