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:




----- Original Message ----
> 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
>
> ~
> ~
> ~
> ~
> ~
> ~
> ~
> ~
> ~
> SPOILER
> ~
> ~
> ~
> ~
> ~
> ~
> ~
> ~
> ~
> ~
> ~
> ~
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> ~
>
> ~
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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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