Killing characters? *Spoilers*

[Kierkegaurdian]

One of the things that supposedly makes Malazan more "adult" and "gritty" than a lot of mainstream fantasy is the nonchalant way in which Erikson kills of "main" characters. However, I don't see the point in killing off main characters just to bring them back ... it takes away from the shock of their deaths, and makes me think that this isn't as dark and gritty a fantasy work as I thought it would be. Does Erikson ever actually have someone die and not resurrect him / her / it a book or two later? No names! Just yes or no!

 

[Lenny]

Actually, yes.

Obviously, there are thousands of nameless drones in armies and cities who die, often horribly, and stay dead. Move up to the minor cast, and the answer is also yes - no names, but you get quite attached to some of the casualties. Moving up to the top level, a lot of major characters do get bumped off and don't return. No names, again, but I'd estimate that the majority of major characters who die don't return.

 

[Kierkegaurdian]

Actually, yes.

Obviously, there are thousands of nameless drones in armies and cities who die, often horribly, and stay dead. Move up to the minor cast, and the answer is also yes - no names, but you get quite attached to some of the casualties. Moving up to the top level, a lot of major characters do get bumped off and don't return. No names, again, but I'd estimate that the majority of major characters who die don't return.

Thanks for the response. Just for the record; I am absolutely loving this series (100 pages into MoI at the moment) and was very choked up when certain people died in DG.

 

[Koopa]

at a certain point in the series you do get to wonder what the difference is between being alive or dead. Seeing as the dead seem to be able to do everything the living can do.

It's like hey i died, now i'm called an undead. Yippie ka Yee. Now what was i doing again? Oh, right. let's get on with it. Dieing has wasted enough time.

Savig grace for it, seemed to be that besides powerful ascendants like tulas Shorn, ... the rest of the undead seem to slowly lose their minds, their sense of self, and (probably) end up like zombie-like beings in the world of the dead.