James Arryn Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 He has to be repeatedly persuaded not give in to an alternatve to boredom/frustration with his own life, in spite of being a child with superpowers, supernaturally devoted attendants and birth-right political power. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordStoneheart Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 He's seven. People think he's out of place in such an adult political story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RainGhost Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 I love Bran. I think his chapters in Winterfell are interesting, the ones when he travels north are a little boring but there are worse chapters and there aren't many of them. Brienne has many boring and long chapters in AFFC, same with Tyrion in ADWD. Yes he's whiny and complains a lot but that's just realistic - the poor kid's just been crippled. Also, Tyrion and Jon feel sorry for themselves a lot as well and people still love them well enough. Bran ' s so sweet, how can you not love him? I get that some people think that good people are boring but Bran has magic powers and an awesome direwolf! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Illuminated by Fire Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 Bran is not one of the characters I'm most invested in, but I like him much better than Jojen, who just seems like a really unrealistic character with his wise Yoda shtick. Meera is OK, but not terribly complex. Those two often seem like one-dimensional walking mouthpieces of wisdom, especially Jojen. Bran, on the other hand, is a much more realistic child character - he's not some self-sacrificing ideal wise child, he is a sweet, good-natured boy but also a boy who loves physical activity and enjoys exciting stories, who dreamed of being a knight and has a lust for life - for climbing and running and being active, and who therefore hates his disability and the way it confines him, so he's enjoying the ways he can go around it through warging; I completely understand why he enjoys warging Summer so much. His direwolf moments are some of the most interesting parts of his chapter. It's also interesting how Summer, or Bran!Summer, is a really alpha direwolf, subduing other wolves and even asserting dominance over Varamyr!One Eye - it seems like this is Summer's influence, but maybe it's awakening something in Bran he wasn't fully aware of. It will be pretty interesting to see how immense power and desire to escape the confines of his body may manifest itself in Bran in the future, with him being a good person but also a child with incomplete understanding and knowledge of the ethics of warging. I think Bran is definitely the most interesting character in his merry little band. (Still, Bloodraven is far more interesting.) I agree about the Bran sentiment. I find it refreshing to see such a different perspective and how he deals with his disability, his warging and greenseeing abilities and the consequences of that, whether they are societal or are a result of his conflicting desires. This alone makes his chapters interesting to read. But I personally find the direwolf moments the most boring part of his chapters and often times just skim over them (which is probably not that good of an idea). It is admittedly a matter of interest, since there are not many big moments in his story, so I can see why some people find the chapters boring. What I cannot understand is when people complain about him being reluctant or clinging to his dream of being a knight. He has a lot to deal with, it is remarkable that he takes it as well as he does (which can be said about Sam as well). Regarding Meera and Jojen: They are definitely not one-dimensional, though many things are a bit more difficult to pick up. The 'problem' is that there are two aspects that overshadow everything else: The task of awakening Bran's powers and getting him to the three-eyed crow on the one side and the personal aspect of Jojen's impending death on the other, which comes up more and more the closer they get to the cave. Because of that almost everything we get to know about them are related to these two aspects or through subtle things like how they behave in different situations. And their story is not finished yet. Regarding Jojen being realistic: I think he is at least as realistic as Bloodraven, but I really dislike that word when talking about characters, a better word would be 'plausible'. Jojen is a plausible character, if a very unusual one, because high intelligence, an understanding and knowledgeable family and him almost dying and being forced to deal with the greendreams he has leads to him being the character we see in the novels, take one fo those aspects away and you have a very different person. And he is as much of a subversion of a 'Yoda'-figure as Bloodraven is. But I am obviously biased in that respect, so take it for what it's worth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aje12 Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 I am one of the minority who actually don't find Bran's chapters boring. There is so much foreshadowing and hints towards the more magical side of ASOIAF that I love and it is so clouded in mystery. I also liked seeing the politics of the North whilst Ned and Cat were South. Bran's last chapter in ADWD was actually my favourite in the book. His chapters certainly have the most potential (in my opinion) in coming books- I don't think anyone will accuse Bran's chapters of being boring after the series is complete. Imagine the things we will see through his eyes. In terms of his personality, he is loved by all and very thoughtful. I feel very maternal when I read his characters. He has some really innocent, sweet lines that just reflect his good loveable nature, such as his love of Meera, his thoughts of his siblings, and him sending food to Old Nan and Hodor 'because he loved them'. But, particularly in AGOT, he can be a bit stroppy and fair enough- he is seven years old and his dreams have been crushed. I think Bran shows incredible maturity for his age, and is certainly a refreshing point of view that reminds me that there are still people with good, pure hearts in the series. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Takiedevushkikakzvezdy Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 I honestly don't get it either, people say it's because his chapters are boring. Poppycock I say, his chapters are the most riveting pieces of literature ever made. Everything in ASoIaF is filler passing the time until the next Bran chapter. Reading Bran's chapters is without a doubt the single greatest experience of my entire life. Every second of it makes me feel like I am literally in heaven, like I'm on the finest drugs ever concocted by man, it is pure bliss, I cried for months on end after I read his chapters because I knew that I had already experienced the greatest thing possible, and everything else would just fall woefully short in comparison. I honestly think that if every world leader read a Bran chapter, there would be world peace, who would even contemplate harming another human being, or any life form for that matter, after reading a Bran chapter? :D :D :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrueOrFalse Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 Honestly he comes across as an annoying whiny brat to me, but I know that's probably unfair to say.His personality aside, his story line is extremely dull compared to others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Reaper oOo Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 Because Bran is a tree, bro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m'lady Melisandre Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 I dislike Bran because he doesn't tell me what is there to be found in the deep dungeons he is in. I want to know more about them. And he has been friendzoned by Meera. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
INCBlackbird Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 I don't dislike him but I'm completely indifferent, I find that his storyline is rather boring and he doesn't really have anything psychologically interesting (to me) going on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonCon's Red Beard Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 Because Bran is a tree, bro. That has little to do. The first book I ever read (when I was 7 or 8) was about a tree. I haven't been able to read it again, even though I'm 32 now, because it emotionally drained me. It left me sad for daaaays. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevelyan Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 There are very few characters in the books I actively dislike (most of them are your typical "villains" like Joffrey, Walder Frey, and also some Lannisters and Ironborn). Bran however is not one of them. I actually like him as a character. And yet I have to admit that I can't be very enthusiastic about his storyline. It just feels too detached from everything else that is going on around him. It is a storyline that moves at a very slow pace, chapters which tend to be uneventful and an overall premise that promises awesomeness, but so far has failed to deliver. I have the strong feeling that Bran's story will become great and relevant later on, but so far, none of his chapters has left a lasting impression on me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annara Snow Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 I dislike Bran because he doesn't tell me what is there to be found in the deep dungeons he is in. I want to know more about them. And he has been friendzoned by Meera. :rofl: I think that's the first time I've seen the lack of pedophilia being defined as "friendzoning". That has little to do. The first book I ever read (when I was 7 or 8) was about a tree. I haven't been able to read it again, even though I'm 32 now, because it emotionally drained me. It left me sad for daaaays. Now you got me curious. Which book was it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady of the Falls Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 Bran is one of my favorites also, I get that he's bin travelling north forever but it's been very informative, we got a lot of background info. And it brought the reeds into the story, which opens the door for Jon finding out about his parents and anything else they know. He's also w/the children of the forest which brings them into the fold. I thinks he's as useful as any other character in the series. He def holds his own w/the best of them. IMO that is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonCon's Red Beard Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 Now you got me curious. Which book was it? It's a book in Spanish. Ginko, the tree with no family. It.s about a small ginko seed that falls in the middle of a forest and grows up around the flora and fauna of the place, discovering what the wind, rain and even people are. When he gets old enough, because he's a weird special tree, he gets transported to the city, alone. There, he meets a ginko female tree (they have sexes) and they have little ginko trees. Time passes and he tells his babies about his life in the forest and he's visited by the ladybird he met as a child, and he starts to reflects about life, changes, love, etc. ok, i'm crying now... >_< Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady of the Falls Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 People hate Bran because it's hard to root for both Bran and Jon and most people have decided to be team Jon. After all, only one of them is likely to be the key to defeating the Others. Just a reminder: 1. Bran has the first non-Prologue chapter in the series 2. Bran is the one Bloodraven has chosen to fight the Others Both of these could have been Jon. The first chapter could have been Jon's, it wasn't. If Jon is a Targ and that actually matters, it should matter to Brynden Rivers. Bloodraven has limited his interactions with Jon to Mormont's raven and issues surrounding the Night's Watch. It's Bran that he's chosen to be his protege. But hey, I'm a little biased. Look at my username and signature. AA was a warrior who actually fought, so Jon could still be the one fighting the others, if he lives which I believe he does. Just like bran I believe Bloodraven speaks with Jon while hes under/sleep. Than wakes up brand new. It's gonna take warriors and magic to win against the others imo. The series started with them so I think they play an important part being ancestors of the 1st men and the people who put up/helped put up the wall and the only House that really believes the NW is important. I like both Bran and Jon, and hopes it doesn't end for either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drth Fel Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 Bran is the Luke Skywalker of ASOIAF . Likable but boring .Everybody liked Han Solo even though he shot first .Of course he shot first. Han always shoots first. That's why Leia is constantly mad at him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Florina Laufeyson Posted December 29, 2014 Share Posted December 29, 2014 Ive heard one argue once, they dislike him because hes a bloke. That rustled my jimmies. He's a means to an end. Not a character.This is incorrect. The example of a character with a POV created to be a plot device, is Quentyn Martell. He's seven. People think he's out of place in such an adult political story.Which is why hes so goddamn refreshing. Hes a kid on a grim adventure. I love slipping into Bran's chapters after a bunch of intrigue and scraps and Tyrion whinging. Bran's not sure whats going on or where they are going, but hes on that adventure. The innocence of his thoughts, the honesty of his narrative, the characters around him, its nice. Its adventurous. I guess people dont like that. Or they have no bloody souls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Brandon Ice Eyes Posted December 29, 2014 Share Posted December 29, 2014 This is incorrect. The example of a character with a POV created to be a plot device, is Quentyn Martell. He still is a wholesome character though, with believable motivations, family issues and anxieties. He is not a tool and neither is Bran IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skull of the Greatjon Posted December 29, 2014 Share Posted December 29, 2014 I have never understood this either. Of all the low-action POVs, Bran is the only one we have known from Book 1 was destined to be important. Every boring moment in his chapters has just built tension. The Theon WoW sample chapter gave me shivers. Aeron chapters? Like ditch-digging. (But I trust they'll pay off.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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