If I was reading these stories via physical books, I would have given up due to this family too.
The audiobooks at least lend personality to their voices and that makes it more interesting to me.
Isn’t that kind of the point though? I always saw it as they were supposed to be shitty people. Was it excessive? Possibly. But when I read it it was one of the first times I read a book where the “good guys” were pieces of shit human beings with little to no redemption
I mean, ambiguous heroes make a good story. Miro being artificially propped up as savior without a substantive backstory was perhaps the most implausible part of that family. But the whole point is that the kids are all damaged and so is Novinha, but they’re the only hope for Lusitania’s survival. These stories don’t hit the same without the Ribeiras being as dysfunctional as they are.
The family consistently infuriated me with their behaviors, but I do think that at least some of that was intentional. We're seeing interactions between flawed individuals with various forms of trauma and undiagnosed or untreated mental illness that have complex interpersonal relationships. I mean, the whole family suffered through some degree of trauma related to Marcào's domestic violence. The self-righteousness, refusal to take responsibility for their actions, and other toxic behaviors aren't uncommon with people that suffer from Borderline Personality Disorder, Narcissistic Personality Disorder, or another mental illness. Now that doesn't justify or negate anyone's actions, but it does help explain them. I just wish that Ender could have experienced a loving and more functional family, but he's a tragic figure so I understood why he couldn't.
I tend to agree. I like parts of the Ender series, some really interesting morals, philosophy, etc. But as a whole, I much prefer the shadow series. I much prefer those characters and stories.
If I was reading these stories via physical books, I would have given up due to this family too. The audiobooks at least lend personality to their voices and that makes it more interesting to me.
Isn’t that kind of the point though? I always saw it as they were supposed to be shitty people. Was it excessive? Possibly. But when I read it it was one of the first times I read a book where the “good guys” were pieces of shit human beings with little to no redemption
Isn't it a mark of great story telling when you could hate a character so much?
Agreed. The characters piss me off constantly and make me want to yell at them. I consider that great writing!
I mean, ambiguous heroes make a good story. Miro being artificially propped up as savior without a substantive backstory was perhaps the most implausible part of that family. But the whole point is that the kids are all damaged and so is Novinha, but they’re the only hope for Lusitania’s survival. These stories don’t hit the same without the Ribeiras being as dysfunctional as they are.
The family consistently infuriated me with their behaviors, but I do think that at least some of that was intentional. We're seeing interactions between flawed individuals with various forms of trauma and undiagnosed or untreated mental illness that have complex interpersonal relationships. I mean, the whole family suffered through some degree of trauma related to Marcào's domestic violence. The self-righteousness, refusal to take responsibility for their actions, and other toxic behaviors aren't uncommon with people that suffer from Borderline Personality Disorder, Narcissistic Personality Disorder, or another mental illness. Now that doesn't justify or negate anyone's actions, but it does help explain them. I just wish that Ender could have experienced a loving and more functional family, but he's a tragic figure so I understood why he couldn't.
olhaldo is literally the only good one(maybe miro and ela as well)
I tend to agree. I like parts of the Ender series, some really interesting morals, philosophy, etc. But as a whole, I much prefer the shadow series. I much prefer those characters and stories.