Comments on: Dirty, rotten scoundrels… http://jauntyquills.com/2009/08/11/dirty-rotten-scoundrels%e2%80%a6/ Wed, 23 May 2012 17:46:20 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Maire http://jauntyquills.com/2009/08/11/dirty-rotten-scoundrels%e2%80%a6/comment-page-1/#comment-246223 Maire Tue, 11 Aug 2009 23:01:59 +0000 http://jauntyquills.com/?p=1628#comment-246223 Two of my all time favorite villains come from the master. Shakespeare that is. Iago and Richard III. They're just so deliciously bad and oh so charming. You can fee them weaving their magic spell around you, seducing you in, begging you to love them. Trying to convince you of how sound their logic is. They're far more interesting than the heroes. Villains are just the best heroes gone horribly wrong. Two of my all time favorite villains come from the master. Shakespeare that is. Iago and Richard III. They’re just so deliciously bad and oh so charming. You can fee them weaving their magic spell around you, seducing you in, begging you to love them. Trying to convince you of how sound their logic is. They’re far more interesting than the heroes. Villains are just the best heroes gone horribly wrong.

]]> By: Jennifer August http://jauntyquills.com/2009/08/11/dirty-rotten-scoundrels%e2%80%a6/comment-page-1/#comment-246182 Jennifer August Tue, 11 Aug 2009 17:52:55 +0000 http://jauntyquills.com/?p=1628#comment-246182 D'oh, of course I meant when a VILLAIN is really bad... :oops: D’oh, of course I meant when a VILLAIN is really bad… :oops:

]]> By: Angela Frawley http://jauntyquills.com/2009/08/11/dirty-rotten-scoundrels%e2%80%a6/comment-page-1/#comment-246172 Angela Frawley Tue, 11 Aug 2009 17:17:20 +0000 http://jauntyquills.com/?p=1628#comment-246172 I have only read a couple of books where the hero is an old villain,they were o.k.,but usually I enjoy really disliking a bad guy. I can't fall head over heels for them like I do with the good guys! I aways remember what bad thing they did and unfortunatly I hold a grudge.( the one I remember,he was very young as a bad guy and he learned a lesson, was wayyy older in his own book and had turned out o.k.) Love your hero in A Study In Scandal; A Sherlock Holmes type. wonderfully delicious!!! Angela made4books@yahoo.com I have only read a couple of books where the hero is an old villain,they were o.k.,but usually I enjoy really disliking a bad guy. I can’t fall head over heels for them like I do with the good guys! I aways remember what bad thing they did and unfortunatly I hold a grudge.( the one I remember,he was very young as a bad guy and he learned a lesson, was wayyy older in his own book and had turned out o.k.)
Love your hero in A Study In Scandal; A Sherlock Holmes type. wonderfully delicious!!!
Angela
made4books@yahoo.com

]]> By: Jennifer August http://jauntyquills.com/2009/08/11/dirty-rotten-scoundrels%e2%80%a6/comment-page-1/#comment-246170 Jennifer August Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:51:34 +0000 http://jauntyquills.com/?p=1628#comment-246170 I admit I waffled the entire book on whether Raven would end up good or bad. I'm also the girl who didn't want Snape to be bad in HP:6 and was thrilled to find I was right in HP:7. I like it when SOME villains are redeemed, but usually only if their vileness was prompted by some sort of emotional turmoil AND they showed signs of remorse. Sort of steeling himself to commit this act. He doesn't do it for pleasure, he does it for purpose. But when a hero is really bad he darn well better get his comeuppance. Never turn into a snake (didn't work for Thulsa Doom in Conan) and never leave the bad guy alive. He'll just come after you later! I admit I waffled the entire book on whether Raven would end up good or bad. I’m also the girl who didn’t want Snape to be bad in HP:6 and was thrilled to find I was right in HP:7.
I like it when SOME villains are redeemed, but usually only if their vileness was prompted by some sort of emotional turmoil AND they showed signs of remorse. Sort of steeling himself to commit this act. He doesn’t do it for pleasure, he does it for purpose. But when a hero is really bad he darn well better get his comeuppance. Never turn into a snake (didn’t work for Thulsa Doom in Conan) and never leave the bad guy alive. He’ll just come after you later!

]]> By: catslady http://jauntyquills.com/2009/08/11/dirty-rotten-scoundrels%e2%80%a6/comment-page-1/#comment-246168 catslady Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:39:27 +0000 http://jauntyquills.com/?p=1628#comment-246168 Many times I find myself routing for the villian. I guess I've always had a thing for bad boys lol. But obviously there has to be something or some reason such as it not really being their fault (i.e. bit by a vampire) or in the end they may save the heroine etc. And then there are time I just feel sorry for them - I'm such a sucker lol. Many times I find myself routing for the villian. I guess I’ve always had a thing for bad boys lol. But obviously there has to be something or some reason such as it not really being their fault (i.e. bit by a vampire) or in the end they may save the heroine etc. And then there are time I just feel sorry for them – I’m such a sucker lol.

]]> By: EmilyMcKay http://jauntyquills.com/2009/08/11/dirty-rotten-scoundrels%e2%80%a6/comment-page-1/#comment-246158 EmilyMcKay Tue, 11 Aug 2009 15:04:35 +0000 http://jauntyquills.com/?p=1628#comment-246158 Great post, Robyn! And can I just say how much I love The Raven! he's one of my all time favorite villains (the other's being Voldemort (of course!) and the Master Criminal in the Amelia Peabody series.) I just love, love, love the Raven. I want her to bring him back in other books, not as the hero but as a villain in those books too. Having said that, I do agree with Rainy on the Jason/Halloween style villains. But I don't like scary movies anyway. (that person Robyn mentioned who wishes Seven had never been made ... yeah, that's me. That movie was evil.) Great post, Robyn! And can I just say how much I love The Raven! he’s one of my all time favorite villains (the other’s being Voldemort (of course!) and the Master Criminal in the Amelia Peabody series.)
I just love, love, love the Raven. I want her to bring him back in other books, not as the hero but as a villain in those books too.
Having said that, I do agree with Rainy on the Jason/Halloween style villains. But I don’t like scary movies anyway. (that person Robyn mentioned who wishes Seven had never been made … yeah, that’s me. That movie was evil.)

]]> By: Shana http://jauntyquills.com/2009/08/11/dirty-rotten-scoundrels%e2%80%a6/comment-page-1/#comment-246152 Shana Tue, 11 Aug 2009 14:40:25 +0000 http://jauntyquills.com/?p=1628#comment-246152 Good post. It's so important to remmeber that villains need motivation. They can't just do bad things because you need something exciting in that chapter. I mean, they can do that, but it has to make sense. Now...maybe I should go check that my bad guy has some motivation! Good post. It’s so important to remmeber that villains need motivation. They can’t just do bad things because you need something exciting in that chapter. I mean, they can do that, but it has to make sense. Now…maybe I should go check that my bad guy has some motivation!

]]> By: Rainy http://jauntyquills.com/2009/08/11/dirty-rotten-scoundrels%e2%80%a6/comment-page-1/#comment-246141 Rainy Tue, 11 Aug 2009 13:21:12 +0000 http://jauntyquills.com/?p=1628#comment-246141 Sometimes I feel like a nut...sometimes I don't...(that's my villain attitude). Sometimes I am happy to have that basic good vs evil combustion. It's very satisfying to just wipe the dust off your hands when the villain is destroyed or thwarted. The absolute biggest pet peeve I have with movie evil villains (like Jason,Halloween, whatever) is that no matter what, good never seems to vanquish evil. It's gonna come back as a sequel. Hate that. I think a villain, just like any major character needs to be well rounded. A complication or specific characteristic will only make him/her more interesting. But sometimes a villain can be drawn with frailties or qualities that makes you wonder and can feel some empathy, despite yourself. So when the author brings out a backstory that shows he/she is not such a villain because of (????) that can also be satisfying because redemption is a happy and satisfying ending. And sometimes the author solves their internal problems with this by redeeming the villain and then killing them off anyway. Sometimes I feel like a nut…sometimes I don’t…(that’s my villain attitude).
Sometimes I am happy to have that basic good vs evil combustion. It’s very satisfying to just wipe the dust off your hands when the villain is destroyed or thwarted. The absolute biggest pet peeve I have with movie evil villains (like Jason,Halloween, whatever) is that no matter what, good never seems to vanquish evil. It’s gonna come back as a sequel. Hate that.
I think a villain, just like any major character needs to be well rounded. A complication or specific characteristic will only make him/her more interesting.
But sometimes a villain can be drawn with frailties or qualities that makes you wonder and can feel some empathy, despite yourself. So when the author brings out a backstory that shows he/she is not such a villain because of (????) that can also be satisfying because redemption is a happy and satisfying ending.
And sometimes the author solves their internal problems with this by redeeming the villain and then killing them off anyway.

]]> By: kristan higgins http://jauntyquills.com/2009/08/11/dirty-rotten-scoundrels%e2%80%a6/comment-page-1/#comment-246138 kristan higgins Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:58:47 +0000 http://jauntyquills.com/?p=1628#comment-246138 Thank you for the Alan Rickman picture, Robyn! Sigh...ever since Sense & Sensibility, I've nursed a huge crush on him. I find the "I'm pure evil" villains are kind of dull. I like to know how they got to be so dang bad, and even if they're irredeemable, that they have more than Pure Evil running through their veins. A sense of humor always makes a villain more interesting to me. Thank you for the Alan Rickman picture, Robyn! Sigh…ever since Sense & Sensibility, I’ve nursed a huge crush on him.

I find the “I’m pure evil” villains are kind of dull. I like to know how they got to be so dang bad, and even if they’re irredeemable, that they have more than Pure Evil running through their veins. A sense of humor always makes a villain more interesting to me.

]]> By: Margo Maguire http://jauntyquills.com/2009/08/11/dirty-rotten-scoundrels%e2%80%a6/comment-page-1/#comment-246133 Margo Maguire Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:25:24 +0000 http://jauntyquills.com/?p=1628#comment-246133 I like completely UNredeemable villains. I prefer not to see them come back in another book as the hero (or heroine). That just never works for me. Great post on villains, Robyn! I like completely UNredeemable villains. I prefer not to see them come back in another book as the hero (or heroine). That just never works for me.

Great post on villains, Robyn!

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