A Storm of Words

[matt_rah]

So I've been reading "A Song of Ice and Fire." I'm about halfway through the fourth book, "A Feast For Crows," which is the latest book to have been published. I hope book five comes out soon!

Comments

[arianhwyvar]

Re: point 5, and likely point 2: it sounds like you haven't heard about the stuff that caused book 4 to be like that. Martin had planned book 4 to be 'A Dance with Dragons' (now planned to be the next one); when the manuscript got large enough that he was told it simply could not be printed as a single volume, and he still wasn't done, he very reluctantly decided that he had to split it into two books. However, the shape of the narrative was such that he couldn't just cut it off in the middle and call that the next book -- nothing would have ended in a good place, and it would just have been terrible. He decided that the least bad choice was instead to have both books cover about the same time period (a dance with dragons will probably go slightly beyond where A Feast for Crows ends), but to follow one set of characters and area of the world for the first book, hearing at a distance about some things with the other characters, and then follow the other characters in the other book. So book 5 is the one with Jon, Danaerys, Tyrion,

[matt_rah]

Ah, interesting.

Well, bring on book 5, sez me!

Matt

[darkwhimsy]

2. Davos Seaworth's death (assuming the reports of his death have not been greatly exaggerated) also pisses me off.

My opinion is they've been greatly exaggerated. The Manderlys have every incentive to claim he's dead, and no real reason to kill him.

The same cannot be said for Cersei. I still think she's just a stupid bitch, even though there are a lot of chapters with her name on them.

Actually, she became far worse when she became a PoV character. But then, while some people complain about all of GRRM's female characters, I think he's really just bad about mothers. Seriously, being a mother automatically makes you stupid and crazy in his world...

[egowumpus]

being a mother automatically makes you stupid and crazy in his world...

The Tyrells may be the exception that proves the point there...

[funwithrage]

Seriously, being a mother automatically makes you stupid and crazy in his world...

Yeah, that's one of the few things that bugs me re: Martin. And that, relatedly, being a mother seems to be an *excuse* for being stupid and crazy (or, in Catelyn's case, shrewish and jealous) in his world. Bleaaaah.

[egowumpus]

Cersei is not a likable character, certainly, but I appreciate that Martin put in so much from her perspective (and Jaime's for that matter). The thing is that it lets you see her rather pivotal motivations, and trace them back to her essential damage. Further, it underscores one of the best things about the literary technique at large; that *all* of it is being told from the perspective of the character at hand.

It causes you to pause, and go back and think about some of the so-called 'established history'. What actually happened with the Targaryens? Was Baratheon really in the right? Or just a love sick puppy taking out his problems on the field of battle? I like that that sort of ambiguity exists throughout the narrative; it causes all of the characters to possess a level of humanity beyond what you'd otherwise get, and I think that is a really good thing.

Except, of course, for Petyr. Maybe it's just that we've not seen his perspective yet, but I find him to be one of the most stomach turning characters, if not *the* most.

[conspiratrix]

3. I agree that Cersei sucks, and I feel like that's a real shame. I wish either he had attempted to make us be able to sympathize with her, or just picked someone else in King's Landing as a POV char. (Margery or Loras could both be interesting)

5. I have no doubt we'll at some point find out what happened to Rickon and the wildling he is with. Hopefully when he's a bit older and less of, well, a bratty toddler! Again with Theon -- I'm sure he's alive somewhere..

7. I'm afraid Petyr as a POV character might give away too much of him. I really like watching him from the perspectives of others, who don't understand what he's up to.

I'm glad you're reading it, and I too can't wait for the 5th book to come out. :)

[indie_insurgent]

Feast was certainly the slowest of them so far, and that's a shame because in the other books shit was constantly happening and you were propulsed forward. I suspect that'll change soon. I hope it does. I hope Jordan's death makes Martin wake up!

[salda007]

I hope Jordan's death makes Martin wake up!

Oh good God, that would be the most poetically awful thing ever. Thousands upon thousands of fans (myself included) going, "What? He's dead? NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!" He'd probably be curled up on his cloud, laughing his head off at everyone in shock below.

[matt_rah]

You do know that Jordan is actually dead, right?

Matt

[salda007]

Oh, yes, I do. I should've been more clear. I was referring to Martin dying in such a way, given his penchant for killing off favorite characters with little to no warning via horrifically tragic means. The comment made more sense in my head when I posted it.