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Reading Update: I'm about 200 pages into A Storm of Swords right now - for those who may have different editions or somesuch, I'm in the first Sam Tarly chapter - so my thoughts will be colored by what I've gleaned thus far.
First, some closing thoughts on A Game of Thrones:
- My favorite character of the book is Lord Walder Frey. He gets one scene and he steals the whole novel. I know he'll lead to trouble in the end, but man was that just beautiful!
- Ned Stark is a total and utter dumbass. Not only is he sanctimonious and, like Stannis Baratheon after, willing to break before bending, but he's really dumb to boot. I mean, you go to a treasonous adultress and offer her an escape? Did you not notice that she already has more balls than you do? Forget the game of thrones for a second, she betrayed king and country. What makes you think that she won't fight you tooth and nail to keep her place?
- Catelyn Stark is, if anything, worse than her husband. She thinks she's being subtle and steely, but she flits about going from one scheme to another and completely failing to listen to what people tell her or building up a support network. She wonders how Tyrion managed to seduce Bronn away from her? Did she neglect to open her eyes in the course of the entire book?
- The birth of the dragons was incredibly beautiful. Also, it's interesting how all that befalls Daenerys is a result of her own action. What does she want with the Iron Throne? Does she even truly understand?
- While Joffrey is no one's choice for a monarch and I've gotten the feeling that niether was Aerys, I'm really not impressed with Robert. Especially with Ned reflecting on whether Rhaegar would have ever visited a brothel. Very telling. I do enjoy how Martin weaves these little hints in through the whole series.
- Arya is quickly aquiring a place in my heart. I remain sad though, and live in hope of a joyful reunion with Nymeria at some point or other.
A Clash of Kings was a very slow read for me right up until the battle for the Blackwater. I'm afraid I can't bring myself to give a damn about Theon or the Iron Islands and feel like they've just been shoehorned in for plot purposes to make Bran and Rickon leave Winterfell and Sansa to suddenly become important again. I know he's been dropping hints about it since the first chapter of the first book, but the secondary nature of that particular campaign just fails to make me care.
Truly, the first part, while full of politics and intrigue, failed to grab me. It was all setup. Just like the latter part of the first book was moving the chess pieces farther apart the first part of this book was moving said chess pieces into their disparate plot lines, and it had enough exposition to destroy whatever momentum I had. Thankfully, I persevered.
I am more and more thrilled with the use of secondary characters in this series. Varys just a beautiful character all on his own, but combined with Tyrion it's like a match made in scheming heaven. Jaqen H'ghar, bless his faceless heart, was just as skillfully wrought.
Once we get to the riot after Myrcella's ship from King's Landing, though, things pick up right well. I find it curious that it's Arya who hears Ned's voice. And what he's telling her to do, I don't think Ned would ever advocate. Likewise, I find it telling that Catelyn speaks more fondly of Sansa than of Arya. Sansa is more like her, whereas Arya's a daughter of Winter. We learn later that she resembles Lady Lyanna in more than just feature. (Another thing that struck me in the first book. I'm not all that sure Lyanna didn't just go with Rhaegar. It doesn't sound like she was too tempted by Robert as her betrothed, no matter how besotted he was.)
Speaking of Lyanna and Rhaegar - I'm definitely seeing that theory that says Jon is their son. Lyanna's bed of blood, her Promise me's, and that the Kingsguard was there with her is impressively subtle. But the thing that sells me on this theory is Rhaegar's shade saying "his is the song of ice and fire." Because there is no one else in the entire series who possibly fits this description. The only question I have is which dragon he'll be riding.
And speaking of more dragons - Daenerys is still an interesting character, but I wonder at her motivations. Taking back the Iron Throne is all well and good, but what will you do after? You can't bear children, so as far as you know the Targaryens die with you. So what, my dear, is the bloody point? Is it because your deranged brother told you you should?
I was struck by the Lannister foils before I even reached Clash - how Tyrion may be the monster without, but Joffrey is the monster within, and I was hoping Sansa would have a chance to reflect on this truth. And yet, my hope seems to be wasted. I pity her, and I certainly don't think she deserves what she's getting, but in some ways she made that bed for herself. Her father and sister, just about everyone around her, warned her of Joffrey. The Hound is possibly the only shell she could ever learn to see through, but if she does, what does she really find beneath but blackness and despair of anger and pain twisted to the point of madness?
Cersei continues to be a caricature to me. The only part of her character that's at all been fleshed out is the protective mother, but it feels unbalanced as is. Her squables with Tyrion seem petty and foolish when he's trying to keep her children alive.
Tyrion's end of the stick gets progressively shorter, too. "You saved the city? Good puppy! To the kennels with you, now!" ...Yeah, I'm bitter on his behalf. The bitterness doesn't ease with the knowledge that Tyrion is Martin's favorite character, as he followed that statement up with "No one is safe!"
I think I must stop there. I'm about falling over, and must rest if I drag myself to work tomorrow. I think I shall save the rest, including my thoughts on "the dungeon scene," for tomorrow.
First, some closing thoughts on A Game of Thrones:
- My favorite character of the book is Lord Walder Frey. He gets one scene and he steals the whole novel. I know he'll lead to trouble in the end, but man was that just beautiful!
- Ned Stark is a total and utter dumbass. Not only is he sanctimonious and, like Stannis Baratheon after, willing to break before bending, but he's really dumb to boot. I mean, you go to a treasonous adultress and offer her an escape? Did you not notice that she already has more balls than you do? Forget the game of thrones for a second, she betrayed king and country. What makes you think that she won't fight you tooth and nail to keep her place?
- Catelyn Stark is, if anything, worse than her husband. She thinks she's being subtle and steely, but she flits about going from one scheme to another and completely failing to listen to what people tell her or building up a support network. She wonders how Tyrion managed to seduce Bronn away from her? Did she neglect to open her eyes in the course of the entire book?
- The birth of the dragons was incredibly beautiful. Also, it's interesting how all that befalls Daenerys is a result of her own action. What does she want with the Iron Throne? Does she even truly understand?
- While Joffrey is no one's choice for a monarch and I've gotten the feeling that niether was Aerys, I'm really not impressed with Robert. Especially with Ned reflecting on whether Rhaegar would have ever visited a brothel. Very telling. I do enjoy how Martin weaves these little hints in through the whole series.
- Arya is quickly aquiring a place in my heart. I remain sad though, and live in hope of a joyful reunion with Nymeria at some point or other.
A Clash of Kings was a very slow read for me right up until the battle for the Blackwater. I'm afraid I can't bring myself to give a damn about Theon or the Iron Islands and feel like they've just been shoehorned in for plot purposes to make Bran and Rickon leave Winterfell and Sansa to suddenly become important again. I know he's been dropping hints about it since the first chapter of the first book, but the secondary nature of that particular campaign just fails to make me care.
Truly, the first part, while full of politics and intrigue, failed to grab me. It was all setup. Just like the latter part of the first book was moving the chess pieces farther apart the first part of this book was moving said chess pieces into their disparate plot lines, and it had enough exposition to destroy whatever momentum I had. Thankfully, I persevered.
I am more and more thrilled with the use of secondary characters in this series. Varys just a beautiful character all on his own, but combined with Tyrion it's like a match made in scheming heaven. Jaqen H'ghar, bless his faceless heart, was just as skillfully wrought.
Once we get to the riot after Myrcella's ship from King's Landing, though, things pick up right well. I find it curious that it's Arya who hears Ned's voice. And what he's telling her to do, I don't think Ned would ever advocate. Likewise, I find it telling that Catelyn speaks more fondly of Sansa than of Arya. Sansa is more like her, whereas Arya's a daughter of Winter. We learn later that she resembles Lady Lyanna in more than just feature. (Another thing that struck me in the first book. I'm not all that sure Lyanna didn't just go with Rhaegar. It doesn't sound like she was too tempted by Robert as her betrothed, no matter how besotted he was.)
Speaking of Lyanna and Rhaegar - I'm definitely seeing that theory that says Jon is their son. Lyanna's bed of blood, her Promise me's, and that the Kingsguard was there with her is impressively subtle. But the thing that sells me on this theory is Rhaegar's shade saying "his is the song of ice and fire." Because there is no one else in the entire series who possibly fits this description. The only question I have is which dragon he'll be riding.
And speaking of more dragons - Daenerys is still an interesting character, but I wonder at her motivations. Taking back the Iron Throne is all well and good, but what will you do after? You can't bear children, so as far as you know the Targaryens die with you. So what, my dear, is the bloody point? Is it because your deranged brother told you you should?
I was struck by the Lannister foils before I even reached Clash - how Tyrion may be the monster without, but Joffrey is the monster within, and I was hoping Sansa would have a chance to reflect on this truth. And yet, my hope seems to be wasted. I pity her, and I certainly don't think she deserves what she's getting, but in some ways she made that bed for herself. Her father and sister, just about everyone around her, warned her of Joffrey. The Hound is possibly the only shell she could ever learn to see through, but if she does, what does she really find beneath but blackness and despair of anger and pain twisted to the point of madness?
Cersei continues to be a caricature to me. The only part of her character that's at all been fleshed out is the protective mother, but it feels unbalanced as is. Her squables with Tyrion seem petty and foolish when he's trying to keep her children alive.
Tyrion's end of the stick gets progressively shorter, too. "You saved the city? Good puppy! To the kennels with you, now!" ...Yeah, I'm bitter on his behalf. The bitterness doesn't ease with the knowledge that Tyrion is Martin's favorite character, as he followed that statement up with "No one is safe!"
I think I must stop there. I'm about falling over, and must rest if I drag myself to work tomorrow. I think I shall save the rest, including my thoughts on "the dungeon scene," for tomorrow.
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