Poll - Lazarus Long - Liking or Loathing?

[Tillane]

Originally Posted by The Ace

Longwinded ? Long, certainly, but seldom winded.

His long rants drive me up the wall and, quite often, I don't really want to live in his world. He's a reactionary old twonk and a vehicle for Heinlein's less-savoury opinions.

Couldn't agree more. I'm not a huge fan of Heinlein's work anyway, but Long's character was one I could happily have throttled.

[Spade]

My only encounter with him has been in The Cat Who Walks Through Walls... and I enjoyed the character. One hell of a book, too. I don't care what anybody else says.

[Giovanna Clairval]

Although he can be preachy, Heinlein is a great novelist. I read most of his books a long time ago and I enjoyed them.

[Cerium]

I like Lazarus Long. Sure I don't agree with him all the time but I always like reading the stories he is in. One of my favorite is "Time Enough for Love".

[Ramoth's Rider]

As Woodrow Wilson in to sail beyond Sunset he was ok, but in The number of the beast i just wanted to slap him!

[ghost8772]

it really depends on the book, some of the stories were pretty good, and others, not so good. I'd guess that he was an outlet for Heinlein, who really wished he could live forever.

[Urlik]

Originally Posted by ghost8772

it really depends on the book, some of the stories were pretty good, and others, not so good. I'd guess that he was an outlet for Heinlein, who really wished he could live forever.

although a lot of Heinlein's stories contain an imortality theme, I don't think he really wanted to live forever, just have enough time to get everything done.

as Dora pointed out in TEFL, we all live for the same amount of time anyway

[RVM45]

.....I liked LL in "Methesulah's Children". I wish that "Time Enough for Love" could have been written as a juvenile- I would have liked it a great deal more. REH's X-Rated scenes and ideas are a BIG turnoff for me, though I have suffered through them sometimes, for the sake of the story. I have also set more than one of his books aside; because I couldn't continue in the face of such annoying trash.

.....RVM45

[jowolf359]

Originally Posted by Liz Pf

I also had trouble with the options ... I think LL would be a very interesting person, definitely worth listening to ...

... but first I'd have to give him a good stiff kick in the you-know-what.

LL was a crochety old fart, who thought he was G-d's gift to women. In every book, he has women falling for him right, left, and center. Even Hilda, who was not his type, ended up joining his harem. [I don't think he lost a single pursuit since Mary Sperling.]

Well, I don't find him attractive, and would not want to go to bed with him. And I think, once he got that through his thick skull, he would be interesting to talk to.

One woman's perspective

--Liz

I agree with this, he does seem to think he is simply the greatest. But as for Hilda, she has the same personality. She seems to think that she is the greatest thing since s*x was discovered.