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Small things you notice, and love, in the books


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This is a pretty broad topic. Basically, it refers to any "little thing" in the books that you noticed, and that you appreciate. It could be a small irony, a little clue that might foreshadow something, something that fleshes out an aspect of the story or just a random factoid that you're pleased to know. They don't necessarily have to have any implications in the overall plot; it can be interesting for its own sake.

I have two.

The three knights whose squires torment Howland Reed at the Harrenhal tourney are from Houses Frey, Haigh and Blount. The Freys and at least some Haighs obviously pulled off the Red Wedding, and House Blount produced Boros, a bully and a coward. I like to think that the bullying associated with those houses at the Harrenhal tourney tie into the immoral behavior of their members in the present day, and that there's a reason the knights are from those houses and not, say, House Florent or whatever.

The second involves Alliser Thorne. When Tyrion is at the Wall, we learn that House Thorne is a Crownlands house and that Alliser fought on the Targaryen side during Robert's Rebellion, right up until the end. Tywin offered him the chance to take the black to avoid execution, and he took it. He antagonizes Jon, calls him a bastard, threatens him, taunts him about being a traitor's son, and so on. Yet Jon is (overwhelmingly likely) the scion of the house that Alliser Thorne fought so long and hard to defend. Oops?

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Oh yea didnt notice that.Why u a chick?

I'm a woman. Mostly though I just find it annoying, so if anyone ever calls me that I ask them politely not to.

But yes you're right, it's not proved. I, however, believe at this point that it's a fact. You're free to disagree. That's why the Alliser Thorne note is one of my things and not one of yours. :)

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Small thing I love:

1. The Cinnemon Wind: whenever someone is in dire need of information/passage/help, they turn up ^^

2. Balerion the Black - I smiled then I realised that the tomcat Arya was chasing was actually Balerion (dialog between Vaerys and Ned)

3. Stranger - I like the beast ^^

4. Mormonts Raven in general, also realising that he may be more than just a bird

(yes, I like animals ;) )

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I'm a big Star Wars fan so I couldn't help to notice that the whole scene when we are introduced to Wyman Manderly via Davos POV it's like a recreation of Jabba The Hutt, Lord Manderly even has a girl sitting at his feet and well, he seems to be an "inmense" man :D also, Davos was a smuggler, just as Han Solo was!

And to go on with Star Wars, when Alys Karstark arrives to the Wall she desperately begs to Jon for help, and she says something like: Help me Jon Snow, you're my only hope (sorry I don't have the book right now to look for the exact quote) but it's almost the same, Princess Leia says to Obi Wan Kenobi via R2D2 "help me Obi Wan Kenobi you're my only hope".

These little things make me extremely happy ^_^

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I'm a big Star Wars fan so I couldn't help to notice that the whole scene when we are introduced to Wyman Manderly via Davos POV it's like a recreation of Jabba The Hutt, Lord Manderly even has a girl sitting at his feet and

well, he seems to be an "inmense" man :D also,

Davos was a smuggler, just as Han Solo was!

And to go on with Star Wars, when Alys Karstark arrives to the Wall she desperately

begs to Jon for help, and she says something

like: Help me Jon Snow, you're my only hope

(sorry I don't have the book right now to look for

the exact quote) but it's almost the same,

Princess Leia says to Obi Wan Kenobi via R2D2

"help me Obi Wan Kenobi you're my only hope".

These little things make me extremely happy ^_^

LOL at the "help me obi-wan part",cant believe i missed that...

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The foreshadowing in little things you see in rereads. For instance the subtle mentionings of the importance of knowing who you are. Not until you read about Reek in ADWD and then go back to the earlier books you notice them.

I am lucky in having friends who read. None of them is into fantasy, few of them have read even LOTR.

Some of them are becoming curious though, why I like ASOIAF so much.

Sadly they start presenting me with fantasy books, which are piling up unread on my book shelves because I started another reread of ASOIAF.

Some wonder if they should have a go at ASOIAF.

Sadly I feel compelled to tell them that they will have to read the novels more then once :frown5:

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I'm a history fan, I like history in general, because it's quite interesting and I just love classic fiction of any kind, French, American, English, Spanish, Russian, Greek etc, not mentioning mythology and other fantasy. Therefore, I did saw a lot of in common with some historical events and people in history, as well as resemblance to classic fiction (I must admit I didn't see the Star Wars resemblance, unfortunately! That's really cool, by the way.)

My favorite resemblance of Martin's story of Rhaegar-Lyanna and the duel at the Tower of Joy with Dumas' De Bussy- Diana as well as the duel between Henry's (King) favorites with his brother's knights. De Bussy was a Count and a kin of royal family, the last one in his own family. It's interesting that Dumas' de Bussy (not the real one) was described as a gallant, honorable, extremely attractive man, who was a poet and the best fighter in the whole kingdom. And Dumas' called him the last true knight, who was eager to die for the woman he loved, and he indeed died trying to protect her from her own husband, whom she didn't love at all, but she was forced to marry. His last word was the name of the woman he loved - Diana. It's almost like Rhaegar died with the woman's name on his lips - Lyanna (it even sounds like Diana). AS Dumas said the true knight should die because of love or for love. I believe that Rhaegar and Lyanna loved each other, and she was the only happiness he ever had in his life.

The duel between Valois brother's favorites, which were obviously the best knights and fighters in France, did ended quite badly: only two survived of 8. They arranged their duel a few days earlier, but after that had become friends with each other as they were practically the same, but unfortunately served the different Valois- the king and his younger brother, their honor and loyalty didn't let them to stop the duel, as much as the KG and Ned at the Tower of Joy.

In general, Martin's books are wonderful: he managed to combine a lot of different historical events of different époques and countries and to make a brilliant fantasy.

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I love the irony of Walder Frey using "mayhaps" to negate his little forgiveness spiel bullshit prior to the RW massive betrayal and violation of sacred guest right.

Then Manderly using the same phrase "Mayhaps it was a blessing. If he had lived, he might have grown up to be a Frey." On of the most BAMF lines in ADWD. Oh, and the Frey Pies.

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3. Stranger - I like the beast ^^

You, sir (or ma'am), have good taste.

A few teeninsy things I noticed in GoT, only on my third read, after having recently finished DwD:

Arya, creeping around the Red Keep, in the room with the dragon skulls in the dark: "She was blind."

Catelyn, bringing Tyrion through the Mountains of the Moon: "She felt like her heart was made of stone."

I'm sure there are lots of other little things like this, but these are so far the only ones I've noticed. Aside from the wishful thinking ones, like the little references to Sansa and flying.

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