Late to the party....

[King in t'North]

Hello all!

 

I have a long-established habit of becoming interested in a world or universe LONG after the fandom is well-established, and it seems that ASOIF is no different. Breaks my heart in a way that I didn't get involved in this one from the beginning, because I could really have used cheering up in the mid to late nineties.

 

Currently about a third of the way through A Storm of Swords after two or three weeks reading.

 

GRRM seems to have deliberately aimed at creating a large world mostly centred around anglicised notions. People's weights are given in stones, not just pounds; people get kicked in or fall on their arse, not the ass, etc. This makes it especially grating when Americanisms keep coming out of the text at me. No-one ever says “I'm going to write to my brother.” They say “I'm going to write my brother.” No-one ever wants to speak to someone, they want to speak with someone. I'm only surprised no-one's thought of making a longbow out of tempered aluminum yet. Ahem.

 

Interesting characters to say the least. I find that I dislike a lot of the ones on the good side. I don't especially like any of the characters on the bad side, with the exception of Tyrion, who is one of the two characters I identify with most (the other being Sam) and is simply awesome, in a flawed and human way.

 

Ned Stark: On the surface, a brilliant bloke. Loved most of him. He has a soul full of honour, a body full of courage and a head emptier than a eunuch's underpants. I loved him for nearly all of A Game of Thrones, right until the moment when he told Cersei that he knew her secret and to flee the city. Right at that point I lost patience with him found it hard to give the fool any sympathy when he got his head cut off by Joffrey.

 

Arya: Got to be one of my favourites. Also the victim of an obsession GRRM seems to have with chewing lips. She does it more often than she kills people. I wouldn't be terribly shocked if she ended up as a romantic item with Gendry in years to come. There seems to be some sort of rapport and personality chemistry them and their ages are only about five years different. When he's twenty one and she's sixteen.... Given that GRRM seems to love subtly foreshadowing things in a way that makes JK Rowling look like a rank amateur, I'm placing my money on these two getting together at the end.

 

Sansa: If Ned's head is emptier than a eunuch's underpants, then hers is emptier than a hermit's address book. REALLY effing irritating. Finding it very hard to feel any sympathy for her. (Evil, aren't I?) Can't wait for her to go all Dark Side later in the story.

 

Catelyn: A REAL pain in the arse. One of these people who think they know what they're hell they're doing and keep ****ing it up for those who really do. Can't wait to reach the Red Wedding. Respect Mr. Frey sir. Though a bit of a shame about....

 

Robb: Not terribly fleshed out and quite stupid. I find myself rooting for him though. Probably more to do with his circumstances than him.

 

The Hound: Finding myself, much to my surprise, rather liking and feeling sympathy for him. Yarrrp.

 

Jon: What's not to like? A really strong character. I'm sure he'll have those human frailties GRRM seem to really like writing into his characters, but doesn't appear to have much of a dark side that I can see. The closest to a Mary-Sue this world has, I think. Definitely more of one than....

 

Daenerys: Up there with Jon, but not quite so high. Incredibly strong woman – the sort whom the dark is afraid of, but can be rather naive and has a funny idea of justice sometimes. Good heart and a sense of kindness, but seriously needs to grow up.

 

Jorah: Feel quite sorry for this guy. Like him a lot. Not really got a dark side, considering he's a soldier in a mediaeval world.

 

Joffrey: The lovechild of Justin Bieber and a clump of Jedward's armpit hair. I want this fothermucker to die horribly.

 

Bran: This is a character I REALLY thought I'd empathise with, but he seems a stranger to me. Can't get into his head at all.

 

Hodor: HODOR!

 

Robert: Henry the Eighth's lawyers are calling GRRM about a copyright lawsuit as we speak. Not as bad a king as the Mad one, but a pretty suck-ass monarch overall, to use one of those Americanisms I so hate.

 

People I actively can't wait to read more of: Jon, Tyrion and Arya. I also have an incredibly soft spot (in a manly, bromantic sort of way) for Sam. This useless tosser is the epitome of me in just about every way. Hope he grows up to be a grand sorcerer or something.

 

Anyway, that's it for now. Still exploring Westeros and Essos with great interest and can't wait to immerse myself more.

[Lion of the West]

Well, welcome to the forums!

[The Fattest Leech]

Welcome . I have noticed several new to the forum posters. Pretty cool that the books are still creating such a draw.

[The Hammer of Justice]

Well, I'm personally glad I got into the series this late.....Imagine how much would I have to wait for each book had I started in the nineties. Instead I begin the series with 5 books published already, and I am only waiting 5 months for TWOW

[A Bong of Ice and Fire]

42 minutes ago, The Hammer of Justice said:

Well, I'm personally glad I got into the series this late.....Imagine how much would I have to wait for each book had I started in the nineties. Instead I begin the series with 5 books published already, and I am only waiting 5 months for TWOW

Oh, you think so?

[KingMance]

44 minutes ago, The Hammer of Justice said:

Well, I'm personally glad I got into the series this late.....Imagine how much would I have to wait for each book had I started in the nineties. Instead I begin the series with 5 books published already, and I am only waiting 5 months for TWOW

5 months, eh? 

Welcome @King in t'North, and let me suggest finishing the published books before you lose yourself in this magical forum. it was awesome to see what other forum members caught that I didn't (A LOT), and spoilers aren't much fun. 

[Curled Finger]

Welcome to the wonderful world of ASOIAF fandom, @King in t'North!  You've been warned.  Finish the series.   If you continue to peek in here you will be spoiled!  I was on my 2nd read before I even thought to look for a place to further explore things.   

5 months?  Yippee Damned Skippee!  Right, like I haven't fallen for that 7 or 8 times already.   I can't imagine how impossibly long readers from '96 have stood this interminable waiting.  Looks like I came in right after Dance was released and waiting for TWOW has been a miserable experience.  

Back to our new forum poster.  I've read the series in its entirely 6 times and in portions many more times.   I have this habit of going back to Feast and Dance just because I'm sure I will find something.  Curious part is that I do.   Every danged time.  You don't walk away from the 1st read with all of it.   This is intricately layered and infinitely sophisticated.  When/If Winds is ever set for release I will embark upon my 7th read in its entirety.   And I will find new things, maybe Arya will be the main focus, maybe Cersei or The Freys--whatever I decide on or more likely just reaches out and smacks me as brilliant, will be deeply fascinating.   Even after 7 reads.   

Don't give up Man.   I hated this story the 1st time I read it.   Some of the characters are very unlikable and some of the plots are very twisted.  Believe it or not, that is one of this story's strengths.   

[The Hammer of Justice]

3 hours ago, A Bong of Ice and Fire said:

Oh, you think so?

??

I'm waiting for 5 months because i finished the series 5 months ago, including all 5 main books, D&D and TWOIAF

[A Bong of Ice and Fire]

2 minutes ago, The Hammer of Justice said:

??

I'm waiting for 5 months because i finished the series 5 months ago, including all 5 main books, D&D and TWOIAF

Ahh, misunderstood what you meant.  You're a lucky man!  I started reading when A Feast for Crows came out.  Glad I didn't start in the 90s..

[The Hammer of Justice]

10 minutes ago, A Bong of Ice and Fire said:

Ahh, misunderstood what you meant.  You're a lucky man!  I started reading when A Feast for Crows came out.  Glad I didn't start in the 90s..

I'm just worried when I finish TWoW and then will have to bear the long wait for Dream just like everyone else. I will probably move on to other books

[Kingmonkey]

7 hours ago, King in t'North said:

The Hound: Finding myself, much to my surprise, rather liking and feeling sympathy for him. Yarrrp.

"Err... Narrrp?"

I can't watch a Hound episode of the show without thinking of that. Mind you I can't watch Hot Fuzz without expecting to see Simon Pegg burning half the Hound's face off, either. 

Welcome to the forums!

 

[King in t'North]

2 hours ago, Curled Finger said:

Don't give up man. Some of the characters are very unlikable and some of the plots are very twisted.  Believe it or not, that is one of this story's strengths.   

Oh, I'm not! I didn't say I didn't like the stories. I just have a lot of contempt for some people on the good side. So much so I find myself sympathising with Walder Frey, which considering he's a slimy bastard par excellence, takes quite some doing.

[King in t'North]

Thank y'all for the greetings.

[Gertrude]

Welcome

Not sure if you've seen the show or not - a couple of comments made me think you had. If so, remember the books are not the show and a lot of characters are portrayed very differently, so give each a fair chance. If not, then enjoy the ride and seriously - spoilers will find you if you venture out of this thread.

A question for you, however regarding Ned. Yeah, his crowning moment of DOH was his confrontation with Cersei, no argument. He thought Cersei would react with honor, as he would, and take the escape offered. Why is honor not an acceptable flaw for Ned? You seem to dislike him for it, but praise flaws in others.

Personally I find it infuriating, but completely in character. My reaction was/is disappointment that Ned could be so blind.

[Curled Finger]

47 minutes ago, King in t'North said:

Oh, I'm not! I didn't say I didn't like the stories. I just have a lot of contempt for some people on the good side. So much so I find myself sympathising with Walder Frey, which considering he's a slimy bastard par excellence, takes quite some doing.

Send us all a note when you actually read the Red Wedding.  I'd like to know what you think of that.  I'll tell you up front right now, Jamie is one of my all time favorite fictional characters ever.  What's it GRRM says?  A villain is just a hero of the other side.  Or something close to that.   

[Makk]

Welcome, I would definitely recommend finishing the books before coming here too much. My opinion on various characters changed a lot throughout the books. I enjoy most of the characters, god, evil, honourable, deceptive, clever or stupid... doesn't matter to me as long as they or the events they are tied up in are not boring. I would say Jon, Jaime and Tyrion would be the ones I like most now but that definitely wasn't the case at the point you are at. You might find your concept of "sides" changing a bit as the series goes on. I love the books but I wouldn't refer them to anyone to cheer them up, there are many books that are more emotionally uplifting much quicker.

[The Fresh PtwP]

Welcome!

As others have mentioned avoid this place until your're done with the books!

1/3 done with Storm *chortles* I think I shared most of your views on those characters at that point. Except I like Robb and LOATHE Sam.

[King in t'North]

2 hours ago, Gertrude said:

Welcome

Not sure if you've seen the show or not - a couple of comments made me think you had. If so, remember the books are not the show and a lot of characters are portrayed very differently, so give each a fair chance. If not, then enjoy the ride and seriously - spoilers will find you if you venture out of this thread.

A question for you, however regarding Ned. Yeah, his crowning moment of DOH was his confrontation with Cersei, no argument. He thought Cersei would react with honor, as he would, and take the escape offered. Why is honor not an acceptable flaw for Ned? You seem to dislike him for it, but praise flaws in others.

Personally I find it infuriating, but completely in character. My reaction was/is disappointment that Ned could be so blind.

 

Hello!

I've seen the series up until episode 2 of series 5. I do however know most of the plot points revealed up until the end of series 6. (So I know that R + L really DID turn out to = J.)

A few people have told me that I didn't miss anything coming in this late and I think they're probably right, as knowing the misanthropic, miserable ******d that I am, I would have inevitably been a GRRMbler. Going by the current track record of George, Promise of Spring should come out around 2023-2025, so I may still have time to become that miserable. I shall console myself by buying my own Valyrian steel sword.

I don't dislike his honour, I find it his best quality. His sense of duty and honour and desire to be just is what causes him to even to lie to his wife about having been unfaithful with another woman to keep a young child safe from Henry the Eighth. It's his intense stupidity and naivety I dislike.

The dumb bugger already knew (wrongly, as it turns out) that this secret had already caused the death of one extremely high profile nobleman, yet he thinks he can a/ be reasonable with Cersei whilst she is equally reasonable with him, and b/ trust Baelish. Totally in character as far as his nobility goes, but he's been the Hand for months by this point. He already knows what a nest of vipers King's Landing is and he knows well Cersei's character and has even had some pretty revealing flashes of Biebward's. (See what I did there?)  He would have had to stab out his eyes with an ice-pick to not see that he might just as well be hanging himself.

Another character I really do like a lot is Davos Seaworth. I pity him somewhat, but he seems to be an unequivocally good man, unlike the deluded prick of a king he served for most of series 2-5. Melisandre I regard as an even more dangerous villain than Cersei, because Cersei has at least embraced the dark side. Mel is one of those most dangerous of all villains: a brain-dead moron who thinks she's a hero and that her Lord of Light is anything but Satan in an I&F cloak.

Btw, what does "DOH" mean?

[King in t'North]

1 hour ago, Curled Finger said:

Send us all a note when you actually read the Red Wedding.  I'd like to know what you think of that.  I'll tell you up front right now, Jamie is one of my all time favorite fictional characters ever.  What's it GRRM says?  A villain is just a hero of the other side.  Or something close to that.   

Jaime (Which is my actual real name! Albeit spelt J-A-M-I-E.) seems to me to have a seriously split personality. I'll make a cluedo-esque prediction about him though.

Jaime, with The Strangler, in the remains of the throne room. 

Too obvious for Tyrion to be the Valonquar, he's got too much open enmity with Cersei and Jaime is no longer capable of fulfilling that prophecy in the most literal sense. So I think he's going to feed her the same poison that killed Biebward.

[King in t'North]

1 hour ago, Makk said:

Welcome, I would definitely recommend finishing the books before coming here too much. My opinion on various characters changed a lot throughout the books. I enjoy most of the characters, god, evil, honourable, deceptive, clever or stupid... doesn't matter to me as long as they or the events they are tied up in are not boring. I would say Jon, Jaime and Tyrion would be the ones I like most now but that definitely wasn't the case at the point you are at. You might find your concept of "sides" changing a bit as the series goes on. I love the books but I wouldn't refer them to anyone to cheer them up, there are many books that are more emotionally uplifting much quicker.

I don't think I'm clever enough to not be totally linear about it. I can appreciate shades of grey, but Jaime has done too much outright evil for me to actually consider him as anything other than a villain, albeit with his own code of right and wrong. I know he deliberately sets out to redeem himself, and I DO believe in redemption. But I have a rather Stannis-like view of this not wiping out the crimes he's committed.