Re Dick Francis' books: I have always thought his heroes' pain showed how dangerous the world can be to anyone. Most of his protagonists have been amateur sleuths and are a lesson to the reader to "not try this at home".
Another of my favorite authors also has her protagonists go though particularly onerous physical trials and always just at the end of her books. That author is Andre Norton.
It has been so long since I read Andre Norton, that I forgot that element. Thanks for pointing it out. And yes, I do see that amateur sleuth element, but also thought that since at the beginning of the series, so many of the protagonists were jockeys, who like many athletes seem to have learned to live with the effects of pain, this means they keep surprising the bad guys who assume they will respond like everyone else and give in to any physical intimidation.
Re Dick Francis' books: I have always thought his heroes' pain showed how dangerous the world can be to anyone. Most of his protagonists have been amateur sleuths and are a lesson to the reader to "not try this at home".
Another of my favorite authors also has her protagonists go though particularly onerous physical trials and always just at the end of her books. That author is Andre Norton.
It has been so long since I read Andre Norton, that I forgot that element. Thanks for pointing it out. And yes, I do see that amateur sleuth element, but also thought that since at the beginning of the series, so many of the protagonists were jockeys, who like many athletes seem to have learned to live with the effects of pain, this means they keep surprising the bad guys who assume they will respond like everyone else and give in to any physical intimidation.