Loreli

I really dislike Polly as a person and as a mate for Qwill. I get the impression that she's a real b***h! I thought it was a lot more interesting when Qwill was dating a variety of women. It made the stories more interesting. I know it sounds insane but it really bugged me when he had Polly's portrait done to hang in his barn. If they get married I'm done. In Saw Stars when she says "I just arrived on my broom" I thought "how appropriate." Thank God she was away for most of the book.

Marlene

Yes, I think Polly is a suitable mate for Qwill and I wish they would get married. Both have their own interests and cats DO learn to get along.
In addition:
I like Polly very much and I wholly approve of their relationship just the way it is. Both are persons in their own right who pursue their interests on their own or together. The fact that they are independent of each other, yet remain a caring, loving couple is very refreshing. Polly's jealousy tells me simply that she cares more about Qwill than she is ready to admit to the reader. But it's there! Qwill and Polly are soul mates but I hope the relationship remains the way it is.

Alicia

Yes, I think that Polly is a suitable mate for Qwill. She is kind, intelligent, and they share many of the same interests. Her one main fault is jealousy, which, even though it was bad in the beginning, has gotten to the point of almost non-existent since her heart surgery. Besides, people that dislike her because she's jealous have to realize that no one is perfect, in real life or fiction. Another plus is that she shares Qwill's sentiments on the subject of marriage, which is more than I can say for the many who pursued him in Moose County. All in all, I think Polly is the right gal for Qwilleran.

Matthew

I think Polly should be Qwill's mate in the long run, but I'd really like to see Braun introduce a woman to give Polly something to really worry about. Although, I've always liked Fran Brodie and thought Qwill's attraction to her would be strong enough to get them together. Personally, I think Polly is pretty boring and would like to see her only interesting feature in the series magnified by having Qwill get involved with someone else!

Rebecca (maintainer's note: not me, another Rebecca)

Of the characters available in the series, I do think Polly is a suitable match for Qwill. As he himself said (...Who Sniffed Glue) "all the women he knows are too aggressive or too frivolous, with the exception of the head librarian...". They have many similar interests, though not all. But that keeps the relationship from stagnating. She doesn't seem to care for his riches. In fact she seems not to care for material things much at all, like Qwill. I'm thinking of a passage refering to her few clothes and the little shopping she does. And to all who bitterly complain of Polly's unbecoming jealousy and supposed b----yness, no one yet has mentioned Qwill's own streak of green (re-read ...Who Sniffed Glue, Act II, Scene I) and the fact that he often entertains thoughts of other relationships, maybe justifying some mistrust and jealousy. Yet I do admit she wasn't extremely likeable at first in ...Who Sniffed Glue. Finally, the cats have never complained about Polly though they have about many other girlfriends. As for marriage, I vote no. Qwill is too set in his ways and self-absorbed (and cat-absorbed) to bring a wife into his life. And Polly doesn't seem keen to marry again either. They're doing just fine as is.

Katie

I think Polly is Qwilleran's soul mate. Geez, it's obvious to all you nincompoops out there. Polly is understanding of Qwill's feelings and is definitely the right one for him. Polly also is in the right age category. It was pathetic when he was dating someone half his age - a.k.a. Melinda Goodwinter. For goodness sake, he could have been married with children when she was born! She could have been his daughter, for pity's sake! Qwilleran often comments on Polly's jealous streak. But, does he realize he is jealous too? For example, The Cat Who Knew a Cardinal. Was it a little more than ironic that after seeing photos of Polly dancing with a man in a red beard (Steve O'Hare) he immediately "disliked him on sight"?
And, then at the end, a pure moment of romance...
"Qwilleran reached across the table and grasped her hand--then one with the birthstone ring he had given her. With brooding eyes intent on her face he said, 'I want to ask a question, Polly.'"
"There was a breathy pause as she smiled and for the question."
Your heart catches in your throat, you're afraid to breath. You turn the page, and...
"'What did you and Steve talk about at the wedding?'"
Qwill pops the bubble.
Yup, not jealous. Um, no.

Jennifer

I have to say that I did not like Polly at all in the beginning. She was jealous to the point of rudeness and she was very possessive of Qwill even though they barely knew each other. I do like her better now that she has calmed down some, thanks in part to her heart attack and loss of her only "family." She is becoming a bit more likable, although I would like to see someone new come between them. Their relationship is getting a little stale. Even Qwill has said something of the sort like dinner with Polly was becoming more of an obligation than a romance. That is the thing really. They seem more like old friends than romantic partners and Qwill deserves a love interest. Their relationship does not seem romantic at all. Polly could very well be his sister for goodness sake! Bring on a brand new love for Qwill! Polly is okay, they could still be friends, because I know Qwill would miss those things like the readings and whatnot, but he is not in love with Polly. As for the cats not liking the other girlfriends and not harassing Polly, they don't really even seem to notice her at all. I cannot recall any reaction of the cats to Polly except, perhaps that she fed them once in a while when Qwill was gone if I recall correctly.

Clip7snip

I like Polly and I think that they are good for each other and it puts a great twist in the story.

Dorothy

Polly is a pain for me whenever she appears. Do this-don't do that-eat this-don't eat that-wear this-don't wear that; I have trouble reading about her patiently.
She and Qwill are each too set in their ways to make a good marriage, and a woman who marries with the idea of making over her husband is asking for trouble.
Braun is very clever with Qwill's romantic interests. Every one of them is attractive, so she has the obligatory "love interest," but every one of them is irritating in some way. This keeps most readers from demanding marriage, though I notice it has not prevented it entirely.

Shawna

I believe Polly is a wonderful match for Qwill: her intellect; her literary interests; her soft, low, musical voice; her age; her job; her general attitude; her articulate, deliberate speaking manner and choice of words; her cats. Any human being, not excluding Polly, has at least one fault, and Polly's is her jealousy. In addition, it just proves how much she loves him and how much he means to her. Like Matthew, I think Fran and Qwill should have a short fling (kind of), then Qwill realizes his mistake. A top 101 moment? I think so!!

Sue

Personally, I find the Polly character a pain: nagging, dull and sometimes downright silly (e.g., her cooing and treating her cat(s) as "babies"). Seems that since her introcution into the series, Qwill's character has been made a bit stodgy. And the relationship between Qwill and Koko has become less integral to the plots.
Could this just be because LJB is growing older?

Mousecatcher

Polly is OK as long as she incidental to what's going on. She can be very annoying at times when she tries to boss him around. No woman who wants to try and change any part of his life can be an acceptable full-time partner for him; he's a rare character, a good person who tries to live a decent life and respects his fellow men, so give him a break if he wants to wear odd clothes or eat unhealthy food! The biggest problem for me with Polly is the way she treats Koko like an idiot; I tend to think she is even jealous of him, and that irritates me, it's like being jealous of a step-child.

Peggy

Perhaps Qwill will get interested in Geneology and research his family....too bad he threw all those letters from his Mother to Aunt Franny in the fire. Further research might prove Polly to be a close cousin, or half sister from before his Dad, Dana, met his Mother...that would rule out marriage. They could still be close friends. A more vivacious woman with a profession would be a good match. Polly is sweet, and I think reminds him of his Mother.

Barbara

Qwill and Polly are eminently suitable for each other in that their visible relationship (i.e., the one that is revealed to us via conversation rather than the one that takes place during 3 hour coffee and dessert visits at Polly's residence), is one based on how emotionally cruel they can be to each other. Qwill regularly taunts Polly with vague references to plans with other women, and Polly takes every opportunity to catch Qwill in a lie or get testy over small matters. If they married, Polly would have to retain counsel from Lockmaster for divorce proceedings, since the only remaining post-Goodwinter law firm is Hasselrich, Barton, et al., and they're on Qwill's retainer.

Pamela

I like Polly. I think Judith Dench would be a good Polly. Or perhaps someone a bit younger. She should be a size 16 just like the Polly in the stories. The other choices that are listed in the poll are too skinny. Polly strikes me as a serious frumpy woman. She isn't tall nor is she a fashion plate. Qwill should be handsome. That is what makes the match interesting. After all, some people will wonder why a handsome man would choose a larger size woman to spend his time with. The public will see that large women are just as interesting as anorexic model types.

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