SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

Discuss your favorite or not so favorite characters here!

Personally, I loved Logen Ninefingers as a character. =)

I like how (view spoiler)[ he keeps things "realistic" and has a berserker side. (hide spoiler)] He's methodical & determined, he's not stupid or cruel, he's got a history and a past he's not proud of, and he just can't be put down.

Also really liked Logen's crew from the north. All of them.

I also found Major West to be a rather upstanding character lost in the mire, and also enjoyed Ferro & Bayaz a lot as characters. I mean, who doesn't like a crazy old mage, and a mean tempered desert cat to boot?

And Luthar... now there's an interesting one for following character development.

Always had a love hate relationship with Glokta. Feel for him - a bit, but find him loathsome and disgusting... (I think that might have been the emotion I was supposed to have though).

Have very mixed feeling's about Major West's sister too (forgot her name right now)...

I found this book odd, because in all cases the characters are strong and unique... but generally not what you might call "likeable." They pretty much all have serious character flaws, dark histories, and bleak outlooks. However, somehow Joe Abercrombie thoughtfully intertwined them together into a series I enjoyed thoroughly and remember well.

I know you're supposed to dislike Glokta from the outset, and maybe it's just from having read the entire series, but I just love the guy.

In fact, I actually really like all the characters in this series. With a focus on Glokta and the North men. And of course Jezal, who is just such a pompous twit that you can't help but watch and wait for some giant hammer to come crashing down on him.

Ala wrote: "pompous twit..."

great description. =)

Yes. Glokta IS honest with himself (smart too). IMO, of all the characters, his plight is the worst. Yet, he DEALS with it, actually makes the best of it, and STILL finds it within himself to help others - knowing there is no reward (but that's probably more in later novels).

For Glokta to have survived his past, he must clearly be very strong mentally, but he is jaded. His character is pitiful (def. inspiring mixed contempt and pity).

Although I think it's more disgust and disappointment than contempt.

I think the trait that gave Glokta the ability to deal with his crazy situation was not caring if he died: "body found floating by the docks..." lol

I love Ninefingers. I think that he's the best person that he can be considering the barbaric society he comes from.

At first I did not care for Glotka, but he grew on me. I love the inner dialogue he has with himself.

I like Bayaz, although I'm wondering if I will continue to do so in the following books, (view spoiler)[as he seems to be manipulating everyone towards whatever goal he has in mind. (hide spoiler)] But so far, he's a very likeable wizard.

I want to like Jezal, the dashing young officer, but he's so self-centered. I think he has a self esteem issue. I'm hoping he will grow up as the story progresses.

Major West seems like an upstanding guy, for the most part. I don't feel strongly for him either way.

Ferro was introduced later in the book, so I don't feel I've had time to get to know her very well yet. She has issues, but who can blame her.

Overall, all the characters have their good and bad points. I'm looking forward to learning more about them.

Glokta is my favorite character all though the series. I think Glokta's internal dailog is what I enjoy the most about the character.

Diane, i was the exact opposite: logen's chapter in the front of the book bored me, and he didn't grow on me until he got into the city. glokta, though, i loved right from the get-go.

I love Glokta and I don't mind his internal dialogue. However, some of it is very tedious. I think he's sustained my interest throughout.

I also love Logen - can't get enough of him. I actually laughed when he started eating a flower thinking it was the food to be served and the big dinner.

Jezal I can happily ignore. Bayaz is not too bad. I like Logen's crew from the north and Major West. Haven't got a feel for the Southerners yet.

Logan and Glokta are easily my two favorite characters. Something about their sense of weariness makes them more likeable to me.

I don't care for Jezel, because he just seems to be such a spoiled little jerk. I'm sure he could grow, I just don't now if I care.

Ferro is fairly new to me, since I'm still plowing through the book, but I have the two sequels, so I figured she would develop more in those books. Right now she's just very one-note and uninteresting.

Kara wrote: "...I found this book odd, because in all cases the characters are strong and unique... but generally not what you might call "likeable." They pretty much all have serious character flaws, dark histories, and bleak outlooks. "

Discussion of characters in The Name of the Wind thread, as well as this thread make me wonder, what makes a "likeable" character for you?

I love plenty of characters who do terrible things and/or might be considered anti-heroes - Glokta in The Blade Itself, Dexter in Jeff Lindsay's series, etc. I consider them likeable because their stories are really interesting, I like hearing their inner dialogue & I can intellectually understand (if not morally agree with) why they do the things they do. My criteria for likeability appears to depend, in part, on how entertaining I find the character to be.

I can only think of a few characters that I hate (& for me I either love a character, find them kinda meh, or hate them). One is Nynaeve from Robert Jordan's WOT series (although Brandon Sanderson has done a lot towards redeeming her in my opinion). I could never understand why Nynaeve whined so much, and her motivation escaped me. I know that I hated her character because I was always tempted to skip her sections when I was reading. Nynaeve is what I would describe as an unlikeable character.

Having said all that, Logan & Glokta are my favorites in this story.

Likeable to me means asking the question "who do I want to have bbq/a beer/drink with."

I mean, a character may be interesting, but one I hate (or love to hate)is not one I would be caught dead (figuratively) with, but you have to admit, both Logan and/or Glokta might make for some interesting dinnertime fun (assuming you have as strong a stomach as I do ;) )

Suz wrote: "Likeable to me means asking the question "who do I want to have bbq/a beer/drink with."

...both Logan and/or Glokta might make for some interesting dinnertime fun (assuming you have as strong a stomach as I do "

LOL. I don't think I have the stomach for Glokta's toothless grin & slurping soup (not to mention that I might cross the wrong conversational line & end up being questioned).

If I were asking who I wanted to hang out with in real life, I might have a different list of characters I call likeable. It's easier for me to understand differences in how others appreciate (or don't) certain characters. Thanks.

a likable character is an engaging one, I think. if it's just about being friendly or fun, then jezal would be likable, and he's a jerk. the author has to come up with some way to make me give a damn about what happens to that character for my brain/emotions to engage with them. even when a character is doing something awful, or makes choices that I most definitely would not, I have to be able to empathize with what they're doing for them to be "likable". well-written villains and antiheroes like Dexter can be thoroughly engaging even when you think what they're doing is dead wrong. characters that I don't care about at all, though, could be ones I agree with thoroughly and still hate.

and yeah, Suz, I'd totally share a bottle of wine with glokta!

I like Jezal because it's like he's a romance novel hero that wandered into the wrong genre. He's nobility, young, handsome, rich, and in the military. He's fully swoon worthy. Of course we see him well enough to realize he's got some major flaws, but nothing that I view as making him irredeemable. The flaws he has are also typical romance novel hero flaws used to create conflict: class conscious, self-centered, stubborn, etc.

Having the girl look at him in disdain is just hilarious.

Stacia wrote: "Discussion of characters in The Name of the Wind thread, as well as this thread make me wonder, what makes a "likeable" character for you?"

Not sure what I said over there, but I think Suz answered it best with...

Suz wrote: "Likeable to me means asking the question "who do I want to have bbq/a beer/drink with."

I can love characters in a book without ever considering them "likable," a.k.a. someone I would hang out with personally, or someone whose character traits are pleasant to be around, someone I would get along with... clearly, it's subjective, but that's what I meant by it.

It's been a bit since I read these, but off the top of my head, I recall thinking I would "like" Major West. Not many of the others... but I love Logen as a character. (view spoiler)[ Jezal grew on me a lot as the books went on, I think in the end, he might be someone I would "like" as well. (hide spoiler)]

Kara wrote: "Not sure what I said over there..."

Sorry if I was unclear, it's not anything you or anyone else said in particular in the other thread. It just so happens that in the two threads I participated in recently, the discussion involved "likeable" characters. After reading some of the responses, I started thinking that "likeable" meant different things to different readers and was interested to see some clarification.

I love most Malacus Quai and Bayaz - both :o) and Collem West. Then I like Logen (and Dogman and Forley)and Ardee, Collem´s sister. And myabe a little Jezal dan Luthar. I feel pitty for Ferro and Sand dan Glockta.
Weak, tender and cute Malacus Quai with kind (former barbarian murder) Logen is so sweet picture! I adore it!