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Is it hard to enjoy series when you dislike half of major POV characters?


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It can be.  With GRRM especially it is very irritating when he ends a POV for a character you like at a tension high point, rather than at a tension low point.  Its a TV trick, and some people, myself included, really don't like it in writing.  I especially dislike it in a series where so many of the storylines are happening completly seperate from each other.  I think thats why you often see so many people have different reading orders for the series.  I'm an adult, and I'll damn well fast forward to figure out what happened to poor Sam when the Others attack if I want to, you know?

 

But other folk enjoy it, as obviously from the humongous cultural phenemenon the series has become.  The only thing people really seem to dislike about ASOIAF is how long it takes to get new books!

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2 hours ago, Prince Yourwetdream Aeryn said:

In the title...

The thread title: Is it hard to enjoy series when you dislike half of major POV characters?

My question why would I read a story when I don't enjoy the authors characters. Martin's story is long winded and prattles about but it is still a story with a supposedly some purpose in mind. I'm guessing some people wanna know the ending.

 

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Not really.  There are enough chapters from the ones that I do like.  I like chapters with the Freys.  I love Barristan's chapters when he finally got his own POV.  I also love all of Dany's chapters.  I like all of Tyrion's chapters.  A few of Brienne's, when she's not with Jaime.  Some of Sam's is good but they are few and far between.  Theon's chapters in book 5 are so good.  About 50% on Cersei.  

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What exactly do you mean with dislike? Dislike them as a "person" or dislike them as a character? I dislike as a person quite a lot of POW, however that doesn't mean that I dislike their chapters (it's often quite the opposite - Cersei for example).

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I look at it like 'what can i get from each POV'? 

Arya may be more 'fun' but Sansa knows a lot more about Houses and history.

Figuring out why each charcter is noticing some detail, or dreaming some dream is half the fun for me.

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17 hours ago, Prince Yourwetdream Aeryn said:

In the title...

I dislike a lot of people in the series as "people" but I like their POVs. The storyline is very hypnotic somehow. However I have to make two exceptions,  I can hardly go through both of their chapters. It's very tiring. 

1. Arya :: I don't have much problem with her as a person. In fact I actually like her, if I don't think about how tedious it is to read her POV

2. I have to stop myself from skipping her chapters. So many things happen in her chapters, I agree. And many people may find her chapters interesting,  but I just can't. Barristan POV is so much better suited to explain Mereen situation in my opinion. And unlike Arya, I don't like the person . Not a huge fan of Arys either but she's fine. But Dany, I know she's supposed to be a very interesting person but for me, she doesn't do it. 

I have to say this though, in my opinion and maybe so many more's , Theon is such an interesting character.  To read and as  a person as well. So much internal conflict. So well written. I could talk all day about Theon's chapters in the fifth book 

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17 hours ago, Prince Yourwetdream Aeryn said:

In the title...

Nope.

Like, I dislike Tyrion because his moral is subpar - but at the same time I love his chapters because he sees, does and knows lots of interesting stuff.

The chapters I mislike the most are Brienne and Sam (probably the two most utilitarian characters) because they don't see, do or know anything that interesting. Hopefully their storylines will get better in Winds. Bri with Stoneheart and Sam in the Citadel should mean payoff for the boring/gross/uneventful road they've had so far.

 

Characters character is a very small part of the whole.

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There are always going to be characters that make you groan when you read their name in the chapter title... but one man's reasons another man's treasure. I personally do not find Arya remotely interesting or entertaining and feel her chapters are a complete slog to get through... but there are so many people who love her and she's supposed to be GRRM's favourite character. I also dislike Catelyn, a fair portion of the Jaime/Brienne chapters (though I am anticipating TWoW for them), and I'm not crazy about Tyrion either.

I think you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who truly likes Aeron, Victarion or Cersei as characters than for entertainment value of how stupid, ignorant, crazy or unpleasant they are. I enjoy their characters but I don't like them.

The opposite is true for me with Sansa, Dany and Jon -- I've actually grown to really like them and their plots as the series has gone on yet it seems every thread that involves them these days turns into another attempt to slag them off. Half the community seems to forget that Davos IS a main character but I really liked some of his POVs and I find him an admirable character in his own way. :dunno:

Bottom line is... I'm still here, a fan of this series.

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I think the only POV character I really disliked was Catelyn and that she never takes part of the blame for what she has brought on on herself and her family makes me dislike her even more, but her final thoughts before she gets her throat slashed made me feel very sorry for her.

Every book and every character have their own sets of problems. I love Arya, but I thought her chapters in ACoK were a slog to get through, ditto Jon (his time north of the Wall dragged on), ditto Dany, but Tyrion's chapters were for the most part really good because King's Landing was where the action was and his interactions with Cersei and with Tywin in ASOS were pretty awesome. Arya's chapters in ASOS were a great read, imo. 

When I read AFfC the first time, I hated everything about it. I didn't give two fucks about the Iron Islands and Dorne. But after reading it twice more, I really came to enjoy it. I've read that book a lot and I recently purchased a new copy because the one I had fell apart and I can't even bring myself to get rid of my old copy.

I get why Quentyn had chapters in ADWD, but I hate that the story was expanded even more with the Tattered Prince and the Windblown. I don't think we needed a character who wants to go and invade Pentos. I think there's enough war and bloodshed without piling on even more, and it seems like it's just supposed to delay Dany arriving in Westeros. Guy, please, she's been dawdling around Essos for 5 books, bring the girl home, already!

I don't like Cersei, but her chapters are fun to read and I like her even less, but I look forward to reading what kind of crazy is running around in her head.

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