The Dresden Files > DF Spoilers

James Butcher

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EBRIEN:
Have any of you read his novels? I'm interested in something new and I'm wondering what you think.

Thanks!

Bri

magnuskn:
Yeah, I read his two first novels and they are... fine? He went to the Jim Butcher school of making his protagonist a bit of a butt monkey, but in the case of Grimshaw Griswald Grimsby, he went a bit overboard and made him just pathetic in too many regards. While I definitely will get the third book of the series, coming out this month, so far the character hasn't convinced me yet that he is a worthy main protagonist, where Jim made Harry a bit pathetic, but also a lot of interesting in one book and has kept improving the character ever since.

EBRIEN:
thanks!

Mira:

--- Quote from: magnuskn on March 06, 2025, 06:32:21 AM ---Yeah, I read his two first novels and they are... fine? He went to the Jim Butcher school of making his protagonist a bit of a butt monkey, but in the case of Grimshaw Griswald Grimsby, he went a bit overboard and made him just pathetic in too many regards. While I definitely will get the third book of the series, coming out this month, so far the character hasn't convinced me yet that he is a worthy main protagonist, where Jim made Harry a bit pathetic, but also a lot of interesting in one book and has kept improving the character ever since.

--- End quote ---

Harry did have issues but he never was pathetic as you say, not even a little bit.  For a character in my opinion, he or she has to be powerless to act or even care to act.  That was never Harry, his problems made him more complicated, which made him more interesting.  I believe there is a fine line authors have to walk, and the crossing of interesting characters who face adversity in their lives verses the woe is me types.. Or pathetic.

magnuskn:
I think if we get into this, we'd be squabbling over the definition of the term "pathetic". From my definition of what it means to be "a bit pathetic", that's okay and also desirable, because it makes the character relatable. Harry being almost OCD-like chivalrous to women (even if they don't want it), not being able to pay his rent on time as a permanent state of his life up until the point of the first three books and being looked down by "real cops" for what they perceive to be a con man is all what I would personally view as being "a little pathetic". That is off-set a LOT by his other personality traits (loyalty, bravery, sense of humor, deductive power), his powers as a wizard and being a genuine badass when it counts.

For me, Harry being not perfect and having a few little pathetic traits mark him as a human being I have a much easier time engaging with than some hero without flaws. Contrary to Grimsby, who is such a woobie most of the time that it takes me somewhat out of the story and I have problems sympathizing with his problems because of that.

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