Erikson Humour

[Quokka]

Ok, I've just finished Midnight Tides and I have to say I really enjoyed the characters Tehol and Bugg. I've generally liked Erikson's style of humour all through the Malazan series but with these two he seemed to really push the buddy, almost slapstick humour and I loved it. Even if I've gotta add that Im thankfull that the whole series doesnt read like this, they made a nice counterpart to the seriousness of much of the Edur storylines.

Still I remember early on thinking that maybe other readers wouldn't buy into it so much? There are plenty of other examples throughout the series, personally I've always been just a little irked by the Iskaral Pust character, as I keep picturing Nakor from Fiest's Midkemia based series.

So what's the general consensus with Erikson's humour? and the Tehol/ Bugg characters? enjoyable, distracting, a real plus or something that irks you?

 

[nixie]

I adore Erikson's sense of humour. Kruppe I loved, Iskaral Pust annoys me.Tehol and Bugg had the tears streaming down my cheeks,I can't think of any other books that have made me laugh so hard

 

[Rosemary]

I love his dry wit. I feel he has given Kruppe some great characteristics.

Didn't I mention that to you before Nixie, about Tehol and Bugg being so funny? They certainly had me laughing as well...certainly no distraction from the story.

 

[Dolorous Edd]

Kruppe =

Tehol + Bug =

Iskraral Pust =

 

[GOLLUM]

I'm with Rosemary on this one, Erikson's dry wit is a real plus to the series and I loved the characters in MT, very funny.

 

[Rane Longfox]

They're awesome. Especially Pust in The Bonehunters

 

[Green]

Witty, but not laugh-out-loud funny.

 

[genisis2]

Erikson has this amazing ability to write drama & humour in a book and not fall off the beaten path it dosnt end up silly or stupid. In fact of my 3 favorite authors Erikson,Bakker and GRRM, Erikson has the ability to balance both with seamless ease more so than the other two.

 

[Iona]

Still reading House of Chains currently, but love the humour in these books so looking forward to meeting Tehol and Bugg. My favourite type of humour tends to be expressed between the soldiers in the series, dry, black humour at it's best, in my opinion.

 

[Rosemary]

There is still quite a lot of his humour in The Bonehunters...

I am sure you will love Tehol and Bugg when you finally meet them Iona

 

[Brys]

I love the humour in Erikson - it's some of the best in fantasy, and it helps to highlight the contrast and provide some relief from some otherwise very dark novels. Tehol and Bugg are excellent and certainly the best humour in the series so far - but there were lots of other humourous incidents in Midnight Tides - Shurq, Ublala, Harlest and others provide a real comic element to the novel.

 

[Iona]

There is still quite a lot of his humour in The Bonehunters...

I am sure you will love Tehol and Bugg when you finally meet them Iona

Thanks Rosemary - I have now finished House of Chains and have started Midnight Tides and they are quite the double act (smiles). I think I have turned into an Erikson 'junkie'

 

[Rane Longfox]

Always room in the world for more of them, Iona

Speaking of which, recently recieved an Erikson tshirt which I bought off eBay for just 95p! Well, I say recieved - its waiting for me at home when I get back from Aus, but thats good enough for me...

 

[Jason_Taverner]

well I within the last couple of hundred pages of midnight tides and have to say that this has been one of the very few laugh out loud funny books

 

[Lostara]

Hi there - first post, but when I saw SE's name I just HAD to register!

I absolutely love the way he can have you crying, one page with laughter the next with despair. And whilst I love the 'comic' characters, I also think the soldiers' humour is superb, especially the sappers...oh and the way everyone talks about the Mott Irregulars!

 

[nixie]

Welcome lostara always happy to see another Erikson fan

 

[GOLLUM]

Yeh Another Convert!.....

 

[Lostara]

Well thank you for the welcome. Convert? Hehe, don't know about that, SE has been my constant bedtime companion...better rephrase that, what I mean is I have been reading MBOTF for what seems like forever...in a good way, of course!

 

[tonic]

Erikson's humor is very similar to that of Joseph Heller, the man who wrote Catch 22. It has that military banter, and an absurdist quality to it, especially in Bonehunters. I really enjoyed it.

 

[Frozeninja]

The humour in Erikson's work is great, there were a few times I actually found myself laughing out loud but mostly it was just inwardly chuckling. Tehol and Bugg are probably the greatest comic relief i've read in a book, that are still able to be so intricate to the plot.