Curious about this for awhile...

[saucyirishlass.livejournal.com]

It's been said in many places by different people that LKH's portrayal of the BDSM lifestyle is off. I know a bit more than just the basics - ah, the joys of reading - and can sort of inherently pick up that something isn't right with her depiction, but I can't really articulate it. I was just curious to hear from those who participate in the lifestyle, what they personally find offensive, frustrating, or just headdesk-worthy about LKH's portrayal. Perhaps they can help make it clearer to me why it feels amiss.

Comments

[kali1967.livejournal.com]

One thing that always bugged me was Nathanial. I mean, maybe it's something about his standing in the pard, but it always seemed as if he literally had no will of his own, he'd just do whatever anyone said, no matter what it was. He was just this mindless little pet that liked to get fucked a lot. Speaking as a submissive, yeah, okay, sometimes it can be like that, but it's virtually impossible to keep that mindset 24/7. Like I said, maybe it has something to do with his shapeshifter status, but it always annoyed me whenever LKH would mention how submissive Nathanial is.

[witchwillow.livejournal.com]

I liked Nathanial in the beginning. I liked the thought of someone actually protecting him and encouraging him to respect himself and take time to figure out who he was without catering to what status he had wherever (pard/were community)

And then came NiC and...

As for all the rest? It's hit me just reading this why some of my characters respond the way they do. I have Fibro. I deal with pain on a daily basis. It makes sense I'd have at least a couple of alters who have strange relationships with pain and control of pain. It's been thought out in my unconscious and when I wrote it out to try and see what I was thinking it made sense for me. I'm just glad it made sense for them when I was first hit with it.

But that all involves a level of self examination I don't think happens with LKH.

[kali1967.livejournal.com]

I think that if someone had actually taken Nathanial and turned him into a proper person capable of voicing an opinion and saying no, it would've been a great plotline and made a fantastic character. One of the most important things about a book is character development and Nathanial just goes nowhere, he's the same as when he was first introduced.

[stickfigurepeep.livejournal.com]

That's not true. He's gotten whineier. Anita calls it being "more independent," but mostly he just started sounding like all the other high-maintenance males in the books.

[frabjously.livejournal.com]

Plus he bakes cookies.

:S

[amamelina.livejournal.com]

I have Fibro too. (I'm assuming you mean Fibromyalgia)

I, as well, create characters for stories who handle pain in various ways. Most of them can take it in spades. Why? It's part of my life. I seriously can't remember a time when I didn't have pain.

[salustra.livejournal.com]

I have chronic severe psoriatic arthritis,and I'm in pain most of the time too. I SO get that. When I'm really bad I'll usually talk one of my co-writers into writing either a h/c or a torturefic, and it does help in an odd fashion.

[witchwillow.livejournal.com]

Cause in an odd way having the char in control of the pain eases things somehow. I get that :)

[salustra.livejournal.com]

It really does. It's also cathartic. Putting the pain I'm experiencing into words, into descriptive prose, is kinda like venting without the whining and self-pity involved. *giggles*

[amamelina.livejournal.com]

I do that, but I also tear the paper up afterwards.

[salustra.livejournal.com]

To each their own. I label the fics, lots of people like h/c or torturefic.

[witchwillow.livejournal.com]

I remember not having pain. But then I wonder if I was sick/something was wrong even then. And because I was so active, I was pissing away my good days on sports and random stuff.

(And yes I did mean Fibromyalgia)

[saadiira.livejournal.com]

I lived with long term pain from an auto accident for many years. While it was still active, or just beginning to stop (I am fortunate. It's not nearly as bad or as constant as it was during my twenties), I came up with a character with pain control abilities. I wonder if that was related, now.

VERY interesting post line. Thank you.

-Dira-

[pandorasblog]

This whole thread is fascinating, but the pain/control/hurt+comfort angle particulary piques my interest. I've got Crohn's and I see myself responding to certain things in fiction which I think are related to my own experience. Heh... I remember when I was in my early teens I was really into Wolverine, and I can't help thinking the healing factor was a... er, factor.

[brandiweed.livejournal.com]

I have Fibro. I deal with pain on a daily basis. It makes sense I'd have at least a couple of alters who have strange relationships with pain and control of pain.

Have you heard of Bob Flanagan?

[witchwillow.livejournal.com]

No, but I'm wikipedia-ing him now.

[relmneiko.livejournal.com]

I think that the biggest problem with Nathaniel is that LKH never really tries to get inside his head or hint at his thoughts and motivations. She just thought a submissive guy would be hot and never filled in the details of his personality. It's like he's only half there. O.o

[longtail.livejournal.com]

Same with Micah. The only part about ID that I liked was that she actually made him DO something normal...like reading a music magazine and looking for his leather punch. So apperantly he can work leather and he likes music mags like a normal young man. He also enjoys cooking.

I see such potential being wasted with those two.

[longtail.livejournal.com]

Eeep, I realized I mad a non-sequitor here...I was talking about Nathanial's interests after that first sentance, not Micah's. All I know about Micah is he runs a not-for-profit group for shapeshifters.