Book 17: Louise’s humour in The Madness of Crowds?

Seems there might be love in the air. And, what a fascinating couple they are. “Hello, Jaundice,” said Ruth. “Hello, Liver Failure, said Stephen, kissing her on both cheeks. “And fuck, fuck fuck to you, he said to Rosa, who looks at him with something close to adoration. which ducks very rarely did.” It doesn’t matter how old and broken we may be. Everyone needs and deserves to be loved. While a relationship between these old souls makes me giggle (I love their sarcastic banter) it also warms my heart.

Louise uses humor to make accessible to the reader Jean-Guy’s interviews of the young people who discovered the body. It begins with Jean-Guy’s engagement of the teenagers. “The kids seemed to have taken a solemn oath of silence that lasted until Beauvoir’s first question. Then it all came out.” Beauvoir to Jacques who is the teen’s leader-“‘You’re not in trouble. At least not from us. Just tell us what happened.'” Over the next few paragraphs, Jacques relates graphic details of their behavior while drunk, much to his dad’s embarrassment. Jacques’ mom to his dad, “‘I met you at fifteen, at a St. Jean Baptiste party, when you were leaning against a tree throwing up. Give the boy a break.’ This almost derailed, for a moment, the inquiry, as Beauvoir was sorely tempted to ask some questions about that. Like how could she possibly have been attracted…..But he resisted.” And it wraps up with Gamache bringing to light that Jacques’ mom has observed them the entire time and why she did, “‘You once went skinny dipping in Lac Brume, then forgot where you left your clothes—-‘ Dad grimaces when mom adds, ‘It’s okay, you come from numbskull stock.'”

“No. She had her agenda on her phone,” said Beauvoir. “Why would she need another one? Especially a book. That’s pretty old school.” He gave a sly glance at Gamache, who still used a handwritten agenda. He had reminders on his phone, but kept his daily appointments in a book. Isabelle smiled, recalling the last time Beauvoir had teased the Chief about his ring-binder agenda. They’d been in a meeting at Surete headquarters, not long after the lockdown lifted but before the vaccine. They were sitting six feet apart and were masked. “Less likely to be hacked,” Gamache had said, laying a hand on the open book on his desk. “Thank God,” said Beauvoir. “Because your dentist appointment is of national interest.” “Maybe not the dentist, but the barber?” Gamache said. “What the Russians wouldn’t do. . . “Your hair did look a little Soviet era, during the lockdown.” “Ohhh, Einstein,” Isabelle had said to Jean-Guy. “Are you sure you want to bring up the subject of Covid hair?”