When authors give shout outs to other great works, people, and events, it's usually not accidental. Put on your super-sleuth hat and figure out why.
Literary and Philosophical References
- Rainer Maria Rilke (referenced and quoted throughout, starting in Ch. 30)
- William Butler Yeats (29.20) (29.26)
- Ann Patchett, Bel Canto (39.20)
- Sword of Damocles (41.2)
Historical References
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (29.43)
Pop Culture References
- Sam mentions Munchausen syndrome when what he really means is Stockholm syndrome, made famous by allegedly brainwashed heiress Patty Hearst in the 1970s.
- Mariah Carey (42.39) We don't know what song, but it's winter, so we hope it's “All I Want for Christmas is You.”
- It's a Wonderful Life (63.10)