Most Ironic Line: I second the line about 'no one really thinks they're evil' because that one REALLY galled me. Paolini had a CHANCE to really do something with it. But he's going to fuck it up. We all know he's not going to give Galby a chance or else he's going to 'redeem' Galby.
Most character growth in any direction: I've seen people suggest Saphira, Murtagh, and Roran. But hrmm... I choose... Galbatorix. Everything they do just proves how awesome Galby is! (Well, except for that suck-ass assassin.) Maybe Arya, who's becoming even more of a bitch and holding her ground vs. Eragon's lust but she was happy to see Eragon appear at the battle... eh. ;P
Most WTF moment: The little stud-fist things that those dwarves had. Actually, just about any dwarf moment. They need love and they had some weird-ass shit. Either that or that dumb raven. In this book, it's so hard to separate the WTF from the idiotic. They kind of blur together. I guess that whirlpool would count too. And so would anything involving magic in these books. ;P
Most Deus Ex Machina moment: I'd vote for the 'turned into an elf' bit but everyone is voting for that. I'd say Eragon writing an 'epic' poem and then reading it in the language that forces you to tell the truth. And then how they all loved it. >_<;
Most idiotic moment: Arya being captured while trying to transport that damn egg. She could teleport it. I think someone more powerful could have teleported it to a specific location. Also the 'rich man' who was down on his luck who DIDN'T turn Roran in for the reward money! And now that I'm thinking about it, anything involving Nasuada. That whole thing with the miner-thief was absolutely horrible and the lace-making fiasco was just... I wanted to like Nasuada. I really did! ;P
Most Why God Why moment: When Arya killed that bird. And when Sloan went to the Ra'zac. Oh! Elva's existence. And that damned scene involving the transformation into an elf... I can't believe Paolini actually did, said, wrote that moment: The hairless groin thing is high on the list but I think my biggest nominee is actually that whole thing about Paolini MENTIONING how Arya was NOT raped! If he had simply ignored the possibility entirely, not bringing it up at all, or he let it happen... I could accept it. But from the torture scene to her detailed account of the events, it was just glaringly mind-boggling. Paolini wanted angst points but he didn't want to actually soil his self-insert's future beloved in any way. Maybe he was also trying to prove how bad-ass she was but he never explained how she could do magic, while being deprived of magic, so he fails.
I think Paolini was actually bothered by the potential for rape, which was why he refused to let it happen. But if that was so, then he shouldn't have brought it up! Sure, some of the fan authors would've speculated and written about it. But what does he care about them? I don't think he does, so he really shouldn't have worried about what other people may or may not have assumed. Or else, he could have made it so that Galby was TOO NOBLE to let his captives be raped. But no, he wanted Galby to be evil, so of course he'd allow rape. ;P
I have said it before in my LJ and I'll say it again here: every rapist is a villain but not every villain is a rapist. And certainly that holds true for condoning it. It's possible his guards could have gone against his wishes but there are precautions he could've taken. It's not an unavoidable possibility if Galby didn't want it to take place.
I don't necessarily want rape in fiction to reflect that of reality all the time. I don't even mind the use of pretend rape during a sex scene or 'last minute save from rape' or even 'it isn't written as pretend but the woman clearly isn't upset with the situation, as it is written' erotica. My problem comes from when people try meshing 'that feels so good' with 'she couldn't escape the pain or horror' situation. Especially where it doesn't make any sense. I have my guilty pleasures but that kind of confusion isn't one of them. And I really hate it when people use it, even just mentioning it, to force-feed us ill-gotten sympathy for a character that may or may not deserve our sympathy. ;P
no subject
Most character growth in any direction: I've seen people suggest Saphira, Murtagh, and Roran. But hrmm... I choose... Galbatorix. Everything they do just proves how awesome Galby is! (Well, except for that suck-ass assassin.) Maybe Arya, who's becoming even more of a bitch and holding her ground vs. Eragon's lust but she was happy to see Eragon appear at the battle... eh. ;P
Most WTF moment: The little stud-fist things that those dwarves had. Actually, just about any dwarf moment. They need love and they had some weird-ass shit. Either that or that dumb raven. In this book, it's so hard to separate the WTF from the idiotic. They kind of blur together. I guess that whirlpool would count too. And so would anything involving magic in these books. ;P
Most Deus Ex Machina moment: I'd vote for the 'turned into an elf' bit but everyone is voting for that. I'd say Eragon writing an 'epic' poem and then reading it in the language that forces you to tell the truth. And then how they all loved it. >_<;
Most idiotic moment: Arya being captured while trying to transport that damn egg. She could teleport it. I think someone more powerful could have teleported it to a specific location. Also the 'rich man' who was down on his luck who DIDN'T turn Roran in for the reward money! And now that I'm thinking about it, anything involving Nasuada. That whole thing with the miner-thief was absolutely horrible and the lace-making fiasco was just... I wanted to like Nasuada. I really did! ;P
Most Why God Why moment: When Arya killed that bird. And when Sloan went to the Ra'zac. Oh! Elva's existence. And that damned scene involving the transformation into an elf...
I can't believe Paolini actually did, said, wrote that moment: The hairless groin thing is high on the list but I think my biggest nominee is actually that whole thing about Paolini MENTIONING how Arya was NOT raped! If he had simply ignored the possibility entirely, not bringing it up at all, or he let it happen... I could accept it. But from the torture scene to her detailed account of the events, it was just glaringly mind-boggling. Paolini wanted angst points but he didn't want to actually soil his self-insert's future beloved in any way. Maybe he was also trying to prove how bad-ass she was but he never explained how she could do magic, while being deprived of magic, so he fails.
I think Paolini was actually bothered by the potential for rape, which was why he refused to let it happen. But if that was so, then he shouldn't have brought it up! Sure, some of the fan authors would've speculated and written about it. But what does he care about them? I don't think he does, so he really shouldn't have worried about what other people may or may not have assumed. Or else, he could have made it so that Galby was TOO NOBLE to let his captives be raped. But no, he wanted Galby to be evil, so of course he'd allow rape. ;P
I have said it before in my LJ and I'll say it again here: every rapist is a villain but not every villain is a rapist. And certainly that holds true for condoning it. It's possible his guards could have gone against his wishes but there are precautions he could've taken. It's not an unavoidable possibility if Galby didn't want it to take place.
I don't necessarily want rape in fiction to reflect that of reality all the time. I don't even mind the use of pretend rape during a sex scene or 'last minute save from rape' or even 'it isn't written as pretend but the woman clearly isn't upset with the situation, as it is written' erotica. My problem comes from when people try meshing 'that feels so good' with 'she couldn't escape the pain or horror' situation. Especially where it doesn't make any sense. I have my guilty pleasures but that kind of confusion isn't one of them. And I really hate it when people use it, even just mentioning it, to force-feed us ill-gotten sympathy for a character that may or may not deserve our sympathy. ;P