Charlaine Harris shares chapter one of “Dead in The Family”
By ZZ on Dec 20 2009 | 32 Comments »
Charlaine Harris has published the first chapter of “Dead in the family” as a Christmas present for her fans. Dead in the Family will be released in May 2010.
I love it already! I can’t wait until May!!!
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Hmm, interesting. Trouble in Viking paradise? Am I bothered enough to buy the book and find out? Has Amelia moved out entirely? I liked her a lot, she made the later books tolerable.
Do I want to read this? I don’t know…..!
I think CH preview chapter of Dead and Gone was good. This partial chapter of Dead in the Family, could be the last chapter in Dead and Gone. It really doesn’t peak my interest in the book
Totally disappointed that Sookie is still with Eric after all Bill went through to save her. With each book, Sookie has become more whiny, shallow, oversexed and insensitive. In my opinion Sookie and the arrogant, manipulative, self-centered and dangerous Eric totally deserve each other. The only truly interesting character in the whole series is Bill Compton who is a decent and honorable man who ights against his vampire nature. Bill should have kicked Sookie to the curb a long time ago.
Note to Eric shippers: by his purposeful actions, Eric has used, manipuated and betrayed Sookie far more deeply than Bill who did not want to, but would have paid with his life if he did not obey his queen or his maker.
As much as I love Bill, I think it is important that Sookie at least tries to have a go with Eric, rather than running away like she usually does. That itself shows a growth of maturity in Sookie. There has been an attraction there for a while so she needs to figure out if it is just lust/hormones or if it is a LTR kind of love. I don’t think it will actually go anywhere (CH has said that Sookie’s love life will not be resolved in this book) . I personally just don’t see Eric as her HEA guy so I’m not really worried that she is having some time with Eric in this book. It’s something she needs to work out so if she does go back to Bill, she is sure that he is the one, and isn’t having second thoughts or regretting Eric the way she regrets Quinn. And let’s face it…Sookie and Bill have a lot of issues between them that would need to be worked out before they could even reasonably have a good chance at a second go-round.
‘With each book, Sookie has become more whiny, shallow, oversexed and insensitive. In my opinion Sookie and the arrogant, manipulative, self-centered and dangerous Eric totally deserve each other.’
Amen sistah, preach it. She’s pretty useless as a strong female role model lately. Thats why Amelia was a relief. Please please please Alan Ball, don’t make show Sookie/Anna into this tiresome bitch.
And this seems to be another book that doesn’t interest me. Unfortunately, CH lost me a long time ago. Sookie is such a whiny, inconsiderate, vain and not too bright character I just can’t enjoy her. This first chapter left me feeling just a little bit dirty and in need of a shower.
I was shocked while reading this chapter. I have no respect at all for Sookie in CH’s world. Not only did Bill almost die saving her AGAIN but she does not even mention him at all except for a passing almost not there mention. She talks about others that were killed or hurt. What about Bill?
Bill has more decency and class than the rest of them put together.
Hey CH, how about writing in a woman deserving of Bills attentions. Sookie and Eric are made for each other.
BillsNia, I was always very angry at Sookie by not thinking or mentioning Bill omitting him in moments when he should have been potagonist. Like when that fire where she rescues him, and it looks like she is doing it by casualty, because she never mentions him, but in fact she is crying before finding him. After reading this last chapter when she does it again, I see it clearly: She omits him from her thoughts because is too scared about recognizing she loves him, that’s why she tends to ignore him and also why she is not breaking the BB with Eric.
ok that’s what i would like to be!!! now, knowing CH thought abou killing him I guess it’s all bullshit.
Billsdan45, CE and BillsNia,
Totally agree with all your comments. I have actually bought my first CH book – it is an omnibus with the first 3 books. I got it for $20 as I did not want to waste my money if I did not like them. I have only read the first chapter and do not get it as it is a bit different to TB. Not quite sure I like the writing style. I will not go any further than book 3 as I do not want to read Eric! Eric! Eric! or see Sookie as a skank. So CH can shove it. Really, I only bought it so that CH can autograph it in Sep when she comes to OZ – that is if she will want to sign for me as I will be asking questions posed by you girls and she may not be happy! I will be wearing my Bill t-shirt as well!! Now I am being a biatch!!!!
Run BILL Run
I cant read it :( saying file damaged could not be repaired! :(
HW must be a problem with your comp, mine opens it fine.
Yes, it opened fine for me as well. I finally got around to reading this. Wow. Fascinating. Except no, it wasn’t. I can see ol’ CH is still recapping in the first chapter and that SS is still all about SS. I can’t get past the fact that the main character of all these books is so selfish. I hope AB gives us a SS we can actually relate to.
I can’t begin to tell you how much I hated this crap!! I haven’t read any of the other books and have no desire to……and I have even LESS of a desire to read them now after reading this swill. :(
If True Blood is still on the air by the time this book comes around, I will probably be tuning it out if the story goes the way this chapter makes it sound. Unless Bill is given a new love or even multiple loves (why should HE remain faithful while Suckie floozies it up?) I don’t think I can watch Bill being treated even worse than he already has been treated by this selfcentered, selfish pig of a woman!!
How fitting is it that CH wrote the books in “I” perspective? Sookie is all about “I” and “Me” so naturally every sentence beginning with the word “I” would seem par for the course. Again, I can’t begin to tell you how much I LOATHE the CH Suckie crapfest. She doesn’t deserve Bill Compton…..he is way too good for the likes of her!!
Sorry…..this just makes me ill.
I disagree that Sookie has to have a go at Eric before she returns to Bill; that is just shallow. I know that Bill is a flawed character, but all good heroes are. Bill definitely made mistakes with Sookie, but he has tried hard to atone for them and make things right. Sookie has never given Bill a chance to fully explain what happened when he went to Lorena or even why; we may never find out because CH has not written that much about it. I would have respected Sookie’s character more if she had given him that chance even if she decided that his actions hurt her too much and left him for good.
Eric is hot and the loves scenes between Sookie and Eric are very erotic, but they strike me as lust only. The love scenes between Sookie and Bill, were not just erotic, they were deep and mystical. There is no doubt that for whatever reason Bill sought Sookie out, he is deeply in love with her. By continuting to sleep with Eric, she risks losing that king of love forever.
Sookie is a grown woman, but she acts like a teenage whore ready to get it on with any attractive man she sees whenver her feelings get hurt. There may have been a sexual attraction to Eric, but she knew full well what an evil conniver he was. Remember, he threatened to hurt Bill if Sookie didn’t work for him. That plus tricking her into taking his blood in Dallas totally turned me off his character. Also do you remember that he loves to kill and torture and casually killed Pam and turned her because he was lonely. What a guy! Okay, so he has feelings for Sookie, but he is still ans evil chara
CH has said that Sookie and Bill will not be together in this book, but I sure hope that Sookie dumps Eric. The more she is with him, the more contaminated she becomes.
I love these books, I do… but right about now I’m feeling a bit like Bill! Ok, so he left with Lorena in book 3 and naturally she felt betrayed, but she didn’t even gave him the oportunity to explaine, yes there’e no much exlanation to hear when a man leaves with another woman, but this man is a vampire and the other woman was his maker… If you hang out with vampys you should at least know their policies. He can’t say no to his maker!!!! Anyway, at the end of book three I though, maybe they need some time apart to heal, she needs to be her own person for a while, Bill is all hectic with his job and the Queen form hell, we should let the water run a little. Book 4… ohhh no she didn’t!!!! She jumps in the shower with the viking BECAUSE SHE IS HORNEY?!!!! And then it comes the damn bloodbond. And then we go all the way to book 6 where Eric forces Bill to reveal the reasons he came to Bon Temps (ok that was low Bill) but it was the Queen’s orders and he wasn’t counting on falling for her either! But ok I get it, a woman can’t forgive and forget so easily and Sookie sure can’t, but no Sookie actually is very forgiving with everybody… except with Bill!!!! Then again we wait, he can redeem himself, he really loves her and more important she loves him, she’s just deeply hurt! Did you remember how she treated him at the beginign of book 7, she doesn’t even mention him, you don’t treat that way someone you don’t care about, right… don’t worry, we wait. Book 8, did you saw him in that scene on Gran’s livingroom with the messenger of the King of Nevada and the others, he’s such a heroe! Sookie please, why can’t you see it?!!! Ok he’s making his way… let’s wait little longer, we want a great comeback, right? Book 9, to me book 9 is all Bill… I mean if Sookie doesn’t frogive him here I’m really gonna make a nice bonefire with these books, Sookie he came after you with your Great Grandfather, he nearly died for you… you bitch!!!! What more do you want from him? Even Niall knows he’s the man!!! Remember how it was when you first met him? The long talks in the woods, how he told you about his family, the sad life he had, remember when you told him about how much you loved Gran and how supportive she was when uncle Barlett did that dreadful thing to you. Remember how sweet he was the firsttime you made love… “you can get more skilled but you’ll never be better” thing or something like that? Come on Sook for God sake!!!! You’ve never share those things with Eric, you say you did, but we never saw it. We never saw the ever growing love with Eric, we only saw pure lust and infinite blood exchanges to the point that you must be least half a vamp already… WTF. So how can you (or CH for that matter) blame us for prefering Bill?!!!
Well, I’m done with you Sookie Stackhouse, I’m done with you and CH and all these hideous books… I’m gonna keep reading because I’m hooked already, but I’m not gonna like them!!! And thank god for True Blood. I know Alan won’t break our hearts that way
Sing it sistah! Sing it loud and proud! You’re not the only one who feels this way.
We have a chant around here that we repeat every once-in-awhile, it’s:
I believe in Alan Ball
I believe in Alan Ball
I believe in Alan Ball
I have faith that AB will continue to deliver a compelling television series!
If I could buy you a drink, I would. A-fucking-men. Book bonfire and marshmallows anyone?
I’m telling you girl… I know I’m gonna read the damn things up to the 13th book, but it kills me, it really does! I like Eric, I enjoy his cynicism and his wittiness… and of course he is hot as hell!!! But I really don’t know what’s the big fuss with him and Sookie, I’ve never saw love between them, he likes Sookie, he’s intrigued by her, but as far as love goes, well, Eric loves Eric…and that’s it!
It’s probably because I’m a romantic at heart and I need to see the sparkles right away and the courtship at the beginning of every relationship, the romance of the whole thing, we had that with Bill, I fell for the guy. We never saw that with Eric, or did we? Eric storyline was all about how hot he was, how powerful and ruthless he could be; ok, I get it and I like a tough guy too, but he never courted Sookie, he claimed her… even at the end of the last book “Your greatnice is my woman”… what the hell is that?! I’m all for the bad guy thing… but does he has to be such a prat?!!!! And the fact that I wasn’t still over Bill didn’t helped at all…!
It’s like, when you read a book that is well written enough so you can relate to a character, you become that person… so whatever that character goes through, you do too. And when she jumped into that shower with Eric it felt so wrong, she didn’t betrayed Bill in that moment, she betrayed the womankind by becoming a horny bitch (ok maybe not the entire womankind) and the reasons why she did it, made it all worse, ohhh the infamy… he was hot and she was horny… very ladylike Sook, Gran must be proud!!! Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a puritan, rebound sex can be quite comforting when you’re hurt, but it’s just sex… don’t try to make of this an epic love story because it’s not, IT IS NOT! (DO YOU HEAR ME TEAM ERIC GALS?) But Charlaine took that road and from that moment on, it was downhill for me… I kept reading the books for the adventures and all the others stuff, because come on, that ectoplasmic reconstruction, whatever the name is, was fun or what?! But when it came to Sookie´s love life I could easily jump trough pages, I mean, could Alcide be any more boring? And even though I kind of liked Quinn, it was obvious that he was just a fling…
However, the adventures and Bill kept me reading… I wanted him to redeem himself; I searched for every little glimpse of him in each book and it was almost enough for me because I felt that his presence, no matter how small and insignificant it was, meant that maybe it wasn’t all said for him and Sookie. I almost “Died and Leave” with Dead and Gone, that book was Bill’s redemption from the a to the z, I dared to dream again but when he nearly died in that room… my god the tension! I literally closed the book, stopped reading and cried like a baby for almost a week, because I really thought he was dead, all the things she realized during the battle, how willing he was to give his life to defend her, even that tiny bit of camaraderie with Eric, it all said BILL IS DEAD, and even though the awful pain of losing him would have give me a great deal of grieve for a really long time, it would have been a fair closure; but I knew I still had a few pages to go, I had to find out about his burial, so sure I was of his death… when I had the courage to open it and start reading again and found out that he was still alive!!!
My friends… I wish I have the words to explain the joy that filled my heart at that very moment… I said to myself “That Vikingo is soooo out of the picture”, I began to fantasize about the best way for Sookie to tell the big guy that he was out, I even thought that Charlaine should create a girlfriend for Eric, a nice one, he had been a good contender he deserved to be happy too; all those things I dreamed about in my crazy little head intoxicated with victory… how little did I know!
That first chapter of Dead in the Family; those 13 pages from hell; that disgrace of episode sent me right back to that shower at the beginning of Dead to the World, and I realized right there that Sookie is a hopeless case, that she doesn’t deserve Bill, that now she’s the one who needs to redeem herself… and so Charlaine Harris!
I’m gonna read the book, and I will read the next three after that… but I won’t be doing it for Sookie, I’ll be doing it for Bill, I love him and I can’t leave him, not now that he’s so sick and alone, because he certainly can’t be counting on Sookie, that selfish little bitch!!! I really hope Charlaine at least give him a decent closure… for old times sake! I hope he leaves Bon Temps for good in the middle of the night in a dark grey mist, just like Rhett Butler did right after Scarlett realized that she loved him… I really hope he does cause he is too good for her!!!
P.S.: my God… I got carried away or what?!
LOL! Giant wall of frustrated text. I’ve already walked away from that shitshow. Ole Charlaine will never glean another penny from my purse after I heard she intended to kill Bill off in the last book. Which was a piece of crap. I could have spent the 37 bucks on booze and fags and it would have been way more enjoyable. Way to go alienating half your fanbase and pandering exclusively to the other whilst waving goodbye to any artistic integrity. Such a shame, I thought the books were frigging awesome for a while. I devoured them. Now they’re firewood.
A great big right on sister to all of you! I am glad that I am not the only one that is absolutely disgusted with Sookie Stackhouse. Ok, ok, I know its only fiction, but I thought a book’s heroine was supposed to be somepne you like, but by this point, I thoroughly dislike that slutty, immature, emotiionally tonedeaf bitch!
Come on CH, really after 6 books its time to stop emotionally torturing Bill! Furthermore, if you kill his character off, or turn him into a monster like Eric, you will toally lose me as a reader for any of your books.
The women who think Eric is so hot and romantic deliberately overlook what an evil and violent creature he is. He loathes humans and thinks they are only good for blood and sex. Sookie has had glimpses of Eric’s mind and knows how truly creepy it is, so I just don’t get the attraction without a forced blood bond.
If I remember my history correctly, Vikings were not nice guys; they raped, murdered, pillaged and took slaves. Eric was a violent man when alive. As a vampire, he still loves to kill and torture. Pam’s description of how casually he killed and turned her was chilling to me. He is a killer without a conscience.
These women conveniently overlook the fact that if Bill had refused Sohpie Ann’s command to meet and seduce Sookie, she would have killed him on the spot. They overlook the fact that Bill told Sookie Lorena ordered him to leave her or she would kill her, so Bill went to Lorena to protect Sookie. Whether or not they had sex, we don’t know for sure, but we do know that Lorena tortured Bill to get Sookie’s name which he never gave up.
Worst of all they claim Bill “raped” Sookie. Rape is an intentionally violent act committed to hurt and demean a woman. No person in their right mind could say that what Bill did in the trunk of that car was intentional in any way. Bill was almost dead and completely out of his mind from starvation, torture and lack of sleep. Vampires are more animal than human, and ‘ Bill’s reaction to the smell of blood and a warm body was the instinctual and primal reaction of an animal. Any vampire, including their beloved Eric would have acted exactly the same way. Even Soolkie didn’t think she had been intentionally raped by Bill, or she would never have been able to allow him near her afterwards. It important to note that Bill stopped himself as soon as he became aware of what he was doing; he was ashamed and aghast at what he had done and tried to atone ffor his actions all througout books four through nine.
Eric’ deliberately and intentionally tricked Sookie into a blood bond; that is like mental rape. Tricking her into marriage without her consent was further mental abuse.
I also note, that since he was a mnor viking prince during feudal times, Eric is used to the fedual system of kings and quees used by vampires today; he understands that system and knows how to work it..In order to survive, it was common for local princes to have spies in the courts of their respective kings or queens. Eric likes to be in control and does not like surprises, so I think it is a good bet that he had many spies in Sohpie Ann’s and now Felipe De Castro’s court. I am sure Eric knew about Hadley and Sookie even before Bill did. In fact, it is likely that he was in on the whole thing from the beginning. I am also sure he let Lorena know where Bill was inorder to get rid of a rival and to be able to control Sookie.
I feel bad for bill I really do. But Sookie has made it clear they were over. It’s not her fault the man can’t get over her & was willing to sacrifice his life for her. I like the bill character, I do but he’s the 1 responsible for him becoming a door mat, not Sookie. And as far as all this Eric hate, It’s pretty obvious the man cares about Sookie. He is hardly as evil as you guys make him out to be. I believe he loves her & they are meant 2gether.
Eric is not evil… he just doesn’t care about anyone but himself and his position in the Vampire hierarchy, he cares about Sookie, but just not enough!
She wants to be a waitress forever at Merlotte’s (for whatever reason) stay at her Gran’s house in the woods and have a companion who can be with her as an equal, that gives her space and let her be her own person but still can protect her when she needs to and can take care of her. Eric is not that man! Eric can support her financially, Eric can come and spend the night when he’s not too busy being a Sheriff, he can gives her a driveway, he can buys her clothes, celphones, doors… you name it, but he won’t be a companion, he just won’t!
Bill doesn’t have to give up his life or his work to be with her (not that he wouldn’t if she ask him to) they live in the same woods, he wants to settle down, he doesn’t care about Vampires policies, even though he respect them, he doesn’t have to give up anything to be with her and neither has she.
I have the feeling I’m going to LOOOOOOOOOVVVVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE this book!
I love the relationship between sookie and eric…at first I thought it wouldn’t last but then I completely changed my mind!
I like seeing them together, I like that he is strong, and he really knows sookie… I like that he is someone who can truly take good care of her…
WAY TO GO CHARLAINE HARRIS!
I agree with you Nicole and Jessicka.
I really like the Eric and Sookie relationship. I hope that she finds out if she truely has feeling for him or if it is the blood bond. I would like to know why Eric weren’t there to save Sookie when she was being tortured.
I was sad to see Amelia go but i got a feeling that she will return. I hope she does anyway.
As for Bill. I think that realtionship has ended. She might of said she loves him but i dont think she can get over what he did to her. He did cheat on her and think about it he was going to leave Sookie for Lorena.
But who knows.
As for weather i would buy this book. I definatley will.
Can’t wait. I love all the Sookie Stackhouse books. Big cheers for Charlaine Harris.
The link to the pdf file you provided would not scroll past the first page. I tried getting it through Ms. Harris’ website and through yours. I don’t think it’s my computer’s issue, just an F.Y.I. for you. Was anyone else having trouble with this?
Dark, I think you may have a problem with your PDF reader, I can see the whole of it. If you want, I can send the pdf to your email and see if that way you can see it correctly?
I really do not get why there’s so much hatingg on Eric, or Sookie for that matter! Likee, Eric is not as vain and manipulative as y’all making him out to be! Like, he clearly puts it on to try and work that whole “macho man” look +it’s perfectly obvious that he loves Sookie. I mean in book 9, he was like, “your killing me” to sookie.. or something like that? surely, this implies that she’s changing his attitudes towards humans and his belief that he’d never love a human? Also, in my opinion, Bill Compton is the whiny, pathetic one. Like, he’s just way to melodramatic and over the top about professing his love for sookie and it just gets really tiresome. Whereas with Eric, it is far more interesting as they have the whole, “love, hate” thing goin’ on, and i simply adore his witty comments and i think throughout the books, he has grown as a character.. whereas bill.. has just kinda stayed the same?
+i don’t see why so many people hate sookie either? like.. i find her a really strong female lead, but she’s only human and so yeah, she is bound to moan and whine and explore sex. like, that for me… just makes her more believable as a character!
cannot wait for this next book! x
xo
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