THE BLACK WOLF by Louise Penny (Print)

#20 - Inspector Gamache

I loved it. I mean, I always love Louise Penny's books. She has a knack for writing such wonderful characters. Although I missed the adventure happening in Three Pines, I was along for the ride as the wider political stage was set for disaster. She always keeps me guessing and it really had me on the edge of my proverbial seat near the end. I can't believe she still is able to create such intricate plots. This being a duology (The Grey Wolf and now The Black Wolf), it was an unusual deviation from her normal storytelling, though it still held all of her charm. The plot itself was terrifyingly close to real possibility. Many of the quotes that struck a chord were composed in notes of fear and warning. As a balm, I was happy to read her author's notes. Despite the darkness of many of her stories, Louise Penny just seems like someone I would want to know personally.

5/5

Quotes:

• "[...] was far from the first politician whose reins of power were around the necks of their citizenry." (30)
• "She knew that in refusing to name him, she was giving him more power than he deserved. More power over her. He'd become, inadvertently, not less than human but, in his anonymity, superhuman." (122)
• "The ludicrous happens every day. The unthinkable is made real not through rational thought, but feelings. We'll follow a charismatic leader if they tell us that we have a legitimate grievance. That they'll give us back our dignity. Our threatened way of life. If we follow them, our enemies will be vanquished and we'll be heroes. Who doesn't want to be part of something bigger than ourselves? Who doesn't want to be a hero? Even if it's all fabricated. When was the last time you read Animal Farm?" (133)
  
• "Good, reasonable people, and some idiots, were made to believe a life, then act in the most unconscionable way. Never, ever underestimate the power of social media, of groupthink [...] Or the power of toxic nationalism." (210)
• "Every group ever targeted, ever rounded up, refused to believe their neighbors could do it. Every people who found themselves under the thumb of a tyrant must wonder where it began, and how they didn't see it coming. And what moment they missed, when it could have been stopped." (223)
• "There doesn't have to be proof. Fear replaces facts." (229)
• "They're beating plowshares into swords." (314)
• "They'd happily trade freedom for safety. History had taught those in power that frightened people always did. Which made fear of an attack a far more effective weapon than any actual attack. And less messy." (322-323)
• "The less rational, the better. The point was not to engage brains but emotions. And emotions could be manipulated ridiculously easily." (329)
• "[...] sometimes we need to leave, so that a haven does not unintentionally become a prison." (372)

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