Why do many people find Brans chapters boring?

[Myrish Swamp Thing]

I wonder if there is an overlap between people who dislike Brandon's and those who dislike Sansa's chapters - their stories are both slow and internal, I often see people complaining how "nothing happens" in them, but for different reasons: no politics in Brandon's chapters, but lots of magic; on the other hand, political plots and psychological development in Sansa's, but without much extrernal action.

I think the overlap is small. If you like the Game of Thrones, you like Sansa's chapters. If you like the Song of Ice and Fire, you like Bran's.

[James Arryn]

I think the overlap is small. If you like the Game of Thrones, you like Sansa's chapters. If you like the Song of Ice and Fire, you like Bran's.

Not bad at all. Probably true of me that I'm more a fan of the game than the song, and that's why I find the subjects in Sansa's somewhat more interesting. Nice.

(not meant to sound patronizing. In my inner voice the inflection belies the smallness of the words, if you get me.)

[Scipio Africanus]

I think the overlap is small. If you like the Game of Thrones, you like Sansa's chapters. If you like the Song of Ice and Fire, you like Bran's.

That's a good way of describing it.

I personally prefer the Game more then the Song, but I don't mind Bran's chapters. I don't find them all that boring, especially compared to an average Greyjoy or Martell chapter.

[Bushido]

Not boring, but increasingly abstract.

Couldn't agree more with you ;)

I personally love Bran,and each chapter steeps further into realm of what a quality fantasy should be.

[sarah.jenice]

I like usually like Bran's chapters - especially since he met the Reeds.

Bran's chapters usually include the interesting history (Long Night, Rat Cook, Night's King) that we wouldn't know otherwise and teach us about the magic of the Old Gods, and I am dying to know more about those powers. Bran's last ADWD chapter was written in a very intriguing style and I really loved the way it kept referring to the stage of the moon in such a haunting way.

I can't wait to learn more about warging, and I think Bran will continue to be our most valued source of Westerosi history and the one who can tell us some of the answers to the secrets we've been waiting for.

[Sneak]

I think the overlap is small. If you like the Game of Thrones, you like Sansa's chapters. If you like the Song of Ice and Fire, you like Bran's.

This is a good way of putting it. I much prefer the politics / Game of Thrones side to the Song of Ice and Fire side. Sansa is one of my favourite POV's to read because we see a lot of politics through her, in both Kings Landing and LF in the Vale, while Bran is one of my least favourite. I've found his chapters to be slow and filled with things (warging, CotF, etc) that I'm not as interested in.

[Lewis]

I think people found the start of Bran's chapters boring from the very first books due to the lack of action. Personally i think Brans chapters put a whole new twist to the story and gave the reader the chance to meet the Children of the Forest which i think was brilliant.

[Buckwheat]

Interesting question.

For myself, since Ned's death, Sansa's POVs have struck me more as someone operating on the very basic levels of Maslowe's hierarchy; pure survival for the most part. So I find myself somewhat divorced emotionally because she's not really there, but the topics (outside of the Lysa stuff which got boring) were themselves interesting.

Whereas with Bran it's sort of similar, but I feel he's a little more there, but I also feel the topics themselves are increasingly abstract. I still haven't figured out how I feel about the whole BR angle. I did get the sense of sanctuary for a bit, but then it got a little 60's avante garde for my taste.

Well, it is also true that many people claim they like the other characters Sansa meets and that her story is interesting because she is in the centre of the political story, but her character by itself is boring. Her story is not so "abstract", as you say - I would probably rather say magical, mystical or something like that - but not action-packed either.

I disagree with that Sansa is not really herself at her time in King's Landing. I think her struggle for survival was exactly what called forth her dominant characteristics: trying to help others, friendliness, ability to come close to "bastards, cripples and broken things".

What do you mean with the 60's avant garde reference?

I think the overlap is small. If you like the Game of Thrones, you like Sansa's chapters. If you like the Song of Ice and Fire, you like Bran's.

Excellent point. Personally, I like both of the storylines equally, so I like both of their chapters - maybe I am a little more invested in Sansa's story, but probably due to her individual characteristics than anything else. But I do agree that her story is the least "magical" and most "political" from the Stark children, and exactly the opposite for Brandon's.

[Jack's Smirking Revenge]

I don't understand how people could say that Bran's chapters are detached from the main story. I think he will play a huge role in the Game of Thrones and in the battle against (or for) the Others. I enjoyed his chapters but his chapters in ADWD were on a different level IMO. Creepy and awesome.

[Éadaoin]

I think the overlap is small. If you like the Game of Thrones, you like Sansa's chapters. If you like the Song of Ice and Fire, you like Bran's.

I think this is a very good point. I much prefer the Game to the Song, and much prefer Sansa's chapters to Bran's.

[RoamingRonin]

I enjoy his chapters but there's so much foreshadowing. It's like everything is a teaser. The story is constantly building, building, building. I feel like it's not going to pay off until the last book and Bran is going to die tragically.

[El-ahrairah]

Yeah, I'm one of those people who find Bran's chapters less exciting than other POVs, but this doesn't mean that they are not important. In fact, I think Bran will play a very important part in the next books. But for now, he's a little boy, so his chapters are quite PG. No epic battles, intriques, betrayals, sex, redemption, violence, passion, fight for power, lust... all that stuff that gives you goosebumps. I do want to learn more about wargs, greendreams, magic, etc., but overall I enjoy it less than other storylines.

Maybe it's just because I'm an grown up - I like reading about grown ups doing grown up things.

I think that only children are allowed to be excited about grown-up things. Once you become an adult, excitement in adulthood becomes childish.

[The Broke Howard Hughes]

Because they ARE. They got interesting with the Reeds for a while when they shared untold history but with the exception of when he was so close to Jon but missed him not much happens.

[True_lord_of_york]

10 times or more a chapter he just talks about how is bran the broken and how he was going to be knight. Literally several times a chapter and its annoying. I like it a little more now with him being able to be in the weirdwood memories

[Whitering]

I found them boring before Meera showed up. I quite like her so Bran's chapters picked up a bit.

[TalalOfDorne]

I think its because I have always been interested in the political parts of the series more than the magic. However Brans chapters are not as unbearable as people make them look, in fact its good to take a break from the politics and the battles and just read about magic.

[Angmar]

It depends...The traveling stuff can get boring...And I'm not fond of how Martin writes the point of view of wolves...But Bran's chapters are always okay to read about.

[Lord Godric]

I love Bran, he's one of my favorite characters. I read these books mainly for the political intrigue, but I have always found Bran's chapters great. In fact, I think one of Bran's chapters in Dance (I can't recall which right now) is the absolute best written chapter in the entire series thus far.

[Dolorous Nedd]

I always found Brans chapters to be among my favorite in the series, especially in aDwD. But around the forum, especially the confession threads, many users have found Brans chapters to be extremely boring, to the point that many people skip them. Could any of you give me some good reasons why people dont like Brans chapters?

Excellent idea for a thread! My theory is many people who don't like Bran's chapters don't because he has interaction with so few people. It is a much different feel than the rest of the POV's in the story. I happen to love the supernatural aspect of his chapters. People who skip them are missing out on aspects of the story that are going to be extremely important in the next two books. If people keep skipping them they will probably miss out on things like Bran warging a dragon and possibly even Bran warging Nymeria's pack. To each his own I guess.

As much as I hate most of the Iron Born POV's I still read them because they contain important information.

[Yukle]

I don't find them all that boring, especially compared to an average Greyjoy or Martell chapter.

As much as I hate most of the Iron Born POV's I still read them because they contain important information.

Exactly. I didn't really like a Feast for Crows. I cannot fathom why GRRM decided to remove the protagonists from the story. Jon and Dany are the main characters and seem to drive the plot more than anyone else. The whole Ironborn thing didn't even seem like that big of a deal and I wouldn't have minded in the slightest if the last I read of them was that Theon got flayed, Stannis overpowered them in the North and it was sad for them, boo hoo.

Bran does seem to be leading somewhere that resolves the entire Ice and Fire plot whereas the Ironborn seem to be an obstacle in the way of the plot being resolved. That's not normally a bad thing but, to be honest, I just don't like any of those characters.