Yeah, I really appreciate in stories a warmness toward the characters and empathy for people's failings (not to go as far as that one you wrote about the other day, the Talented-Mr-Ripley ripoff--there's a difference between empathy and admiration for psychopaths!) I think it's all too easy to be disappointed in real life for not living up to ideals, and--since we're talking empathy--I can feel for that; real life can be disappointing. But it's also pretty wonderful in all its warts, and so are real-live women and real-live workers.