Liv Rancourt's Blog, page 41
July 24, 2012
Anita Blake, Christian Warrior?
*I got a comment that my post contains spoilers. Oops. So sorry. Keep reading, because I don’t think it’s anything major, or stop if it’s going to bug you.*
Recently Kristin McFarland ran a post on Religion in Urban Fantasy that generated quite a discussion in the comments. One of her main ideas (and correct me if I’ve got this wrong, Kristin) was that almost every portrayal of religion is going to piss off True Believers in one way or another. And while I tend to agree with her, the post reminded me of one Urban Fantasy series that arguably integrates religion to a greater extent than any others:
Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter
Written by Laurell K. Hamilton, this is a series of TWENTY ONE books that detail the life and times of US Federal Marshal, Necromancer, and Vampire Human Servant Anita Blake. Aside from the fact that I’m in awe of anyone who can write twenty one books, let alone while using the same characters AND keeping them interesting, I find the stories compelling because the world that Ms. Hamilton has created is so complex.
Religion is a big part of that world. For example, faith powers religious objects to protect the holder from vampires. The opening chapter of her newest book, Kiss The Dead, incorporates this element. Here’s a snippet:
My foot slid all the way out as someone walked into the room with a holy object blazing white, strangely cool, as if the cold light of the stars could be held in your hand. I’d never seen a holy object glow this bright…It was even more impressive as I lay on the floor, tugging my skirt down, and watched Zerbrowski walk past me, hand held high, most of his body lost in the bright glow of his cross.
Just fyi, the opening phrase “My foot slid all the way out” is in reference to the vampire she had been fighting. She kicked him in the chest and got her stiletto heel stuck, allowing him to drag her across the room. Only Anita…
In an interesting twist, at the end of the book Anita learns of a vampire whose faith is strong enough to power holy objects. I like this new wrinkle because it calls into question the whole “vampires are evil” thing. Anita had already more-or-less made that jump – that vampires are like people, so some are good and some are evil – but this just reinforces it.
One of the key elements underlying the power of holy objects in Anita’s world is that it’s not limited to Christian imagery. Anything the characters have faith in will work. This reflects one of the themes that Ms. Hamilton frequently works with: all religions are created equal. Vaundun, Wicca, ancient Aztec gods, Christianity – issues of faith and religion permeate her story lines. Circling back to Kristin’s blog, you could say that Anita Blake is an equal opportunity offender.
Over the course of the twenty one (!) books, Anita is forced to revise and refine her own faith because of what she experiences. She was raised Roman Catholic but became Episcopalian after the Pope excommunicated all necromancers. In the early books she struggles with where her power as a necromancer come from, finally coming to terms with it by realizing (and I’m paraphrasing), “if God wanted to strike me down he would and he hasn’t so I must be okay”. Her understanding of good and evil becomes more nuanced as she matures, but her faith – and her ability to power holy objects – remains a key part of her personality.
To research this post I searched terms like Anita Blake + religion and Anita Blake + faith and Laurell K Hamilton + religion, and was surprised to see that except for a couple fanfic hits, I got nothing. Instead, the posts and comments I saw ran to the following: “You can’t be sleeping with six guys and have morals” (random blog comment)
Can you?
You could argue that Anita’s faith is window dressing, and her shifts in understanding are just rationalizing bad behavior. I think it goes deeper than that. I believe Ms. Hamilton has used these stories to work out ideas about her own faith, and for sure she’s given me stuff to think about. That’s the important thing. To quote from one of the comments on Kristin’s post,
“I think writing and art have every right to question religion, and that they don’t have an obligation to tread lightly around that subject any more than they ought to dance around sexual orientation, portrayal of women, or politics. They’re always going to offend someone. If they write in the mind of trying to please everyone, they’ll lose every viewer they have.” (Emmie Mears blog comment)
In my mind, the reason to write paranormal fiction is that it gives you the opportunity to explore intense themes with a safety net. In the real world, no one can raise the dead or turn into a werewolf or have physical relationships with six men at once. Anita’s world isn’t reality, though. Framing issues of love and loss, good and evil, and yes, faith, in a paranormal context can give a writer the freedom to explore ideas that go beyond the real world. Yeah, these explorations might offend some people, but that’s what makes them worthwhile.
Peace,
Liv
July 20, 2012
Hot Streak – New Books
So I’m pleased to say that not only have I had time to read this summer, I’ve been on a lucky streak and have come across several good books in a row. I’m not going to review them here, exactly, just show titles and Amazon links and tell you a couple reasons why I recommend them. You won’t be surprised to see that all but one are some flavor of paranormal. Don’t ask me how that one romantic suspense got in there…
Discount Armegeddon by Seanan McGuire This has to be the most original take on the paranormal genre I’ve read in a while. The main character is a cryptozoologist who sidelines as a ballroom dancer in New York City. How fun is that? There are engaging characters, a quick-moving plot, and humor – just about everything I like in a book. And I love the cover art, which is why I’m risking a lawsuit by posting it on my blog.
Royal Street by Suzanne Johnson I loved this book – I mean, you knew that because I’m including it in this post, but still. It’s a paranormal adventure set in New Orleans starting the weekend Katrina hits, and Ms. Johnson does a stellar job of both telling a great story and showing what it was like to live through the storm and its aftermath. I always kinda had a crush on Jean Lafitte, but now….
Material Witness by Lisa Mondello I saw the first chapter to this one on the author’s blog and got totally hooked – so hooked that I waited out the purgatory period when it was only available for Nook so I could get it on my Kindle. And you know what, y’all? There are NO vampires in this one. And I still liked it a whole lot. There’s lots of romantic in intensity and a pace that’ll keep you turning e-pages.
First Grave On The Right by Darynda Jones This one comes with a little bit of an asterisk, because the main character totally got on my nerves and I really can’t think about the plot too hard without poking holes in it. That said, I read it in, like, a day, and am contemplating book two in the series. Go figure. She tells a hell of a story, is all I can say. And her Bad Boy is WAY hot…
Unseen by Rabia Gale I scooped this one up and read it this morning. It’s a pair of short stories with generally paranormal themes. I’ve read Shattered: Broken Fairy Tales which is an earlier short story collections by this author, and in both she impressed me with her elegance and unique way of seeing things.I highly recommend both of these collections.
That’s all for today. Next on the TBR pile is The Alchemist of Souls by Anne Lyle. After that? I’m open to suggestion…
Have a great weekend!
Peace,
Liv
July 7, 2012
True Blood vs Southern Vampire Mysteries - The Final Throwdown
So if you've been playing along, you know that Kirstin McFarland and I have done a series of posts comparing True Blood with the books on which is was based, The Southern Vampire Mysteries. We've alternated blogs, so if you're just stumbling over this and want to catch up, the first post was on her blog HERE, #2 was on my blog HERE, and #3 was on her blog HERE. We've talked about differences in tone and humor, compared notes on Sookie, and generally had a blast.
So enough rambling already. Here's the last post, in which we ask...
Who does Sookie end up with?
(Wait, here's a short (arguably unnecessary) disclaimer. I wrote this before reading Deadlocked, the newest Sookie book. I think it's safe to say my answer wouldn't change much if I'd read the book first.)
LR: Okay, so we’ve covered some of our likes and dislikes and the humor thing and some of our ideas about Sookie. Now I gotta ask you, who does she end up with? Ms. Charlaine has said that Sookie will find her HEA (happily ever after) with someone at the end of the series. From your perspective, which guy should that be?
KM: Oh, man, that’s such a tough question. At different stages of the show, I would have given different answers. At first, it would’ve been Bill because Eric was so cold and, well, inhuman. But after the second season, Eric starts to warm up and Bill loses a lot of his luster.
Right now, I’d say Eric. Bill clearly has issues with who and what he is (hello, super-disturbing sex scene with his Maker!), while Eric is quite comfortable with his life as a vampire. Yes, he has done despicable things, but he is who he is, without lying or faking. Of course his whole memory loss muddied those waters a bit, but the fact remains that Bill has consistently lied and used Sookie to further his own agenda. Eric treats Sookie like a partner, sharing with him in the danger, while Bill treats her like a delicate flower he must protect from danger with lies and manipulation. (Okay, that’s not great parallelism, but you get my drift.)
Look at Sookie’s disappearance into Faerie and the two men’s reactions to it: Eric buys her house and keeps it for her, and Bill tells people Sookie was out on a secret mission for him. Both actions are meant to help Sookie and to make her transition back into this world easier, but one vampire protected the world she knew and the other embroiled her in another set of lies.
On the other hand, can she end up with a vampire? Her blood is basically vampire heroin. Can you really be in a relationship with someone who is addicted to you?
So, I’ll toss this hot potato right back to you: who should book-Sookie end up with?
LR: Ack! That’s THE question, isn’t it. I think the pool of candidates is bigger in the books – Alcide, Quinn, and even Sam are all distinct possibilities. I’m not sure of the answer, either, but I can tell you that I DON’T think she’ll end up with a vampire. She’s already struggling with the fact that she could end up an old woman with a lover who looks like he’s in his twenties. Alcide is too much the were-version of Eric – a leader who puts his responsibility towards the group ahead of his personal needs. And Quinn’s got family baggage that will always come ahead of Sookie. He’s cute, but awfully broken.
It may be that after so many years of being friends, she and Sam realize that their values and needs line up and the friendship becomes something more. Yeah, that could happen, though it leaves me feeling kind of meh. What I hope – and I know I risk being slammed by Team_____ adherents everywhere – is that Ms Charlaine has a new character in the wings, someone who’s a grown-up, someone who has a paranormal background but who gets older like Sookie will. We’re down to the last couple books, so she’d have to work fast, but there’s still time to bring in someone new.
And with that, I think I’ve exhausted what I’ve got to say about The Southern Vampire Mysteries. I’m looking forward to the May 1 release of Deadlocked and might even check out the next season of True Blood. The biggest burning issue I have that’s still unresolved whether or not they did put Eric in pink & blue Lycra for that scene in True Blood.
~
Alas, they did NOT dress Eric in Lycra, or I would totally have posted a picture for you to see. Thanks, Kristin, for sharing your knowledge and insights. From what I hear, Season 5 of True Blood is tearing up Sunday nights. And for those of you reading along, which is your preference, the books or the TV series? Or are you equal-opportunity Sookie fans?
Peace,
Liv
(I'm posting the True Blood theme song not to show a preference but only because the books don't have a theme song. And as you watch it, ask yourself why vampires can't seem to wipe their mouths after drinking someone's blood. I totally want to run after them with a napkin...)
July 3, 2012
Baby You Can Drive My Car
I'm worried about my husband.
See, there are two kinds of drivers in the world: those who can drive a car with manual transmission, and, well, the REST of us that drive automatics. And these days, the REST of us make up the clear majority.
How many of you can drive a car with manual transmission? Like, do you know when to step on the clutch and shift from first to second gear and so forth? Probably not many of you. Trolling websites like Digital Trends showed me that these days only something like 6 - 7% of new cars sold have manual transmission.
And why would you want one?
I mean, anyone who tries to navigate a daily commute in stop and go traffic while farting about between first and second gear either has way too much time on their hands or is crazy. Bonkers. Like that. And throw a couple kids in the back? Not even.
And therefore my concern for my husband.
This is what my husband's car WANTS to be.He drives a brand new 2012 Chevy HHR with a standard transmission. And he loves it, despite the fact that for the last several months, he's been commuting to a job site through one of the busiest traffic corridors in our area. While I get the appeal of the wanna-be bad ass image you project in the '40s gangster inspired car as you pop it into 5th gear on the open road, the daily grind of moving up the freeway at between 10 and 20 miles an hour without stalling the thing out would make me crazy.But then he always has been the patient one.
I drove it the other day. We were having a typically Rancourtian how-many-events-can-we-cram-into-one-48-hour-period type of weekend, and me and the kids had to meet him at a barbeque. I took his car because his had gas and mine didn't. And, because the beautiful city of Seattle has some of the worst traffic in the country, I got to navigate a chunk of I5 at under 25mph. I managed it without stalling, but it's not something I want to repeat any time soon. Or ever.
So if you're on the road this holiday, stepping on the clutch or turning the key or punching the button, keep your seat-belt buckled and have a safe trip. Happy 4th of July (or Happy Canada Day a little late)!
This video is by a band called The Hot Rats. Never heard of them before, but I like their version of The Beatle's "Drive My Car". Their video catches the spirit, too. Enjoy...
Peace,
Liv
July 1, 2012
Team Sophia: Aloha Edition
There’s really not a lot I need to say here. YOU, the readers of this blog, raised over $2000 to help Stacey take Sophia to visit Grandma & Grandpa in Hawaii. They’re there now, and just the other day, Sophia got to be the flower girl at a wedding where this picture was taken.Thank you.
Stacey sent this message along with the picture:
A huge mahalo to all those who helped get us to Hawaii. We are perfectly pink in Paradise.
You guys rock. You really do.
Peace,
Liv
(Just a reminder...I've got some good news and some bad news. The good news is that the fabulous Laird at Memphis McKay has totally overhauled my website (www.livrancourt.com) and it's new and amazing and I love it. The part I have mixed feelings about is that we've built a new blog on the website, and I'll be leaving Blogger behind. Please check out my new site, and if you're one of the lovely Rancourtesans who has been following through Google, you can easily hook up the RSS feed or email to the new site. I'll be posting here for the next couple weeks to allow time for the transition. Thanks so very much!)
June 30, 2012
True Blood vs Southern Vampire Mysteries Throwdown #3
Good morning, my lovely Rancourtesans. I'm sitting at a Starbucks on the shores of the lovely Lake Chelan, trying to get a quick blog post done before the husband comes to full consciousness and decides it's time to pack the motor home and go home.
:(
Today is the third post in the True Blood vs Southern Vampire Mysteries throw-down. If you've been playing along, you'll remember that Kristin McFarland and I have been sharing posts for the last couple weeks - she provides excellent and thought-provoking insights on True Blood, and I cover the written series. In the first post we talked in broad strokes about our likes and dislikes (check it on on her blog HERE) and last week we sliced and diced Sookie (on my blog HERE).
This week's post is back on Kristin's blog. I'm going to share the first bit to whet your appetite and give you a link so you can jump over to see the rest of the post. And if you're here from the AvD blog hop, welcome. I couldn't figure out the sticky thing, but my demon-loving post is HERE.
Y'all have a great day!
Peace,
Liv
LR: Which brings up the subject of Pam. Of all the casting choices Alan Ball made, she’s my least favorite, because the book Pam was more like Alice In Wonderland with fangs. She’s also Sookie’s only vampire friend. What do you think of Pam? Is she a friend to Sookie?
KM: NO. She is not Sookie’s friend. I think I can say that pretty emphatically. I like Pam a lot (I think she’s hilarious, and a friend once told me I look like her, so that gives me a soft spot for her), but she’s definitely Eric’s henchwoman. She repeatedly gets pissed at Eric for putting the pair of them in danger on Sookie’s behalf. She’s definitely an ‘us-versus-the-world’ kind of gal....
Now go HERE to check out the rest of the post. We get Eric into blue and pink lycra...just sayin'...
June 27, 2012
...and the demons who loved them.
Why demons?
Why not vampires or zombies or other form or paranormal baddie?
Got two words for that one: Pure Evil.
See, a vampire might accidentally drain a human, which is a bad thing, but they're essentially predators, so killing humans is kind of what they do. Nothing personal, right? And zombies need brains to survive. The fact that those brains are stuck on human shoulders is just our bad luck.
But what is a demon, exactly? Wikipedia says, "In Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, calling for an exorcism."
These are NOT the good guys, and they really don't have any excuse for their behavior. They exist solely to make trouble, and they're pretty good at it. Anyone who has seen The Exorcist knows what I'm talking about.
Now some paranormal authors have deliberately diluted the absolute evil possessed by the traditional demon, making them closer to naughty-bad-boy characters. Aliagarept, the demon Rachel Morgan works with in The Hollows series, is way more complicated and interesting than any one-note bad guy I can think of. He does what it takes to get what he wants - although not always successfully, which is a good thing for Rachel.
So if you're casting around for a character who needs to be bad, but without the baggage of a vampire, the fur of a shifter, and the, well, yuck factor of a zombie, consider creating a demon. They're intelligent and cruel and absolutely selfish. Hmm, sounds like some of the men I dated...
And while you're at it, leave a comment describing your favorite demon character. I'll be giving away a $5 Amazon gift card to one commenter, and there will be a couple of grand-prizes for the blog hop as a whole - one Kindle Touch and one $60 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card. Leave a comment here and then peruse the list of participating blogs below. The more you visit, the more chances you have to win!
And if you're ambitious, click the link to see my brand new webpage www.livrancourt.com. I'll do a second drawing for a $5 Amazon gift card for those who use the 'contact me' feature on the webpage and tell me they came from the Angels & Demons blog hop.
She’s a quiet, unassuming bookstore owner by day, but bynight...
Kristen has a deadly secret—when she smells a vampire, sheturns into Jai, a beauti-licious babe who makes vampspermanently dead. To a vamp, Jai is like ambrosia. They can’tresist her. She uses this attraction, plus her super strength andher trusty blade, Mr. Sticky, to end their undead lives. The thrillof wearing miniskirts without worrying about cellulite stiflesany qualms Kristen might have about killing the undead. BeingJai is the most fun she has ever had—until they come upagainst the one vampire Jai can’t kill. If he and Jai have a history,as he claims, Jai can’t remember it...or him.
But when her work catches the attention of some oldenemies—who won’t hesitate to destroy Kristen if it alsomeans the end of Jai—this vampire may be their only hope.Can Kristen and Jai learn to tell the difference between goodand evil in time to defeat Jai’s ancient nemesis? Or will beingJai’s hostess cost Kristen more than just her beauty sleep?Available from Black Opal Books, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.
Bonded By Crimson ... with Zrinka Jelic
And now I'm excited to welcome today's guest, Black Opal Books author Zrinka Jelic. Her book, Bonded By Crimson , is a lovely paranormal romance, and though I'm only half finished with it, I can tell you that the exotic locations and European charm make it a really fun read. Check out my interview with Zrinka, and below that, a blurb for Bonded By Crimson .
LR: What’s the most compelling thing about your most recent project, the thing that’s kept your butt in the chair through hours of writing and revising? ZJ: The heroine in my work in progress (wip) is a single, self-sufficient, career oriented woman. So when she returns from a business trip and finds a husband and a couple of kids at home, needless to say she’s in state of shock. Though she is instantly attracted to him and starts to get feelings for the kids, at first she thinks he’s an intruder and tries to kick him out, but everything and everyone proves they are a married couple. In her single life she is promiscuous and when she comes on too strong, her husband will refuse her, and consequently punish her by denying her what he wants (he’s a bit of a Dom and loves to play teasing games). But when her reward time comes, it will be earth shattering. (LR: COOL!)
LR: If you had to recommend one writing resource, either a class or a book or a workshop, what would that be? What’s had the most impact on your work?ZJ: I read a few books on how to write a book and I can compare them to those parenting books. Both made me feel guilty. The parenting books, because I used disposable diapers over cloth, because I used store bought wipes, when a moistened cloth would do, for sticking a pacifier in my baby’s mouth. The book writing books for not plotting and laying the hero’s journey and character’s arc down. For not drafting every scene in detail. I tried all of that, and felt silly to say the least and not to mention that I never referred back to it. But the books did point other things that I used in my writing, just doing the exercises made me feel like I’m wasting my time. As far as workshops and classes, I can honestly say not every workshop is created the same, even if they have same name. As a FFnP class moderator, I see any editing class fill up quickly. And it comes down to the instructor. Are they going to assign homework and give feedback on it? Are the lessons clear and easy to understand? Instructors who don’t ask for works to be submitted, usually have low enrollment in their classes. People want feedback, something they can learn from. I’ve taken a moth long, highly acclaimed editing workshop and got nothing out of it.
LR: Fantasy or reality? Most people lean one way or the other in their work. Do you have a preference, or do you swing both ways? ZJ: I tend to swing towards reality and mix fantasy elements with it. I like to throw ordinary character in an extraordinary situation. When mischievous faeries, playful angels, mysterious vamps and other immortals pull the life strings, it is interesting to see how my characters will cope.(LR: LOVE IT!)LR: Clutter or quiet? Which one makes it possible for you to be creative? Describe your perfect writing situation.ZJ: Definitely, quiet. And tidy. Though it’s hard with kids at home. Once I went to work at Starbucks, but couldn’t. Every time barista called someone’s order of extra grande-vendi-something something … I’d lose my train of thought. Frothing from the machine didn’t help either.
LR: How to you juggle all your hats (spouse, parent, worker-bee, housekeeper, writer)?ZJ: Well, for now I’m staying-at-home-mom so at least I don’t have to rush off to work in the morning and put in 8 plus hours. But that will change once my little one starts school next fall. Still, it is a balancing act, and especially if you have three people make mess and only one who cleans. Some days, writing is the last thing I do before the bed. But I have to put down at least a few words. I envy those who write thousands of words per day, but I just read a blog where the author says the real craft takes slow simmer and lots of stirring, or it will come out lumpy and mushy. There is truth in those words. I cannot rush a good thing.
LR: What’s your favorite non-writing activity? Like, are you a closet marathon runner? Could you crochet a house-cozy if you had to? ZJ: My favorite non-writing activity is working out in the gym, or jogging outside. I try to squeeze a workout per day, but I consider myself lucky if I get to work out three times in a week. I don’t crochet, but I can knit, though I haven’t done that in a long time.
LR: Football, basketball, baseball or soccer? Which one gets your blood moving the fastest – or is there another sport you prefer? ZJ: At the moment it’s soccer with UEFA 2012 even if Croatia lost against Spain in the last game. I’m not a big sports fan and thanks god neither is my hubby. If I watch any sports it’s because either Croatian team is playing, or it’s artistic like figure skating.
LR: What’s next on your horizon? Describe your current WIP(s) or other upcoming project.ZJ: I mentioned one of my current WIP(s) above. I have another one on the back burner. It’s a prequel to Bonded by Crimson that’s about half done, but other ideas keep coming to me so that one kind of ends up pushed aside. I’m determined to finish it, no matter what. It’s the question of when not if. And I also have a finished Thanks for playing along today, Zrinka. I'm lovin' your book, and look forward to whatever you come up with next!Peace,Liv
Bonded By Crimson is available from Black Opal Books, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. Love isn’t in the cards for her…After her short failed marriage, Kate tries to rebuild her life and takes a position as a nanny to three small boys. She quickly grows to love them, but their father, terrifies her, while igniting a passion she didn’t know she possessed. Disturbed by his distant manner with his sons, Kate struggles to make him more involved in the boys’ daily lives. Her efforts are mysteriously supported by an entity that cannot really exist. Or can she? And if she does exist, is she really trying to help Kate, or just take over her body?
But when he deals the hand, all bets are off…
Six years after his beloved wife passed away, Matthias is still trying to become the father she wanted him to be. Not an easy task for a three-centuries-old immortal. His search for the ultimate nanny ends when Kate Rokov stumbles to his home and into his arms. The immediate attraction he feels for her seems like a betrayal of his dead wife, a love he’s harboured for over three hundred years. But when Kate is stalked by a deadly stranger, life he clung to in the past begins to crumble and break down. Can Matthias learn to trust and to love again in time to save his family from disaster, or will his stubborn pride destroy everything worth living for?
June 26, 2012
Guest Posts
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
You're right. I've been guest blogging all over the place, and since I couldn't get my act together to write an additional post for my own blog, I'm doing a mash-up of my recent guest posts in hopes that you'll check them out if you haven't already...
Last Friday I had a post on Kristin McFarland's blog, writing about Steampunk & Corsets, in which I pose the question, "Is the corset a symbol of oppression, or a sign of liberated self-expression?"
Sounds serious, don't it?
Then on Sunday, I was at Dawn's Reading Nook, complaining about sex scenes. Actually, I was complaining about badly written...oh, never mind. Check it out for yourself.
(And no, I don't have a picture to illustrate my sex scenes rant. Sorry...)
And finally, yesterday I had a guest post on Denise Moncrief's blog, Suspense, She Writes. This one describes my cunning plan for getting work done during the summer months when computer-competition heats up to Olympian levels.
So that's what I've been up to. What have you been doing? Please share in the comments...Peace,
Liv
Photo credits:
Olympic Logo http://www.logostage.com/logo/olympic...
Steampunk Ladies (from Etsy)
June 23, 2012
Southern Vampire Mysteries vs. True Blood #2
So as you may remember from last week, the very cool Kristin McFarland and I have cooperated on a series of blog posts comparing and contrasting True Blood with the books the show is based on, The Southern Vampire Mysteries. We're alternating blogs - last week's post was on her blog, with just a teaser on mine. You can find the whole post here.
Now this week, we take on Sookie. I'm going to get out of the way and pick the conversation up where last week's post left it...
LR: I noticed in your comments that you cite Alan Ball’s vision and Eric…I mean, and “the sexy men”, as reasons for watching the show. You managed to NOT mention the main character. What’s up with you and Sookie? Is she too Mary Sue for you?KM:
That’s interesting! You may convince me to read the books through yet. Part of what turns me off about the show is the continual darkness. It’s just so… grim. Anyway, that’s probably a topic for another question. Sookie does bother me a bit. Wikipedia says a Mary Sue is “a character whose positive aspects overwhelm their other traits until they become one-dimensional,” and that describes Sookie. She’s kind, she’s sassy, she’s hot, she’s loving… She’s everything. The trouble is, she’s just so trusting and naïve, at least at the beginning of the show, that she drives me up the wall. She wouldn’t end up in half the dangerous situations she does if she would just question the motives of the people around her. She’s so busy trying to save everyone, though, that she never really holds them accountable for their actions.
On the other hand, maybe that’s part of her charm, like Rose on Doctor Who. Just when you think she’s the blandest person ever, she’ll go and hug some supernatural creature most of us would run away from. It’s both her greatest strength and her weakness, but maybe I’m not sentimental enough to identify with or love that trait.
Her relationships with the men in the show trouble me, too, and I could probably write a whole blog post about that… Oh, wait, I have, haven’t I? Three of them! It seems to me, though, that she’s part of an insidious fantasy trope that places trusting, innocent, sweet women in juxtaposition with a secretive, violent man. Sookie’s almost the archetype for that: she has power, but she’s afraid to use it, and I hate to see that in a female protagonist.
What about book-Sookie makes her a strong enough character to carry a first-person, twelve-book series? There has to be something there.
LR: Ah, Sookie…she’s every girl with a twist. For a look at the essential Sookie, you have to read Club Dead. She starts out getting dumped by Bill, which is one of the saddest break-up scenes I’ve ever read. Then she finds out Bill has apparently been kidnapped (vampire-napped?) and Eric proposes that she travel to Mississippi to rescue him. She agrees because it’s the right thing to do, and because part of her wants a chance to tell Bill off. Eric arranges for Alcide to travel with her – a situation Eric later comes to regret because of the chemistry between them, but that’s for another essay.
There are two scenes in Club Dead that really illustrate her personality (spoiler alert!). First, she gets badly injured in a bar fight and taken to the home of the vampire King of Mississippi. There’s a guy there who can heal her, but it’s gonna hurt. Eric has turned up and says he’ll take the pain away but she has to give up control. See, one of the things that vampires find so intriguing about Sookie is that they can’t control her mind the way they do with other humans. She lets him help her, and then, after the healing’s done, almost gives in to his other, more romantic, demand. In the nick of time they get interrupted by Bubba, the Elvis Vampire, who points out that Mr. Bill would likely be unhappy to find Mr. Eric laying on top of Miss Sookie. Sookie gets a handle on herself and pushes Eric away.
This is perfect Charlaine Harris, pushing you to the brink with her characters, then pulling away with a dose of humor. I still giggle every time I read it. The later scene doesn’t have the humor but is no less satisfying. It’s the last scene in the book, when after a hugely traumatic stretch of werewolf attacks and evil Debbie Pelt experiences, they get back to Bon Temps. Both Bill and Eric are in Sookie’s house, and she’s mad at both of them, so she rescinds their invitations, forcing them both to leave. There’s some fire under that bouncy ponytail, and she lets them have it.
In re-reading your analysis of the TV Sookie, I’d say that I don’t think the book Sookie is naïve and trusting as much as she is lonely. She lived a lot of years with everyone around her thinking she was crazy, and now she’s found a community of people who look at her differences and see strength instead of weirdness. She couldn’t date a human, because she’d always know what he REALLY thought of her outfit. Then she meets Bill, and not only can she relax around him because she can’t read his thoughts, he teaches her how to shield which gives her peace of mind around the rest of the world. She’s not a complete pushover, but she does enjoy being around men who think she’s got something to offer. And supernatural women like her, too….
Which brings up the subject of Pam. Of all the casting choices Alan Ball made, she’s my least favorite, because the book Pam was more like Alice In Wonderland with fangs. She’s also Sookie’s only vampire friend. What do you think of Pam? Is she a friend to Sookie?
'Kay gang, you'll have to check back next week to see what Kristin & I think of Pam. Thanks for playing along.Peace,Liv
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