Kogo Shuko wrote:Let's face it: Eric really is a bad guy. He is evil, and he has killed, moreso than Bill. And why? Because he's had hundreds of years more to do it, and to excel at it! I don't for a minute doubt that Eric used to be a ruthless killer, and that he enjoyed the lifestyle.
And let's not forget what he was before he became vampire. Eric had been a viking. I think they're cool, but did you know that they killed off an entire people? The Picts were annihilated by the Vikings. The reason I so chose to learn that tidbit is because the Scottish clan I come from claims to be descended from the Picts (but other clans scoff at this remark). For one people to kill off another people entirely - and on purpose, for this was no killing by disease - that's pretty harsh, cruel, and let's face it... evil.
And while I am most undoubtedly in love with the character of Eric Northman, I can see where she's coming from. Especially since I am choosing to ignore Eric's past. I choose to love the character who comes from a bloodthirsty background - even before he became human! Bill, while still a vampire, has a more... noble... human past, although I suppose the slavery thing sure as hell isn't noble. But basically... Bill didn't go around pillaging. Eric most probably did.
We, the readers, do so choose to ignore Eric's past. But we choose to ignore it so that we can see the Eric in the here and now. And even the present Eric isn't all rainbows and puppies. I do agree with the statement that Eric can't love anyone but himself. He really couldn't. Not until he met Sookie, that is. Sookie has changed him, and it's the changed man that I have come to love. I think there's a lot of change going on in Eric's life, and Sookie is allowing him to become the man he has been underneath the facade. Whether it was a facade or not, I still think he has been a cruel and heartless bastard. And I think he will be again. But if he does something, I have no doubt he will try to earn Sookie's trust and respect once more, and he shall. Because Sookie is what makes him tic now. He needs to feel the emotions she instills upon him.
I have to respectfully disagree with you on some of your opinions.
The real issue here isn't if Eric and Bill are bad or not. If we go to history per se, vikings, as southern men during Civil War, both were warriors, soldiers serving their territories interests. The job of a soldier is to kill the enemy (with another marginal tasks as patrol, guard, etc, but their formal training has the purpose of teach them to kill). From this perspective, right or wrong, they both were killers. No more, no less. But they both were doing what they think were right... even when NOW we (I include myself) think we can judge History and say what they did was wrong. But, if we can justify a southern soldier actions inside the mores and historical context of the Civil War events just because we have to consider he was a christian and had a family; then we have to justify a viking as well considering the mores and historical context period the vikings existed, understanding he had another belief system because christianity didn't even exist, and because he had a family, too.
Going further, if they were both turned into vampires, they aren't human anymore. I'm not going to discuss the vampire predatory and instinct nature here because we read about it enough on the books. Saying that both of them HAVE to "live" dead as vampires is enough. So what's the difference? The extent of time? I can't believe that unique variable could determine which one is the best or the worst because then, to be fair, we have to search for the intentions and motives of their actions. And also we know that PEOPLE (vampires are dead, but still are dead people) are always able to learn, change and grow through time... for better or for worse.
Bill, while still a vampire, has a more... noble... human past, although I suppose the slavery thing sure as hell isn't noble. But basically... Bill didn't go around pillaging. Eric most probably did.
And this is the thought with which I'm more in disagreement. First, because of the arguments I already wrote above. Second, because it's an opinion that isn't based on canon facts (you can't find those facts on any of the SVM books). And, Third, because nobility isn't a exactly a virtue that Bill Comptom has.
Nobility by definition is the quality of being exalted in character, ideals or conduct (or a priviledge class holding hereditary titles, that neither applies here). I can't say Bill was a noble person as human because isn't a fact, and can't say he is noble as a vampire, because he is the only one of both (I mean between Eric and him) that has commited murders beyond his vampire predatory nature. He murdered the Rattrays and Sookie's great uncle Barlett, not even in self defense or defending her, but just for revenge (and vengeance isn't a very noble purpose because it is wilful, calculated and deliberate in itself). As calculated and deliberated as was his purpose of return to Bon Temps to seduce her for the Queen's benefit. The only action I could think of him as noble was giving his money to the Bellefleurs, but it was blured by the fact that he didn't care about Sookie's home and financial needs even when he almost lived with her, used all her house utilities and "love" her (well, that's was Sookie's complaint, right?).
I do agree with the statement that Eric can't love anyone but himself. He really couldn't.
I can't disagree with you more on this, too. As Bill, he also had a family (mother, father, brother, wife and children) and told Sookie about his lost of them when he was turned into a vampire helping what he thought was a hurt man on the road (which is a very weird behavior for a man that, like you think, enjoyed killing...). Love is a very subjective construct and feeling. There are different kinds of love (eros, agape, philial, fraternal, etc), and not experience one kind doesn't excludes been able to feel another. Also the individual perception of what we know as "romantic" love is determined by many other variables as history periods and even Hollywood movies.
IMO,the real issue here is DeeDee's question about CH attitude. I was reading on trueblood.net the article about the last interview of CH with ABC News (
http://truebloodnet.com/charlaine-harri ... -abc-news/ ) and found this:
One question that was sent in to Charlaine by a reader for the interview was regarding a statement that Charlaine once made that she didn’t understand why so many fans love Eric so much? The reader wanted clarification to this statement since in her eyes she felt that Charlaine had written the Eric character as always being there for Sookie, fulfilling her needs, being truthful and being emotionally connected to Sookie.
“I’m not denying that’s one side of Eric, but he’s also a ruthless killer and I think some of my readers tend to forget that in their enthusiasm for his sexier habits.”
She insists (the low blow again...) that in our enthusiams for his sexier habits some of us forget that Eric is a ruthless killer?? It seems she forgot to add that even Sookie is a killer and an accomplice on several murders. Wasn't she ruthless when Bill murdered his great uncle? She said to him she was glad he was dead and her only worry was thinking dating him was like dating the Godfather but she was sure he'd never hurt her... ????!! (Isn't she the only killer from the 3 known telepaths on the books? lol) ALL Sups, vampires, werewolves, fairies, shifters and Britlingens had kill on the books. So, what happens to CH with Eric and his fans now? Killing is bad, but ALL are killers, so why are now Eric the one and only bad ruthless killer worth to mention? If Bill fans are always asking if they are going to have hot and steamy sex on her next book (which in fact was also a question on the interview) why are Eric's fans the only ones airheads enough to forget how BAD is killing and how ruthless Eric is (of course because in her opinion we are now just a bunch of nympho-eric-maniacs?)
Anyway, I will be eternally grateful if any of you, please, enlight me with the information about which book, chapter, page and paragraph tells about an Eric's ruthless murder (not a self defense kill, or a kill defending his queen) since he met Sookie. Because, honestly, I read and re-read all 9 books, and can't find one.
I'm really getting very, very tired with her attitude...
I just don't think that's the way you should deal with your fans.
