TO LFL - Stop abusing Han and Leia's Romance!

No! I don't want Han to be off fighting the Vong while his wife lies ailing in the hospital. Han would never do that. After nearly losing her forever and having lost Chewie, he shouldn't be letting her out of his sight. I hope that's mentioned in the next book; I think it's from Anakin's point of view, but it can be mentioned.

 

UP!

 

*sigh* What LFL needs to realize is that there are other fans other than 15 year old boys who buy the books. Those who grew up with the Classic Trilogy want to see the development and relationships between our favorite characters. I would ask for more female authors if we want romance in the novels. I am tired of Han/Leia fans being the kickdogs in the EU.

 

Yes. Perhaps they need to separate the original characters from the newer ones; let the kids and co carry on in their own direction, and have completely separate books for the big three. The H&L/L&M books could then be written for the audience wanting to read them.
They could all continue to interweave, touching on each other's storylines from time to time, but separate to allow focus on the primary characters.
Not unlike Stackpoole's 'I Jedi', which was set during KJA's 'Jedi Academy' and is one of the few EU books I really enjoyed. ('I Jedi' has the distinction for me of being the only EU book since Daley to make me laugh til I cried!)
It would be interesting to see how well the completely EU books would sell, and interesting to see how well slightly more adult novels about the main three would sell.
Anyway, that's my suggestion :~)
-Leela.

 

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I'll add my support, as an "older" fan I grew up watching Han and Leia and although I do read the EU I miss the old banter they had, the affection each carried for the other.

Could someone pls try to write them as they once were because right now and by all the previous posts we don't know who these characters are-none of us grew up with them, or was inspired by them, as fictional as they are they mean alot to us.

 

Leela: Completely EU books? Like the X-Wing books basically were?




As to the Solo kids: I can't help but wonder if Leia and Hans situations were reversed- Leia at home raising kids while Han was out working- if people not be more sympathetic to their situation with the kids. Aside from KJA's trilogy, it's been Han acting as a stay at home parent.

It goes against traditional gender roles. Han is in the "mother" role, raising the kids, and is very close to them. Leia is the "father," going out to bring home the bacon so to speak, and doesn't have as close of a relation with her kids. The only thing I find at all odd about their arrangement is the reversal of gender roles.

 

No, what I find 'odd', or to put it more susinctly - out of character - is Han and Leia giving up their children for the first two years of their lives, spending more time apart than together, Leia basically giving up her husband and family so she could run the Galaxy... I could go on, but it's 1:30am.

It's not restricted to H&L, either; the way Luke is portrayed alot of the time is just as bad.

And, yes, like the X-wing novels. And the only one of those I read - sorry 'skimmed'- was 'Solo command'. Solo simpering to Wedge or someone about how he didn't feel worthy of Leia and wasn't sure if she loved him...

Right... THAT is exactly the sort of ***** we're talking about!
-Leela.

 

Sorry, I wasn't trying to sound rude.

What I tried to say however is, aside from KJA's trilogy, I don't see Han and Leia's relationship with the kids as being all that terribly different from many real-world relationships. The only difference is that Leia plays the role traditionally assigned to the father, while Han gets the mother job.

I don't think we see male politicians raising children as bad parents, even if their work takes them away from their children for a while. Also, if a male politician is strong and opinionated, he's often well liked, even by those he don't necessarily agree with what he has to say (for example John McCain). But a woman who is the same way is considered bitchy.

In my opinion, aside from KJA's trilogy, Leia and Han raised their children fairly well. Yes, Leia worked long hours and didn?t see her children as much as she?d like. So does my father, and so did his father before him. Han stayed home to raise the kids, just like my mother did, and like her mother did before her.

 

Bravo Gandolf!!! I completely agree with you!!!! What's so wrong with Han taking on the role as the primary parent?? Women have been doing it for years! Ah, and it just makes Han all the more appealing to see how liberated he really is.

 

As parents, Han and Leia haven't been TOO bad, except when they shipped their kids off for the first two years of their life. But I still think Leia is far more neglectful than the average working father.

But as husband and wife, they are terrible to each other. They take each other for granted, they spend more time apart than they do together. For example, in TTT, Han just lets his PREGNANT wife go across the galaxy to do some negotiations - Han would never do that! And then Leia, always putting the New Republic over Han over and over and over again. And then in the NJO, Han leaving Leia and basically not giving a damn what happens to her and their marriage and thinking lovingly about Bria, his dead ex-girlfriend who stabbed him in the back 25 years ago instead of his wife. UGH.

 

I don't know if it's so much Han taking Leia for granted, as it is that he knows Leia is very independent and quite capable of taking care of herself. Okay, so maybe he would have put up a *little* fuss, but he definitely would have let her go. Of course I have a little trouble with the word "let" since Leia is her own person and can do what she wants anyway.

That's how I can defend the Heir to the Empire, but otherwise I am in complete agreement with ariel. Especially about Han just leaving Leia in NJO. That was completely thoughtless and cruel.

I also hated how they shipped their kids off. I know they had their "reasons" but I it still didn't sit right with me at all.

 

Yeah, having them ship their kids off was stupid. I just don't see them doing that. If they had to do that, they would go to the planet with the kids to be with them. The first two years of a child's life are the most crucial ones. *sigh* But nothing we can do about it now.

There definitely needs to be more evidence of Han's love for Leia in the NJO. Leia should be having serious doubts of his devotion to her after what happened, and he should be there to reassure her. She shouldnt be like "Oh goody, he's back! Everything is fine now." That's what it seemed like in BP.

 

UP!

 

Uppers.

 

I have no problem at all with Han being the child-minder of the couple. That is not what has bothered me.
-Leela.

 

Here's a thread you guys might be intersted in (it went totally off-topic towards the end tho): http://boards.theforce.net/message.asp?topic=1557652

 

Suggested scene for next novel:

Han Solo on his knees grovelling for Leia's forgiveness.

What do you think? ;-)

 

Well, I wouldn't say he has to *beg* for forgiveness, Leia wasn't totally blameless either. Remember in the DT duology she ran off to save the galaxy while Han was moping around. But I do think he should have been the one to initiate the reconciliation in BALANCE POINT rather than Leia. That only makes sense, since he initiated the separation in the first place. I just hope he never takes her for granted again after BALANCE POINT.

Oh, apparently the next book is supposed to start with a prologue immediately following the events of BALANCE POINT, but it doesn't involve any of the main characters. So, if Leia has her legs cut off, it'll probably just be mentioned in a passing. (Anakin: Oh, Mom has bionic limbs now.) Sigh.

 

LOL! "bionic limbs".

Wait, so does that prologue mean that Han and Leia ARE NOT going to be main characters? Shoot. If that's the case then I won't even bother.

 

Han has some definite apologizing to do. Especially for the Alderaan comment, and the reference to their fight in Balance Point.

 

rescuing this thread before it falls to page 2

 

yeah, that alderaan comment was *way* out of line. I would've like smacked him.

Wait, how *did* Leia react? I can't even remember.



this page *cannot* fall to page two. It is forbidden.

 

Just making sure it doesn't.
Good points about the role change, and I hope whatever happens with the next book-because it's to late to change it now- we will get at least some serious words written about our fav characters.

 

Up!