Best and worst book fight scenes

[SimonM]

This was actually a question I asked on my blog (http://simonmcneil.com/2013/07/29/writing-fights/) but I sadly didn't get much response there. And I'm interested to hear what people have to say.

What's the best fight scene you ever read in a book?
What's the worst?

My money is on Romeo and Juliet's:


MERCUTIO
Come, sir, your passado.

They fight

ROMEO
Draw, Benvolio; beat down their weapons.
Gentlemen, for shame, forbear this outrage!
Tybalt, Mercutio, the prince expressly hath
Forbidden bandying in Verona streets:
Hold, Tybalt! good Mercutio!

TYBALT under ROMEO's arm stabs MERCUTIO, and flies with his followers

The action is unclear, the expository dialogue is clumsy, yes, I am taking the **** a bit here...

[Lucas]

I'd have to think about it for the worst...one of my fave tho is the fight between Kylar Stern and Durzo Blint in The Night Angel Trilogy.

[mickey]

Greetings SimonM,

I would have to say the fencing match in Hamlet.

Even though I know the ending, somehow, I always wish that it would end differently. Those feelings add to the already powerful drama that is about to finally come to an end.


mickey

[SimonM]

So that would be a "best scene" Mickey?

[mickey]

Greetings,

I'm sorry.

Yes, that would be a best scene.



mickey

[SimonM]

I'd have to think about it for the worst...one of my fave tho is the fight between Kylar Stern and Durzo Blint in The Night Angel Trilogy.

I'm trying to figure out where I'd heard of Brent Weeks before... then I looked at his Facebook page and realized we're friends with a lot of the same people. That explains it. Got to get around to reading him.

[Jimbo]

Off-hand, I can't think of a worst book fight I've personally read, but back in the '70s, I had the old Black Samurai book series, and really liked some of the fights portrayed in those.

[Hebrew Hammer]

Miyamoto Musashi's fight scenes are epic especially the final fight with his arch rival Kojiro, the first super fight of feudal Japan, where he beats him to death with an oar.

http://www.amazon.com/Musashi-Epic-Novel-Samurai-ebook/dp/B00CD428BU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375292108&sr=8-1&keywords=musashi

And this 5 book series is great if you can find em:

http://www.amazon.com/Musashi-Book-The-Way-Samurai/dp/0671734830/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1375292108&sr=8-10&keywords=musashi

Its paperback and they're listed for $272.00 for a 'new copy'. :eek:

[SimonM]

I hear that.

Here's the listing (http://www.amazon.ca/Chronicles-Master-Li-Number-Ten/dp/1596064552/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375295083&sr=8-1&keywords=master+li+and+number+ten+ox) for the Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox

And Romance of the Three Kingdoms (http://www.amazon.ca/Three-Kingdoms-Luo-Guanzhong/dp/7119005901/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375295169&sr=1-3&keywords=romance+of+the+three+kingdoms)...


The second volume of the Deer and the Cauldron (http://www.amazon.ca/Deer-Cauldron-Second-Book/dp/0195903250/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375295193&sr=1-3&keywords=the+deer+and+the+cauldron)is so freaking expensive... I can't believe I borrowed a copy of this from the library and it was in general circulation...

(And to be fair the first and third volumes on Amazon are also ridiculously priced)

Oh, here's the tradeback of Return of the Condor Heroes (http://www.amazon.com/Return-Condor-Heroes-Maiden-White/dp/9813068744/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375295501&sr=1-7&keywords=louis+cha) (the Asiapac Comic) vol. 1 - it's not Deer and the Cauldron expensive but it's still a pricey comic.

One more... The book and the sword (http://www.amazon.ca/Sword-Graham-Earnshaw-Rachel-Minford/dp/B00BUFKE8C/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375295821&sr=1-6).

[Happy Tiger]

I always enjoyed the fight scenes described in the old pulp fiction series "The Destroyer" featuring Remo Williams and his unbelievably qwerky and deadly master Chiun. When they did the movie I was quite geeked out at the time. Aside from casting,the movie was not very good. Always hoped for a remake.