Cook is always creating flawed protagonists, and we as readers WANT to see them as heroes. But they are flawed by design and intention. Cook has said in interviews that his characters make mistakes and have flaws, just like real people in real life. So Croaker and Lady do bad things some time (mostly glossing over them in their narratives), and Bragi Ragnarson makes all sorts of bad decisions, but usually gets away with it through astounding luck and grim determination. Garrett is too stubborn for his own good, and too determined to say what's on his mind, among other flaws. This time, he really gets called out for it (by Singe in particular). When Block and Relway give Garrett a hard time, it isn't just because they are too prim and proper, Garrett really is hard to deal with. Another character trait is that he may be incapable of monogamy. I'm not sure whether or not that counts as a "flaw," viewpoints obviously vary on this issue in the real world. On Tue, Nov 23, 2010 at 11:41 AM, Michele Riccio <mishka_30@yahoo.com>wrote:
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From: Steven Harris <harrissg@slu.edu> To: Glen Cook: Science Fiction/Fantasy Author <glencook-fans@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Tue, November 23, 2010 3:17:10 AM Subject: Re: [Glencook-fans] SPOILERS Gilded Latten Bones
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On Mon, Nov 22, 2010 at 10:23 PM, Morley Dotes <morleydotes@yahoo.com> wrote:
Steve/Stacey said: "I was very surprised Tinnie was so unceremoniously dumped. Worse, she was dumped after she made a valiant effort at redefining herself to be a better person and a better girlfriend. I found Garrett's defection from her despicable--for reasons of sex, it would seem. He's never been quite that shallow before: Yes, he'll go with a girl for reasons of sex, but he's never before hurt anyone so callously for that reason."
Sorry, Steve/Stacey, don't see it that way at all. She wanted to rebuild him from the ground up.
No, Pat, I can't agree with that at all. There's no evidence of that in this book. She wanted to be with him. Period.
I've know folks like that and you run screaming into the night. She made him give up almost everything that made him Garrett. His friends, his house, his work.
No evidence of that, either. He decided to live with Tinnie, apart from the Dead Man. it wasn't her doing. He decided it was easier to be a security officer for the Tates than a private dick.
Away from the book...but I seem to recall Garrett mentioning a couple of times that he had not seen his friends because Tinnie didn't want him to. That isn't a good sign. I could see her not wanting him to hang around with past flings (Belinda and possibly Winger) but why would she not want him to see Playmate?
He may have gone along with her edicts, which makes him as much to blame for the deterioration of the relationship, but I'm pretty sure it was her idea to separate him from his friends, and his career. At least, that is how I read it.
Michele
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