I adore the Dresden Files. Harry admits himself that he's old fashioned and he likes to be chivalrous towards women, but I feel this is more than made up for by Murphy, who kicks ass. Also, Harry is wonderful and woobietastic, in addition to being incredibly snarky and making me gleeful with all the pop culture references he works into monster fighting. Plus, the books are really good with setting up plot arcs, and I think Jim Butcher holds stock in Chekovs Armory or something. I think you should give the books a shot, at least. Anything with that many CMOA listed on TV Tropes at least deserves a chance.
I adore the Dresden Files. I don't see how they are misogynistic, there are more strong women characters than I can count. The main character (Harry) never can catch a break and is powerful but gets knocked down enough that he's not a Gary-stu. He's also chivalrous and treats women with more respect than I have ever received from a real guy.
The first two books are sorta slow (But I adore them) but the third book "Grave Peril" is my favourite and is where the series really picks up.
Boring, no. Misogynistic? No. There's a female cop introduced in the first book who won't take shit from Harry (main character). I find them to be a fun read, and yes, Harry has relationship troubles, but that's kind of par for any sort of main character who has a series written about them, isn't it? Shame that Jim Butcher can't really write sex scenes that well?
I kinda love them. Butcher wrote the first one as an assignment for a college course and kept writing them. You can see his writing get better as the books go on. More happily, his characters also mature as the books go on.
I don't think the books are misogynistic. As other have pointed out above, he does have a protective/chivalrous attitude towards women and he admits it and he gets into trouble for it. There have been strong women characters that have taken advantage of it too. There are some kickass females in the series, which I really appreciate.
As for boring, not so much. It's one of the few books that can keeping me guessing til the very end. Nothing kills my interest faster than figuring out the plot halfway through. Though I will admit the first few are a bit slow. When I started the series, I had picked up book 6, which starts off with a giant monkey monster with flaming poo. :OP
The books are definitely amusing. If anything, the required beginning "I am Harry Dresden, description of self, of car and house" becomes a bit repetitive, but he needs to put it in there for new readers that might pickup the book mid-series and not know it's a series.
I agree with everyone above ('cept flamintwilight) And I love Harry so much I named my dog for him!
The series doesn't pick up until book three, but they're incredibly fun. Each book reveals another layer of the supernatural realm. The author isn't the best novelist out there, but he does a good job of connecting the different characters and "species."
I had to overlook a *lot* to read them, though. Butcher sets the stories in and around Chicago - my native land - without doing his due diligence regarding locations and such. But if you don't know the difference between Lincoln Park and Humboldt Park, this shouldn't bother you in the least.
I like them (and write fic for them.) Murphy is kick ass, though it takes Harry about three books to realize that she is awesome and can kick ass, and even if he wants to protect her, he doesn't need to.
I happen to love Charity, who is both a mother of a horde and a skilled swordswoman and make all her and her husband's armor.
Actually, if anything, you might not like the religious themes in the later books, even though the Fallen are some of my more favorite villains.
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luciazephyr
(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-20 02:34 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-20 02:39 am (UTC)He's also chivalrous and treats women with more respect than I have ever received from a real guy.
The first two books are sorta slow (But I adore them) but the third book "Grave Peril" is my favourite and is where the series really picks up.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-20 04:11 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-20 03:34 am (UTC)Murphy, the main female character, kicks ass and takes names, and awes the hell out of Harry. Guy's got no idea how she does it, but he's impressed.
I really like them. Give the first few books a shot. It's old-fashioned PI noir type stuff, with magic! Murder! Mayhem!
Party. :P
(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-20 03:47 am (UTC)ANYWAY I've told you my thoughts. Others:
Bookshop has nice things to say here (and she was the one who made me read them in the first place)
and an negative (though spoilery, but if you've already read the TVT page...) review to balance
aand previews~
No, okay, the real reason they are so annoying is that once you've been through two cases with Harry, you've been through them all, and there is not enough snark to get me through that. Mileage May Vary, etc, etc.(I couldn't re-find the original rant I was talking about, and it's cursed hard to find a negative review, out of interest..)
(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-20 05:57 am (UTC)I recommend them. *nod*
(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-20 10:03 am (UTC)Some of the magic is pretty imaginative.
Don't know if I can say it's misogynistic. There are certainly Love Interests/Sex Objects but there are also a host of other types of women.
I grew bored with it, but I can't say as it's not worth a try.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-20 11:24 am (UTC)I don't think the books are misogynistic. As other have pointed out above, he does have a protective/chivalrous attitude towards women and he admits it and he gets into trouble for it. There have been strong women characters that have taken advantage of it too. There are some kickass females in the series, which I really appreciate.
As for boring, not so much. It's one of the few books that can keeping me guessing til the very end. Nothing kills my interest faster than figuring out the plot halfway through. Though I will admit the first few are a bit slow. When I started the series, I had picked up book 6, which starts off with a giant monkey monster with flaming poo. :OP
The books are definitely amusing. If anything, the required beginning "I am Harry Dresden, description of self, of car and house" becomes a bit repetitive, but he needs to put it in there for new readers that might pickup the book mid-series and not know it's a series.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-20 12:45 pm (UTC)The series doesn't pick up until book three, but they're incredibly fun. Each book reveals another layer of the supernatural realm. The author isn't the best novelist out there, but he does a good job of connecting the different characters and "species."
I had to overlook a *lot* to read them, though. Butcher sets the stories in and around Chicago - my native land - without doing his due diligence regarding locations and such. But if you don't know the difference between Lincoln Park and Humboldt Park, this shouldn't bother you in the least.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-23 07:33 pm (UTC)I happen to love Charity, who is both a mother of a horde and a skilled swordswoman and make all her and her husband's armor.
Actually, if anything, you might not like the religious themes in the later books, even though the Fallen are some of my more favorite villains.