I am reading King Sorrow and I am confused ( Spoiler Warning)
I like Joe Hill. Heart Shaped Box was great, N0S4A2, 20th Century Ghost, Horns, Strange Weather, and The Fireman.
But the main character of King Sorrow is infuriating to me.
I liked him up until he meets with Jane for the second time to retrieve his hoodie.
She threatens him and says steal books for me books or your mom is going to suffer. And he just goes with it
I am speaking as someone who absolutely loves my mom, picture that are kind of blurry, threats and claims that Jane has one or two guards on the inside of the prison… I wouldn’t be convinced. But for argument sake let’s say that I am in convinced. One or two guards on the inside or not I am still going to go to the police and see what needs to be done to protect my mom.
Jane was pretty clear about what happens to his mom. A recording/ a wire could get her and her boyfriend in trouble. Take the picture Jane had taken as proof of need be. Jane is a no good drug dealing person how many connections could she possibly have.
I would have been fine if Arthur went to the police and there is a scene that proves Jane has connections or if the police says there is nothing that can do… but that didn’t happen. He just takes Jane at her word and goes with it. A week went buy before had to deliver the books… he a college student who plans on going to Oxford couldn’t think of anything else to do except go with Jane’s idea? He had time to come up with something else or ask a friend/ friends for help.
Instead he steals and digs himself a deeper hole so that he can’t go to the police… and then because he didn’t tell his friends at the beginning drags them in accessories to crime. So that the only thing they think is reasonable to do is summoned a dragon to kill digging his friends into a deeper hole…
Did any of that had to happen? I don’t think so. I get the story won’t happen without him making those decisions. But I feel like all of his problems could have been solved if he told his friends and went to the police within that week he was given by Jane before he stole anything…. But we don’t see that… or given a good reason why he didn’t try.
Am I wrong… did I miss something… I feel like the best way for him to protect his mom is going to the police….