The George R. R. Martin Experiment
Part Two: A Game of Thrones
Victoria
How This Works
Ok, for those of you that missed Part One of The GRRM Experiment, here's a point-form recap:
Personal Views
- Personally, I am not a fan of epic fantasy. I prefer standalones.
- Personally, I prefer three or less point of views in one novel.
- If reading a series, I prefer each novel to have its own plot. There can be overarching plots which connect all the series, but each book should be self-contained.
- I thought that A Game of Thrones (the only novel in the series I've read in its entirety) had solid structure, style and imagery, but I was put off by the cliffhanger ending.
- It took me nearly two years of on-again-off-again reading to complete A Game of Thrones.
Well, I'm going to re-read A Game of Thrones, then, I'll started reading the other books, but here's the kicker: I'm only going to read the chapters of the characters I like.- All the other points of view, I'm going to skip. When a new point of view is introduced, I'll give that character a minimum of two chapters to make me like them.
- I want to see if GRRM created characters that are integral to the story. If I miss massive chunks of story because I've decided to follow characters who have nothing to do with the plot. . . Well, then answer me this: What is the point of having that character?
- There will be spoilers throughout this post, so beware!
Concerning Character Growth
Let me tell you, there has been no shortage of people telling me that character growth is an integral part of this series. My main response has been: Character growth should be an integral aspect of any novel. I don't want to read about a stagnant character.
I will give every character their first two initial chapters, and for the rest of that novel, if I do not like them, I will skip all the rest of their chapters. When I move onto the next book of the series, I will then give them an additional chapter to prove to me that they have changed. If not, they will be disregarded for the rest of that novel.
Who I Chose and Why
Bran
I like Bran. The opening chapter is in his point of view, and he was in such a situation that I immediatly identified with him. I'd probably have the same reaction as he did. That, and he can talk to crows, a crow gave him a third eye, he's crippled and he has to be carried around by Hodor, a simple-minded giant of a man. What's there not to like about Bran? Oh, and from what I can tell, he can probably start travelling through either dreams or an astral plane or a something. It's obvious this kid has a significant role to play at some point in the series.
Arya
Arya is the type of heroine I adore. She's young, she's got spunk, she's no good at 'woman's work', and she trains with a sword. She has the whiff of a potential thief-like character about her, with her sneaking about. She gets into the type of scrapes and adventures that I'm into. She's just a lot of fun to read.
Jon
Well, this kid has the standard hero qualities. That and he's stuck on a crumbling wall, charged with the task of keeping strange creatures, called the Others, from crossing into the human lands. He seems to be a strong leader, is able to check his pride at the door, and just seems like an all-around good guy. Not to mention he totally enabled Arya to be more of a tomboy than she already is, by giving her Needle, her first sword.
Why I Did Not Choose the Other Points of View
Eddard
Well. . . It's not that I didn't like him, but I'll be honest here, his chapters were lacking in the excitement factor for me. Personally, I'm not into the whole political scheming type of storyline, and that's exactly what his point of view is about.
Catelyn
This woman just annoys me. First off, she gets a strike for being rather distant to Jon. Yes, I know, he is the symbol of Eddard's infidelity, but it's not Jon's fault. Not to mention the fact that this world that she belongs in, is not about fidelity, at least not for men. She lives in a patriarchy. She just needs to get over it. You can't go around blaming others for other people's mistakes. That, and for all her running around and capturing Tyrion, she doesn't really accomplish anything. Oh, she counsels and leads about her son, Robb, but that's all she does. She's a counselor. Again, political point of view. Snoozefest for me.
Tyrion
I don't have much of a problem with Tyrion, save for the fact that I find him a little gimmicky. Him being so different from everyone else, I can deal with, that's what makes him interesting as a character, but he always seems to know something that someone else doesn't. Personally, I don't find that particular trait believable. Not to mention, this guy travels. A lot. I have to say. . . That's one of the things I don't like about epic fantasy: the traveling. If I wanted to read a travelogue, I'd go to the travel journalism section of my local bookstore.
Sansa
This girl is exactly the kind of character I can't stand. She has no spine, she whines, and all her thoughts are centered around embroidery, dresses and that simpering Joffrey. Enough said.
Daenerys
It was pretty apparent from the beginning that this point of view was going to be important. The first time I read this novel I really had to struggle through her chapters, let me tell you. She starts out as a scared Sansa, which, as you'll all recall, I think is a bad thing. A scared Sansa is worse than a normal Sansa. By the end of the book she's learning to toughen up, which is great. Though, I have a suspicion that she'll end up turning into a mega -insert bad word here-, which isn't so great. I really hope she doesn't turn into a megolomaniac super-beep. I could be wrong, though. She has another strike against her too. . .She's got dragons. Dragons! I may like fantasy, but I do not like dragons. I have a strong aversion to them. To me, they fall into the same category as vampires and werewolves: Cheeseville. That's just a personal preference thing.
Am I Able to Follow the Plot?
Yes! So far, so good. The transitions aren't always smooth, I must admit, but it's not particularly bothersome. Sometimes where in the timeline the chapter I'm reading falls into isn't quite apparent. It usually takes me only about half a page to piece it together, though.
I've been able to gain information on all the major plot points through these characters. Mainly when they receive letters, or in Bran's case, in visions. Arya gave some first hand accounts of what was happening in King's Landing.
Bran is a helpful source of information, especially when he had his little tumble. We learned that the king's wife was having an affair with her brother. We learned that Eddard was chosen to be the Hand and that they're not happy about it. In Bran's vision he let's us know where everyone was, and what they were all doing. For instance, with Bran's point of view I know who's going with Eddard, who's staying, where Jon's going, how Catelyn ends up sailing about for a little while (with a bloodied knife, no less.), and that his uncle is missing. We learn through him that his mother took the Imp hostage, that some of his father's men were killed, who killed them, and that his father was injured, and perhaps mortally.
Arya, while trying to catch cats, finds out about a plot to kill Eddard, then through her point of view, we learn of his death, while Jon's point of view tells us that Eddard had been imprisoned when the king died and was being falsely accused of treason. And since Jon receives word of this by raven, it's only safe to assume that the news he receives is now old news.
So really, all in all, I have a solid plot structure going on here. True, I had read the book in its entirety in the past so I can't be entirely objective here, but I tried to only focus on the three points of view that I chose to continue with. I'll really start seeing how I can follow the plot when I start reading A Clash of Kings, since I haven't read it yet, which I'll be discussing on Friday, June 25th.
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