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Originally Posted by sven_m  I really like the 1st-person POV, as it is written as well as in her books. I enjoy that we know just as little as the main-character in the "Farseer" books. Most 3rd-person books have the reader know more than the main character, which means that the reader is constantly waiting for the main character to catch up. Here, we really live with the character.
However, the liveship-trilogy is written in regular 3rd-person perspective. As it is set in the farseer-universe, this allows a good comparison to the other two farseer-trilogies.
On the other hand, "Soldier" is 1st person in a completely different universe.
In my opinion, "liveship" is nearly as good as "farseer". It took me a little longer to get into the story, but I really enjoyed it starting the second novel. On the other hand, I really disliked "Soldier" and didn't even read the 3rd book.
So: no, "Farseer" would not be much different if written in 3rd person. It is the story and universe that makes these books work. And no 3rd-person could have saved "Soldier", in my opinion. |
I totally, totally agree with all of this!
In my opinion, Liveship works well as third person because we need to have intimate knowledge of everyone's motives, take the Rain Wilders, or Kennit, or Malta for example... If we didn't get a real close look at their motives and their individual journeys, then there would be far too much missing from the story as a whole. We wouldn't be able to understand nearly as much of why things are as they are, and it just wouldn't work from, say, only Althea's POV.
Farseer, however, I think is the opposite: What is precisely so GOOD about it is that we DON'T know everyone's motives, and we don't need to: It isn't a story about the Six Duchies and all that goes on there: That would be something very different entirely. It is the story of Fitz's life, which often coincides with the comings and goings of the Six Duchies politics etc. I'm sure Hobb could write a very decent book from many points of view in the Six Duchies, but it wouldn't at all be the same story, so I'm inclined to say it wouldn't be as good: I love the Farseer stories for what they are, damn it!! Hehe
As for Soldier Son, and Nevare... Ugh... See Sven's comments above: I didn't even pick up the third book either!! Shame, really...
Shadow xx