Author Topic: Finished Reading Elantris the Other Day  (Read 4878 times)

SarahG

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Re: Finished Reading Elantris the Other Day
« Reply #15 on: May 20, 2008, 05:23:26 PM »
Thanks for the support, Vintage.   :)
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darxbane

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Re: Finished Reading Elantris the Other Day
« Reply #16 on: May 20, 2008, 05:28:01 PM »
The big problem here is that Raoden is not the main protagonist, Serene is.  This is her story, according to EUOL's annotations.  I definitely enjoyed all of Raoden's chapters.  They were always interesting.  You are right in your "OR" rant to a degree, Sarah.  In fact, that's my point.  All these things happen to him, and he conquers them all with apparent ease.  EUOL even had to add in the DOR attacks to give him more balance.  I don't think the main character has to do bad things to be liked, I would just have preferred a little more doubt or struggle, but that was not his purpose.  This puts him third on my list.  Serene is first, because she is the catalyst for all the change in the story.  Hrathen is second, because he feels remorse for his actions, and eventually accepts the fact that the ends don't always justify the means.  Raoden is a very close third, almost on par with Hrathen.
I wanted to write something profound here, but I couldn't think of anything.

Peter Ahlstrom

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Re: Finished Reading Elantris the Other Day
« Reply #17 on: May 20, 2008, 07:39:20 PM »
Which annotation says that, with what specific wording? It's always been my understanding that the three characters are equal in their main-ness.

Whether or not Raoden is too perfect has been discussed before. I think there's plenty of evidence of his imperfection and would certainly not say he conquers his adversities "with apparent ease."

But the character triad is one of the things that makes this book so great. There's a main character pretty much everyone can love.
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darxbane

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Re: Finished Reading Elantris the Other Day
« Reply #18 on: May 20, 2008, 08:02:25 PM »
Below is from the Chapter 2 annotation:

As I worked on the novel, Sarene as a character took on a much more dominant role in the plot than I had intended. Perhaps it's because she's the intermediary between the other two characters, or maybe it's because I liked her best of the three characters. Either way, in my mind, this book is about Sarene. She's the catalyst, the force of change.

I wanted to write something profound here, but I couldn't think of anything.

Peter Ahlstrom

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Re: Finished Reading Elantris the Other Day
« Reply #19 on: May 21, 2008, 12:34:00 AM »
I don't think that her being the catalyst, the force of change, means she's the "main protagonist." I think the book itself also makes a strong case that Hrathen was "the" main character (look at the last four words of the book), as it does for Raoden (the book starts with Raoden and he's the one who ultimately fixes the magic).

I won't argue with Brandon though. The book is about Sarene. (And Hrathen. And Raoden. :) )
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Loud_G

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Re: Finished Reading Elantris the Other Day
« Reply #20 on: May 21, 2008, 02:29:44 PM »
I loved this book straight through to the end. It was marvelously paced and I thought the characters were very well done.

I for one related perfectly to Raoden. In him I saw the determination of a man who just would not give up in the face of everything bad that happened to him. This is called a hero. As for his consistent good humor. I found that relatable and indeed refreshing. I am a person that many call incessantly cheerful. It is hard to get me down and I feel Raoden was sucha person.

There are real people out there who are THAT good. (not saying I'm "that good" just "that cheerful") If the story had been about Raoden doing trivial things and saving the day, then yes, I would agree it was too easy. However, this guy STRUGGLES. His life stinks. Nothing seems to go right for him. Yet he plods on and I love him the more for it!
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darxbane

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Re: Finished Reading Elantris the Other Day
« Reply #21 on: May 21, 2008, 02:57:54 PM »
Dont' get me wrong, I am a big fan of Raoden, I am just expressing why he is not my favorite in the book.  It's probably because most people want to give him the credit for discovering the Aon problem, but it was Serene who gives him the key to solving the problem.  It's Serene who influences Hrathen.  She is the keystone of the book, giving the other characters what they need to complete their roles.  Hrathen plays the Redeemed Hero, and I have always liked that character type.  I can certainly understand why Raoden would be a lot of people's favorite character, but he is my third favorite.  Like Ookla wrote earlier, having three main characters leaves a favorite for almost everyone.  When you really stop and think about it, they are very similar in many ways.  Raoden had to be taken by the Shaod to gain the internal struggle the other two had.  Still, the more I think about it, the more I see the common bond between the three.
I wanted to write something profound here, but I couldn't think of anything.

VegasDev

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Re: Finished Reading Elantris the Other Day
« Reply #22 on: May 21, 2008, 09:07:16 PM »
Raoden had to be taken by the Shaod to gain the internal struggle the other two had.

That's one assumption. However, long before the Shaod, he was fighting against his father's government. Not only was he going against family but at the expense of the very institution that put him in his athoritive position. We only get to see him dealing with the Shaod, hense your assumption.
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darxbane

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Re: Finished Reading Elantris the Other Day
« Reply #23 on: May 22, 2008, 07:09:56 PM »
I can agree to that.  Although I don't think his true strength of character would have really shown through without the Shaod.  His role would have been to much like Serene's.  In fact, it seems that he was playing the part of catalyst before becoming an Elantrian.  In a way, Serene took over for him so he could take on the task of restoring Elantris.
I wanted to write something profound here, but I couldn't think of anything.