Saturday, June 11

Even fictional characters need to eat

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One thing that really struck me about The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was how author Stieg Larsson did a good job feeding his characters.  It might just be me, since I have the constitution and appetite of a hobbit, but it seemed like the two main characters ate a lot of sandwiches.  They smoked a fair amount of cigarettes too, but they also relieved stress by breaking bread, alone or with each other.  I really appreciate it when an author remembers that just because it's a thriller and the plot is full of suspense doesn't mean that the character's aren't superhuman and still have the same basic human drive of needing food (and water, and sex).

This got me to thinking about other books in which the author makes a point in feeding the characters well:
1) The Hobbit/The Lord of the Rings. Both stories are about journeys, in both literal and metaphoric sense.  As the characters are traveling far and wide, they have a lot to carry and stop frequently to eat and discuss their next moves.  I haven't actually finished the trilogy (it's on my reading list for this year) so the eating scene that features more prominently is the one in the middle of The Hobbit, where Bilbo and Co. have stopped at the Bear-Man's place for a feast.  I don't remember exactly what was eaten, but it was a big milestone in the journey and the Bear-Man (apologies for not remembering his name) stands out in my mind as a Very Memorable Character.

2) The Harry Potter series. Oh, what I would give to be a student at Hogwarts, if only to dine there regularly!  The Halloween, Christmas and start/end of term feasts were always pretty show-stopping but even the typical weekday meals were lavish and deliciously described.  Characters discussed a wide range of topics in the dining hall, and Rowling constantly had Ron warbling something or other befor, during and after bites of steak-and-kidney pie or scrambled eggs or roast chicken.

3) The Redwall series.  At the end of every book the people inhabitants of Redwall would come together for a blowout celebratory feast.  Hot scones, acorn bread, berries, nuts-- a hearty vegetarian banquet, with the exception of the fish that they would catch once a year and eat with great reverence.  I could go for a scone right now, actually...

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