Emotions in the Elderling Realm (SPOILERS all books)

[Chrischa]

When my boyfriend walks in the room and sees me sobbing over a book, he'll automatically assume that it's book three of the Tawny Man trilogy and Nighteyes has just died. So yeah, I do tend to get a bit emotional over that.

Other then that I certainly experience other emotions when reading books in general but nothing so bad as that bit.

Torg, imo, is just an **shole. Nuf said. Kyle, on the other hand, is the end-product of generations of misogyny (the hatred and contempt for woman) in a Patriarch, macho society. Despite the fact that he is also not the most gentle and understanding of people, I don't think he could have done any more then he has. I think that he would actually think of himself as very mild towards woman (compared to his native countryman, he certainly seems to realise that he lives in a society which regards woman differently) and that he honestly tries to understand them. But out of his upbringing he doesn't see family members with a right to their own lives and opinions, he sees roles. And anyone unwilling to fit into these roles will either be submitted to them by force, or be cast out.

I think we, as woman, can count ourselves very, very fortunate that today we can live the respected lives we live. It only took fifty years of feminism to change over 20.000 years of Patriarchy and thought I acknowlegde we aren't there yet by far, that is in itself a huge achievement.

But I am again drifting off. Ahum... so yes, while I certainly felt anger towards Kyle for the things he does, it also was more directed towards a society which can harbour such views, rather then towards the character itself.

I think both Galen and Kennit are masterpieces of character creation. Galen is a product of self-hatred and frustrated ambitions and a forced way of life (by which I mean being forced to adore Chivalry through the Skill). Kennit is an empty shell and throughout the entire books, he never really does anything for anyone else but himself. But the other people around him see him through their own feelings of empathy, and they never realise just how completely broken he is. That is until he does something which is unforgivable, which cannot be talked right.
I love the way his charm sees right through him and keeps on telling him that he doesn't deserve the loyalty of those closest to him.

And one other feeling I have when reading those books is that every now and then, I want to reach in and shake Fitz for being so thick sometimes!