I don't understand why so few people seem to believe that either A. men cannot be raped, or B. it's fine as long as it's a man. Some of the posters here have wondered just how popular the Anita Blake books would be if the genders were reversed. I'm surprised that RAIIN hasn't had something to say on the issue. It could be that, contrary to LKH's apparent belief that her books are the most important of the era, the series is just that far under most people's radar.
I love Asher, too. At least, I loved him until he became Anita-ized. I honestly enjoyed hearing about his past with JC and Julianna more than I did anything else in the books. I think that the last scenario you presented was most likely the case. I think that Asher (like all "gay" characters in the AB series) is extremely selectively bisexual, and worked to find a woman that both he and JC could be happy with. We've seen just how selective JC is, so as long as Asher liked her, I'm sure anyone would do. I'm sure that JC is fabulous in bed because he is a stereotypical male lead in an Urban Fantasy novel. He's a vampire, he's very metro, he's great looking, great in bed, rich, and bi. I would like him if he wasn't so two-dimensional. I'd rather read about him and Asher before the personality vacuum got to them both.
Richard, I believe, is LKH's avatar/ voodoo doll for her ex. He went from being Anita's white knight (early, pre-divorce days) to being the devil himself. I love how LKH struggles to make us all hate him when he is so often the only character that makes any damned sense. Not that Richard's not completely screwed up, but I see him more as the gardener of the daffodil farm rather than one of the flowers. I liked him more before the break-up. I liked Anita more, too.
I also agree with you about the college roommate thing. It was very unnecessary. I think LKH threw that out there in total ignorance of how it sounded, just like most things that she writes. To quote a favorite writer, she couldn't buy a clue with a hundred bucks in a dollar store.
The main issue that I have with the Anita Blake series is that I truly believe that the gay characters are there to be hip and edgy. That LKH was able to, or even bothered to, create a decent past for JC and Asher honestly surprised me. She obviously has little respect for or understanding of homosexuality. She's far too conservative to be able to understand, and therefore, write about, homosexual relationships. I doubt highly that she has any real gay or lesbian friends. Or if she did, she doesn't anymore. Not if they read her books.
*ack, I orginally posted this in the wrong section!*
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I love Asher, too. At least, I loved him until he became Anita-ized. I honestly enjoyed hearing about his past with JC and Julianna more than I did anything else in the books. I think that the last scenario you presented was most likely the case. I think that Asher (like all "gay" characters in the AB series) is extremely selectively bisexual, and worked to find a woman that both he and JC could be happy with. We've seen just how selective JC is, so as long as Asher liked her, I'm sure anyone would do. I'm sure that JC is fabulous in bed because he is a stereotypical male lead in an Urban Fantasy novel. He's a vampire, he's very metro, he's great looking, great in bed, rich, and bi. I would like him if he wasn't so two-dimensional. I'd rather read about him and Asher before the personality vacuum got to them both.
Richard, I believe, is LKH's avatar/ voodoo doll for her ex. He went from being Anita's white knight (early, pre-divorce days) to being the devil himself. I love how LKH struggles to make us all hate him when he is so often the only character that makes any damned sense. Not that Richard's not completely screwed up, but I see him more as the gardener of the daffodil farm rather than one of the flowers. I liked him more before the break-up. I liked Anita more, too.
I also agree with you about the college roommate thing. It was very unnecessary. I think LKH threw that out there in total ignorance of how it sounded, just like most things that she writes. To quote a favorite writer, she couldn't buy a clue with a hundred bucks in a dollar store.
The main issue that I have with the Anita Blake series is that I truly believe that the gay characters are there to be hip and edgy. That LKH was able to, or even bothered to, create a decent past for JC and Asher honestly surprised me. She obviously has little respect for or understanding of homosexuality. She's far too conservative to be able to understand, and therefore, write about, homosexual relationships. I doubt highly that she has any real gay or lesbian friends. Or if she did, she doesn't anymore. Not if they read her books.
*ack, I orginally posted this in the wrong section!*