Re-reading

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Susan Hood Parker

Well-Known Member
Jun 13, 2015
50
188
Frannie is my fav, but then I'm a girl. Enjoying my re-read, omg, Trashcan Man. Up to THE KEY. Will have to get the new version at some point soon & see what he's added. If I want to read more things w/ 'normal' (who's definition are we using?) women, guess I'll just have to write it. Work in progress, going very slowly.
 

Pucker

We all have it coming, kid
May 9, 2010
2,906
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Remember those books they used to make where, at certain points in the story, you could choose what you wanted the characters to do and the story would proceed differently depending on which scenario you picked?

Every time I re-read The Stand I keep hoping that Harold will do something -- anything -- different.

But he never does.
 

Pucker

We all have it coming, kid
May 9, 2010
2,906
6,242
62
Funny, I liked Frannie less and less the more times I read it.

It's some number of years since we had a group read of this in here, but I seem to recall this being mentioned more than once.

I didn't find Frannie particularly likable from the very beginning, but I'm funny that way. I can forgive her her selfishness. She's young. I remember a little bit about that. What's harder to forgive is her intransigence. While other characters learn and develop (and devolve) Frannie stomps through the narrative with that signature "I Want!" line across her forehead, unapologetic and always willing (eager) to trade up.

I suppose you could make the case that a character like Frannie is necessary to balance all the epiphanies people are having all over the place, but I'm not entirely sure that's it. I think Frannie might be one of those characters who struck off on her own when the author wasn't looking.

They do that sometimes.

I suppose if you were a glass-half-full kind of person you could just say that Frannie is "consistent" and admire her for that. It's true enough, she as much as anyone evinces the necessary spirit to do whatever it is that is going to have to be done once the war is over, but I never once found myself rooting for her . . . although I suppose that's mostly because I like Harold so much.
 

Aloysius Nell

Well-Known Member
Apr 1, 2014
309
1,009
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I never understood all the dislike of Fran. People say she's a self-centered whiner. Um, we're ALL self-centered in our own thoughts. And it's pretty unfair to Judge someone because they write about themselves too much in their diary. That's what they're FOR, after all.

Larry, on the other hand, behaves like a little kid for 90% of the story, and only becomes likable halfway to Vegas. He's a fascinating character, one of the best, but I don't like him much at all.