Maybe my favourite book series! Intelligent dialogue dealing with consequences of even minor decisions. The hierarchy is criticised constantly, shown for being trivial, hypocritical and based almost entirely in violence and threats based on strength in numbers (implied and real).
I can’t choose a favourite character or arc, but I really love ADWD for really elaborating on and setting up new goals for stories that had more or else finished their first act.
I also enjoy that while GRRM indulges in ‘pure evil’ characters such as Joffrey, The Mountain, Ramsay and Euron (Read that TWOW preview chapter- it’s Godly!) he still establishes that most people commit horrific acts while being actual complex people in a shit system (Theon, Jamie, Stannis).
Main two characters also should be noted are a staunch abolitionist (Dany) and a man who sacrifices himself for refugees who he successfully migrated (Jon). Considering the ramifications they both faced for their decisions they both managed to be awesome, intelligent and compassionate, despite the consistently horrific implications and threats.
What are your favourite characters, arcs, worldbuilding or quotes? Any real life political figures you’d like to compare to ASOIAF characters?
I remember someone in the subreddit said that the Lannisters and Tyrells are good analogues for the GOP and DNC
Functionally similar in practice but one just has better PR and is ultimately just as self serving as the Lannisters
I pointed out the difference is that at least the Tyrells make an effort at feeding people and are well liked
Here in Aus our conservative government (who is easily my least fav Federal gov in my life) did an OK job catering for the increasing jobless with job-keeper/seeker welfare while the Corona lockdown happened.
It’s the barest of minimums, but not outrightly saying ‘fuck you’ to the lower classes allows so much austerity and corruption to go about without resistance. So as a strat to continue the elites to live to excess it’s pretty effective. Perhaps a reason why Tyrells sided with Lannisters against Stannis. Stannis would’ve followed the rule of law to the nth degree, while Lannisters would allow concessions for mates.
Yeah they are a fun read, the TV show is less fun but still watchable.
I think Brienne is my favourite character. She isn’t the brightest and actually believes all the chivalry stuff and tries to live by it as a knight. Watching her slow realisation that it’s all a total fucking lie is fun.
Not gonna compare any of them to real life people cos that’d be a bit daft, no offence. I don’t think you can really draw any meaningful comparisons between fictional fantasy characters and politicians. I’ll leave that for the hardcore harry potter lot.
im trying to read the books but it seems the only thing that rly gets me interested these days are cli-fi or postapocalyptic fiction (i recently finished parable of the sower by octavia butler). However I watched some of altshiftx’s videos and I rly do appreciate the worldbuilding. I love how there are so many theories and mysteries (like who is the knight of the laughing tree, who wrote the pink letter, is aegon actually faegon). I also appreciate GRRM’s LGBTQ representation, such a rare thing in fantasy.
I loved the show, more than it deserved at the end, but after many attempts to read the books I found myself unable because of the prose. The fact he was a TV writer shows. I’ve heard they get better but like if they aren’t better three books in I just don’t think they’re ever gonna do it for me
I’m a book nerd and I’m trying to avoid show spoilers for the next 8 years, so I’m not going to read any of the comments but you and me can talk.
I love the little bits of flair. The book derives a lot of its character from small things.
Like the point of a scene is two character forming a pact, but it takes place over a dinner table. So he describes the actual menu items “buttered pease, chopped nuts, and slivers of swan poached in a sauce of saffron and peaches”. A saffron and peach sauce. Fucking awesome.
And they won’t talk about ‘storming’ the castle. They’ll talk about ‘investing’ it.
I’m mad that they made a spoiler into a meme. The image macro of dany burning storm’s landing. Why would people do this?
edit: king’s landing, not storms landing
After the show I don’t know how you can conceivably make that evil Dany arc work. Her lessons in Meereen show that creating a regime change takes time and negotiation (after the conquest of course) and that violence will always affect the masses. I also enjoy GRRM’s message of ‘you are not your family’ despite the world around you believing it so.
there’s analysis long preceding the show that predicted that specific event and laid out Dany’s path there. the core of the theory is that she walks out of Mereen believing it to be a repudiation of conciliation and compromise and embraces fire and blood as her birthright instead. I’m very certain it will be better done in the books (if they’re ever written - I doubt that) but it’s extremely likely that this is what will happen.
I avoid the show as much as possible but word gets around. I know the finale was a complete abortion for example. The books take such a long time that I’m not even anticipating them anymore. So I have an itch to watch the show just to see how badly it ends up. I watched the first season or two because it came out way later. It was very cool.
That’s the thing about taking so long between books. I kind of forget that I care.
It wasn’t just the finale, narratively the show fell apart at the end of season 4, which equates to the end of ASoS. Even then there were parts of the earlier seasons that went a bit off the rails. I just pretend that the show got cancelled after season 4 because those are still worth seeing and the rest was some fevered nightmare I had.
