Log24

Update of 11:45 PM ET the same day —

See also remarks by Freeman Dyson on the novel
A High Wind in Jamaica  quoted here Sunday morning.

From an introduction to the novel by Francine Prose:

"In the end, everything in this luminous, extraordinary novel
is so much the reverse of what we think it should be, or what
we would expect, that we are left entirely disoriented—
unsure of what anything is, or should be. The effect is
disturbing and yet beautiful, fantastic but also frighteningly
true to life."

Some Harvard thoughts suggested by the recent
Jonathan Crombie project "Waiting for Ishtar" and
by a search in this journal for "Megan Follows" —

Remarks by Freeman Dyson in today's New York Times  
Sunday Book Review  (page BR8)…

"Who is your favorite fictional hero or heroine?

The child Emily in 'A High Wind in Jamaica,' 
by Richard Hughes. She murders a friendly
sea captain and lays the blame on members
of the crew, who are hanged for the crime.
To have survived for millions of years in the
lawless world of human evolution, parents
must love children even when children do evil,
and children must be ruthless and lovable.
Emily is ruthless and lovable."

A remark by young Emily in the film  of "High Wind"—

"Church of England."

For another version of "lovable," see The Eve of St. Agnes, 2003.

For another version of "ruthless," see the depiction, by Zachary Scott, 
of a Harvard student in the 1948 film  titled "Ruthless."

(Continued)

"Richard Hughes’s celebrated short novel is
a masterpiece of concentrated narrative."

— New York Review of Books  on
     A High Wind in Jamaica

As perhaps were, in their way, parts of the life
of the late Patrice Wymore Flynn, who reportedly
died at 87 on Saturday.

Deep backstory:  See Colony of Santiago (Jamaica).

For the "mathematics" part of this post's title, see
Saturday's Log24 post on Kummer-surface terms
and a post of September 23, 2012.