I was thinking out loud on another thread (Castle Onion) about Castle’s lack of knowledge about his father.  I happened to be reading Naked Heat at the time and came across the chapter where Rook tells Holly Flanders that he understood her situation with regards to not knowing who her father was.  It made me wonder how much of a mandate the ghost writer for the books was given to further the story and character of Castle on TV. 

There are specific references to the books being a “love letter” to Beckett etc.  If you buy into the story that Castle is writing these books and that they are a reflection of his thoughts, then I have a few episode/book scene overlaps that I think are very interesting. 

1.  As above, Rook and Holly Flanders talking about their parentage – Holly, answering about her mother and why she didn’t know her father’s name.  “She got laid a lot.”  Rook in response “You know, I didn’t know who my father was either.  God’s Truth.  And I know firsthand how you form you’re life around that missing piece.  It colors everything.”

*The conversation going on in that thread made me think more about how Castle must be the same way, forming his life around that missing information.  On one level, he must feel that he missed some things.  On another level, there must have been a time when he blamed Martha.  At this point in time (Suicide Squeeze specifically), he seems to have moved on and made it into a game – giving his father all kinds of different personas, each fascinating and wonderful.  But it’s a mystery that I think will crop up again.  Especially if you feel that the character of Castle is writing the books and thinking about that father figure.  Maybe we will see it later on when we finally see the meeting between Castle and Beckett’s dad. 

2.  Castle’s understanding of Beckett’s issues –  In the last part of Naked Heat, Nikki is having a conversation with Petar and the theme is him pushing her.  He keeps after her, all the while saying that he knows he is pushing and that he shouldn’t be doing it.   At the same time, Rook is the one that she confides in; who sits in silence waiting for her to say what she wants to say.  Rook does what Castle has been doing with Beckett. 

* Again, if art (book) imitates life (of Castle/Beckett) who are also art (TV show) then Castle the author has given us a clue to this too. I’m of the opinion that Castle understands on some level the gargantuan task that Beckett faces in overcoming all the trauma of her mother’s murder and has given himself the task of helping her through it.  She has so many things to work through still and I think part of his lack of initiative in the romance department has to do with his feeling that she is not ready for her One-and-Done.  He wants to be that guy so he’s reading her and trying to figure out when he will have the best chance with her.  That’s why he doesn’t give her a flat out answer to her question in Knockdown “Then why do you keep coming back, Rick?”  I think he knows it’s not his time yet and he’s afraid to scare her off with the unvarnished truth, why he doesn’t push his suit. Is Castle writing a silent hint to Beckett that he’s not pushing her?  Or is it a way for Castle the man to work through whether he’s doing the right thing?

This is just a mental exercise to study character development and I decided it would be fun to include the literary “output” of the character in the mix.  Feel free to add your own incidences/scenes from the book and show that you feel inform on the characters in this way.  I have more myself from Naked Heat and I still need to go back and reread (shucks!) Heat Wave to see if there are more that I missed since I wasn’t thinking this way at the time of my first reading.  The trick is to read the books as if you were one of the characters or as if you are Castle writing it.  It’s kind of fun!

And we could start a book club with each meeting starting with introductions – “Hi, my name is ACF and I’m addicted to Castle…”  Oh wait, that’s another meeting I need to attend…

Nev827 said:

Actually, you raise a good (albeit an obessesive) point, ACF.  And the scene in Naked Heat where Nikki doesn't think Rook understands her, but he reveals that he knows exactly what she's feeling supports your point.  I think Castle, in a much more subtle way than Rook does, shows Beckett that he knows exactly what she needs over and over again and that he much more sensitive than she may think he is. 

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There are times when I "hear" the author's voice more clearly than others, almost as if he his personal thoughts are closer to the surface.  That scene you mentioned is exactly what I was thinking – it's as if Castle is thinking about Beckett and he can't help but put it on the page.  It's kind of fun to try and match up not just the episode that gave him his plot idea (like the body snatchers in Naked HEat and Deep in death) but also the places where Castle's relationship with Beckett comes to the surface in the books.  He can't ehlp but write to her because she is so much a part of his thoughts.  I wonder if this is why he toned down the sex scenes in the second book a bit. 

It also makes me wonder if his writing (to Beckett in Naked Heat) while in the Hamptons with Gina contributed to the break up.  I can't imagine being out there in that lovely seting with a man like him all the while having to read chapter after chapter of him pursuing another woman.  Gina had his body and maybe part of his mind, but his heart was not there.  Beckett/Nikki may have techinically been on paper, but she was definitely present during that vacation. 

OCD can be recuperative.  I actually mentioned this on another thread, but this exercise has given me an insight into my own writing.  I was stuck and I couldn't figure out why.  Analyzing a character that is so well-drawn in this way gave me some new things to try with my own characters and now I'm unstuck… but have no time to write because I'm too caught up with this board!   

Yes, looking forward to the reaction as well although Heat Rises probably won't strike a chord like Naked Heat, haha.