GOODKIND IV

[Brys]

The failure of so many here to apprehend the true success of Mr. Goodkind's work would be disheartening if their conduct did not make it clear that they are not capable of understanding even such simple concepts.

The arrogance inherent in this "Quote of the Day" phenomenon is a fine example of the problem. You all criticize Mr. Goodkind's prose, as though the ability to craft pretty, morally empty sentences would be an asset rather than a terrible vice. The sort of decadent literature you evidently prefer is not at all what this author wishes to produce. Your GRRM may well find it impressive that he can make evil people seem good with his literary parlor tricks; those of us who understand the seductiveness of evil know how hollow this is. The "moral" complaints you raise in reference to these quotes are likewise parlor tricks, sophistry, nonsense, and cowardice designed to hide the basic realities Mr. Goodkind clarifies. Terry Goodkind is a genius on a level you cannot hope to apprehend.

Brilliantly done. Diablo, you have a challenger. This is incredibly believable.

Great quote of the day MG. Goodkind is always entertaining on the topic of peace protesters.

[Moosicus]

I wonder if Brendan Moody will come out and say that he's just fucking with us or not.

[Algiz]

I started reading some ghastly rubbish by Steven Erikson the other day, and 200 pages into "Gardens of the Moon" it is painfully obvious that he is desperately trying to ride the winds of Goodkind's success. For instance - there is this silly little town called "Darujhistan" (snicker) in which several of it's inhabitants are complaining about the prospect of "losing their freedom". Cleary a blatant rip-off from SoT-series; but this cretin Erikson obviously thought he would get away with it, since he is part of a vastly different genre (he is a "fantasy" author). There appears to be an army on the way to lay siege to the village in question (duh, how original) - I am now anxiously awaiting the arrival of left-wing rabble protesting the resistance, with clenched-teeth howled iconoclastic chants.

[Watcher]

Having seen enough, Richard was about to turn to go when a bright orange whoosh of fire erupted out in the crowd. A candle, presumably, ignited a girl's dress. She let out a piercing scream. Her hair caught fire.

By the speed of the fire, Richard realized it was no accident.

The chimes were among them

I understand now, Richard HAD to kill the protesters before the Chime could. Truly Terry is the master of subtly

I noticed the similitaries too Algiz. Terry should sue

Brandon that was great, thanks!

[Moosicus]

Watcher,

These aren't the protesters he kills. In this book he just goes off and sulks because he's been rejected by the people. I think he learns a valuable lesson here, and later applies it by killing the next bunch of hippies to shoot their mouths off.

[Algiz]

I noticed the similitaries too Algiz. Terry should sue

Indeed. As if the above was not enough - I just read about a giant raven in the service of an evil lord; need I even mention where he stole this idea from? Choosing a non-domestic animal helps you naught Steven - especially since the raven (who will no doubt turn out NOT to be a raven) makes sounds suspiciously close to bwaking. Ah, almost forget - the Lord in question does of course possess a magical sword. If it is in some way related to Truth has yet to be revealed however, no spoilers please.

[Stonehelm]

You know, when summarised like that, it sounds so mad its got to be good. A pity the truth is so depressing.

Truth always depresses me

[Brys]

I just noticed amazon.co.uk has a search inside feature for Soul of the Fire. So I searched "chicken that is not a chicken". There were eight references (including the brilliant Quote of the Day one): The chicken that is not a chicken. If you just search chicken, you'll find 52 references. What is it with Goodkind and chickens? And the very first sentence of the novel:

"I wonder what's bothering the chickens" Richard said.

[Zadok]

The word "chicken" appears 89 times in the first 91 pages of the book according to that search thing.

and then there's this troubling part

"No wonder he hadn't been in the mood to make love to her. But a chicken..."

[Algiz]

Zadok

Could the quote you provided perhaps be related to the issue causing Richard puzzlement in Brys post?

[ChaosTheory]

Goodkind was way off with the chicken-which-is-not-a-chicken, everyone knows that sheep are the truly evil creatures of any world....ah, but that's it, sheep are TOO obvious...hm.

Anyway, just wanted to say thanks, this is a brilliant diversion from the football.

Read the quotes on Wikiquote - I really liked the way they were separated into 'Insightful', 'Humorous' and 'Memorable' like there was any real difference between them!

"I will give you war; a real war, not a slaughter of women and children but a war lead by me, the Mother Confessor, a woman! War without quarter!" - Kahlan" - I thought a war without quarter was one where everyone bought it?? ie incl. women & children...?

"Nothing is ever easy." -Zedd" Well, tying your shoe laces is pretty easy...and I haven't yet had a problem with opening a bag of crisps, and watching the telly isn't usually too taxing...facetious, me??

"Knowledge is a weapon. I intend to be formidably armed." -Richard" - hm, haven't seen too much evidence of that so far!

"Sometimes that's all life is: one desperate act after another." -Zedd ~ yep, a fairly clear allegory for TG's works themselves!

"People are stupid." -Zedd ~ now we are hitting on TG's real thoughts ~ how else do you explain the sales of my books!!

"Sometimes, in madness resides genius." - Richard ~ even Richard gets it right sometimes, how else do you explain everything that is TG??

Oh, I have to give up now, I just heard an evil cackle and I'm all alone, and....oh, oh, the light just went out....what, what do you want,...aargh, nooo....

[Sad King Billy]

"Nothing is ever easy." -Zedd" Well, tying your shoe laces is pretty easy...and I haven't yet had a problem with opening a bag of crisps, and watching the telly isn't usually too taxing...facetious, me??

Don't be fooled by their innocent look! People can even choke on a pretzel!

[Merentha]

"Knowledge is a weapon. I intend to be formidably armed." -Richard" - hm, haven't seen too much evidence of that so far!

Just because knowledge is a weapon doesn't mean that that is what Richard intends to arm himself with. Swords are weapons, but most modern militaries use almost no swords whatsoever. Kinda like Richard and knowledge.

[ChaosTheory]

See that's why you lot are so much better at this than me. You see the subtle subtexts and plot twists that I am obviously too young (yeah!) and too stupid to recognise!

[Xray the Enforcer]

and then there's this troubling part

"No wonder he hadn't been in the mood to make love to her. But a chicken..."

WTF?! Please, what the hell is that about?

[Larry.]

It's obviously an obscure nod to El Pollo Jodido

[Merentha]

Brendan Moody and diabloblanco: I love how the two of you can, in jest, create better pro-Goodkind arguments than any Goodkind fan I have ever read. My hat goes off to you, sers.

[diabloblanco18]

In today's Terry Goodkind Quote of the Day, I believe we find the roots of the Naked Empire hippie slaughter. Richard and company are in Anderith to bring the people there into the D'haran Empire to help fight the Order. The head honchos say they can't make that decision for all their people and insist on a vote. While waiting for the vote to take place, these big shots go around explaining how Richard and Kahlan suck. We see how much Terry appreciates democracy. In this scene, Richard sees the result of letting people think for themselves.

Richard was stunned by the sight. The wide thoroughfare was packed with people, nearly all carrying candles, a glowing flood of faces washing up Fairfield's broad main avenue. They flowed around the trees and benches in the center, between the two sides of the road, making them look like treed islands. <its like I'm there>

<blah blah blah>

The gathering multitude started chanting.

"no more war. No more war. No more war." It was a dull drone, deep and insistent, like the quaking of the distant thunder.

Richard thought it a good sentiment, one he wholeheartedly embraced <uh huh, sure>, but he was disturbed by the anger in people's eyes, and the tone in their voices as they chanted it. It went on for a time, like thunder booming in from the plains, building, growing. <like a thing inside him>

A man near the platform held up his young girl on his shoulders for the people to see. "She has something to say! Let her speak! Please! Hear my child!"

The crowd called out encouragement. The girl, ten or twelve years old <I want her dead already>, climbed the steps at the side and, looking determined, marched across the platform to stand at the rail. The crowd quieted to hear her.

"Please, dear Creator, hear our prayers. Keep Lord Rahl from making war," she said in a voice powered by simplistic adolescent zeal. She looked to her father. He nodded and she went on. "We don't want his war. Please, dear Creator, make Lord Rahl give peace a chance." <all we are saying...> Richard felt as if an arrow of ice had pierced his heart. He wanted to explain to the child, explain a thousand things, <and kick her teeth in, smarmy little rat> but he knew she would not understand a one of them. Kahlan's hand on his back was cold comfort.

Another girl, maybe a year or two younger, climbed the steps to join the first. "Please, dear Creator, make Lord Rahl give peace a chance." <damn Lennonists>

A line was forming, parents bearing children of all ages to the steps. They all had similar messages. Most stepped forward and simply said, "Give peace a chance," some not seeming to even comprehend the words they spoke before they returned to proud parents. <I'll be the first to admit that children are stupid, but c'mon> It was plain to Richard that the children had been practicing the words all day. The words were not the language of children. That hardly softened the hurt, knowing they believed it. <how stupid are these kids that in order to recite four words, they have to practice ALL DAY? worried they might get up there and say "give chance a peace"?>

<blah blah blah>

"Lord Rahl, Mother Confessor," the man shouted out over the crowd, "if you could hear me now, I would ask, why would you bring your vile magic to our peaceloving people? Why would you try to drag us into your war, a war we don't want?

"Listen to the children, for theirs are the words of wisdom! <whats with everybody thinking kids are so fucking wise> "There is no reason to resort to conflict before dialogue. If you cared about the lives of innocent children, you would sit down with the Imperial Order and resolve your differences. The Order is willing, why are you not? Could it be you want this war so you might conquer what isn't yours? So you may enslave those who reject you?

"Listen to the wise words of all these children and please, in the name of all that is good, give peace a chance!" <so...what is it you're trying to say here? something about peace? I'm not quite getting it yet.>

<blah blah blah>

"Yet this man, this man who shouts for all to hear of his moral leadership, of his desire for what is right, already has another wife! Wherever he goes, he takes her, too, fat with his child! [at this point I'll mention that the other woman is Du Chaillu, she's not really Richards wife, its not really his child, its kinda complicated] Yet as this other wife still carries his unborn child, he marries the Mother Confessor, and drags her with him, too, as his concubine! <sweet> How many more women will this sinful man take to sire his wicked offspring? How many bastard children has he created here, in Anderith? How many of our women have fallen to his boundless lust?" <all of them, bitches!>

<blah blah blah>

"This is how tyrants win the will of the people: with lies." <Richard forgets that he built his empire with threats of horrible violence and brutal economic sanctions. But lies are wrong.> Having seen enough, Richard was about to turn to go when a bright orange whoosh of fire erupted out in the crowd. A candle, presumably, ignited a girl's dress. She let out a piercing scream. Her hair caught fire.

By the speed of the fire, Richard realized it was no accident. <a fire that isn't a fire>

The chimes were among them. <burn baby burn, hippie inferno!>

~Terry Goodkind, Soul of the Fire

I am continually astounded by this trend of mistaking genius for....hilarity, I suppose. I would make the obvious response here, and simply state that none of you are mature enough to read such novels, but that actually doesn't seem to be the case. Taking into account your reasoned discussion of Martin's novels, as well as select others, I can't conclude that you are all gibbering idiots. What are you, then, that you could despise such fine literature?

As ever, the answer lies in Goodkind's writings. In the passage above, Richard is ranted against by an eloquent speaker who twists half-truths and outright lies into a weapon with which to discredit him. And what better analogy is there for the members of this board, who act in the same fashion toward Terry Goodkind and his supporters? You understand the messages contained within the Sword of Truth novels, but at the same time you fear and despise them, and delude yourselves that they must be wrong. So you mock them, and dismiss Goodkind's writing as tripe, all because your distorted worldviews won't allow you to cope with the naked truth. Cloaked in arrogant, malicious humor or laid bare, it makes no difference: your hatred for the moral clarity that Goodkind provides is obvious, and it can only destroy you in the end.

I weep for the soul of humanity.

[Jaxom 1974]

By the way, I was quite disgusted at a Barnes & Noble I was in this afternoon when I was looking for a copy of The Lies of Locke Lamorra...I couldn't find Lies, but had to be subjected to a rather large display of Terry Goodkind's "works" in MMPB form...I almost tripped over it. If I hadn't been in a hurry, I was going to complain to the manager about it.

Plus the display has a rather good sized, scary looking picture of the man himeself. It didn't help make me want to buy his books. Thought it might be more something to put off the casual reader...so stern looking..."What do you think you're doing? Do you have what it takes to read my work?" the image seemed to say...

[Xray the Enforcer]

c'mon, Goodkind fans are just the types who'll go in for a bit of Tuff Luv (now with barbed penises!!). That gigantor headshot is a bit of sheer marketing genius.