POVs you would like to have read (spoilers all books)

[Jizdin]

While pondering over the unanswerable question of the gender of Fool, I realised that nowhere do we see Fool's POV. Even as Amber, we only see them through the eyes of the other characters (Paragan, Althea, Brashen etc). That got me thinking that there are quite a few characters whose POVs we never see... well, in the Farseer & Tawny Man trilogies that includes everyone except Fitz! but even in the LST books, there are characters who are only seen through the POVs of others.

So, which characters POVs would you like to see?

For me, I'd have to say Fool (in all incarnations) but not for the obvious reasons of finding out their gender, or hearing their feelings for Fitz... but rather for those times when they are described as being thoughtful and then go "oh!" as if they have just had a moment. I would love to know what was going through their mind...

Also, Kekke and Mother in the LST books, as I felt that there was far more to their characters than what we saw and they were the two that were effectively "silenced", not just by having no POV in the text, but also literally: Mother, by having her tongue cut off and Kekke by being druged/sick/throat damaged by Rain wild water (she only manages a couple of words in the entire trilogy).

['thul]

These beings believe the name was [[kekki]], but thats a minor point...


Most of those points of view, are probably impossible for anyone to write... they are, like books of prophecies and such in other books, tools that can only be used, never truly "seen"... Not all characters are capable of being the POV...

[redchild]

I'd be interested in seeing through the POV of main characters rather than small roles like Kekki's.

The Fool is one that would be fascinating to read, but I'd imagine it would be very difficult. That said, I think seeing the Fool in all his different alter-egos through the eyes of others could be just as interesting. Other characters I think could have very interesting POVs are Chade, Kettricken, Kettle, Chivalry, Tarman, Icefyre and Tintaglia. I would also very much like to read the POV of a Chalcedean and an Other.

['thul]

The PoV of a healthy dragon would be interesting, 'thul claim.

[FoolishGirl]

The Fool is one that would be fascinating to read, but I'd imagine it would be very difficult. That said, I think seeing the Fool in all his different alter-egos through the eyes of others could be just as interesting.

I have been thinking about the POV of the Farseer sextet a lot lately.  I think that RH very brilliantly only lets us see the Fool through Fitz's eyes.  It makes our connection to the Fool very one-sided, 'tis true, but it's also very intimate, and tells us a lot about both characters.  Fitz misinterprets a lot of the Fool's actions and words, but he gets them down on paper pretty faithfully, so that we see, even when Fitz doesn't, where the Fool is coming from (I am thinking in particular of instances when the Fool betrays some emotion that Fitz SOMEHOW refuses to see, e.g the Fool's nonverbal reaction when Fitz goes to see Lord Golden at the end of GF, and says "Beloved, I have missed your company."

Also, because of their Skill link, we are privy to the strange "otherness" that is the Fool, the details of which no other person in the world can truly see.

These two characters' lives, hearts and fates are so closely joined, it is apt that we only perceive one through the eyes of the other. (I have more to say about the Fitz POV but I'll leave it be for now...)

[danieladamsmith]

There are many works that offer multiple POVs. For instance, Caleb Carr's Alienist and Angel of Darkness. Same world NYC in the 1890s, same characters but in each book a different character becomes the main character.
I think what makes the Fool so interesting is what we don't know about him. Sometimes revealing more doesn't make a character more interesting but less.
I would love a series about Chade as a young man though...

['thul]

These beings doubt such series will come anytime soon, however interesting it would have been, since it would not advance the general storyline of the realm of the elderlings, it would only build up background for (on the grand scale) minor parts...

[Farseer]

I would love a series about Chade as a young man though...

Yes, Chade's earlier life intrigues me, too, danielsadamsmith, though, like 'thul, I doubt it will ever come to pass. I am more than a little curious as to who HE was apprenticed to and, even without a series, such knowledge could always be passed on to the reader with even only a fleeting reference eg Fitz could stumble across a scroll or Chade may share this tidbit during a fireside discussion. He is aging so we may yet see him share more of himself with Fitz one of these days...

Love your thoughts re Fitz and Fool, FoolishGirl! I'm looking forward to hearing the rest!

[Albertosaurus Rex]

Like people have said before, a POV of the Fool would be highly interesting, but perhaps it is best that we never get to actually experience it. I am reminded of something Mark Rosewater, the head designer of Magic: the Gathering, once wrote in one of his excellent columns on game design: what the players think they want is not really what they want. Getting into the Fool's head would destroy the mystery.

[FoolishGirl]

Like people have said before, a POV of the Fool would be highly interesting, but perhaps it is best that we never get to actually experience it. I am reminded of something Mark Rosewater, the head designer of Magic: the Gathering, once wrote in one of his excellent columns on game design: what the players think they want is not really what they want. Getting into the Fool's head would destroy the mystery.

Exactly. RH gives us only tantalizing glimpses of who the Fool is.

(image inserted by my son)
(and this one)