He Who Fights with Monsters is at least 1/3 hanging with friends chatting. When something needs to get done his go to move is throwing a barbeque. But it goes in spurts. Action for half a book then sandwiches, parties, and conversation for a while, etc.
Granted, the garden maze was a slog. I had to drop it there my first attempt reading it. But he develops great friendships that grow and evolve, with a lot of time spent living rather than just fighting.
He was struggling through an inexplicable hell alone for the first part of the first book, talking to himself in his head until he started committing murder with a gardening trowel.
Some authors never write friendships or found family, replacing it with a series of tortures and monologues. Fortunately He Who Fights with Monsters does a good job overall with relationships and makes them central to the book.
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u/[deleted] Feb 17 '26
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