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So my friend is taking a break from ASOIAF "because it's just too depressing"

StannisBamfatheon

By StannisBamfatheon,
in General (ASoIaF)

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StannisBamfatheon Council Member

StannisBamfatheon

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Yeah so I loaned a friend of mine the books and she's almost through with storm but as the title implies she's on a self-imposed hiatus because as she told me "all my favorite characters die" and so on and so forth... I know the stock replies to comments like these are....."It's notta fairy tale!" "It's meant to be dark!" "Don't read it if you want harry potter!" etc....I love ASOIAF but there is something to be said for just how much terrible shit happens in the books. And the good to bad ratio is fairly askew. I mean has there ever been a series where so many awful things befall the protaganists? Isn't their an argument to be made that good and bad things happen in equal measure? Doesn't it become unrealistic if the only things that take place in a story are acts of villiainy or tyranny?

I'm just wandering if the grim nature of ASOIAF has had a similar effect on posters on this board and you've had to take a step or two back from Westeros after a certain event or passage in the story. Or if you feel like the books are a little too dark for their own good. I myself during swords couldn't help but reflect that the Stark revenge list is growing exponentially longer and that the reader may never get justice for RW, Ned's execution, etc... Which bummed me out.

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Florina Laufeyson Council Member

Florina Laufeyson

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"Don't read it if you want harry potter!"

Funny how most of the Harry Potter fans (including me) that i know, really got into this series. ;)

Nah i dont really have people going "omg its so depressing" as much as "These books are hella long. I dunno if i have the time to read them quick enough!" Its the same with my mum. She really loves the show and story and the intrigue, but hasnt the time to read them.

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The Bastard of Summer Council Member

The Bastard of Summer

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WInter sure is taking a long ass time to get here.

I need some justice now. I need some mofo's dead right now.

I would love for a few of the characters to have a lil justice or a decent ending

Brienne-come on the girl is already ugly did she have to suffer a disfigurement

Jaime-Hate the guy but Cersei did my mans wrong I want her dead by his hand and Brienne to end up with him cause she obviously likes him.

Cersei-Just plain old mean and nasty. I want to see her head roll. She has gotten on too long with wrong doing. Time for her to go already

Arya-She just wanted a damn sandwich to be with her family and accepted as she was. People had to provoke her though.

Jon-Can a bastard get a little love

Euron-He just wants to be a sexy voodoo wizard pirate King. Can he raid and pillage in peace without his brothers hating on him?

Gregor-Just stay dead. Please don't come back. You are the most terrible person to ever exist. You did a fine job at being terrible no one will come close. You can stay good and dead knowing so.

All of this would make me happy.....

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Associate Maester Council Member

Associate Maester

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I was okay with Ned dying. I thought wow not going with the cliche, "Saved at the last minute" thing! Then the RW happened and I tore my copy to bits after throwing it against the wall. I got over the shock after a couple days and bought a new copy. The only time I had to take a break before a re-read was after Dance (between Jon's assasination and the uber-depressing Stannis chapters). I'm surprised that these events and such bothered me as I like tragedy and grim reality. GRRM just creates such wonderful characters.

Hell, every time I re-read the Stannis chapters in Dance I have to re-read the TWOW chapter.

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StannisBamfatheon Council Member

StannisBamfatheon

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I was okay with Ned dying. I thought wow not going with the cliche, "Saved at the last minute" thing! Then the RW happened and I tore my copy to bits after throwing it against the wall. I got over the shock after a couple days and bought a new copy. The only time I had to take a break before a re-read was after Dance (between Jon's assasination and the uber-depressing Stannis chapters). I'm surprised that these events and such bothered me as I like tragedy and grim reality. GRRM just creates such wonderful characters.

Hell, every time I re-read the Stannis chapters in Dance I have to re-read the TWOW chapter.

hah on the confessions thread I gave this board the story of how I got really drunk after reading RW, "He killed the king in the north!!! HOW COULD HE!!!! *cue beer tears*

:crying: :crying: :crying:

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E-Ro Council Member

E-Ro

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After the rw like many others I had to take a break for a few days. My gf doesnt read the books but she watches the show and she kept asking me what was wrong and I was just like sigh, you will know soon enough my sweet summer wench. Then when Davos was said to be dead in feast I raged, super mad I fineshed feast in a red rage so happy when cercie got hers.

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Associate Maester Council Member

Associate Maester

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After the rw like many others I had to take a break for a few days. My gf doesnt read the books but she watches the show and she kept asking me what was wrong and I was just like sigh, you will know soon enough my sweet summer wench. Then when Davos was said to be dead in feast I raged, super mad I fineshed feast in a red rage so happy when cercie got hers.

If I hadn't held onto a slim hope that Davos might still be alive; (given that I thought he died at Blackwater) I would've started a Mel-like bonfire in my yard with all the copies of Feast I could get my hands on.

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Lord Manwoody Sellsword

Lord Manwoody

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What often gets overlooked by people's initial view of the Starks as the good guys is that the bad stuff happens to them. No, it happens to everybody in the series.

The Baratheons - Robert killed by a boar, Renly killed by his brother, Stannis smashed on the Blackwater

The Starks - no need to rehash this

The Lannisters - Tywin dead at the hand of his own son, Jaime loses a hand, Cersei is in a deep mess shortly after gaining the power she so desperately wanted, her firstborn son is poisoned before her eyes at his wedding feast, her daughter is basically sold to Dorne and is disfigured in an attack, Kevan Lannister is murdered

The Targaryens - Viserys killed, Dany's husband Drogo dies

The Greyjoys - Balon dies, Theon is tortured, Asha's world is flipped upside down by the return of her uncle and then she is captured

It's not just the Starks. The Lannisters might have maintained their hold on the throne for now, but they've lost much and more in the process. I'd hardly call them winners at this point.

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