I meant to bring this up, but I have it in my head that I didn't, and I also can't find it in our discussions, so here goes: Ziebura *doesn't* think Kalckreuth tried to compromise Mina as a favor to Heinrich. She says he did it in order to bring Heinrich down with him by creating a scandal. Then she comments that Heinrich was disappointed when Mina was exonerated, because it would have given him an excuse to divorce her.
I mean, who knows what was going on in Kalckreuth's head; maybe compromising Mina was a win-win for him. Either Heinrich's grateful and takes him back, or he doesn't but now he's embroiled in a scandal.
Yeah. Kalckreuth, best of boyfriends.
I pity Fräulein von Morrien SO MUCH, marrying him to protect Mina and then dying in childbirth a year later. :/
Weeelll...if you assume Kalckreuth put in half as much effort with the much older woman he was forced to marry as a symbol of his humiliation *and* who played an active role (unlike EC and Mina) as he did with the prince who was, regardless of personal feelings, and let's hope there were some, his path to fame and fortune...
In other words, I hope so too, but I have my doubts. :(
Well, maybe he was one of those types who hated to be bad at something, including sex.
And you know that I think there were some feelings for Heinrich beyond ambition. I mean, an attempt like the one to see Heinrich again in the aftermath of Heinrich's second journey to Rußland (the one where Lehndorff got to give him the brush off and enjoyed every minute) could be because he still thought if they made up, he'd get back on track with fame and fortune. But after Fritz was dead, Kalckreuth's career revived and took off, big time, and Heinrich was out in the cold, so to speak, with no more influence or a career, yet Kalkcreuth wanted to see him again and at last reconcile, and did. Also, what I've read of his memoirs is ego-tastic, to be sure, but actually far more positive about Heinrich (and Fritz critical) than Ziebura led me to expect, and these were written in the 19th century, when the next generations were all Fritz worshippers and hardly knew who Heinrich had been anymore. In conclusion: Kalckreuth: a bastard and a jerk. But he did care about Heinrich.
...which of course doesn't make it more likely that he had a good sex life with his first wife, but like I said: maybe he was in a "I'll show you" mood. Also according to Lehndorff he had gotten a lot of the women of Heinrich's little court at his side, so he could be charming to the ladies if he wanted to be.
And you know that I think there were some feelings for Heinrich beyond ambition.
Yes, and that is some convincing evidence. I buy it.
...which of course doesn't make it more likely that he had a good sex life with his first wife, but like I said: maybe he was in a "I'll show you" mood.
I hope so!
Also according to Lehndorff he had gotten a lot of the women of Heinrich's little court at his side, so he could be charming to the ladies if he wanted to be.
Definitely, and that did occur to me. Let's hope he kept it up with the heroine of this tragedy.
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Re: No Pity for the Wives readthrough (cont) - Everyone dies off
Date: 2020-10-03 11:54 pm (UTC)I mean, who knows what was going on in Kalckreuth's head; maybe compromising Mina was a win-win for him. Either Heinrich's grateful and takes him back, or he doesn't but now he's embroiled in a scandal.
Yeah. Kalckreuth, best of boyfriends.
I pity Fräulein von Morrien SO MUCH, marrying him to protect Mina and then dying in childbirth a year later. :/
Re: No Pity for the Wives readthrough (cont) - Everyone dies off
Date: 2020-10-04 05:07 am (UTC)Re: No Pity for the Wives readthrough (cont) - Everyone dies off
Date: 2020-10-04 05:52 pm (UTC)In other words, I hope so too, but I have my doubts. :(
Re: No Pity for the Wives readthrough (cont) - Everyone dies off
Date: 2020-10-04 06:01 pm (UTC)And you know that I think there were some feelings for Heinrich beyond ambition. I mean, an attempt like the one to see Heinrich again in the aftermath of Heinrich's second journey to Rußland (the one where Lehndorff got to give him the brush off and enjoyed every minute) could be because he still thought if they made up, he'd get back on track with fame and fortune. But after Fritz was dead, Kalckreuth's career revived and took off, big time, and Heinrich was out in the cold, so to speak, with no more influence or a career, yet Kalkcreuth wanted to see him again and at last reconcile, and did. Also, what I've read of his memoirs is ego-tastic, to be sure, but actually far more positive about Heinrich (and Fritz critical) than Ziebura led me to expect, and these were written in the 19th century, when the next generations were all Fritz worshippers and hardly knew who Heinrich had been anymore. In conclusion: Kalckreuth: a bastard and a jerk. But he did care about Heinrich.
...which of course doesn't make it more likely that he had a good sex life with his first wife, but like I said: maybe he was in a "I'll show you" mood. Also according to Lehndorff he had gotten a lot of the women of Heinrich's little court at his side, so he could be charming to the ladies if he wanted to be.
Re: No Pity for the Wives readthrough (cont) - Everyone dies off
Date: 2020-10-04 06:04 pm (UTC)Yes, and that is some convincing evidence. I buy it.
...which of course doesn't make it more likely that he had a good sex life with his first wife, but like I said: maybe he was in a "I'll show you" mood.
I hope so!
Also according to Lehndorff he had gotten a lot of the women of Heinrich's little court at his side, so he could be charming to the ladies if he wanted to be.
Definitely, and that did occur to me. Let's hope he kept it up with the heroine of this tragedy.