[Glave]

Death of Whiskeyjack and it's effects on Mallett.

Trull vs Icarium and to a lesser extent Trull vs Silchas Ruin

Not so much the death of Coltaine but the senseless way that asshatted general allowed his entire army along with the Coltaine's to be murdered with no fight outside of Aren. I have never been so murderously angry while reading a book.

[Sinisdar Toste]

Kanubis, on 03 June 2010 - 11:15 AM, said:

Sinisdar Toste, on 26 May 2010 - 07:17 PM, said:

pemulis, on 26 May 2010 - 08:23 AM, said:

maybe it's because I have kids, but the acknowledgement of Harllo by Stonny at the end of TtH was a real tear-jerker

gets me every time

It's not just the the event itself, it's also that Erikson really managed to write that scene beautifully.

so beautifully. cements SE as the master of all things bittersweet.

See Bainisk? This is my mother.

no other line has ever pulled harder on my heart strings. i well up every time i think about it

[Mcflury]

EDIT: woops, wrong forum. (can't seem to delete post myself )

This post has been edited by Mcflury: 21 August 2010 - 08:38 PM

[worry]

Still, reading about your struggle and subsequent failure to delete your post was extremely emotional for me. Kudos!

[Siergiej]

Personally, I divide emotional moments from MBotF into two categories: Shocking and Moving:

Shocking:
1. Whiskeyjack's death. Kallor should be able to kill him just like that. It's obvious. But still, WJ holds on. Even more - he fights back! Now he's got him... wait, what?! His leg?! That was awesome. I felt like someone hit me in the head with a sledgehammer. An awesome character killed by a total jerk - it happens a lot. But not like this... oh, I will never forget how shocked I was back then. Hard to believe, but it's even cooler on a reread, with all this foreshadowing of WJ's leg and Kallor's treason.
2. Murillio's death. When I look at it now, it's a carbon copy of Kallor killing WJ, yet despite happening before, it struck me with the same strenght. Murillio was getting old, and he finally found a purpose - to help Stonny retrieve Harllo. And when he is about to do that, this smirking shithead, Gorlas Vidikas, decides to stop him... just because he is a shithead. Murillio stand no chance, but he gets this anime-like power-up coming from his will to save Harllo. He is about to kill Gorlas, performs this super-duper perfect attack and... Vidikas shrugs it off like it was nothing and kills Murillio with a single swing of his sword. My jaw dropped and I had to take a break from reading, because of the shock.

Moving:
1. Fall of Coltaine. He managed to cross half of the continent to get to Aren, and stupidity of a single idiot caused not only Coltaine's death, but almost the whole army. I don't like the "I cried wathing/readin/playing/listening to XXX" talks, but for Deadhouse Gates I make an exception. Mainly because I have a rather low opinion about fantasy literature, and DG is the only novel ever to make me shed a tear. Or two. One of grief, and one of anger.
2. Post-Coral. All that grief and sorrow. Dujek and even Anomander Rake honouring the dead hero, whom they called a friend. The rising legend of Itkovian. And finally Bridgeburners being buried in (or rather "with") the Moonspawn, because that's how badass they were considered by Tiste Andii. And then the little badassery coming in between the lines, with Anomander Rake telling Korlat and Orfantal to keep Kallor alive, because he deserves Dragnipur. Life Lesson 1: Never kill a friend of a guy, who can punish You with eternal suffering. Oh, what a pity, that Rake didn't have time to keep this promise.
3. Fiddler's song. The hell breaks loose in Malaz, but few old friends don'tcare - they have to play the song for their fallen friends - that's the only thing that matters at the time. No words can describe how awesome this part was.

[Called-by-the-Voices]

I am not going to repeat some of the "classics" mentioned before (Rake, Itkovian's death, CoD, etc) but I just have to stress that the line "See Bainisk, this is my mother" and the whole context of the scene and the way it is written has to be, and surely is, one of THE most emotionaly powerful moments that I've read in literature. This transcends fantasy. It's art.

Apart from that, this bit just chokes me every time:

A soldier goes to war. A soldier carries it back home. Could leaders truly comprehend the damage they do to their citizens, they would never send them to war. And if, in knowing, they did so anyway- to appease their hunger for power- then may they choke on the spoils for ever more.
Ah, but the round man digresses. Forgive this raw spasm of rage. A friend lies wrapped in canvas on the bed of a cart. Death is on its way home.
Forgive.

Gets me every time. Can their be a bigger compliment to Murillio then this kind of reaction? From Kruppe, none other...

Death is on its way home. Forgive..

[Mcflury]

Called-by-the-Voices, on 10 October 2010 - 05:47 PM, said:

I am not going to repeat some of the "classics" mentioned before (Rake, Itkovian's death, CoD, etc) but I just have to stress that the line "See Bainisk, this is my mother" and the whole context of the scene and the way it is written has to be, and surely is, one of THE most emotionaly powerful moments that I've read in literature. This transcends fantasy. It's art.

Apart from that, this bit just chokes me every time:

A soldier goes to war. A soldier carries it back home. Could leaders truly comprehend the damage they do to their citizens, they would never send them to war. And if, in knowing, they did so anyway- to appease their hunger for power- then may they choke on the spoils for ever more.
Ah, but the round man digresses. Forgive this raw spasm of rage. A friend lies wrapped in canvas on the bed of a cart. Death is on its way home.
Forgive.

Gets me every time. Can their be a bigger compliment to Murillio then this kind of reaction? From Kruppe, none other...

Death is on its way home. Forgive..

Sometimes I believe Kruppe is the only person alive who could've ever made Anomander Rake cry like a baby... Especially that 'And if, in knowing, they did so anyway- to appease their hunger for power- then may they choke on the spoils for ever more.' would've broken Rake even more than he already was, since obviously Rake does know and is constantly forced to send people to war.

Also, that Bainisk thing... can you locate that for me? I have no idea where that happens in the series, and even who says it :s

[Called-by-the-Voices]

Mcflury, on 10 October 2010 - 07:53 PM, said:

Called-by-the-Voices, on 10 October 2010 - 05:47 PM, said:

I am not going to repeat some of the "classics" mentioned before (Rake, Itkovian's death, CoD, etc) but I just have to stress that the line "See Bainisk, this is my mother" and the whole context of the scene and the way it is written has to be, and surely is, one of THE most emotionaly powerful moments that I've read in literature. This transcends fantasy. It's art.

Apart from that, this bit just chokes me every time:

A soldier goes to war. A soldier carries it back home. Could leaders truly comprehend the damage they do to their citizens, they would never send them to war. And if, in knowing, they did so anyway- to appease their hunger for power- then may they choke on the spoils for ever more.
Ah, but the round man digresses. Forgive this raw spasm of rage. A friend lies wrapped in canvas on the bed of a cart. Death is on its way home.
Forgive.

Gets me every time. Can their be a bigger compliment to Murillio then this kind of reaction? From Kruppe, none other...

Death is on its way home. Forgive..

Sometimes I believe Kruppe is the only person alive who could've ever made Anomander Rake cry like a baby... Especially that 'And if, in knowing, they did so anyway- to appease their hunger for power- then may they choke on the spoils for ever more.' would've broken Rake even more than he already was, since obviously Rake does know and is constantly forced to send people to war.

Also, that Bainisk thing... can you locate that for me? I have no idea where that happens in the series, and even who says it :s

Yes when you think of it, so much movies and books were made that were supposed to deal with the whole "war-is-hell" and "why-do-we-fught" theme, but I find this one line of Kruppe's narration more profound and deep then all of them. SE is indeed a God amongst writers.

The Bainisk line is the closing sentence of TtH (if you do not count the Epilogue)

Bantam Books Paperback, pg 1262.

And what was said by Harllo, in silence, as he stood there, moments before he was discovered? Why, it was this: See Bainisk, this is my mother.

Heart-crushing. Such a wonderful way to tie in the whole Harllo-Bainisk relationship and Harllo's childlike enthusiasm to reach out to his mother. "Some doors you cannot hold back. Bold as truth, some doors get kicked in."

Such a wonderful way to say the cliche that is "A bond between a mother and her child is unassailable"

[Mcflury]

Ah, right, I remember now Muchos Gracias
I often feel like I don't understand/remember enough of TtH to fully appreciate the last book that'll come out soon, but I have no time for a re-read I'm sort of stuck on Don Quichot for now, and I want to finish that one before I read anything else.
Ah well, I'll just go with the flow in tCG, get my mind blown off, do a full re-read once I caught up with all my other reading and then get my head blown off twice as hard

[KingTeholBeddict]

For me it would have to be when Beak's brother hangs himself...
It just hits me so hard...

[CrossSide]

Nobody about Crokus/Cutter and Apsalar/Sorry? I regret Crokus and his transformation the most in the whole serie. And when Apsalar rejects Crokus and Cottilion interference with both makes me so sad. The perfect young, handsome couple are driven apart by a fucked upped world and a God in needs...

[ShadowRaven]

CrossSide, on 15 November 2010 - 11:52 AM, said:

Nobody about Crokus/Cutter and Apsalar/Sorry? I regret Crokus and his transformation the most in the whole serie. And when Apsalar rejects Crokus and Cottilion interference with both makes me so sad. The perfect young, handsome couple are driven apart by a fucked upped world and a God in needs...

Crokus' transformation into Cutter is kind of regrettable but I have a very strong feeling that Apsalar and him will be reunited before the series ends. Crokus as a character has never been one of my favorites, too many of his sections in the books after GotM (especially after becoming Cutter) feel like filler for me so I've never been able to connect with him emotionally that much.

[CrossSide]

ShadowRaven, on 15 November 2010 - 03:53 PM, said:

CrossSide, on 15 November 2010 - 11:52 AM, said:

Nobody about Crokus/Cutter and Apsalar/Sorry? I regret Crokus and his transformation the most in the whole serie. And when Apsalar rejects Crokus and Cottilion interference with both makes me so sad. The perfect young, handsome couple are driven apart by a fucked upped world and a God in needs...

Crokus' transformation into Cutter is kind of regrettable but I have a very strong feeling that Apsalar and him will be reunited before the series ends. Crokus as a character has never been one of my favorites, too many of his sections in the books after GotM (especially after becoming Cutter) feel like filler for me so I've never been able to connect with him emotionally that much.

Mm weird, he is one of my favorites I think he is an important character in the novels and will be even more important in the future (at least I hope).

Many of you say that the moment with Beak is the saddest, but I don't think so. I think it's weird that he suddenly appears and that he has such strong power in him. Why didn't noticed anyone before? Why didn't they protect him? His storyline is also a bit short, but the end was sad indeed.

Another sad part of the books is Toc the Younger. The one with the most bad luck in all the novels I think. Sometimes he can be irritating, but for me he is a character who is so different from other characters that I always have the idea that he is from earth or something. He suffered a lot in the series and I could feel the pain when he was cracked up by the K'chain Malle Matron in MOI.

[Hetan]

Wierd, I didn't care about Crokus/Emo/Cutter either. Only liked Apsalar in Bonehunters, otherwise the pair of them were just not that interesting. Seemed like teenage angst thrown in to keep it current, but that's just my opinion.
Saddest part?... there's been so many - but Trull - that was a kick in the gut for me.

[Abyss]

Hetan, on 15 November 2010 - 09:21 PM, said:

Wierd, I didn't care about Crokus/Emo/Cutter either. Only liked Apsalar in Bonehunters, otherwise the pair of them were just not that interesting. Seemed like teenage angst thrown in to keep it current, but that's just my opinion.

You didn't find their trip to Drift Avalii in HoC just a little bit interesting?
Or Apsalar deciding to walk the path to Ascension alone rather than drag Crokus along with her?

I thought that was an interesting element in the book as a whole. We assume that any human, given the opportunity to move along the path to ascension and godhood, would jump at it, but SE shows us that the path takes a toll, and that most walk the path alone. And on top of that Apsalar is not willing to give up the power she is gaining, but leaves Cutter behind for his sake, not hers, knowing that leaving him will make her journey that much worse.

So bring us back to emo moments, i thought Apsalar's chat with Cotillion at the end of HoC was a fairly affecting one. It said a lot about the relationship between power and sacrifice.

[CrossSide]

Abyss, on 16 November 2010 - 04:10 PM, said:

Hetan, on 15 November 2010 - 09:21 PM, said:

Wierd, I didn't care about Crokus/Emo/Cutter either. Only liked Apsalar in Bonehunters, otherwise the pair of them were just not that interesting. Seemed like teenage angst thrown in to keep it current, but that's just my opinion.

You didn't find their trip to Drift Avalii in HoC just a little bit interesting?
Or Apsalar deciding to walk the path to Ascension alone rather than drag Crokus along with her?

I thought that was an interesting element in the book as a whole. We assume that any human, given the opportunity to move along the path to ascension and godhood, would jump at it, but SE shows us that the path takes a toll, and that most walk the path alone. And on top of that Apsalar is not willing to give up the power she is gaining, but leaves Cutter behind for his sake, not hers, knowing that leaving him will make her journey that much worse.

So bring us back to emo moments, i thought Apsalar's chat with Cotillion at the end of HoC was a fairly affecting one. It said a lot about the relationship between power and sacrifice.

Indeed, and the fact that Cottilion felt sorry for both of them (and even had to cry?) but still choose to use them both. But then he made his promise to Apsalar to find Crokus again, whatever the costs.

But Apsalar ascended? Didn't know that, lol.

[Sinisdar Toste]

well, she's on the path to be sure, whereabouts on that path one crosses over into true ascendance is not so clear cut.

[Abyss]

CrossSide, on 16 November 2010 - 06:56 PM, said:

...But Apsalar ascended? Didn't know that, lol.

Sinisdar Toste, on 16 November 2010 - 09:44 PM, said:

well, she's on the path to be sure, whereabouts on that path one crosses over into true ascendance is not so clear cut.

See TB. She's aspected to Shadow the point that she can skip in and out of the warren. No ordinary human could kick a Hound of Shadow through a wall. So leaving aside the Claw killing, because Kalam did that without supernatural assistance, Apsalar is still way more than she used to be, hence, she's ascended. She could ascend MORE. She could become a god. She could also do none of those things, but she's way beyond baseline human.

But in the on topic emo point that ascension is costing her.

[Bauchelain the Evil]

True but also Gesler and Stormy are more than ordinary humans yet Sormo didn't say that they had ascended but could ascend more. He said that they were near ascendant.

Note that I also think that Apsalar is more or less ascended