Bond, James Bond |
In most cases, I think this is done so that the bald, potbellied or homely reader can more easily insert himself into the fantasy world that this type of fiction so readily provides. If the hero is described as handsome, muscular, with a full head of hair, etc. it might be harder to fit into his shoes and enjoy the goings-on. If he isn't described at all, then you become him, and his triumphs and trials are your own.
In the two cases listed above, Bond and Marlowe, I think that the hero was a kind of vehicle for the author. They didn't describe the hero because they felt they were the hero. They were living out fantasies on paper. Of course, the dearth of description allows the reader to latch on more easily, as stated above, and this, I think, is why Fleming and Chandler are still in print today.
It was thinking all of this up yesterday that I decided that Paul Sterling must die. Not a physical death, but be wadded up and thrown in a wastebasket, pending a serious overhaul.
It won't be easy, but over the course of the next few months I am going to come up with a new Paul Sterling. Admittedly, there's some good stuff there. An unpolished diamond with a lot of potential. But by the time I'm finished, Paul Sterling will have greater adventures, more meaningful romances, and win fortunes undreamed of by the slob he is now.
Stay tuned.
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