Laurell K. Hamilton Message Board
CriticalThinker posts on 12/18/2006 1:30:26 AM
Cindy, I'm glad you like the books, sadly, unless working in a rape crisis center, a sexual addiction group or having a conversation with Dr. Kervokian, is something I do everyday, then there are NO characters in the Anita Blake books that I can relate to.
I, personally, can not relate to a series where a bunch of men who have been described as ALPHA fawning around one woman, especially, when most Alpha men, at least the ones I know, wouldn't share gristle on their plate.
I can not relate to a group of characters, where the only way the author feels she can drum up sympathy for them is by having them all sodomized.
As adults, surely we have issues, but those issues aren't dregged thru our entire lives, nor do any of the adults I know use them to make excuses for treating people badly, abusing them, neglecting them, or forcing our own rigid sense of morals or ethics upon them.
Most people who have troubled childhoods, or problems as adults either get help, or deal with them, Anita does none of that.
Women who are enjoy having sex for the sake of having sex, don't use the excuse that something else made them do it and they know the difference between sex and love, Anita is portrayed with the logic of "I have sex, therefore I love." and the arduer "altering" people to be whatever she needs them to be just doesn't fly with me.
Sure, the novels are just fiction, however I prefer my fiction to make sense.
I believe that an author should stick to their rules, lastly I believe, that if an author wants me to go along for the ride, make the ride worth my while.
A series of lame excuses as to why this has to be this way or not that way. Just don't fly with me.
Cindy posts on 12/17/2006 5:43:53 PM
The Anita Blake books are great. There is not one person in these books we as people could not relate to. We all have our own internal conflicts and things about ourselves we wished we could change or go back and fix. But we can't. I like nowing that I can relate to a few of LKH characters. It makes reading about there lives so much fun. I personnel can't wait till the next book comes out. I'm ready to find out where lifes journey takes Anita.
CriticalThinker posts on 12/14/2006 6:57:42 PM
I want to preface this by saying: There are things in the series that I still love to read about.
I certainly do not, let me repeat that, DO NOT, have a problem with Anita having sex.
What I do have a problem with is her being forced to have sex.
First she had to have sex because Damian would die.
Now she has to have sex because she will die.
She doesn't chose to go along for the ride when the Arduer raises it's head, she just happens to be a along for the ride and the vehicle that skidding along while the Arduer is doing the driving.
My issues with the multiple strains of were she's now infected with, that now makes her and only her the perfect, Lupa, Nimir-Ra, Regina, Siren and the fount of all power for every supernatural that comes to her bed.
I love a good D&D game, as does anyone who's a fan of such things, but the one thing that anyone who plays such games can tell you it this:
No one likes to play with someone who had made their character a GOD, and sadly that is what Anita has become.
No that she "luvs" will ever get hurt or be killed off, if that's the case, then what's the point of really reading the series, where is the dramatic tension going to come from.
Surely no one wants to read about a "walk-on" character being murdered.
I "play" on the official LKH forum and much to my amusement there are two threads that I keep up with.
One is called "My feelings on the sex.." the second is "Is the series Bogged down?"
Much to my utter confusion, any one who states Sex is not character growth, is immediately dismissed as Frigid, a Prude or must have some unrevealed issues with sex.
Sadly, that's not the case, in my own defense I can say that I find the current premise of the books to be a series of sexual scenes strung together by roundabout issues, whining and/or copy and pasted arguements, scenes and dialogue from previous books.
I don't want to read that in a series that still holds the title: Anita Blake Vampire Hunter.
Tallon, I have read the blogs, between reading how she and her current spouse never have any alone time, essays and explanations for various Wiccan holidays, a synopsis on her day, needling hints about her sex life, the few mentions of how "Hard" she works to get her books out are far and few between.
Anissa posts on 12/14/2006 3:48:37 PM
Loved it! I just read that the next book will be started sometime in the next year and i'm already sooo excited! A Lick of Frost? I can't wait! Mistral's Kiss was good and surprising, or at least it's direction caught me off guard. I loved it and my only wish is that the next book be a bit longer... just can't get enough of this series. I read the first book as a fluke and fell in love. (Kinda weird since I didn't care much for the Anita Blake series I was originally introduced to.) I hope Laurel keeps this series going for a long while to come and I can't wait for the next book!
Alisha posts on 12/11/2006 1:21:07 PM
Only one more day until Mistral's Kiss comes out! I cannot wait, I love the Merry books and I can't wait to see what is in store for the Unseelie court. Any guesses on who will be Merry's king? I myself love Amatheon and Adair...but oh Frost he is my favorite but will he be able to keep his ealos insecureites at bay? Only time will tell.
TALLON posts on 12/8/2006 9:17:49 AM
I don't believe that anita is meant to be a were or she would not be able to fight off the change as she does but i would like to know what the fourth strain is i sometimes think that anita is going to have to go up against mommy dearest and that is why she is getting so powerful and having to find her way through it.
mandy posts on 12/7/2006 10:50:02 PM
Well thank god I'm the only person on this earth that doesn't see Anita falling to pieces. It's just that in the old books Anita had all these ligitimate issues that people could relate to and now there's just "well gee I hope he's not jeolous cause I'm sleeping with that stranger over there who just zapped into this book." Its ridiculous. You know what I need is a copy cat. When I was in love with Interview with the Vampire there were all these great stories on the internet about the characters. That is exactly what Anita needs. Who's going to write it for me? Just put that whole legal babel b4 it and vaola. Ok so it works for me but it would probably piss LKH off. And yes I have infact gone and read LKH's blog and I've something she should add in while she's expanding the love. Maybe Anita should become a vegitarian too, or hug a tree. At least ten men can be strapped the tree two if its big enough. Ok so I'm rambling this time but come on, love, give me a break. I've yet to see anything remotely resembling that in Anita's existence. And accepting what she is, more like giving up you mean, she'd already accepted that she was a necromancer. And here's one for you. If she's so accepting of it why doesn't she just choose a were to be already. She fightrs that at every twist and turn, yea real accepting all right. pah-lease!
CriticalThinker posts on 12/7/2006 6:14:28 PM
Sadly, I don't see Anita getting back to fighting the good fight, unless that entails beating down the people who were her friends before she became the only woman in St. Louis.
I actually returned DM back to the book store as I don't see how a woman being forced to have sex is character developement, nor do I see any character developement where every man is crawling thru broken glass to please Anita no matter what.
I just could not accept that all these alpha males were okay with Anita sharing her goodies with every man alpha or not, and they're not fighting about it. That goes so against my understanding of being an alpha.
Sadly, based on the signing I attended, the arduer is going to be around for about 4-5 more books, according to LKH.
TALLON posts on 12/7/2006 1:49:57 PM
I think all of you should go and read LKH blog and see how hard L works I have read all the anita books and if anything i feel anita is now a much more complete person as for the sex she has almost accepted what she is and is learning to control it so i expect the overwhelming violence will return.
Alisha posts on 11/16/2006 10:20:49 PM
I didn't properly convey what I was thinking before and you helped enlighten me Mandy. I didn't mean Anita had to kill anyone right off the bat, I just wish that the focus could shift to maybe developing her powers,or working on another case to take the focus off all the personal vomit that has been inhabiting the pages lately.I understand that is a huge pat of the book but I long for the good ol days of suspense and excited anticipation of Anita's choices in relevancy to her life experiance not just hey I am a succubus and you are furry but you have a dick OK.Am I totally in left field?
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