Eddings

Reading characters

I began reading David and Leigh Eddings's The Elder Gods after I heard of his death. I was very saddened by his passing. His novels, particularly his large series about Belgarion, have meant a great deal to me. I had read v. little medieval-style fantasy before my best friend sort of forced me to read the Belgariad. Now, I'm hooked. And, of course, sad that it's over.
Reading The Elder Gods has actually made me homesick (booksick?) for the world of the Belgariad, and missing some of the people in it. Eddings built worlds and people that stay with you. I dare you not to crush on Silk, adore Barak, want to bitch slap C'Nedra or fall in love with Durnik and plot to steal him away from the most powerful sorceress in multiple worlds. Dare you. Of course the story is important and well developed, but the characters are the shinging stars. Eddings used archetypes for his characters, so they always feel comfortable and familiar to begin with. From there he makes them lovable. So you keep reading. You want to see more of Barak and his jovial nature, and you wonder about all the mischief Silk can get in to. And you cry a little when they die, and a little more when they fall in love with someone who isn't you (What, besides incomparable beauty, a big heart, and nearly more power than the gods does she have that I don't?! I'm younger, you know!).

So, in the current series there are of course characters written to win you over. One that stands out to me already (about a third of the way in) is Red-Beard. Do they know that I adore the jovial big guy? They smarter than he looks burly one? Is that why they (David Edding's ewife, Leigh, now gets double billing - she's been helping for years!) keep writing this character in to the stories? It's the guy you always want a to have a pint with. That's who Barak is. That's who Red-Beard is. He makes me remember the good times I strike>had read with him. I keep fearing this means he will die when the big war comes. It's good story telling - not everyone you love can live in the end. ::sigh::

After this first Dreamers book, I think I'll go back and finish the Mallorean. I really need to close the door on that story. I need to know how it ends - how they catch Zandramas, how Belgarian gets Ce'Nedra and their son through it. Who dies. Who Belgarath and Beldin insult and how. It makes me laugh and tear up all at once.

Goodbye, Mr. Eddings. You are missed. Perhaps Leigh will write some more on her own.

Web Catalogs and book talk

I started a conversation about the perfect man. I mentioned a character from David Eddings's Belgariad series, and before I could explain the book series, she was disagreeing with me. I have yet to meet anyone, besides to person who first started me reading this author, who knew the series. And this woman has read them all! What a small joy to add to my day.

Usually I have no one to discuss these things with. I have considered utilizing the discussion boards on LibraryThing for this purpose. Also, I have just signed up on Goodreads. Not sure if I can use it differently than LibraryThing. On LT I have two catalogs - one of my reading since early 2007 and the other of my personal library. The latter is coming v. slowly - there are just too many other things to get done besides listing all my books. So, I think I'll explore Goodreads a bit. It may lead to the opportunity to talk about what I'm reading. I have no time for book clubs and pick up my reading in a v. helter skelter manner anyhow.

When I first learned of LibraryThing I was overjoyed. I have long excel schedules of books to read, books I've read. It's hard to keep track of things. And this links to Amazon and other catalogs to fill in all the information! I can catalog to particular copy I own, with the particular cover. Sometimes you need to input the information, but that is a small joy for me - knowing that my book is NOT in these other catalogs.

Readers are strange and wonderful people. Booklust drives us as much as the crave for information, imagination, or the warm fuzzy feeling of curling up with a good book. I like that these social networking/cataloging sites offer up the technology for us to talk to each other and discuss books, and revel in our obsessive need to organize and list our books! And share. I miss my freshman year of college when, in this one Japanese lit class, I had the most wonderful discussions on the historical nature of the readings, the characters, the plot, and all that deep, juicy goodness that makes up a work. I also remember the shear boredom and resentment I had senior year when I was forced through technicalities to take a freshman writing class with the most idiotic teacher they had. The man's depth of literary criticism was shallower than a puddle in the Gobi. I nearly threw an anthology at him one day. Did he not realize that taking the time to delve into a story is better than ice cream on a hot day? The discovery of something the writer wasn't even aware of, another facet of a character. Even to the non-English major these tidbits make the act of reading that much more pleasurable. And by not teaching this joy he was not encouraging his students to read, or read well. The discussion alone brings to light so much, expanding the breadth of meaning for the reader. It's fun, dammnit! I wanted to yell out loud in class.

Currently reading:
David Eddings - The King of the Murgos 9book two of the Mallorean)
Thea von Harbou - Metropolis (illus. by Michael Kaluta)