Robert Fossoway Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 So, I just finished A Clash of Kings and picked up A Storm of Swords. The first thing I noticed is that Jaime Lannister is now a POV character. I'm not sure how I feel about this. 'Villanous' POVs are something I'm always iffy about, especially if they end up making the villain sympathetic beyond a certain point. I don't want to end up liking the guy who pushed Bran out of a window and crippled him. I have hated Jaime since that instant and I'm not certain I want that to change. Theon was a well-done 'villanous sympathetic' character in my opinion. He was not a good person and he did some evil things, but he was not a monster like Gregor Clegane either. At the end of Theon's POV, I still hated him for his betrayal, but I felt some pity for him. Is Jaime going to be like that? If not, can I just skip his POVs or will I just confuse the story if I do that? Secondly, how necessary do you think Jaime's POV chapters are for the story? Remember I have not read them yet, so NO SPOILERS! please. I just want to know what other people think they add to/take away from/make no difference to the story as a whole. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
areowin Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 Don't skip them or you will never see his other side whether you still hate him or not ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattyp Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 Jaime's POV chapters are highlights of ASOS. Besides you need to read them to learn more about Brienne! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Stephen Bell Jr. Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 If you skip his chapters then I don't think you would miss anything essential for this book, but you would then find yourself somewhat confused in books to follow. Also, I am rather confused by people who want to avoid reading part of a story that the storyteller wishes to tell. If you don't like the story then read something else as you certainly aren't required to read it and your life will be much the better from not having to endure something you don't enjoy. If you do want to enjoy the story then I think you are better off if you just relax and let the storyteller take you where he wants go, even if it is to a place where you don't feel particularly comfortable.Oh, and as to how sympathetic you will find him after you are done with the book, I find this varies a good deal. I still don't find him highly sympathetic though certain actions he has made in the past are perhaps more understandable. Others seem to find him considerably more so than myself, so your mileage may vary as well.(Also, I still and always will hate Theon. Talk about a douche.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daemrion Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 Jaime and Tyrion POVs are the two best written POVs so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucreel Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 The author has some purpose in mind when telling the story from the POV of any particular character. It's not necessarily so that you 'like' the character, but it gives you the chance to learn things that the other characters don't know, but which will later be important to the development of the story (I haven't read past ASoS, so that's not a spoiler, that's just general experience I've gained from reading lots of different books and watching a lot of movies).I'm pretty sure that if you don't read the Jaime chapters, you will miss some very important plot points. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Fossoway Posted July 28, 2011 Author Share Posted July 28, 2011 @ Mattyp - Well, that's a good reason not to skip Jaime, I agree. @ Michael - While I don't entirely agree with you, I am more likely to stop reading a book if I find something that irks me rather than skip the parts that do. As a matter of fact, I dropped the Game of Thrones the moment I realized Daenerys was a 13 year old girl and soon to be married to a 30 something pseudo-Mongol savage. I didn't pick it up until last week and I still don't particularly like the Daenerys chapters. That's one reason I'm asking this here. I've already went through two books and I don't want to stop now. I may not care for Jaime, but I do care about Bran, Arya, Tyrion and Jon, so I'll keep on reading. @ Daemrion - Tyrion I totally agree. Jaime...well, I'll find out.@ Lucreel - I agree with you. I will go on with reading the book as is. I just kinda sorta wish I could have the information from someone else. The literary device of unsympathetic POV is not something I disagree with. I'm just prejudiced against Jaime. Now a Tywin POV or a Mance Rayder POV I'd happily read. It's a fairly subjective thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ntadams Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 I don't feel that just because the chapters were written from Jaime's POV that it changed how I feel about him (there is a POV character in AFoC that made me hate the character even more). I'm re-reading ASoS now and feel that the Jaime chapters are probably my favourites in the whole book and one of the best POVs in the series. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asha—Not Yara! Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 I think the Jaime chapters are great, and I hope you enjoy them like many of us have. I'd be curious to hear your opinion of them when you're done if you wouldn't mind posting about it when you get the chance. :)I admit that I don't hate him like I did in GoT, but I wouldn't say I feel a great degree of sympathy for him either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hesitantreader Posted July 29, 2011 Share Posted July 29, 2011 can I just skip his POVs or will I just confuse the story if I do that? I don't think you could realistically skip him, but you might be able to get away with reading his last few chapters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winterfell is Burning Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 Well, you can do what you want, but Jaime is now one of the most popular characters among the fans. And it wasn't because of anything he did in the first two books. So, it's a good idea to read his POV both to read GRRM story and learn why he became so popular. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iheartseverus Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 People change. In real life, I mean. A true 180, it happens. I look back to my young-lady years, for example, when I was gorgeous and sexy and whatever, and loving it. A big deal back then was... furs. I had a sweater with a silver fox collar, a brown leather coat with leopard fur collar and cuffs. I bought and wore mink eyelashes (srsly!) I loved them, strutted them, felt myself sooo cool, and would have bought more furs if I could have afforded them. Never gave a second thought to the horrifying cost of my vanity. That some beautiful wild creature should be hunted down and killed and its skin stripped off and sewn into a collar so I could strut around being cool. I love animals, have always loved animals, I adopt dogs nobody else wants because they're ugly or hostile or crazy, and we make our home and our life together just fine. So, how did I think it was okay to buy and wear furs, to contribute to that murderous market? I don't know. Honestly, its ridiculous for me to look back and see what a thoughtless and cruel asshole I was, once upon a time, never once giving a thought to the terrible price some other creature had to pay to feed my vanity.That's how I see Jaime in these books. Jaime then, Jaime now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Stephen Bell Jr. Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 [ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7V3N Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 Like the others, I agree that it is AWESOME. I hated Jaime until this book and now I see a new side to him and he becomes a much more complex character. He is more human, not just The Kingslayer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hesitantreader Posted August 1, 2011 Share Posted August 1, 2011 I haven't read ADWD yet so what Jaime does or becomes in that book I am unaware:I don't think this is a spoiler thread so everything past this point should most like be in spoiler text... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Stephen Bell Jr. Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 I don't think this is a spoiler thread so everything past this point should most like be in spoiler text...Now that you mention it, I guess you are right although I am unsure how to place something in the little spoiler boxes. I would just remove the post entirely but that doesn't appear to be an option available to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hesitantreader Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 Now that you mention it, I guess you are right although I am unsure how to place something in the little spoiler boxes. I would just remove the post entirely but that doesn't appear to be an option available to me.You can put something in spoiler text by selecting it as a style. You can also type (spoiler)(/spoiler) but change the ( to [ and ) to ]. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hear Me Roar! Posted August 2, 2011 Share Posted August 2, 2011 @ Mattyp - Well, that's a good reason not to skip Jaime, I agree. @ Michael - While I don't entirely agree with you, I am more likely to stop reading a book if I find something that irks me rather than skip the parts that do. As a matter of fact, I dropped the Game of Thrones the moment I realized Daenerys was a 13 year old girl and soon to be married to a 30 something pseudo-Mongol savage. I didn't pick it up until last week and I still don't particularly like the Daenerys chapters. That's one reason I'm asking this here. I've already went through two books and I don't want to stop now. I may not care for Jaime, but I do care about Bran, Arya, Tyrion and Jon, so I'll keep on reading. @ Daemrion - Tyrion I totally agree. Jaime...well, I'll find out.@ Lucreel - I agree with you. I will go on with reading the book as is. I just kinda sorta wish I could have the information from someone else. The literary device of unsympathetic POV is not something I disagree with. I'm just prejudiced against Jaime. Now a Tywin POV or a Mance Rayder POV I'd happily read. It's a fairly subjective thing.I'm convinced you are reading the wrong series. You sound way too feint of heart for ASOIAF..PS: Read the frickin' chapters, man. They are some of the best of ASOS.but Jaime is now one of the most popular characters among the fans. And it wasn't because of anything he did in the first two books.Pretty much all that needs to be said on the matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7V3N Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 You can put something in spoiler text by selecting it as a style. You can also type (spoiler)(/spoiler) but change the ( to [ and ) to ].Sorry for off-topic but I can't PM! To say code-phrases as plain text use this:[code]SAY WHATEVER HERE! [code] [spoiler]BLAH[/spoiler] EDIT: It doesn't look right because it closed the box when I just wanted text X_X So in your case, say Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TippsBlackandWhite Posted August 3, 2011 Share Posted August 3, 2011 I went from loathing Jamie in the previous books to absolutely loving him in ASoS. Some of the best PoV's in any of the books.So yeah, totally worth it and necessary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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