Do you think Paul Chapin subverts the trope? I'm not convinced. The end really just plays into all the insinuations of impotence that are made earlier in the book.
I go back and forth on this myself. On the one hand, yes, he would be a much *cooler* character as a murderous evil mastermind instead of a pretender. But, you know, even if you take away the murders, he's *still* kind of an evil mastermind. He had the whole League in horrible suspense and fear for their lives for, what, months and months? And he totally gets away with it!
He even gets the last shot in his final conversation with Wolfe, with Wolfe helplessly calling after him and being totally brushed off:
"So you read my books. Read the next one. I'm putting you in it-- a leading character."
"Naturally." Wolfe opened his eyes. "And of course I die violently. I warn you, Mr. Chapin, I resent that. I actively resent it. I have a deep repugnance for violence in all its forms. I would go to any length in an effort to persuade you--"
He was talking to no one; or at least, merely to the back of a cripple who was hobbling to the door.
Ice cold!
Wolfe does *try* to get in a little bit of a lecture about how stupid/stubborn Chapin is, but imo it just bounces right off. Hmm. I never actually thought about it in this sense before, but both "Fer-de-Lance" and "The League of Frightened Men" have somewhat sympathetic/successful villains, who both manage to cheat justice, in a way. (Manuel Kimball succesfully accomplishes his revenge and avoids jail, and OK, the actual murderer in "League" doesn't get away with it, but the Chapins together certainly pulled enough stunts to be charged with *something* and I don't get a sense that that's going to happen...)
So in a way, Paul Chapin get all the advantages of being an actual murderer (being able to savor his revenge, cackle evilly at people, etc.) without having to take any of the responsibility.
To me he's not pathetic. (Except for the box of gloves/underwear, to which I can only go "ewwwwwwwwwwwwwww".)
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Date: 2010-04-18 06:30 pm (UTC)Do you think Paul Chapin subverts the trope? I'm not convinced. The end really just plays into all the insinuations of impotence that are made earlier in the book.
I go back and forth on this myself. On the one hand, yes, he would be a much *cooler* character as a murderous evil mastermind instead of a pretender. But, you know, even if you take away the murders, he's *still* kind of an evil mastermind. He had the whole League in horrible suspense and fear for their lives for, what, months and months? And he totally gets away with it!
He even gets the last shot in his final conversation with Wolfe, with Wolfe helplessly calling after him and being totally brushed off:
Ice cold!
Wolfe does *try* to get in a little bit of a lecture about how stupid/stubborn Chapin is, but imo it just bounces right off. Hmm. I never actually thought about it in this sense before, but both "Fer-de-Lance" and "The League of Frightened Men" have somewhat sympathetic/successful villains, who both manage to cheat justice, in a way. (Manuel Kimball succesfully accomplishes his revenge and avoids jail, and OK, the actual murderer in "League" doesn't get away with it, but the Chapins together certainly pulled enough stunts to be charged with *something* and I don't get a sense that that's going to happen...)
So in a way, Paul Chapin get all the advantages of being an actual murderer (being able to savor his revenge, cackle evilly at people, etc.) without having to take any of the responsibility.
To me he's not pathetic. (Except for the box of gloves/underwear, to which I can only go "ewwwwwwwwwwwwwww".)