[LMB] Ivan's love life (was Ivan and ???)

[Joel Polowin]

Elizabeth Holden  wrote:
> --- Paula Lieberman  wrote:
>> Ivan got on my less than complimentary side with his treatment and attitudes
>> towards women--rather callous and unthinking and exploitationist.
>
> While I see him as very appreciative of them. He doesn't want to settle down, and he hasn't
> fallen in love, but he loves sex, and he loves beautiful women, so he finds women who also don't
> want to settle down. I love that.

It's stuff like:

-----
Ivan set one of the used salad plates down on the floor, and plunked
the kitten next to it.  He had to admit, a young animal of almost any
kind made an excellent prop; he'd noted the way Madame Vorsoisson's cool
expression had softened as he'd noodled with the furry little verminoid.
-----

and

-----
Ivan was an expert in the uses of a lightflyer for breaking down
psychological barriers and creating the proper mood.  A few gentle
swoops and you could almost always evoke some of those cute little
shrieks where the young lady clung closer, her chest rising and falling
as her breath came faster through parted and increasingly-kissable lips.
-----

that rather raise my hackles about Ivan's attitudes towards women.
"He used to corner me, when my father wasn't around, and try to feel
me up." -- Elena Bothari, in TWA.  Ivan's behaviour has improved
somewhat since then (possibly inspired, in part, by the implied meeting
between them in TWA), but I think he's got a long way to go.

_________________________________________________________________