Alcoholism?

[Shuram Gudatetris]

Is anybody else afraid of Terisa turning into an alcoholic? She really downed the wine and liquor, and really enjoyed the effects, too! Often, whenever she was under pressure, she resorted to wine consumption. It struck a cord with me when last I read, I meant to ask, but forgot. So the specifics are fuzzy. I really am curious if anyone else got this vibe though???

[Cameraman Jenn]

Hmmm... interesting question. Alcohol plays a lot of roles in many fantasy series. In MN in particular, The Tor, King Joyse and Havelock spend a significant amount of time drinking profusely. Eremis plies Terisa with wine, Lebbick binges after the Saddith incident, vintages from different cares are the topic of discussion in more than one scene but it's not just in MN. Springwine, diamondraught and vitriol are all potent intoxicating substances consumed on many occasions throughout the chrons. It doesn't just apply to SRD though, remember Pippen giving up the name Baggins after downing pints at the Inn of the Prancing Pony? It's a common way to loosen up rigid characters and/or to bring about the loosening of tongues to influence events found in many a fantasy novel.

[Usivius]

nice point. my feeling about it was that I felt Theresa was in danger of becoming 'too' loose and end up with Eremis (lol).

[Shuram Gudatetris]

It doesn't just apply to SRD though, remember Pippen giving up the name Baggins after downing pints at the Inn of the Prancing Pony? It's a common way to loosen up rigid characters and/or to bring about the loosening of tongues to influence events found in many a fantasy novel.

Not to mention endless smoking of pipeweed all throughout!

[danlo]

Dam! They drank a lot in Tad William's Osten Ard (Dragonbone Chair/To Green Angel Tower) series and that was pretty tame...

[Cameraman Jenn]

That's funny Danlo, I didn't seem to focus on the drinking so much as the huge amount of time the various characters spent wandering lost in parts of the castle. I liked the series but that was getting old by the time I finished it.

George RR Martin has a lot of drinking in his ongoing series, look what heavy drinking did to Robert....

[danlo]

Add to that all the tunnels and underground stuff, yes I really had to push through that series as well...if it wasn't for Ser Camaris...

I was going to mention Martin's ASOIAF especially Doran Martell and his wicked gout. He drank more red wine than Richard III! Not to mention Tyrion and the Red Wedding. (Bakker's Prince of Nothing series is very interesting as they primarily drink out of bowls and we hear almost nothing of cups with the occasion chalice...). In the Osten Ard books there was a bunch of drinking in feasts and council-especially whenever Pyrates was around.

In Brust's Vlad Thaltos series the details of wine, brandy and especially the food and how it's cooked are amazing. The very funny thing throughout the whole series is that the Dragaerans can't really tell the difference between most wine and, even, brandy and couldn't even cook until they employed Easterners (humans).

[rusmeister]

In my worldview wine is blessed, and is NOT "alcohol" in the sense "alcohol" is normally used in, namely, as a drug. It is the ABUSE of wine that is condemned, not the (proper) use. I think prohibition-type Christians always forget about the marriage at Cana when they're out forbidding wine and replacing it with grape-juice.
It's our culture that treats it as a drug. It was my experience in Italy that first showed me a people that treat it as a drink, not a drug.

I never got that Terisa became a lush (abuser). Maybe there's something I've forgotten...

[Revan]

Dam! They drank a lot in Tad William's Osten Ard (Dragonbone Chair/To Green Angel Tower) series and that was pretty tame...

Yeah, but they walked it off afterward....

[danlo]

[fernhold]

Not sure if this is the proper thread but Jenn invited me to comment on TMoHD as this is my first time reading it so here goes. . . . .
I'm still puzzled by Terisa; not sure if I like her or not. I was discussing her character with my GF and commented that I found her lack of belief in her own existance well. . just weird. She proceeded to tell me about actual persons who suffer from this in the 'real' world so I sort of relaxed a bit and let her be who she is . Anyway I'm only at the end of the fight in the passage after the secret conference but so far I sense that she could become dependent on wine for not only the courage to act but it also seems she uses it to "feel real" for lack of a better term. That in itself is a dangerous signpost to abuse and dependecy problems. But hey, back to the story. Hopefully she'll grow a spine.

[Avatar]

Haha, how great to be reading it for the first time.

I'm gonna suggest you create a thread for your thoughts and observations, for the simple reason that spoilers will abound in this forum. I don't think we've had somebody who hadn't read it in here for years.

As for Terisa, you'll have to read on to find out. I've been known to call her insipid in the past though.

(Waiting for Jenn to start giving me grief...)

Enjoy.

--A

[Cambo]

I agree, start a thread! I'd love to hear your reactions as you read through.

[rusmeister]

Not sure if this is the proper thread but Jenn invited me to comment on TMoHD as this is my first time reading it so here goes. . . . .
I'm still puzzled by Terisa; not sure if I like her or not. I was discussing her character with my GF and commented that I found her lack of belief in her own existance well. . just weird. She proceeded to tell me about actual persons who suffer from this in the 'real' world so I sort of relaxed a bit and let her be who she is . Anyway I'm only at the end of the fight in the passage after the secret conference but so far I sense that she could become dependent on wine for not only the courage to act but it also seems she uses it to "feel real" for lack of a better term. That in itself is a dangerous signpost to abuse and dependecy problems. But hey, back to the story. Hopefully she'll grow a spine.

I dunno about the wine, but man, I agree with you on the weirdness of her existentialist view of herself - it's as if she is the embodiment of certain modern philosophies that I despise. Great story though, even her weirdness doesn't completely ruin Donaldson's excellent tapestry - you can ignore it, be irritated at it, but its complete absence of it in the other characters makes it kind of irrelevant except to her own behavior. I still enjoy the story, although I think the story could have done without

Spoiler

the modern element of open sexual acts and fairly explicit descriptions - I think they ruin the grand feel of high fantasy and bring it down to a mundane level.

[danlo]

I'm gonna suggest you create a thread for your thoughts and observations, for the simple reason that spoilers will abound in this forum. I don't think we've had somebody who hadn't read it in here for years. Very Happy

I'm going to go into your forum and make some suggestions, buddy, sheesh make him and admin and he thinks he owns the Demense...

But these guys are right, and welcome fernhold, your own impression thread would be very welcome and stimulating. We have quality and timeless posts here and are not judged by post count or traffic monitors (such as you know who). My post is relevant to this thread as posts in MN are like fine wine-they improve with age.

[Avatar]

Hey, suggest away.

(That'll be the day, when you voluntarily enter the 'Tank... )

--A