RAH Reading Group - The Cat Who Walks Through Walls

[Razorback]

To me the changes in style or approach coincided sharply with the official parts or divisions of the book. For me, the first change started right from the beginning in part two. I just found that the story become more compelling as soon as part two began. I think that was before Hazel entered the picture. I didn’t notice another big change until the beginning of part three.

Bill didn’t make a lot sense to me for quite a while. I think he could have found a more eloquent way to get into his political views. I thought the political views were typical Heinlein. I don’t fully agree with his politics, but I sympathize with many of his views. It finally dawned on me that Heinlein needed a porter for Tree-San. The way the story went in the first two parts, Richard and Gwen couldn’t carry Tree-San themselves and deal with the other calamities and obstacles. Otherwise, Bill struck me as superfluous and unbelievable.

As for the sexuality matters, I wasn’t surprised by the plural marriage discussion. It’s been a long time since I read the other books from this era, but I seem to recall plural heterosexual marriages or other relationships as a common element. The homosexual element startled me. I did not remember that in this or any of the others that I’ve read. Given the relatively limited and shallow treatment, it struck me as intended strictly for shock value. Was this element present in his other works or is it unique to this one? If present in other works, it may have a larger or deeper significance.

 

[Pyan]

I thought the Gwen/Hazel character had a lot more depth than Mary did.

Don't forget, though, that Mary only appears in one book whereas Gwen/Hazel has a long back-history - The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Space Family Stone, and I think she pops up at the end of Number of the Beast as well - so she's bound to be a bit more of a rounded character.

It finally dawned on me that Heinlein needed a porter for Tree-San. The way the story went in the first two parts, Richard and Gwen couldn’t carry Tree-San themselves and deal with the other calamities and obstacles. Otherwise, Bill struck me as superfluous and unbelievable

Nice idea, but surely there must be more to Bill than just that - If Tree-san had been cut from the story, would Bill have vanished as well?
I think he's what I've come to think of as a Heinlein Foil: someone fairly peripheral to the story, but with views that enable the main characters to "bounce" off them. Another example is Duke in SIASL, - there to argue against ideas espoused by the main characters, but not really necessary to the story,

 

[Razorback]

Pyran,

1. Although Mary was limited to one book, I still think her character was a bit thin. I’ve read some of the other books that Gwen/Hazel appeared in, but too long ago to remember much. While work in other books may have added some dept to her character, I think the biggest difference is that Heinlein just got better at female character in the 34 years between The Puppet Masters and TCWWTW. My comment wasn’t intended as a criticism of Mary. I think she was fine for 1951. I wanted to complement how much Heinlein improved on female characterizations from then to TCWWTW.

2. I concede that Bill provided a foil for some of Heinlein’s views, but it seems like he could have gotten those points out without a character as clumsy and pointless as Bill. I still think carrying Tree-San was his primary purpose, with serving as a foil as a secondary purpose. It may sound glib to say he was just a porter for Tree-San, but I think that would have been the only loss to the story without Bill.

 

[TTBRAHWTMG]

As far as female characters go, I liked Gwen plenty. A little off TCWWTW perhaps, but which Heinlein character do you think is the most believable as a woman? Which Heinlein character is your favourite woman?

As far as Bill, I think he serves two and possibly even three purposes. First is to display characteristics or an attitude in society which he disliked, which gave him the ability to vent on what he perceived were social ills of his time...specifically in the scene when Gwen and Richard fight and even more so when they make up. Secondly, he was demonstrating a point made by one of his major influences, Twain, who said "If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man." Finally, and this one is FAR less likely I admit, but perhaps he was supposed to be an agent from another group of time tinkerers that Heinlein muses about later in the book, and that he was just playing a role to get closer to Ames and keep an eye on him, kill him if necessary.