AGOT reading schedule for slow/busy/forgetful readers

[Mathis of Rowan]

Many people reading asoiaf have problems kepping track of all the different characters and locations. Especially those who don't have much time to read or read very slowly get confused by the switching location because much time passes in between reading two chapters of the same POV.

My mother is such a reader, so I thought of a way to solve that problem. I came up with a schedule that rearranged the chapters in a way that you would be able to follow one storyline for as long as possible. I tried to avoid major spoilers for unread chapters but I'm not sure if I haven't overlooked something. So, here it is:

1. Prologue

2. Bran I

3. Catelyn I

4. Eddard I

5. Jon I

6. Catelyn II

7. Arya I

8. Bran II

9. Tyrion I

10. Jon II

11. Tyrion II

12. Jon III

13. Tyrion III

14. Jon IV

15. Jon V

16. Jon VI

17. Catelyn III

18. Bran III

19. Bran IV

20. Bran V

21. Eddard II

22. Sansa I

23. Eddard III

24. Catelyn IV

25. Eddard IV

26. Catelyn V

27. Tyrion IV

28. Catelyn VI

29. Tyrion V

30. Catelyn VII

31. Tyrion VI

32. Arya II

33. Eddard V

34. Eddard VI

35. Sansa II

36. Eddard VII

37. Eddard VIII

38. Arya III

39. Eddard IX

40. Eddard X

41. Eddard XI

42. Sansa III

43. Eddard XII

44. Eddard XIII

45. Eddard XIV

46. Arya IV

47. Sansa IV

48. Sansa V

49 Eddard XV

50. Arya V

51 Sansa VI

52. Bran VI

53. Bran VII

54. Catelyn VIII

55. Catelyn IX

56. Catelyn X

57. Catelyn XI

58. Tyrion VII

59. Tyrion VIII

60. Tyrion IX

61. Jon VII

62. Jon VIII

63. Jon IX

64. Daenerys I

65. Daenerys II

66. Daenerys III

67. Daenerys IV

68. Daenerys V

69. Daenerys VI

70. Daenerys VII

71. Daenerys VIII

72. Daenerys IX

73. Daenerys X

What do you think?

PS: sorry for any mistakes in grammar/spelling, I'm german and English isn't my mother tongue. :worried:

[MustacheMan]

is not that maybe this move chapters could cause a problem?

You could try printing the map, or to write on a piece of paper the various events of the characters ...

[UtherSnow]

Making use of maps gives you a much better idea of how the books travel.

I'm sure there's one on-line that has leading characters' journeys plotted, by episode and chapter.

http://quartermaester.info/

Try that one.

[Mathis of Rowan]

I, speaking for myself didn't have any problems following all the storylines, I actually liked switching around every 15 pages. But had much time to read and was able to get through al the books in about two weeks. But many other people, like my mother, don't have so much time to invest in the series and the schedule is designed that people like her are able to enjoy the books too. So far she has followed my schedule until Eddard II and it seems to work. I know chronology doesn't fit at all with it, but I took that disadvantage deliberately to offer an alternative.

[Rhaenys_Targaryen]

You could use the timeline. That way she can look up what happens where. It is stated per event in which chapter it takes place. There are still some errors to work out, but the order of events is mostly correct.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Aj_uNZmcJaTddG9BVU5tRnJJTE5KcE5JRkFha1ZfNUE#gid=8

[Mathis of Rowan]

Yes, I know this timeline and I absolutely loved it when I was reading the books! (though I caught a lot of spoilers when reading it :bang: )

Unfortuately my mother is a person who doesn't like to spend much time online and with computers. I could have printed it but then I would still have to translate it into german to avoid confusions which would have been... way more work than looking up some page numbers. And admittedly, making the schedule was quite fun for me :) . So I tried the experiment.

I posted it here mainly to find places where problems could arise.

[MoseStark*]

Doesn't it cause confusion, especially in the Dany chapters? I mean, there is talk about the Targs in the other chapters and some talk about Dany's marriage with Drogo and her pregnancy? Isn't it very confusing to read that and have no idea who Dany is and what the Dothraki are?

I'm not critizing you, I really like your idea, but in my opinion, this causes way more trouble while reading than just going back a few pages or looking something up on the wiki. Especially in the further books it will cause trouble when storylines are dividing more and more and their will be more chapters and some storylines will overlap.

However, I hope your mother will love the stories just as much as the rest of the people on this forum and I hope she keeps track on the story with this thing ;)

[Arya Havinfun]

You could use the timeline. That way she can look up what happens where. It is stated per event in which chapter it takes place. There are still some errors to work out, but the order of events is mostly correct.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Aj_uNZmcJaTddG9BVU5tRnJJTE5KcE5JRkFha1ZfNUE#gid=8

I :wub: this worksheet! My only question about it at this point is to ask how I might identify which version number it is, so that from time to time I might verify if I have the most current version available.

I am not myself skilled in updating it or in helping figure out improvements/effective compromises that will help bring events more into line. But I do very much appreciate the devotion and effort involved for those who have taken up this remarkable task. :thumbsup:

[Rhaenys_Targaryen]

I :wub: this worksheet! My only question about it at this point is to ask how I might identify which version number it is, so that from time to time I might verify if I have the most current version available.

I am not myself skilled in updating it or in helping figure out improvements/effective compromises that will help bring events more into line. But I do very much appreciate the devotion and effort involved for those who have taken up this remarkable task. :thumbsup:

Ehm.. good point. I don't think that's possible at the moment.

When I go do the update (soon, I hope) I'll both insert a line somewhere that says "last updated on..." so from that moment on, people can check, and I'll place a post on the thread that goes along with it. ;) that should help identify.

[Tixu Oty]

I like the idea of rearranging the chapters, nice work here! I wondered too about Daenerys being mentionned in Ned's chapters, spies and poison and all that. Maybe there's a way around it?

Also, I had trouble following the story with just the chapter's names and numbers,

I tried at first and I see that you started with Winterfell, then the Wall up until Tyrion left (but then Jon heard about Bran waking up before it happened, but I'm guessing all the beginning of the story being centered on Bran might be tricky), then you switched to Catelyn witnessing the attack on Bran but went to Bran right away, I must say I didn't get that. After that, you went to all the people going South and then I got confused, my eyes started crossing and I gave up on trying to figure it out.

All that to say, could you please give us a brief outline of major plot points at which you switch to another character/location? That would really help understanding you work.

[Esa1996]

I never had any problems with remembering POVs and what they're up to in ASOIAF, but then again, I read the whole series in two months. If you don't have a lot of time to read, I think that it's still best to stick to the order the chapters are in the book. "A chapter a day keeps illness away", as someone from the Malazan forums once said. This works fairly well on most book series (Malazan being the one exception :lol: ) I've ever read, if speed reading is not an option.

[Mathis of Rowan]

Doesn't it cause confusion, especially in the Dany chapters? I mean, there is talk about the Targs in the other chapters and some talk about Dany's marriage with Drogo and her pregnancy? Isn't it very confusing to read that and have no idea who Dany is and what the Dothraki are?

You're right, it gives away the spoilers about Danys marriage and pregancy. I decided to put thw whole Dany arc at the end because it seems so disconnected to the rest and I thought it would be nice to end the book the same way as in the original sequence

with the hatching of the dragons

I also intend to start the ACOK schedule that I want to make with Danys chapters. But rethinking it, it seems to make sense to put the first three Dany chapters (until the one where she gets pregnant) in some earlier place. Possibly after Bran V?

I like the idea of rearranging the chapters, nice work here! I wondered too about Daenerys being mentionned in Ned's chapters, spies and poison and all that. Maybe there's a way around it?

Also, I had trouble following the story with just the chapter's names and numbers,

I tried at first and I see that you started with Winterfell, then the Wall up until Tyrion left (but then Jon heard about Bran waking up before it happened, but I'm guessing all the beginning of the story being centered on Bran might be tricky), then you switched to Catelyn witnessing the attack on Bran but went to Bran right away, I must say I didn't get that. After that, you went to all the people going South and then I got confused, my eyes started crossing and I gave up on trying to figure it out.

All that to say, could you please give us a brief outline of major plot points at which you switch to another character/location? That would really help understanding you work.

So yes, I started at Winterfell which seemed the most logical thing to do. Then I traveled north with Tyrion and Jon and stayed at the wall for as long as I could. Jon VII is the chapter where he gets news about

Eddard's imprisonment

so I stopped before that.

Then I went back to Winterfell, first with Catelyn, then with Bran (i needed to have Tyrion at Winterfell in Bran IV before i could continue Tyrion's storyline). Reconsidering it, I Catelyn III (where Bran is attacked) and possibly Bran III (where he awakes) should go before the Wall stuff, so Bran awakening isn't a spoiler anymore.

I went on with the stuff on the Kingsroad so I could have Ned and Cat meet in KL. Then I followed Catelyn gonig north and

capturing Tyrion

After that comes the journey of these two characters to the Vale until the point where the latter is on his way back in the mountains.

Then I went for the whole KL arc with Sansa, Arya and Ned. I stayed with it until the bitter end.

Next are the last two Bran chapters where the war is prepared. I then followed the Northern army in Catelyn's chapters before switching to the other side with Tyrion's POV (maybe I should put Catelyn's last two chapters after Tyrion's though).

After finishing Jon's storyline at the Wall. I hopped across the Narrow Sea and covered all of Dany's chapters. As said, maybe the first three should be put in some earlier point.

[Tixu Oty]

I think the last part works fine, starting with the Kingsroad up until the end of Daenerys' storyline. But you're right, her first three chapters (up until she's pregnant) should be moved towards the beginning, and maybe separated.

Then I went back to Winterfell, first with Catelyn, then with Bran (i needed to have Tyrion at Winterfell in Bran IV before i could continue Tyrion's storyline). Reconsidering it, I Catelyn III (where Bran is attacked) and possibly Bran III (where he awakes) should go before the Wall stuff, so Bran awakening isn't a spoiler anymore.

I still think the beginning doesn't work well. Not just because Bran's awakening is spoilery, But because when he has his dream, he sees all his family members, and if you want to give the vision depth, you need to be up to date with all the characters. Because what's great in his dream is that there's two levels to it. There's the realistic, up to date vision, and then there's the prophetic stuff.

Plus, thinking back on it, I really think I really think the first 20 chapters or so are too interdependent to change their order too much. Maybe I would start with Daenerys' first chapter. Then keep most of it unchanged up untill Ned hears she's pregnant. At this point you could put her next two chapters somewhere before Robert's plotting begins. The Wall chapters might do better if the bulk of it is pushed until after the King's Road storyline. Then split it according to major plot points: Bran waking up and Ned being imprisoned.

So how far is your mom? Does she think it flows ok? Do you intend to do the same thing for the next books? If so I'm really curious to see what you can come up with.

[Mathis of Rowan]

Yeah, Bran's dream. My mom has already read that part (she's at Catelyn V now) and she didn't quite get the supernatural part of the dream. So I switched around some things now:

Everything stays the same until Jon II (everyone leaves Winterfell). Then come the first three Dany chapters, then the three chapters on the Kingsroad (where Dany's marriage, but not her pregnancy is talked about. This doesn't come up until Eddard VIII.). Next I would put Catelyn's chapter at Winterfell and then it's time for Bran's dream. Only after that comes Tyrion's and Jon's Journey to the Wall ending with Jon VI. After the next two Bran chapters we can go on with Catelyn IV and after that everything stays sthe same as originally posted.So:

...

Jon II

Daenerys I

Daenerys II

Daenerys III

Eddard II

Sansa I

Eddard III

Catelyn III

Bran III

Tyrion II

Jon III

Tyrion III

Jon IV

Jon V

Jon VI

Bran IV

Bran V

Catelyn IV

...

Generally my mom is quite satisfied with the schedule and she wants me to come up with schedules for the next books too (if she reads them). The schedule for ACOK is mostly done but it still needs to be revised at some points. I'll post it when I'm happy with it. ;)

[kirt]

I've once done a chart for a friend allowing to skip chapters forth and back liberally so as not to get spoilered. Never thought anyone else is so twisted as us to actually use it, but now an historic day has come and maybe it will be of service to someone. :D Of course it's not actually what you want, as you should acknowledge small spoilers, but comparing this to your order may make you rethink something (or not ;) supposing that this thing is your mistake and not mine ;) ).

http://s1240.photobucket.com/user/JaTezMamNick/media/got_zps2d0e13af.jpg.html

For example I at the first sight see from it that Bran V is completely out of place, as it's the chapter when Bran and Robb get the information about Jaime's attack on Eddard and in your order it's... well, before Sansa I, definitely not well.

Also:
- I think that disjoining Catelyn and Tyrion in the end is a really bad idea. If one sees the whole war campaing from the Starks' point of view and then the whole from Tyrion's, I would think it's way more confusing than switching between this two storylines! By the time Tyrion fights his battle your mother will've not remembered Robb's tactits and will not know whether it's Robb army returning from Riverrun already or another army that... well, from where that army even burst out?. So let's better assume that's a single plot - the Lannister-Stark battle campaign, and only swich between the two characters witnessing it, back and forth.

- Putting this two battle sequences after Ned's death really changes the setting, a I think it intrudes more than helps. (And also, it makes the reading of all these chapters seem a bit... pointless maybe?, because we already know that Ned wasn't saved, so at this point we don't feel like anything really depends on the outcome of the battle).

I would settle this part to be something like that - when the plot is as dense as here, I consider the reader not to be confused about the events from one soryline affecting the other to be more important than not to miss a name of a character from Tyrion's plot.
45. Eddard XIV (Ned's imprisonment)
46. Arya IV
47. Sansa IV
48. Sansa V (If you want to kill Ned this early, of course proceed now with Eddard XV and Arya V. If not, should be Sansa V here? Its absence makes the more smooth transition: Sansa IV - writes a letter - and then Bran VI - the letter from Sansa received. But on the other hand, returning to this chapter after a long time seems out of place)

---. Bran V if you didn't found a better place for it earlier.

52. Bran VI
54. Catelyn VIII (Note that's nothing disturbing in this transition, Bran VI is the parting of Bran and Robb's storylines, you have to follow either, your idea is to follow Bran, mine is to follow Robb as he is at the moment much more important to the plot and has much more "characters whose names you actually don't remember" around him ;) )
55. Catelyn IX
58. Tyrion VII (We've just seen how Robb prepares for the battle, now trasition to Lannisters preparing for this battle, so nothing out-of-plot).
59. Tyrion VIII (The last sequence of this chapter is Tyrion learning that Robb went to meet Jaime on the battlefield, so let's just see what's happening there)
56. Catelyn X
49 Eddard XV
50. Arya V
51 Sansa VI (And not let's just have a round of characters doing the same thing - reacting to Ned's death.)
53. Bran VII
57. Catelyn XI (Well, that's a drawback of this idea, this does not suit here well, and anywhere else either)
60. Tyrion IX (It's also not near the other Tyrion chapters, but even if it was, it's basically the starting of a new Tyrion storyline, almost nothing from Tyrion VIII counts anyway, the things of importance are from Ned and Catelyn's storylines).
61. Jon VII
... Jon VII

Sorry about the numbers, was too lazy to do anything with them ;)

[kirt]

Also, do you see some reason that I don't in dividing Jon like that, with these Jon chapters IV - VI interrupting Tyrion (and basically interrupting everything else, too, as after Tyrion's departure Jon has a "one-way-independent" story)?

Tyrion II

Jon III

Tyrion III - Tyrion ends

Jon IV

Jon V

Jon VI

Bran IV - Tyrion reappears

Why not instaed:

1)

Tyrion II

Jon III

Tyrion III

Bran IV

Tyrion/Catelyn/Tyrion/Catelyn.......

2) Everything else

3) Entire Jon's plot from Jon IV to the end

4) Entire Dany's plot from Dany IV to the end

[kirt]

Did your mother quit the series or something? :( That'd be a pity, I've hoped for some fun in these threads ;p

[Mathis of Rowan]

Sorry, I haven't updated in a while... :blushing:

Did your mother quit the series or something? :( That'd be a pity, I've hoped for some fun in these threads ;p

On the contrary! She's already finished AGOT and ACOK, she's at the last third of ASOS now (She just reached PW when I last spoke with her). My schedules for the books were finished pretty quickly but sadly, somehow I didn't find the time to post them here. I promise I will catch up, at the latest in the Christmas Holidays. (If she keeps up her current pace it is possible that she's even finished by then)

[kirt]

Well, no fun then if it's too late for changes, I guess ;) But I'm glad she liked it :)

[kirt]

PS. But if you do post the schedules even when they're not of use (well, maybe in hope there's someone out there needing them too? I don't know), I encourage you to try and compressible them, they'd be so much easier to understand if it went somewhat like:

"- Catelyn/Tyrion: Catelyn V - Tyrion VI

- Eddard/Sansa/Arya: Arya II - end"

instead of

"26. Catelyn V

27. Tyrion IV

28. Catelyn VI

29. Tyrion V

30. Catelyn VII

31. Tyrion VI

32. Arya II

33. Eddard V

34. Eddard VI

35. Sansa II

36. Eddard VII

37. Eddard VIII

38. Arya III

39. Eddard IX

40. Eddard X

41. Eddard XI

42. Sansa III

43. Eddard XII

44. Eddard XIII

45. Eddard XIV

46. Arya IV

47. Sansa IV

48. Sansa V

49 Eddard XV

50. Arya V

51 Sansa VI"

Especially in the later books which I imagine look in your ideas somewhat like

- whole Dorne

- whole Iron Islands

- whole Brienne

- whole Sansa

xD

So much less writing for you, so much less thinking for us.