Hello, sir. Really appreciate your work.
Who is Jon Snow’s mother?
Why do people like Kvothe so much when he’s such a Mary Sue?
I would love to read an encyclopedia on the Cosmere. Any thoughts on writing something like this, or would that be too meta?
Thank you for your time!
Not qualified to answer.
We tend to like characters for a variety of different reasons. Sometimes, we like characters because they’re like us–but other characters (like Superman and James Bond) we like because we admire things they can do or who they are.
Mary Sue has become a bad term in storytelling circles, but I think we’re too hard on it–and in dismissing it, we dismiss a huge part of what makes us human beings. It is natural to like reading about Kvothe because, like James Bond, he is just naturally good at a lot of things–and that, in its heart, is just cool. It’s like enjoying the character of Indiana Jones. Character arc? None. Mary Sue? Yeah, probably. Still very fun.
At the same time, it’s very natural to DISLIKE that kind of character, and the difference between Indy and Kvothe is that the narrative keeps bringing Indy down (making him seem like the underdog) so we maintain rooting interest. Kvothe, on the ohter hand, is telling his own story–and is arrogant about it. There’s nothing wrong with disliking this narrative style.
In Kvothe’s specific case, I enjoy reading about him because he’s so self-destructive. Every time he takes a step forward, he seems to take another back by ruining it with his own arrogance or stupidity. He’s one of the few characters I enjoy reading about, while disliking as a person immensely. I think that takes a lot of talent to pull off, and watching him destroy himself is much like watching King Lear or Hamlet destroy themselves.
For the third question, there will be one some day. But it’s far off.
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