Oooh, look! I'm fat and people hate me. But I'm not bothered, my fat is actually magic and it'll fuck you up..
I've always been a lover of Robin Hobb's books. Fitzchivalry and Nighteyes were/are two of my favourite protagonists. I still get teary when I read the bit where the wolf dies. The liveships rocked my teenage socks and then the Tawny Man came along and made my adult self go all mushy for fantasy again.

Then came the whiny bloke whose entire trilogy seems to be "I'm really fat! Oh woe is me! Blah Blah sex swing." That trilogy just ruined reading for me for a good few months. I got about halfway through the second book, expecting the Hobb awesome sauce to start oozing after one last wallow in self pity.

Instead it felt like an American; who had convinced themselves that their massive obesity was 'glandular' or 'genetic' rather than the regular stops to the Dunkin' Donut drive through; was writing an allegory for how they're treated in real life. And then they give sex tips for fat fighters... I think it was the point where a diseased forest dweller has put the main character in a forest sex swing and then performs some cringe-worthy obesity shagging that I considered sending a rude letter. Apathy won out so I just put down the book that had been despoiling my good opinion of Robin Hobb.

So that's how I didn't finish a book...

The consequence of this is that I've not read her most recent books. They're set in the original world so if I read them and they're as bad as Miserable Fat Man then it's going to poison a little slice of joy from my youth.
(ElectricSexPants would like to be the Sultan of something, Wed 30 Jun 2010, 12:33, 4 replies)

The Rain Wilds trilogy is great; don't be put off by magic fat man.
I read the Soldier's Son trilogy all the way through, and didn't think it was that bad in itself, but it did make me think the author had a fat fetish (your status in Speck society is determined by how much of a fatty boom batty you are). Plus she has a daughter. I'd feel weird if my mum wrote something like that.

Though thinking about it, Nevare's disfigurement had to be something that people would think was his fault, in order for the story to work. If he got pox scars or something people would just feel sorry for him, but if he's fat that makes everyone think he's just a lazy tubbyguts.
( Bob Todd whee, Wed 30 Jun 2010, 12:47, closed)

I just spent 2 minutes pondering and:
The speck types could pass on a disfiguring STI when shagged, the bloke gets it and has horrible facial nastiness or something. Or even better... she could have written 2000 pages of an Outislander trilogy which would have been 2000 pages I'd enjoy reading.

And how am I supposed to trust you on the rain wilds books if you actively enjoyed the Soldier Son? ;)
(ElectricSexPants would like to be the Sultan of something, Wed 30 Jun 2010, 12:57, closed)

but STIs aren't spread apart from through sex
and those who witnessed the Speck dance as well as slept with them also fell ill
( Amberl was stripey and dominated Europe, Wed 30 Jun 2010, 13:21, closed)

I love her books
and in defense of the Soldier Son trilogy I'd argue that very few things are more polarising than obesity. You have a small band of people who reckon it's okay, but the truth is massive fatness (Nevare type fatness) is actually repulsive. I don't think there is almost any other illness/facial disfigurement that could have held the same role within the book, nothing that would cause him to be outcast in a society that values fitness and physical health
( Amberl was stripey and dominated Europe, Wed 30 Jun 2010, 13:20, closed)

Fair point
I don't, however, see the point in having a whole book dedicated to a fat guy who is obese due to some really silly tribal types. Three are even more excessive.

I can't really justify my dislike more than I have, except to say reading about this unnatural adipose monster bored and disgusted me in equal parts. His quest or whatever completely failed to draw me in.

In a Song of Ice and Fire you have a massively obese boy written convincingly and it's much more understandable because there's a psychological root of the ensuing tub bucket status. If you're going to take a real world issue and make it the core thread of your fantasy novel it needs to be better written to demand my interest.
(ElectricSexPants would like to be the Sultan of something, Wed 30 Jun 2010, 13:50, closed)

well personally
I thought after reading the book 'I'd better lose a couple of pounds'
( Amberl was stripey and dominated Europe, Wed 30 Jun 2010, 13:56, closed)

Robin Hobb thinks you probably should...
I've just remembered more, actually. The first bits with the training are great Hobbishness, then the inexorable march of "woe, fat, more woe, more fat" started and didn't end. the abrupt switch from tight military fantasy build up to the least erotic sex scenes and most depressing main character ever dismayed me...
(ElectricSexPants would like to be the Sultan of something, Wed 30 Jun 2010, 14:01, closed)

is this for real
or is it an elaborate hoax to get the QWOTers to believe these books exist?
( Ring Of Fire A petty, drooling belming butthurt retard., Wed 30 Jun 2010, 16:08, closed)

They are real.
Book 1: boy wants to be a soldier. Book 2: boy is fat because of magic. Book 3: Boy fucks shit up with his fat-magic. (Unfortunately this doesn't involve crushing people with his moobs or anything like that; the fat is a reservoir for magic and he can use it to make plants grow and shit. Yeah, he fucks shit up by growing plants.)
( Bob Todd whee, Wed 30 Jun 2010, 16:16, closed)

I read this whilst eating a KitKat Chunky...
...But I couldn't finish it.

(I will later)
( e.m.m.y. foxtrot uniform charlie kilo india tango, Wed 30 Jun 2010, 14:10, closed)

The Rain WIlds series is good
I;ve only read the 1st book. (buying 2nd now as I got paid) and it was very whiny but good. It really helped set the stage for the next 2 which I hope will pick up and run with it.
( Crap Little Monkey Deathstar, so good they built it twice, Thu 1 Jul 2010, 10:06, closed)