[ public ]

[workingthenumbers]

[Numbers has rewritten this post dozens of times before he's landed on something he feels is vague enough to slip under the radar for those watching, but is coded to those who were at the dinner party.]

I enjoyed last week's dinner party. I remember people talking about organizing a club or activity of some sort, and I'd like to suggest making a book club. I've been trying to catch up on my reading, anyways.

[Never mind the fact that Numbers would rather die than read for fun.]

Personally, I've been reading The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. But does anyone have any book suggestions? Preferably, something that can garner some interesting literary discussion and analysis.

Comments

[inaxorable]

[ He is trying his best! ]

its about thhw last dtas of a cponsemmed man.

[workingthenumbers]

I gathered that, thanks.

[Oh, no. This might be more limiting than he thinks.]

What the man even get condemned for?

[inaxorable]

thw book doednt say but ies impliefs that he kliled

[ Oh shit maybe he shouldn’t have brought this book up…is it suspicious of him to mention murder? But it would be far more suspicious to stop typing now, especially since he hasn’t figured out how to delete letters on this keyboard yet…]

smoenne and is gooiong to be wcecuted. he is eexutws in the ensd.

[workingthenumbers]

I guess he paid the ultimate price for his crimes. Too bad that isn't the case in reality, though. A lot of people get away with things they shouldn't. Sad, isn't it?

[both in terms of malding at dr. norman pollock and also about numbers' own multitude of Crimes.]

I wonder if you could glean anything more about the character's past by studying what he presents to the reader. I found myself studying the text of my own book very carefully, but honestly? I don't think I'm smart enough to figure out what's going on with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

[inaxorable]

if hre didnt wants to geet caugght thend he dshould have been a betteer creimnal. eithere way the peont is about how bad the death peabnkety is., [ Oh look! He found the comma. ]

i havlant read the jeckly and hyde book, whats it vcallewd

[workingthenumbers]

It's just "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde". It's about

[Um. Let's hope his pop culture knowledge saves him here.]

a doctor who makes an 'evil' version of himself through some weird injection or medicine or something. So during the day he can be nice Dr. Jekyll, and at night he turns into Mr. Hyde and does evil stuff.

[Close enough.]

[inaxorable]

that is fvasvinating. a metapohoer for the humsnn experience and the dichot omhy between good and evik, i qssume

[workingthenumbers]

Yeah. I guess. I mostly think Dr. Jekyll is an annoying asshole who feels like he's above the consequences of his actions.

[inaxorable]

[ Well. Raskolnikov squints at his text…device…whatever the newfangled portable text phone thing is…thing. That seems incredibly pointed.

He probably shouldn’t break out the Theory, but he’s never had much self-control. ]

you knwow, i haver a theiroy about that sort of thihng. how crinimals think anc the like. baslically,m it says that the world is divided between ordinary and esxtraoridnary people, and extarordinary peoplre have a rigbht to commit crimes. its all hypotheticla, of coruse, but i wonder where in that theroyr dr. jekyll would fit.

[workingthenumbers]

[Huh. Numbers squints at that message, trying to turn the theory over in his head. Forget Norman--how does that theory fit in with Numbers' own crimes?]

What do you mean by 'extraordinary' people? Like, superheroes or whatever?

[inaxorable]

i dont knwo if it comes accross in translation. not literal suepreheroes, but rather peopkle that are set aprart from the average human beign, and asf a result of taht. will do great things. like caesar and napoleon. if someone gqts in the way of them acheiving those great thihgs, then they can do whaat it takes to remove the obsitcal and should not be subejct to law.

its less about breajing the law and more that laws existt only to corral the oridnaty people, so the napeoleons of the wkrld neednt follow thenm. its all jyust a sillly little theory of mine, though,.

[workingthenumbers]

Hm. Interesting. In the cases of Caesar and Napoleon, though, don't they both come to a bitter end? I mean, Caesar got stabbed and Napoleon

I don't know didn't he get put on an island or something

Anyways. I see what you're saying. I think. Under your proposed theory, is this extraordinary trait something that people are born with? Or something that they can grow into throughout their lives?

[inaxorable]

yes, anpoleon was exilned on an insland. his convetmporaries didnt underrstanc his vision,.

extraoridhnaty people would be born extraoridary. at least, an ordianty man wouldnt be able to become an estraordinary man.

[workingthenumbers]

Could an ordinary man kill an extraordinary man?

[The most pertinent question to Numbers.]

[inaxorable]

well, yes. he could. but it wouldnt be morally juistifiable.

[ A too-long pause before the next message. ]

not taht any murder is justifiabkle.