Yeah, Stout really is all about the depth of relationships (a) being measured through behavior rather than pretty speeches and (b) having a lot to do with how long people have known each other. There's a certain almost-real feeling to that point of view that I very much like.

The importance and meaning of long-term bonds in the books is also why the plot twist at the end of AFA was almost brutally effective as a wrap to the series as a whole. Don't want to skip ahead, though...