Lymond, CSI:NY

[lesbiassparrow]

So I gave up on Game of Kings at about page 250. I just couldn't take it any longer.


It wasn't even so much the langauge but Lymond himself. I really, really found him incredibly annoying and spent most of the book so far wanting to give him a good solid clout around the head. I don't know...I think in the end it was that there was nothing he wasn't good at.

He could:*
a) seduce women after a single meeting
b) lead men better than anyone with cunning twists and turns of his mind
c) plan better than Alexander the Great
d) knew all sorts of odd snippets of poetry and random classical facts with which he peppered his conversation
e) was a pre-iminent swordsman
f) make all others quail at 'the lash of his voice'
g) could drink more than 10 men
etc., etc.

I just bet he turns out to have been framed on the charges of treachery by his brother too. I can just feel that one coming.

I feel a bit sad at this because I know that so many people on my flist whose taste I really like and trust have really enjoyed these books, but I think when you find a lead character that annoying it's death to enjoying the book, especially when you know they are not going to be crushed by the end. And it's weird because I think as a film character I probably wouldn't have had some of the issues I did with book Lymond. Also, and this is a bit embarassing, I couldn't keep track of all the ancillary characters for the life of me. Though I did know pretty much that when any mysterious and attractive man appeared it had to be Lymond.

*Some of these may be exaggerated for rhetorical effect.


But I did watch some clips of CSI:NY today, which I mostly enjoyed. I really liked the Danny/Lindsay introduction scene, where he tells her to call the boss 'sir', and she does and boss goes 'don't call me sir' and she's all annoyed because this is not how you want to start out working somewhere. And then she's all mad at Danny and would rather eat nails than ask him where something is. And you can see he's a bit sorry that he started off like that, but I get the feeling that's the sort of clunky way he interacts with women.

But the gore! There's a reason why I don't watch any of the CSIs and that's the blood and guts and all the rest of it. I don't want to see autopsy scenes; they freak me out. They really should do an abbreviated version of it that is all about the relationships and cuts out all the blood.

Comments

[jonquil.livejournal.com]

Oh, Lymond is ground into fine bits of powder by the end of the series, though admittedly not by the end of this book. But, yes, he has it coming. And, no, his brother didn't frame him. Lymond is NOT the wounded angel; Lymond is more the suicidal Satan. Think Alcibiades.

Not saying you have to enjoy Dunnett, by the way; you don't.

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

I am glad to know that he hasn't been framed by brother. And I would give a lot to see him ground down, but that's my mean side speaking.

So he's Alcibiades... Sadly, I never much liked Alcibiades either, silly imperialist twit that he was. I especially disliked him when I had to translate a passage about his son on a horrendous Greek exam and I was 'Alcibiades had a son? Oh please god let it be a son and let this word not have some odd meaning that I have heard of before.'

[meyerlemon.livejournal.com]

EEE! Danny! Lindsay!

I personally think that the clunkiness is specific to Lindsay, because there are a few hints that he's ordinarily Mr. Smoove with the Ladies.

GLEE!

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

I personally think that the clunkiness is specific to Lindsay

That makes it even more endearing. (I don't think endearing is the right word, but Dunnett broke my brain with her odd vocabulary so now I have no language).

The trouble is that I could never watch the show as there's just too many corpses. They should realise that what people want is awkward interpersonal relationships and not this science stuff!

[k-julia.livejournal.com]

I couldn't keep track of all the ancillary characters for the life of me.

It might not help your embarrassment, but it's not just you. :-) I've never flipped back a list of characters as much as in those 200 pages of GoK.

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

I feel a bit better now knowing it wasn't just me. This was worse than War and Peace for keeping track of people. I use this icon because the character is not known for his intelligence!

[nolivingman.livejournal.com]

The ancillary character thing was making me nuts until I decided to just ignore it and go with the story - it's an imperfect solution, I know. Lymond himself is still bugging the crap out of me for all the reasons you mention, but I'm still trying to make it through the book. It's hard slogging though, cause I want Lymond to just shut the fuck up already, and he won't.

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

I tried not caring who any of the people were which worked for a bit (though it got confusing) and then I realised that I really couldn't bring myself to like Lymond at all. And it wasn't that good sort of hate, where you hate and still admire a character or you're supposed to hate a character (because clearly Dunnett thinks Lymond is the most fascinating person ever), but just dislike mixed with endless irritation. It probably would have helped also if I had started with one of the series where her style wasn't so bizarrely ornate; someone recommended that, but now I think I will give up on her for a bit until I am less annoyed.

Let me know how your reading turns out.