This round might turn out to be my favorite for these two books. On
the one hand, in Dune, Paul
Atreides literally depends on his supporting characters and they are
vital to his development throughout the book. On the other hand,
Paul continuously becomes more and more detached from basically
everyone, as he ventures deeper and deeper into the desert. The same
pattern of deep attachment to those close to him but near total
withdrawal from the rest of society is present in This
Immortal's Conrad Nomikos.
Dune
Paul's friends are interesting cases. He has a cadre of
military minded advisors who are certainly as close as family, but
always focused on his training. His parents too are very aware of
his future. I thought they seemed more like career mentors than
parents or friends. Still, he knows these people nearly as well as
he nows himself and is willing to share nearly anything with them.
His connection with the Fremen is a little deeper maybe.
At lease with Chani anyway. I enjoyed Paul's instant connection
with Chani and was disappointed that Chani wasn't present very often.
Thinking about it again, it almost seemed like she was more of a
symbolic figure demonstrating that Paul couldn't or wouldn't be
controlled. Whatever...I liked when Paul met Chani in the dark
desert and I liked when they were together.
This
Immortal
Conrad was such an inscrutable character. He might have
been the most aloof person I've ever read about. Still, in the
beginning of the book we get a pretty touching look at his new
relationship with Cassandra (also he may be a huge pedo). Then, when
he learns that she's likely dead after a major earthquake it made the
beginning so much more bittersweet. And his reaction, one of the
most shockingly violent scenes in the book, makes it clear how deep
his attachment was.
But then...
But then...The Redhead comes to his tent. I didn't have
a problem with it actually, until he reiterated that it was she
that came to his tent.
I'm sorry, but if that's how you're going to react to the death of a
loved one, you take responsibility for your actions.
The friendship that I really loved though, was with
Bortan.
“Bortan? That name is familiar.”
“Your dog. I used to ride on his back when I was a
child and beat with my legs upon his great armored sides. Then he
would growl and seize my foot, but gently.”
“My Bortan has been dead for so long that he would
not even chew upon his own bones, were he to dig them up in a modern
incarnation.”
“I had thought so, too. But two days after you
departed from your last visit, he came crashing into the hut. He
apparently had followed your trail across half of Greece.”
Pg 102
Bortan is basically the
coolest dog ever. Like so many others in Conrad's world, he has
significant mutations, including armored sides and apparently
super-wolf tracking abilities. He is also fiercely loyal, as
evidenced by the quote from this
book
review and also
the following:
“It is good for a man to have a dog,” said Hasan.
“I have always been fond of dogs.”
Bortan was sniffing him as he said it.
“You've come back, you dirty old hound,” I told
him. “Don't you know that dogs are extinct?”
He wagged his tail, came up to me again, licked my
hand.
“I'm sorry that I can't scratch your ears. You know
that I'd like to, though, don't you?”
He wagged his tail.
I opened and closed my right hand within its bonds. I
turned my head that way as I did it. Bortan watched, his nostrils
moist and quivering.
“Hands, Bortan. I need hands to free me. Hands to
loosen my bonds. You must fetch them, Bortan, and bring them here.”
He picked up an arm that was lying on the ground and he
deposited it at my feet. He looked up then and wagged his tail.
“No, Bortan. Live
hands. Friendly hands. Hands to untie me. You understand, don't
you?”
He licked my hand.
“Go and find hands to free me. Still attached and
living. The hands of friends. Now, quickly! Go!”
He turned and walked away, paused, looked back once,
then mounted the trail.
“Does he understand?” asked Hasan.
“I think so,” I told him. “His is not an
ordinary dog brain, and he has had many many more years than even the
lifetime of a man in which to learn understanding.”
“Then let us hope he finds someone quickly, before we
sleep.”
“Yes.”
Pg 150-1
It struck me that having been away from each other for
so long, Bortan still immediately left to find help. What a good
boy.
Yeah, Bortan is awesome. He made me smile every time he
made an appearance.
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