Over Thinking A Game of Thrones

An interesting article over at overthinkingit.com regarding George RR Martin's A Game of Thrones adaption and the problems of points of view.

A Dance With Dragons Complete

A Dance With Dragons Is Slayed

It appears that George RR Martin has finally completed his highly anticipated fifth book, A Dance With Dragons, in the A Song of Ice and Fire series.

From Martin's Not a Blog, blog.

REVIEW: Fevre Dream by George R. R. Martin

Fevre Dream by George R. R. Martin
Publishing Information: Paperback; 334 pages
Publisher: Random House 1 September 2004
ISBN 10: 0553383051
ISBN 13: 9780553383058
Standalone
Copy: Out of Pocket
Reviewer: Tyson

Back of Book: "When struggling riverboat captain Abner Marsh receives an offer of partnership from a wealthy aristocrat, he suspects something's amiss. But when he meets the hauntingly pale, steely-eyed Joshua York, he is certain. For York doesn't care that the icy winter of 1857 has wiped out all but one of Marsh's dilapidated fleet. Nor does he care that he won't earn back his investment in a decade. York has his own reasons for wanting to traverse the powerful Mississippi. And they are to be none of Marsh's concern--no matter how bizarre, arbitrary, or capricious his actions may prove. 

Marsh meant to turn down York's offer. It was too full of secrets that spelled danger. But the promise of both gold and a grand new boat that could make history crushed his resolve--coupled with the terrible force of York's mesmerizing gaze. Not until the maiden voyage of his new sidewheeler Fevre Dream would Marsh realize he had joined a mission both more sinister, and perhaps more noble, than his most fantastic nightmare...and mankind's most impossible dream.
Here is the spellbinding tale of a vampire's quest to unite his race with humanity, of a garrulous riverman's dream of immortality, and of the undying legends of the steamboat era and a majestic, ancient river."

George RR Martin is famous for his A Song of Ice And Fire series, which is loosely based on the War of the Roses. Having read ASOIAF and enjoyed them, I decided I to see what some of his other works were like. If you look on any horror forum you will more than likely be surprised as I was to learn that he had also written a vampire novel, Fevre Dream, it takes place on a river boat just before the civil war would break out. 

The setting of Fevre Dream takes center stage in this vampire tale. Martin takes an interesting look at the concept of slavery. For humans it is lowering another person simply due to the color of his or her skin For vampires it is lowering humanity because they are a newer race and not as powerful as the undead. While the ideas presented in the book are very thought provoking they are very understated. The one interesting tidbit that I gleaned from the story that the chained or impoverish of society may suffer from those that lord over them, but they persevere through their art and ingenuity. As an expatriate myself, I could easily draw parallels to America as it rose to the cream of the crop in innovation only to no longer produce any products and left the more impoverish countries to create what the US feels is beneath it. Only to have the great country rot from the inside. Of course this is only my take on the novel. 

The characters in Fevre Dream are also a lot of fun. Each of the four main characters have their distinct personalities, strengths, and weaknesses. If Fevre Dream were a cake, the setting would be the spongy cake and the characters the sweet frosting. By the end of the book you feel let down. Not because the ending was not spectacular, but that Martin decided that the novel did not require a sequel. You are left wondering what happened after the events in the book. I read this book days ago and I still wonder what everyone is doing now. 

I hate to say it and will probably get hate mail, but I would like to see Martin postpone A Dance With Dragons and have him write a sequel to Fevre Dream. If you are 'dying' for more GRRM and can not wait for ADWD to arrive on book shelves, look no further than Fevre Dream. It has all the rich characters you come to expect from GRRM and lets you see that regardless of which genre Martin decides to write in he is the master of his craft. This is the vampire movie that should have been made. Not the teeny romance Twilight. I will warn you that the book is set in a time and place where the word "nigger" was considered acceptable. While I cringed every time I encountered the word, I realised why he used it and what he was attempting to do with the word. If you can see past that you are in for a truly great tale reminiscent of Mark Twain and Bram Stoker. 

Plot  9

Characters  10

Style  9

Overall  9.5/10

The George R. R. Martin Experiment: Part Three B

The George R. R. Martin Experiment
Part Three B: A Clash of Kings
Victoria

What I'm Doing Here

Well, I'm going to re-read A Game of Thrones, then, I'll start 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. With that said, I have amended my rules:

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.

On to the Experiment!

The Characters I Skipped

Catelyn
She does absoloutely nothing for me.  If I were to have read her chapters all the way through the novel, it would have been a chore.

Theon
The guy's a pig.  I did not like him when he did not have a point of view, and then I liked him even less when he got one.  I could care less as to what goes on with him.  I have zero interest in learning about his personal thoughts.

Also, since someone told me, I know that Theon doesn't have any more chapters (at least not yet for the rest of the series).  This tells me that the only reason for giving Theon, a minor character, a point of view in the first place is so that we, the readers, would know how and why Theon came to take over Winterfell.  To me, this is cheating.  The reader doesn't need to know everything that is going on.  The reader, if provided with clues, can piece these things together.  Readers are not stupid.  I would much  rather be confused and uncertain with Bran, and find out what is going on as Bran does.  This way, I'm immersed in the character.  This way, I care for the character.  This is actually a major gripe I have about the entire series.

Davos
He's not horrible, but he is boring.  I'll give him another chance in the next book, but he better pick up.

Sansa
I do not think words can describe how much a loathe this character.  I don't care if she spits Joffrey with a fire poker, she's still annoying.

The Characters I Stayed With, but Didn't Enjoy

Tyrion
If this man put as much attention and detail to everything else that he puts toward his whore, he'd be king already.  Where he's at now, at the end of this novel, is somewhat interesting, but I'll be honest, I'm more interested to see what Pod, his squire, is going to do than I am with Tyrion.  I'd like to see a few chapters from Pod's point of view.

Daenerys
She needs to starting doing something.  This wandering around bit is far from gripping.  It's a snore fest.  Yes, now at the end of this book she's about to go off with a few ships back to her merchant, but the rate in which she believed these newcomers was ridiculous.  I don't know about you, but if I had all these people either wanting me dead, or wanting my dragons or both, I wouldn't, within five minutes of meeting them, hand my life over to some fat eunuchs with spears.  Maybe she'll actually start doing something in the next book, but right now, oh man. . .  I skimmed.  A lot.

The Characters I Like

Arya
I keep on saying this, but to me, she has the most interesting and the most fun storyline in the entire series.  Hands down.  First off, she's a ten year old girl who learns how to slip around in the shadows and swing a sword.  Then she runs around as a gutter rat for a while.  She's taken by an ally, but has to assume the role of a boy, she's taken prisoner, she instigates the taking of a castle and she's now the friend of some sort of assassin guild, I'm going to take it?  Awesome.  Pure awesome.  I want more.  In fact, forget the rest of the characters.  Forget the series.  Give me a whole new series with her as the only point of view.

The only thing that bothers me is the fact that I want her to reunite with her wolf.  Every time a wolf howls near her I get excited, but to no avail.  This saddens me.

Jon
Jon's a good guy.  I like him simply for that.  I do, however, have one complaint, something that's been bothering me for a while, and now that certain events have happened, even more so.  Here's a young man who's off to fight the Big Bad Guys, doesn't really have much choice in the matter, he's kind, he's thoughtful, he's smart. . . And his best friend is a round coward, who really isn't a coward because he does things that cowards wouldn't do and he stands up for Jon, and looks out for him all the time.  This best friend's name is Sam.  Hmm. . .  I wonder where I've heard that name before. /coughcough

And now that Jon is forced to go off with the wildings, I'm sure Sam will be the one to stand up for him, regardless of how much of a coward he is.  I think Sam needs a different name.

Bran
Whoohoo!  Finally, Bran is realizing who/what he is.  Yay for the frogeaters he's with too.  I'm looking forward reading more about him in the next book.  Honestly, I can kind of see him as a Merlin type of character.  I hope I'm right.

Can I Follow the Plot?

Yes, I can.  All the characters find out about what's going on with who.  People really like sending ravens around in this world.  If I hadn't read Tyrion's chapters, I would still be able to follow the plot, but I would not have known so much about Renly and Stannis.  I knew a little about them through Jon's point of view, but I wouldn't have known the details.  But that's fine.  I'm actually thinking of purposefully not reading Tyrion's chapters in the next book, just to see how much knowledge of the plot I really can learn.

The George R. R. Martin Experiment: Part Two

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

1. Personally, I am not a fan of epic fantasy.  I prefer standalones.
2. Personally, I prefer three or less point of views in one novel.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. It took me nearly two years of on-again-off-again reading to complete A Game of Thrones.

What I'm Doing Here

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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?
4. 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. 

With that said, I have amended my rules:

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.

On to the Experiment!

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.

The George R. R. Martin Experiment: Part One

The George R. R. Martin Experiment
Part One:  How This Works
Victoria

Alright. . .  So there you are, wondering what all this is about, right?  What experiment?  What is GRRM doing now?  Is this another one of his side projects that's detracting from the time he's supposed to be using to write, you ask.  Well, good news for you, he's not doing any experiment, at least, not to my knowledge.  I'm the one conducting the experiment.

Now, before I get into what this experiment is, I'm going to give you a bit of background information, so that you fully understand my motivation and intention. 

The Background

So, I'll be honest here, big epic fantasy is not really my first choice of reading.  I love fantasy, but I tend to be more of the stand-alone kind of gal.  There are exceptions.  I mean, I love myself some Abercrombie or Lynch as much as the next person, but when it comes to huge over reaching story lines with giant battles and quests and treks and castles and fortresses and. . . - well, you get the picture - That sort of thing just isn't my cup of tea. 

I had seen GRRM's stuff on the bookshelves at the store and I had heard people rave about them, but my interest wasn't piqued.  My actual thoughts on the subject, I'll be honest here, were:  Oh.  That kind of stuff.  Like we need more of that ol' cliche crud.  I know, the horror.  Now, don't get too upset, there's more.  There's a method to my madness here.

Then one day, some three years ago, I went out on a dinner date with a man I'd had my eye on for a little while.  We were sitting at the bar, waiting for a table to open up, and he presented me with a gift.  It was a copy of A Game of Thrones tied up in yellow ribbon.  He had asked around and found out I liked fantasy, so he decided to give me his favourite fantasy novel as a first date present.  Well, I have to admit, I was impressed.  Not many guys give presents nowadays.  (Hint, hint to you men out there.)

So, when I got home, I cracked open the book and started reading.  Alright, so the writing style was solid, there was some great imagery.  So far so good.   There were some great characterizations.  Alright, I'm liking this, maybe I was too harsh in my initial judgement.

Then things started to get fragmented.  Characters got separated, things started happening. . .  And really, you'd think that's when the reader would get sucked in. . .  Well, not this reader.  I started to get annoyed.  I had to read chapters about characters I did not like.  Characters I could not get into.  I'd have to wade through them to get to the characters I did like.  I just felt that there were way too many points of view.  There were far too many characters for my tastes.  Were all these points of view really necessary?  Were they needed?  This is one of the reasons I'm not into epic.  It's not just GRRM that does it, either.

It took me nearly two years to get through the book.

Though, I'm still with the man who gave me the book, so I guess I didn't hate the book that much.

And I don't hate it, like I said, there's some great stuff in there. . .  There's just that pesky business of characters I do not like.

Back to the Experiment!

What is this experiment?  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 others, 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. 

Yes, I know, I'll lose out on some plot, but that's kind of the point.  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?  This is an experiment, and it might fail, and I might find myself completely lost, but I'm going to do it anyway.

So join me next Friday when I discuss my reading of A Game of Thrones.   I will only be reading these characters:

Bran
Arya
Jon

I'll detail why I chose only these three characters, why I discarded the other characters, and I'll relate what kind of story I read when I eliminated half of the book.