All Comments on 'The Protocol of Ahab Ch. 05'

Damn, the story gets really confusing or just the people in it. What does Pippa want to be? A career woman or a prostitute? She was ready to quit her job but then she wasnt. She doesnt receive much pleasure from straight sex but prostitutes herself. She knows she was and is being set up in quite a few situations but doesnt mind, why is that? And Rachel is hurt over her fucking men but did set it up and pimped her out in the past, what?

Fascinating/intriguing and frustrating; the latter in part because at least this reader wants/hopes the relationship between the two protagonists is not thwarted by circumstance and their own shortcomings/fears. Certainly frustration is one of the raw emotions you are achieving viz. this storyline surrounding a tenuous relationship between two uniquely crafted, memorable characters. The abruptness of their split seemed a bit out of sync with their feelings (some expressed); I was surprised while recognizing Rachel’s personality and Pippa’s indecisiveness may explain. I am also caught up in the way both women engage (“handle”) Peter and Visnow, both interestingly undesirable men. Two asides: Both protagonists have bikes/enjoy riding, yet no mention outside first few pages — could be the crappy weather? Surely will surface again given your love of bikes. That and when you describe the gentlemen’s club of “monks” and “nuns” I immediately thought of Stanley Kubrick’s “Eyes Wide Shut”. Will see soon enough.