After finishing S1E4 "Of Banquets, Bastards and Burials", I've got to say--I now love The Witcher. The writing reminds me of those old gum shoe detective novels, but instead of contracts and femme fatals, we have curses and demons.
Sure--swap out contracts and land rights for curses and prophecies--but at the center of it all, hangs one bad dude--Geralt of Rivia (Same Spade). He's just a tired, old, straight-shootin' bad ass on a horse named Roach (that kind of reminds me of Kit from Nightrider). The last of a dying breed, with special powers and just enough of a conscious to travel around the world, righting wrongs.
The Witcher's Geralt of Rivia
Disillusioned anti-hero (witcher), who is generally distrusted by humans, who finds people and discovers the truth for hire, has seen it all, ends up stabbing bad guys and monsters, gets manipulated by pretty ladies into doing bad things.
The Maltese Falcon's Sam Spade
Disillusioned anti-hero (private detective), who finds people and discovers the truth for hire, who is generally distrusted by the cops, ends up shooting bad guys, and gets manipulated by pretty ladies into doing bad things.
Did I miss anything? Oh yeah--witchers are mutants, the last of their kind, et cetera.
For some reason, when I pick up a fantasy book, I just crave that dark antihero--the misunderstood, hated, feared, outcast, envied, seduced (over-sexed) aging man (woman, or whatever) who has seen too much and has a thousand yard stare out of cool gray eyes. He's seen it all a thousand times, and where others are fooled or trapped, he (or she) sees straight through it.
"Madness! What do you mean The Witcher is a gumshoe detective story?"
~Sane People
Perhaps, somewhere deep in my psyche, I need that rough strong and silent character--with a skiff of self interest set against a sea of morality?
Is The Witcher truly fantasy? Does it matter? What do you think?
I'm going to have to pick up a copy of one of Sapkowski's novels--but can anyone tell me--should I just stick with the television show for now? Are the novels as episodic as the show? Do they track closely? Hit me up in the comments!
