She’s simply masterful when it comes to crafting sentences that can cut you to the emotional bone.
During my first read through of Fool’s Assassin, I found Bee’s description of Molly’s passing (and Hobb’s writing) to be especially wrenching. But her and Bee’s simple articulation of how much Molly meant both to her and Fitz, and to her children in general, stayed with me. The line “no one would ever love us so completely” especially.
Me and my sisters relationship with our mother could be torturous at times, but we never really doubted she loved us. A good parent can make you feel seen, known and understood. Even when you’re talking about minor annoyances or the dumbest stories, they care about what’s happening and react with delight or sympathy accordingly. And our mom did that so I included that line in particular in the eulogy I delivered. My sisters both loved it and mentioned it to me specifically after the funeral but y’all are the only ones that know where it came from.
Years elapsed between me reading those lines and my mother passing but it remained tucked in the back of my mind. And there’s no better testament to the strength of her writing then that.
Makes me think of this FAQ on her website
"My friend (spouse/child/parent) has a Birthday (is ill/ depressed/anniversary/is getting married/ is dying) They like your books. Can you please send them a letter?
'No. I am sorry, but I just can't. It's not the time involved or the postage. It's that I am a thorough introvert, and knowing what to say to a stranger who is either happy or very sad is beyond my intelligence. I get these requests far more often than one might think. And I regret to say I simply can't'. "
I think it's great she has set up this boundary for herself. but I also think that it is sweetly ironic. 16 books that have touched our hearts, and she says it's beyond her intelligence.
When she has already said enough to say the right thing over and over again. Really shows how much she embodied her characters.
I wrote to her assistant about 8 years ago that a page in Fool's Assassin literally saved my life as I was having serious thoughts of self harm and had convinced myself that my life insurance policy was worth more to my family than I was.
The quote from the fool literally flipped that thinking on it's head.
I wasn't expecting a response at all, but she responded herself in just a few hours. An email I'll forever treasure.
What was the page
It's actually Fool's Errand page 187. Can't believe I mixed the title up.
Don't have the books at hand at the moment - which scene is it?
I've been suspended on this subreddit before because apparently I cannot figure out how to do the spoiler tag correctly so I'll DM you
Could you please DM me as well? I'd really love to know which scene that is. I have looked through all my editions on page 187 and I can't find anything that would fit the above topic.
Fitz basically lives full time in the past so his POV provides a second to none portrayal of grief and yearning.
“I had anniversaries I could be proud of. It was nearly eight years that Molly had been my wife. It was almost ten years since I'd killed anyone. Almost ten years since I'd last seen the Fool.” BRUTAL!
Which book
Fool's assasin.
She is dead. Dead so many years. Who could imagine that death lasts so much longer than life?
That one always hits so hard
Her books have helped me so much in this area especially with pet grief.
One of the best series I’ve ever read but I could only do it once. So much emotion n
God that moment (you all know the goddamn moment) in Fool's Errand wrecks me every time.
Every so often I think about it and just tear up
And then you have everything else. I mean goddamn Patience! Her grief over not being a mother and her undying love for Fitz 😭
Bit of a tangent but if there was a live action TV show that was perfectly adapted but made Patience a stereotypical evil stepmum it would ruin it for me.
Like talking 1:1 adaption, every single detail perfect except for her.
I agree. I can't trust the movie and TV industry as far as I can throw it with this series. I'll be content with what my mind made as I read the books.
The passing of Nighteyes and Molly broke me. I was at work when I read about Nighteyes, so I had to have that breakdown when I got home.