Jean Valjean is Victor Hugo's Mary Sue

[fiskblack]

Obviously, I don't believe the title of this post is a legitimate criticism, but I thought it would be a good example of the overuse of this criticism. In the novel, Les Miserables, Jean Valjean is a reformed thief who devotes his life to charity and piety, and is the central character used by Victor Hugo to make his case for social reforms

Comments

[ext_2131687]

I do recall once upon a time an article that lead in with the wonderful lines about imagining a character who saw his parents die, is a multi-billionaire, who swears vengeance and beats up bad guys with his bare hands and an array of gadgets far more advanced than anything the police have which he designed by himself... A man who is swooned at by many a woman, even making the lead villainess of the story turn toward him

[dustmeat]

This is funny to me because I am currently reading Nabakov's Lolita and the main character (even worse that it is in first person) is a complete creep. People thought when this was published (including the publisher) that the perv main character was in fact the author unveiling his icky feelings and predilections. Obviously Nabakov disagreed and wondered why no one ever mentioned his other novels.

[fiskblack]

That's actually my favorite flawed-narrator story, so far, though I admit I haven't read very many. He does a great job of conveying the justifications and pleas of a self-delusional man, and the truth becomes more clear in bits and asides, later on. He probably got that criticism due to how believable he made Humbert's inner mental workings. It actually came across to me as a dark comedy, like something the Cohen brothers would write if they tackled the subject. You just find yourself sarcastically snerking at the narrator as he explains himself. Though, I don't think the book would have worked any other way

[dustmeat]

Lolita is a depressing read despite the narrator's appeals to the "jury" to excuse his actions. He even refers to himself as a "hero" at times. It's clear to the modern reader (i hope) that we are not supposed to identify with Humbert and I am gamely making my way through the sad tale because the author is a master of his craft, but at times you just want to cry for the girl. Nabokov is brilliant at making Humbert a pompous fop with no real skills or talents...the man never even holds a job...who somehow regards himself as superior to everyone else.

[fiskblack]

I never got the impression we were supposed to identify with him. I think we were supposed to read between the lines and draw appropriate inferences from his accounts, especially the closer you get to the end of the novel. I don't think normal men can identify with a guy who worships teenage girls and can't find adult women attractive.

[banner]

I personally believe that they are just jealous of your success.
Some people look at someone successful and try to imitate the methods so that maybe they too might become successful.
Others find it easier (and safer perhaps?) to just be critical and not try to be successful.

And some folks just can't believe that someone has the gall to have an idea different than their own and yet still do well with it.

Whenever someone tells me that they want to do a web comic and make money at it I point them to your site. Because you are one of the best examples out there.

[ext_2131799]

While I disagree that Fisk is a Mary Sue, I can see where the argument seems to stem from. As a longtime reader since the Better Days era, I always had a little trouble putting the boy from Better Days into the history of the Man in Original Life. I chalk this up mostly to your, as the author/creator, only showing adult Fisk in the light of the confident, capable Father of the House. with the focus of Original Life more on the children, of course it makes sense to fit Fisk into the Ward Cleaver role. As Mary Sue, though, I don't see it.

[ext_1781966]

I've read pretty much everything you've done. At first i was, "...seriously?..." when i read about the whole "Who created Lucy?" thing. It kind of sucked of course... Here you have a library of stuff you "get" and really like, only to find this terribly dark thing about it. You think you've found a similar soul in the author, only to realize it might not be so. And from an outside perspective, it is a bit dark you have to admit. Though looking closer, actually reading the comic she came from... I'm at a halfway point between you and your former collaborator. You both agreed you both could use each others characters, with, i'm guessing, zero legal ramifications ever solidified. So even after things went to hell, and even if money's still made on having an (almost) similar looking Lucy, so be it. Breakups, even professional ones, are not always pretty. Likewise, the characters are VERY different from each other. They look similar, but the character design isn't 100% spot-on. Their depth and what I'd say the decisions either would make