My agent got an email from a MONK fan who thinks it's time for me to make a big change in my books. She writes, in part:
I wish Mr. Goldberg in his upcoming Monk books would actually start to lay off some of the OCD aspects of Monk. I think it interferes with the detective aspects of the story which are always brilliant.
Uh-huh. Interesting comment. What would Monk be without his OCD? Certainly not a character people would want to read about. I don't think she realizes that what makes Monk so special is his OCD…how he copes with it and how it gets in the way of his detective work, his personal life, etc. Not only that, it's his OCD that allows him to see the details, the things that are "out of place," that others miss. Sorry, Ann, I'm afraid the OCD is here to stay.
Taking Monk’s OCD away? That’d be like putting Nero Wolfe on a diet or telling Miss Marple to mind her own business.
Take away Monk’s OCD? That’s be like putting Nero Wolfe on a diet or telling Miss Marple to mind her own business.
Can we lose that whole “Monk solves mysteries” thing? It’s getting old.
VG
I’d like Monk better if he had more hurt/comfort scenes with Barry Van Dyke.
If you’re going to call him Monk, shouldn’t he be an actual monk?
The main reason this boggles _me_ is because the whole point of the show, to me, was watching to see Monk defeat his fears and phobias _in the end_. And he obviously _couldn’t_ defeat them until the end because there would have been no point to the show if he’d overcome his anxiety in the _middle_ of things. It would be like watching a football game and declaring the winning team during halftime — and then going back to play the rest of the game. It doesn’t mean anything if the victory comes in the middle.
So, since all the books take place pre-“Mr. Monk and the End” — I can’t figure out how her point makes sense in her head. How could you write him as being cured in the middle of the story? To go back to the football metaphor, what she said was, “Can we lay off the touchdowns in future football games? I think it interferes with watching the players run around on the field.”
(… although more hurt/comfort scenes with Barry Van Dyke would be AWESOME. Also maybe a sordid sex affair. We’re just trying to help you out, Mr. Goldberg.)
As if you had any choice in the matter of Monk’s basic character.
And while you’re eliminating the OCDs, lay off Monk harping on his wife’s death – it’s a real downer.
“putting Nero Wolfe on a diet . . . .”
Well, Rex Stout did it, in one novel.
Dear Ann, you can watch episodes of Barnaby Jones on tv.com with a fourteen day free trial.