Dresden Files Anonymous

[hh2k3]

I tried a couple of these because The Other Half reads them. Oy.

All speculative fiction faces the burden of plausibility for the reader who lives in what we laughingly call The Real World. Especially fraught are tales told in the contemporary "real world" only with unreal differences. When such tales take on the added burden of complying--more or less--with the standards of a genre entirely other, such as crime noir, they are really being stretched.

To my experience (and personal taste), the only examples of such stretches that work are those that take it on tongue in cheek. That doesn't mean that they have to be "silly", bad spoofs of the genre: but it does mean that they have to give a nod to the reality that we are deliberately taking a trip. I find Butcher's work not up to those standards. As an opposing example, one might adduce Simon Green's "Nightside" tales, in which we have characters who, at the crux, are doing emotionally meaningful things, but are performing within a clearly delimited arena such that we are never forgetful of the fact that we are watching a performance, not soaking in a supposed reality.

Sidebar: a curious example of walking on both sides of the street is Glen Cook's "Garrett" series: mostly it is as described, a calculated performance; but occcasionally, as in Old Tin Sorrows, it is a real performance unto itself.

I wonder if that's why I like the stuff that's set in "The Real World" which has subtle differences to what we view as reality; it's close enough that we think 'huh, with just a few minor differences, this could be real. Assuming that the series is well-written enough. I think that Butcher does a great job in general, maybe not with the world itself (which, let's face it, if you just base it on your own real world experiences it's bound to be pretty close), but more so with the characterization. That's what's so great about the Dresdenverse, the characters that you grow attached to.

Interestingly enough, I own all the Dresden books, all the Nightside books, and all the Garrett books, and love them all, for various different reasons. Dresden for the characterization; Nightside for the over-the-top-ness (which isn't as over-the-top, even, as say SRGreen's Death-stalker series), and Garrett for the grittiness and, as you say, its ability to walk both sides of the street.

HH

[End Of Disc One]

Having just finished Summer Knight, I'd say it was the biggest jump up in quality so far. That was awesome!

[DailyRich]

Having just finished Summer Knight, I'd say it was the biggest jump up in quality so far. That was awesome!

I just finished Proven Guilty and kind of feel the same way.

What's impressed me most is how Butcher both keeps the status quo and upends it at the same time. The basic structure and setting is the same -- Dresden is a P.I. wizard who lives in a basement apartment, takes cases, fights bad guys, has a circle of friends/allies and a couple of familiar haunts. But each book has also added on to all that and pretty much turned things upside down from where the series started. It's been a nice mix of the familiar and the unpredictable.

[Wayne Batson]

Thru Summer Knights now and on into Death Masks. I liked Summer Knights quite a bit. The Fae are some very interesting folks, for sure. Now that I'm into Death Masks, I find myself both infuriated at Butcher and tipping my cap to him for his treatment of Susan. It's funny though because, what I want as a reader, I know (as an author) that Butcher won't give me, and that's precisely why I will keep reading! lol If that makes any sense at all.

[Eventine]

I was a bit ambivalent about the first few, but pushed through because of the positive feedback I'd seen around the series improving, and I saw a few traces of that in the writing.
I recently took two books on holiday (Summer Knight and Death Masks), and after burning through them was lucky enough to find a book store in Bangkok which stocked the rest up to White Night, which I purchased and tore through. (An aside: these were mixed between US and UK editions, wrecking my "shelf appeal" and reminding me of how poor the paper quality is for US editions of books.)

I was really enjoying the unfolding ongoing plot (the per-novel plots are really just Scooby Doo hijinks) but I'm starting to wonder if it's been over-telegraphed as to where it's going. Hopefully not, and Butcher can still throw in some surprises. Having said that, I'm still a few books off Changes and my understanding is that it has a big impact, so maybe I should just be patient.

[DailyRich]

I've heard Changes provoked some pretty strong reactions, so I'd guess he pulled off a surprise or two.

[ustink2]

I read the first book and thought it was just OK. I never continued, but he sure has a strong following. I may try the second book soon.

[DailyRich]

Something that just occurred to me -- if Dresden tells anyone about the housekeeping faeries, they'll go away. So wouldn't Dresden writing about them be considered telling someone?

[Wayne Batson]

I thought he told Susan about the faeries? lol I'd like to have housekeeping faeries, but I'd rather have paper-grading faeries. lol I'm a teacher.

[Wayne Batson]

Okay, I just finished Death Masks. [SPOILER ALERT]

Great book and very entertaining. Three things I'm wondering:

1) Did anyone else feel like Shiro was a wizardly Mr. Miyagi (from Karate Kid)

2) I'm not a prude but I'm wondering about the level of sexual preoccupation in the books by Butcher. I noticed it also in the Codex Alera series, which to my mind seemed like a great YA series but for the sexual tangents. And with Dresden, it's like a woman can't show up without Dresden mentioning some aspect of her anatomy. Hey and guys do think about sex a bunch, but Dresden seems like an overly hormonal teenage boy. He even gets turned on by demon monsters who just happen to have certain curves. And while I love Susan's character and really like their relationship, I thought the scene in Death Masks was way TMI.

3) Finally, I'm not sure I get the ending. Again [MAJOR SPOILER ALERT]! At the end when Nicodemus drives by and tosses a coin at the child, Dresden grabs it. Then, he buries it in cement in his basement. What's that all about? Why didn't he just give the coin to the Knights of the Cross to dispose of? I know he didn't want the toddler to grab it. I get that, but Dresden could have just as easily put his foot down on the coin and called for Michael. I dunno. It just seemed pretty contrived.

Thoughts?

[DailyRich]

3) Finally, I'm not sure I get the ending. Again [MAJOR SPOILER ALERT]! At the end when Nicodemus drives by and tosses a coin at the child, Dresden grabs it. Then, he buries it in cement in his basement. What's that all about? Why didn't he just give the coin to the Knights of the Cross to dispose of? I know he didn't want the toddler to grab it. I get that, but Dresden could have just as easily put his foot down on the coin and called for Michael. I dunno. It just seemed pretty contrived.

Thoughts?

This gets delved into further in later books, so I don't want to spoil it. Suffice it to say once he's touched it, it's hard for him to simply give it away.

[spikyc]

Okay, I just finished Death Masks. [SPOILER ALERT]

Great book and very entertaining. Three things I'm wondering:

1) Did anyone else feel like Shiro was a wizardly Mr. Miyagi (from Karate Kid)

2) I'm not a prude but I'm wondering about the level of sexual preoccupation in the books by Butcher. I noticed it also in the Codex Alera series, which to my mind seemed like a great YA series but for the sexual tangents. And with Dresden, it's like a woman can't show up without Dresden mentioning some aspect of her anatomy. Hey and guys do think about sex a bunch, but Dresden seems like an overly hormonal teenage boy. He even gets turned on by demon monsters who just happen to have certain curves. And while I love Susan's character and really like their relationship, I thought the scene in Death Masks was way TMI.

3) Finally, I'm not sure I get the ending. Again [MAJOR SPOILER ALERT]! At the end when Nicodemus drives by and tosses a coin at the child, Dresden grabs it. Then, he buries it in cement in his basement. What's that all about? Why didn't he just give the coin to the Knights of the Cross to dispose of? I know he didn't want the toddler to grab it. I get that, but Dresden could have just as easily put his foot down on the coin and called for Michael. I dunno. It just seemed pretty contrived.

Thoughts?

I don't think there was an excessive amount of sexual preoccupation. It was definitely there, but not to an excessive degree (and if the scene in Death Masks is the same one that I'm thinking of,

SPOILER

it was totally necessary for the plot and it had to happen the way it happened because of Susan's vampire condition.

With regards to 3, he doesn't tell Micheal because he doesn't want Micheal to know he's touched one of the coins. He has no idea what Micheal's reaction to the situation would be, and there's a fair chance that Micheal will be forced to fight him (regretfully fight him, but still fight him).

[Wayne Batson]

SPOILERS Below! If you haven't read past Blood Rites, read on at own peril.

Hey, SpikyC, thanks for the insights on the coin and Michael etc. That makes some sense. As far as the sex stuff goes, we'll have to agree to disagree there. It wasn't so much the scene with Susan--though that was a bit too graphic for my tastes--but rather the almost constant preoccupation Butcher devotes to the female form. Maybe it's supposed to be funny. I dunno, but again, IMHO it subtracts from the deep characterization that makes Dresden so appealing. When he starts noticing the sexy curves of beastly demons, ya gotta figure something's a little off. And again in Blood Rites, which deals with the porn industry, Harry goes out of his way to mention every curve, every bulge, every tip. I still love the series, but think it would be improved it Dresden could outgrow his high school junior-esque preoccupation with female anatomy. lol

[DailyRich]

Just finished Turn Coat last night:

"I knew that you knew how it felt to be an innocent man hounded by the Wardens." Wow. That final scene with Morgan was downright moving. And so totally earned by this point. And then that conversation with Thomas.

And I thought the next book was called Changes.

[thirstyVan]

Still haven't read Changes, so I can't read this thread for fear of spoilers. But I'm about done with White Night (audio book). Picking up where I left off when I was rereading the series last summer (burned out) so I should be caught up soon.

Just popped in to say that the narrator for the audio books is fantastic. James Marsden (Spike from Buffy, according to the Internets, who knew?). He doesn't do much in the way of voices for the different characters like many narrators do, but since it's first person it works. But he really gets it. The sighs and pauses are just right for Dresden's sarcastic tone. And he really gets in to the role. How often do you actually hear a narrator scream a line at the top of his lungs? Usually they just use a faux loud voice.

That probably sounds strange. Well, whatever. I listen to a lot of audio books because I can get away with it at work, and usually the narrator is tolerable at best, but man am I enjoying this one.