50% Done and Enjoying Cersei's POV (Spoilers)

[unforgiven]

I think one of the aspects I've enjoyed most about AFFC, at roughly the half-way mark, are Cersei's POV chapters. Since the False King Joffrey's murder and the death of Lord Tywin she seems to have gone almost completely off her rocker. As if our Machiavellian Queen Regent weren't already bad enough, she now seems to be dealing with some deep-seated paranoia issues.

All that being said, I've found a new level of pity for the character. If she were to live in a different time, she ought to be seeking assistance for her mental illness but, alas, there seems to be none in Westeros.

She seems to have burnt some very important bridges in the first half - her uncle Kevan, the Tyrells, the Braavosi bankers. I suspect these issues may come back to bite her before the story is over, and I can't wait to find out what happens.

[Tookie Clothespin]

YES. Cersei's POVs were the ones i looked forward to in AFfC. Keep reading. She gets crazier - makes for more of an enjoyable read. i think she's always been deeply unhinged. it just took til book 4 to finally get a look into that mind. :drunk:

[YuvalTheVal]

Yeah, she's awesome. she's even more awesome in the second half :)

[Ser Lewis]

I do pity her but I also dislike her. She keeps saying she is queen when all she ever does is put her agenda before the realm. I do like the character though. In every book there should be a character you love to hate and I think Cersi is mine.

The above poster is correct, her chapters get much more interesting in the latter stages of the book.

[Mother of Mini Dragons]

I'm 50% in as well and Cersei's POV chapters are the best ones. They don't make me like her at all in the way that Jaime's chapters are making him grow on me. But I do feel a lot of pity for her b/c she is obviously becoming completely unhinged. The credit definitely goes to GRRM for being able to step into her mind and write it in such a beautiful way for us to get lost in her madness with her.

[MindOfIceAndFire]

Agreed. I always thought Cersei was brilliant before AFFC but when I saw she becomes a POV I was really excited. It's interesting to see the hi she has to go through as a woman in this culture as we get to see dany being a queen but people just generally defer to her as she inspires far more loyalty than Cersei. It's great to see her mistrust and paranoia and how she really thinks she's better at this than Tywin.

Wait til you get to the end of the book, everyone here is right she really does get more fun :P

[Ser Flement Brax]

Her personality is so carefully crafted. I think her chapters are probably the most fun for GRRM. He knows her so well.

I'm looking forward to watching more of Lena Hadley and her interpretation of her. So far it's spot on.

[Ser Lewis]

I'm looking forward to watching more of Lena Hadley and her interpretation of her. So far it's spot on.

Couldn't agree more. It took me ages to notice that she also played Sarah Conner in the TV series. The two characters are so far apart and she nails it.

[Mother of Mini Dragons]

I'm looking forward to watching more of Lena Hadley and her interpretation of her. So far it's spot on.

I think Lena is Amazing as Cersei. It ticks me off each year when she doesn't get nominated for something. She is definitely way underrated. She humanizes her in the most subtle and beautiful ways even when you can't stand Cersei, Lena brings out her humanity.

[unforgiven]

I think Lena is Amazing as Cersei. It ticks me off each year when she doesn't get nominated for something. She is definitely way underrated. She humanizes her in the most subtle and beautiful ways even when you can't stand Cersei, Lena brings out her humanity.

I completely agree. I'm especially fond of the scene where Robert and Cersei discuss their marriage in season one. It wasn't in the books, but it was so well written it very well could have been. And Lena and Mark really did a fantastic job in that scene in particular. She's been an absolute treat to watch in the series.

[GabrielOfMyr]

yes yes yes! I couldn't be more agree with this topic! I'm by the half of ADWD and nothing compares to Cersei's POV. I really hated her in the previous books, but reading her chapters, made me see her whith a differente view, and it's great. Her chapters are full of comedy and that's something the saga needed it. All the lannisters have a great skill for sarcasm. Everytime she refers to Margaery as the little queen and her hens, I just crack into giggles.

And check this out, every Cersei chapter she throws a slap in the face or a glass of wine into someone. That's just hilarous, and reminder of the golden soap operas.

[Mother of Mini Dragons]

Yes, I'm completely convinced that Cersei has Narcissistic Personality Disorder (among other issues) and I just think it is so cleverly written for the reader to be able to be inside the mind of a narcissist. I've always kind of wondered what goes on inside their heads and I think GRRM is spot on with Cersei.

[unforgiven]

And check this out, every Cersei chapter she throws a slap in the face or a glass of wine into someone. That's just hilarous, and reminder of the golden soap operas.

Yeah! I noticed that too! Her wine stores must be getting pretty low by now with all the wine that has ended up on the floor or soaked into someone's clothes.

[Foune]

I love how her PoV is written, and she's so dumb at everything, she keeps comparing herself to her father like ''This would never have happend if Tywin Lannister was alive, they don't take me seriously cause I'm a woman'' No it's not cause you're a woman but because you SUCK at ruling and you're not even close to being as good as Tywin!

She's the greatest hate to love characters I've ever seen, Joffrey's stupidity was to obvious to hate, you only laughed at him while Cersei is really just a persistant paranoid moron who thinks she rules the world somehow.

[Quiet Isle]

All the posts above are great, but I just want to add my own Kudos to Lena Headey. She is amazing and has done a wondrous job of bringing a fully fleshed out character. We completely understand why she is what she is, and we don't like her, but we get it. Both GRRM's chapters with her POV and Lena just NAILING it, it is a ride beyond my wildest expectations of this series.

[SingingWithTheGreatjon]

I disagree. I was very interested in reading Cersei's POV chapters. I had always found both her and Jaime intriguing characters, and wanted to understand the depth behind their calculated and malicious actions. With Jaime in ASOS, I was not disappointed. He went from being one of my least favourite characters to one of my favourite over the course of the book, and in AFFC I just continued to like the character.

Cersei, on the other hand, is predictable and annoying. There is no depth to the way she behaves; everything she does stems out of paranoia and a deep seated resentment over the fact that she was born a woman and not a man. Her actions are predictable (everyone is an enemy, let's throw wine at them), and she seems to be allergic to reason. Before AFFC I thought she was a misunderstood and complicated character, but after reading the book she is just annoying, selfish, and ignorant. She acts like a child, not a woman, and that made her much less of an intriguing character to me.

[Jonlion]

I enjoyed her Chapter albeit I find them very painful for her! Slowly but surely she seems to cutting all ties to anyone the point it is vexing!

Surely she can see that the Tyrell's benefit from a healthy successful Tomnem, which makes her behaviour all the more bizaare but wickedly highlights her narcissm and paranoia.

I found myself enjoying hers and Jaime's Chapters the ones I raced to get too. Found the Ironmen Chapters the hardest to enjoy.

[Lady of Dragonstone]

I completely agree. I'm especially fond of the scene where Robert and Cersei discuss their marriage in season one. It wasn't in the books, but it was so well written it very well could have been. And Lena and Mark really did a fantastic job in that scene in particular. She's been an absolute treat to watch in the series.

This is one of my favorite scenes in the show so far.

Cersei's chapters are pretty fascinating for me because we get to see just what she is always up to. I find it ironic that slowly she is turning mad just like the man her brother slew.

[Foune]

Cersei, on the other hand, is predictable and annoying. There is no depth to the way she behaves; everything she does stems out of paranoia and a deep seated resentment over the fact that she was born a woman and not a man. Her actions are predictable (everyone is an enemy, let's throw wine at them), and she seems to be allergic to reason. Before AFFC I thought she was a misunderstood and complicated character, but after reading the book she is just annoying, selfish, and ignorant. She acts like a child, not a woman, and that made her much less of an intriguing character to me.

Ever since Joffrey died her paranoia knows no bounds, and I can quite understand. I have no clue about how a mother feels to a child, even a wicked mother as Cersei and an even wicker son like Joffrey, but ever since he died that seems to be the turning point into her path of madness. She thinks she commands power by some right and plays the game more poorly than she used to, but isn't this the character she's supposed to develop to? She is everything you said and more and while I agree with you I still find her interesting, more like I want to watch how far she can screw up, a real love to hate character.

[nzmermaid]

For a smart woman she is really dumb. Her main bent, besides loving her children, is that she should have had equal rights with men. She should therefore should have considered favouring and joining one of her children by marriage to a Kingdom/house where females DO have rights to the throne. I can't believe she didn't think of this, because further down the road it might all pan out for her sex, but not for her personally, as its all done and dusted for the Lannister Kingship.

So perhaps she is truly selfish and lacks humanity with no hope of reversal. I am only halfway through FOCs btw.