Jump to content

Skipping Daenerys chapters


Guess who's back

Recommended Posts

I don't think I've ever skipped a chapter in this book series, or any other book, period. If I feel like I'm really not enjoying what I'm reading, I'll generally just drop the book instead of skimming through it to get to the end/parts that interest me. To each their own, I guess.


Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Wow, this thread still goes on.. I am the OP :D



I have read all the books and suggest everyone to read Daenerys chapters on the first read through or atleast read the summary on http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Chapters



Even though they are boring, Dany is still one of the major characters that will play a large role in the final books.


Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Can't deny the fact that Daenerys's chapters are less interesting in A Clash of Kings. I think that i'm like your for this, I mean, her chapters in A Game of Thrones with Khal Drogo were so deep and amazing. With her brother Viserys as well.



But I keep reading it anyway, because even if it seems boring sometimes, it's important to follow her storyline since she's a major character. And I heard a lot of people saying that her chapters grow very interesting in the last book, so you mustn't be lost:) If you really like George R.R Martin's work, read it all. So that's it, that's my opinion.



Uh and I don't know if you read that part, but when she is in the house of the undying, she sees visions and all and there's a part with Rhaegar (I think, well seems it) and there's like "The song of ice and fire". It's a really interesting part in my opinion. D



Don't know what fellow fans think of it?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Just some thoughts - not trying to be snarky here, just want to express my feelings:



-if you find large sections of the book boring, particularly those that feature a major character, why are you reading it? The author put a lot of time into writing it, and he and his editors left that stuff in there. If you don't like his writing, and don't think his choices are important, there's other stuff you could be reading. Or you could just watch movies and TV shows, there's no shame in that, if that's what you have the attention for (OK that's a bit snarky, but it's also the pot calling the kettle black, just a bit).



-if you find Daenarys to be a boring character (I can't understand this at all, but for argument let's move on), do you also find the entire continent of Essos with all its history and politics boring? Because as of the end of ACOK, there's no other storyline covering most of the known world at all. Westeros is a pretty insular and homogenous place, due to its geography, but the rest of the world is not. The Westeros storylines are very Tolkien-flavored, but the rest of the worlds show some amazing variety. I get a kick out of it, personally. It reminds me of Robert E. Howard's work, and The Worm Ouroboros, and Earthsea, just to name a few things I've loved (want to challenge your attention span? Try that Ouroboros. That's heavy lifting, but well worth it).



-if you are skipping chapters for a major character, and just relying on a TV show, are you also sounding off on theories on the forums? Because if that's your thing, you're bringing a dirk to a joust if you haven't read thoroughly and carefully.



I've just burned through these first two books, and I was not bored by any of it. But that's me. I like reading. And I haven't enjoyed reading this much in years. We're all tired after the working day, and it's not as easy to find the time we had as kids to really get into some long books; as I've gotten into movies and TV my reading has tapered off. The old reading brain muscles were a bit stiff, but they are feeling good and loose right now! Reading is a different practise than viewing, it's not entirely the same spoonful of gray matter. But it's rewarding in a way that visual media can't touch. There's no CGI budget to worry about in my head.


Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I personally find Dany's chapters the most interesting, in general. The whole setting appeals to me more than, say, stannis & davos's story/setting. I think the story of Dany transforming from an exiled royal bowing to her brother's authority into to a khaleesi and then her travels across the dothraki sea is the most fascinating.


Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Yup just skip them.



I made the mistake of reading them and suffered badly during ADWD. To make a long story short, she is still stuck in Essos with a mass of random totally useless slave people. I skip all Dany chapters on rereads and don't miss anything.



Once she gets to Westeros, you can go back and read the Dany chapters if you feel like it.


Link to comment
Share on other sites

OP already said they read it, but in general: I really think skipping chapters (at the first reading, of course for rereading you can do whatever) spoils the fun and experience of the books. A Dany scene I loved to bits in CoK is when the captain tells her what has been going on in Westeros and you have her reacting from her very personal PoV. Best part is when Jorah angrily talks about the oh so honorable Ned Stark and Dany is all "How much honor can the usurper's mad dog have" or something like this. THIS stuff makes the books for me. You get this different perpectives on things you, as a reader, partly know much more about than the charaters, partly can only guess what really happened and "who has the truth of it". Speaking of Jorah, just knowing him as an important character with a backstory makes reading about commander Mormont at the wall and the fighting Mormont women - who are only in the position to fight because Jorah is gone - so much more interesting. It also makes me wonder if Jorah will ever see his sword in Jon's hand and what he'll say about it. Anyone who only wants to know about 3 Lannisters and 3 Starks and what they are up to right now is really missing out.


Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

So far, we've had people saying that the chapters with Dany, Jon, Catelyn, Arya, Bran, Davos, Brienne, Cersei are boring, and asking if they can be skipped.



Try skipping them, and you're just left with Ned, Tyrion and Jaime mostly. They seem to be popular chapters, but good luck making sense of the series just reading those.



Sometimes I wonder if people really do want to read the books or whether they're just kidding themselves.


Link to comment
Share on other sites

I found that when I saw Daenerys' name at the top of the next page, that was usually the point where I'd stop reading and do some chores or other work. Whenever I stopped at any other point, at the very first opportunity, I'd pick the book back up again, but if I stopped before reading a Daenerys chapter, I'd usually stop for a long time. I was just never engaged with her chapters. She has no interactions or links with any of the other characters in ACOK or AGOT, and I think that's was partly why.

I did skip past her periodically - never once will you miss out on some important detail if you read Daenerys' chapters out of order. Just don't do it with anybody else!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think you will.

Apart from the obvious issue of ADWD, where more than 1 storyline is set in Essos, I'm almost sure he won't - as long as he doesn't delay her chapters more than within the scope of the given volume.

Could you put a spoiler tag and say why actually you think he will? (if you're right, it could possibly become important for us in http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/topic/115255-agot-reading-schedule-for-slowbusyforgetful-readers/ )

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is the one character you can definitely skip. Maybe you will want to go back and read them once you got the rest of the story, but it really is taking place in a totally different place with its own plot-line.



You could probably do the same for Jon's chapters after the first two. Actually I think that would kind of be interesting: You hear about Essos and the Wall from other characters who don't know what is really going on there. It would be interesting to hear their interpretations and then go back and find out for yourself.



ps: I can only imagine what the sordid language of (mostly) Tyrion's chapters sound like in other languages. I'd like to see translators try and find the right words and phrases for them.


Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dany's storyline is interesting because it shows what goes wrong when she tries to apply a particular policy that most people would think is praiseworthy. It fits with GRRM's general theme that *ruling is hard*. Even if a ruler goes in with the best intentions, and does the right thing, circumstances can conspire against them and sink their praiseworthy political program. Actions have unintended consequences. Doing the right thing can lead to unexpected bad results.



If you think Dany's storyline is uninteresting, you're not really interested in one of GRRM's main motivations in writing the book.


Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...