Three Seconds: Part Two

[DawnGR]

 For me I think there was a little to much"hearing" then explanations. It started to make it go a little slower I thought. It was still good, just slower. You could sense that Piet was in full preparation of NOT making it out alive. way he meticulously made sure things were taped, placed in social security boxes, money was stashed, and that he let his wife know what was taking place so she could find these items. However, I am not seeing Zofia's role . I feel there is something she means to be connected to or part of . I thought of maybe she was actually in with the mob and maybe she is spying on Piet for them.  I just felt there should have been more interaction between Piet and Zofia at the point he was telling her what he was doing. She appears very cold and nonconsecutive.

 I think Erik has genuine concerns toward Piet and his safety. giving him every opportunity to GET OUT. Making sure he is clear that if something goes wrong it is Piet's life on the line and no one will be there to help.

  When they arrested Piet, I believe it was the "Real" Piet. That is the Piet before he transformed himself into a family man. He says that he did not think the love for his kids and his wife was something he could do. He has to go back to his former self the "criminal" to be able to survive inside the prison he is well aware will be like.

 I did like the face it did display him as not the perfect parent. One that will make sacrifices for his family. I just wished for more dialog between Piet and Zofia.

[tmcb]

In part two it seems we get a better sense of the "criminal" side of Piet. The first part makes him out to be this guy who is putting himself on the line to help the police. Then in part two we are introduced to the criminal piet, the way he knows certain things like using the books to smuggle drugs.

What I think Piet is trying to do is protect himself if something goes bad. He is living his life in fight or flight mode, 24/7.

The picture of Zofia is more blurred than ever.... I don't know what to expect from her role in the book. The way the story briefly described her reaction (which wasn't much of a reaction) to Piet telling her the truth. Either she isn't someone to worry about or she is going to play a big part in the end of this story.

[clodia2]

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Rachel-K wrote:

We get a much closer look at Piet Hoffmann in the brief days that make up Part Two of Three Seconds. What do we learn about him? Have your ideas about him changed or solidified?

I think my ideas about him are solidified in the respect that there is a lot to him outside of the "criminal."  He is clearly a very clever person, who has a highly suspicious nature.  He trusts no one, although he wants to trust others.  He apparently loves his wife and children, but he really has a difficulty keeping the criminal world away from the world he appears to want.  But, I have doubts that he truly does want the "normal" life, since he is given a choice time and again by Wilson and he refuses to pull out of the assignment. 

What do we learn about Erik Wilson in these chapters?

 I don't know if I trust Wilson.  It does appear that he has respect and concern for Piet, but at the end of the section, where he kept thinking"only a criminal" as the arrest occured, I wonder how Erik sees Piet.  I still believe that Erik sees Piet as a means to an end.  And I think that he kept offering to let Piet pull out because Erik knew in his gut it would never happen. 

Is the man the police arrest in any way the "real" Piet Hoffmann?

Yes, I believe that man was the "real" Piet. 

[thewanderingjew]

What an interesting idea you have brought up! Perhaps, if he makes his escape, the mist will offer him cover. On the other hand, will the mist create some kind of interference which prevents his receiver and microphone from working? I was also wondering why he chooose that location to plant the equipment. Whom does he think will be there having a conversation that he needs to overhear? There are a lot of questions to be answered in the next part.

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literature wrote:

On two consecutive pages the authors spoke of "mist".  First on page 180 at the cementary, "to the mist that blotted out death" and then on page 181, "Aspsas church was still veiled in the morning mist."  Is the mist a prop that will aid Piet later on?

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[Peppermill]

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literature wrote:

I contacted a friend of mine that is a librarian and asked if we could access books in storage at the public library like Piet did and the following is her answer: 

I think I understand your question. You want to know if it is possible to use the library catalog to find a book that has been put in storage. The answer is yes. You would use the catalog's Advanced Search function and then search by location. For example, LMxAC uses the location "Stored Material". The Monmouth County catalog uses "In basement-see staff" and "In storage-see staff". It helps to fill in a title or author or subject, even a keyword in order not to have to page through pages of titles.  You can search by hardcover (under format) but not by the number of pages. Of course, library shelf space is at a premium and most libraries only store books that fit certain criteria (historical interest, value, etc).  Librarians run reports (not available to the public) of book circulations and use the report to decide what books to keep.

We are learning so much from this book!

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I fairly frequently get books from storage, or "the stacks," as is sometimes used in the Morris County system.   A recent example was Nehru's Glimpses of World History -- a collection of his letters, primarily to his daughter Indira, teaching her history while he was in jail.  As I recall, Maupassant's Bel Ami (classics board selection) also had to be pulled from storage.  The most valuable book I ever borrowed came from a library other than the main county library, and it was Asimov's commentary on Paradise Lost, also in storage.  It still surprises me how easy it was to borrow.  I actually called its value to the attention of a librarian when I returned it, partly because I was afraid it might disappear.  (Yes, 'tis amazing where these boards take one.  That one was for the Epics board on the first book for which I participated in an online discussion.)

I found fascinating the statement that most books in storage have some sort of beyond-the- ordinary value.  Makes sense, given the books I see periodically purged and placed on entry way shelves for patrons to simply take.

(The Nehru book, at something well over 800 pages in hardcover, could easily have had a substantial cavity carved out.  The paperback I eventually bought -- new from a dealer, if I recall correctly -- is 1155 pages!  It is wonderful browsing, looking at the world from very different perspectives than an American or European.)

[juliewu]

Every chapter of this book, I think I begin to know Piet and understand him. Then some event completely blows my mind and I have to start my conclusions from scratch. The fact that Piet knows SO much about sneaking substances into to prison and other prison related knowledge makes me wonder what he did before his collaboration with the police. Not only has he been in prison before, but he was very involved somehow in its inner life and workings. The quote about having to be a criminal to act like one seems to be valid. I am very curious as to why Piet decided to join forces with the police after his release; some might say the money but his love for Zofia and the kids seems too great to give up. Also multiple times he is given an out but refuses to end the program when so much could be lost. I look forward to finding the answers to these questions and discovering more questions that need to be answered.  

[SandyS]

It seems to me we don't know who Zofia is because Piet doesn't.  The story is through his eyes.  Somewhere along the way she seems to have become lost to him.  Were they ever close?

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thewanderingjew wrote:

Zofia is an enigma to me. She is non communicative. Her character has not been developed. Her job has not been explored. Their relationship has not been explored. We know Piet worships her and she worships her children. We know she somehow saved him from his drug addiction.

Her reaction to the knowledge of what her husband was preparing to do was without passion. We don't even know how she really feels about it. We do know that her silence is somewhat indicative of her displeasure because of other incidents, but that is it. So, really, I still haven't got the foggiest idea about who Zofia is, as a person.

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Rachel-K wrote:

edited by twj...

Do you have a clearer picture of who Zofia is as a person?

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[MomOf2Turds]

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thewanderingjew wrote:

Most parents do medicate and comfort their sick children but they do not over medicate them for their own benefit ass Piet did.

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I'm not so sure that it was solely for his benefit.  Yes, he did benefit from it.  He got everything done that he needed to get done in the allotted time that he had.  But does everything he did really benefit him?  Or does it benefit his children?  Is he doing it for himself or for his children?  Yes, he gets the drugs set up to get smuggled in.  Yes, he makes sure that he has the transmitter set up.  Yes, he makes sure that his insurance recordings and letters and money are in the proper envelopes, with the proper addresses, ready to go out when they need to.  But isn't that all to ensure that he is able to do what needs to be done so that he can be done working as an infiltrator for the police and can start a new and better lie free life with his family?  Isn't it all to ensure that if he doesn't get out alive that at least his family will have what they need to continue on without him there to support them?  Doesn't it ensure that his family will actually know the truth about why he was in prison and killed (if that happens, although I hope it doesn't because I really am pulling for Piet) and they don't think him a complete and total fraud?  I feel that they have more to gain from him doing all of this, even though they were sick and given some medicine, than he does.  Just what I think.

[SandyS]

My thoughts exactly.  What a good section.  And I thought I might be losing interest

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mlfoley012 wrote:

I found Piet's preparation in this section pretty fascinating.  I can't wait to see how it all comes together.  I believe there is much more to learn about him. Perhaps it's more than just a double life. I really enjoyed section two!

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[MomOf2Turds]

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DSaff wrote:

I believe that Piet made them take a second dose not to far from the first one and they didn't want to take it.  That is one of the things I do not like that he does.

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thewanderingjew wrote:
I thought I remembered reading he gave them a double dose, maybe I am wrong. Parents usually put the needs of children first. Maybe he could have found a better way. The kids seemed so uncomfortable.

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On page 157, towards the bottom, it says, "He'd given Hugo and Rasmus a dose of Calpol as soon as her back had disappeared down the narrow path between the Samuelssons' and Sundells' houses.  Then half a dose more.  Thirty minutes later their temperatures had dropped and they were dressed and ready for nursery.  He had twenty-one and a half hours left."

He gave them half a dose extra.  So, let's just say for argument's sake, a teaspoon and a half instead of a teaspoon.  Yes, more than he should have, but if their fevers were that bad...

And then on page 165, right before the break, it says that the nursery teacher was calling, both boys were running a fever and needed to be picked up.  And just above all of that there is a sentence that says, "Eighteen hours to go."

So that is about four hours after their first dose.  Which is right about the time that the effects of Tylenol (since we have all determined that it is pretty much the equivalent of that) begin to wear off.  Then he tried to give them another dose, on the next page, and they didn't want it.

So he didn't double dose them within a very short time frame, just gave them a little extra with the first dose.

[Peppermill]

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SandyS wrote:

It seems to me we don't know who Zofia is because Piet doesn't.  The story is through his eyes.  Somewhere along the way she seems to have become lost to him.  Were they ever close?

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One of the textual evidences of their closeness is on p. 138:  "...without even thinking about the fact that the whitish-yellow powder had stolen years of his life and there had been a time when every waking hour was used to steal enough to get more for the next day.  The rehab center, the fear, the prison sentence, the drug had been all-consuming and everything else meaningless until the morning she was suddenly standing in front of him. He had never injected since.  She had forced him to hold onto her hand hard, as only people who trust each other can."

(Bold added.)  One wonders what attracted her to a practicing, hardened addict.  Or, him to her.  Also, was he already working for Erik?   (Yes?)  Another question, is this depiction realistic if Piet truly had been a practicing addict?  Or do the authors strain the reader's credulity?

[Peppermill]

Someone yesterday (sorry, I'm being lazy about trying to re-find your post) asked about how much the police/system condoned or permitted Piet to earn some money (or even feed his own habit -- I'll add, after chasing down the passage in my previous post -- in the days when such was apparently his wont) from the drugs he handled.

This passage on p. 153 is the text I have noticed on the topic:  "Erik had realized that there was someone whose name he was not going to get.  And why.  So Piet could continue to earn money from his own business and Erik and his colleagues turned a blind eye and sometimes even facilitated it, in exchange for continued infiltration."

Nasty businesses.  Frightening, too.

[beak77]

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dhaupt wrote:

Wow, part two was amazing and if the rest of the novel is as surprising as this one we are in for one heck of a ride.

Now on to Rachel's questions

We get a much closer look at Piet Hoffmann in the brief days that make up Part Two of Three Seconds. What do we learn about him? Have your ideas about him changed or solidified?

We do indeed get a much closer look at Piet in this part, what I have learned here is that he is a very calculating man and very meticulous in his planning and I get the impression that he thinks that things are going to go very wrong once he steps into prison.

We get a very detailed description of the progress of Piet's methodical action, without being given any explanations of what he's up to. Even when we "hear" his thinking, we get only small cryptic thoughts without knowing how to interpret them. What happens to the pace and the tension in the novel in these pages? 

My heart was just racing during his planning stages and I found myself getting very anxious about all the minute details he was seeing to.

What do we learn about Erik Wilson in these chapters?

Very good question Rachel, what I learned in these chapters was that Erik does really care about Piet more than he thinks he should and he's constantly trying in a cagy manner to talk him out of this operation.

Do you have a clearer picture of who Zofia is as a person?

Yes I did get a clearer picture and I don't think Zofia had a clue about what was going on, however the tiny little clue that Piet gave us about when he met her leads me to believe that it was during his drug rehabilitation on the top of page 138 "The rehab center, the fear, the prison sentence, the drug had been all-consuming and everything else meaningless until the morning she was suddenly standing in front of him. He had never injected since. She had forced him to hold onto her hand, as only people who trust each other can."

Is the man the police arrest in any way the "real" Piet Hoffmann?

This is a very interesting question and it made me think hard about the answer and in my opinion the Piet that was arrested that Friday morning was the man that Piet used to be, not an act but a remembrance of his past.

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I can relate to Zofia's character or lack their of. My mother was very distant and we as children were not allowed to speak unless spoken to. My step father was a convict before I left home but took a plea bargain and never went to jail. My mother stayed with him till the day she took him of life support about 5 years ago.

I can also relate to Piet stating that Zofia had forced him to hold her hand to get through the tough times. I personally have found this helpful. I was eventually diagnosed with bipolar but beforehand, when I would be wired and wanting to cut or hurt myself, it helped me at night to have somebody I trusted to hold my wrists as hard as they could- I didn't care how much it hurt. It brought me back into reality.

[Vermontcozy]

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Peppermill wrote:

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SandyS wrote:

It seems to me we don't know who Zofia is because Piet doesn't.  The story is through his eyes.  Somewhere along the way she seems to have become lost to him.  Were they ever close?

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One of the textual evidences of their closeness is on p. 138:  "...without even thinking about the fact that the whitish-yellow powder had stolen years of his life and there had been a time when every waking hour was used to steal enough to get more for the next day.  The rehab center, the fear, the prison sentence, the drug had been all-consuming and everything else meaningless until the morning she was suddenly standing in front of him. He had never injected since.  She had forced him to hold onto her hand hard, as only people who trust each other can."

(Bold added.)  One wonders what attracted her to a practicing, hardened addict.  Or, him to her.  Also, was he already working for Erik?   (Yes?)  Another question, is this depiction realistic if Piet truly had been a practicing addict?  Or do the authors strain the reader's credulity?

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I am only projecting here.But It could've been Zofia  that met him at the Prison Gates, to take him into Rehab..She could've been an addict as well at some point in her life,and now was there to bring him to the Rehab Facility...A practicing addict ,if he was shooting up,would have visable scars..So she knew all about him, because  she is a recovering addict herself/or a Rehab Counselor....and they fell in love..It does happen..Its very realistic...Susan

[ponkle]

I am feeling very stupid in trying to read this book. I don't know what it is but I am having a very difficult time following it and keeping everything straight. I'm reading all the posts and that's helping but I think I'm taking more of a backseat on this one, as I don't really have a lot to contribute on this one.

[MBSpencer]

I loved the Stieg Larsson "Dragon Tattoo" series...but this book dddrrraaagggs at some points.  But I shall venture on and make it to the end.

[Vermontcozy]

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ponkle wrote:

I am feeling very stupid in trying to read this book. I don't know what it is but I am having a very difficult time following it and keeping everything straight. I'm reading all the posts and that's helping but I think I'm taking more of a backseat on this one, as I don't really have a lot to contribute on this one.

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ponkle  It happens to all of us,,with certain books,,Glad you are reading the threads..Its just a very full book of some many senarios..See you around though   Susan

[Vermontcozy]

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MBSpencer wrote:

I loved the Stieg Larsson "Dragon Tattoo" series...but this book dddrrraaagggs at some points.  But I shall venture on and make it to the end.

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Glad you are reading on  Its just at the beginning  Anders and Borge were setting us up with what will come..So many Players..Enjoy   Susan

[maxcat]

I started thinking about Zofia more this week and it appears just by her sulleness and lack of body language, that she will go on with her life and be fine. I know people have been saying they hope she plays a role in the ending. But will she stick it out and wait for Piet? After all, when his mission inside the prison concludes, he will be given a new identity and every time it is said, it seems to be just for him and not his family. So will we see Zofia play a part in the ending?

[DSaff]

Don't feel that way, Ponkle. There are lots of confusing books out there. Thankfully, we have each other to help us figure things out. 

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ponkle wrote:

I am feeling very stupid in trying to read this book. I don't know what it is but I am having a very difficult time following it and keeping everything straight. I'm reading all the posts and that's helping but I think I'm taking more of a backseat on this one, as I don't really have a lot to contribute on this one.

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