A Song Of Ice And Fire: book discussion thread

[Lorizael]

*sigh* I need commentary!

[Guynemer]

Go ahead and comment on what you have read so far, and we (at least I) will be careful not to discuss what is coming ahead.

[Dinner]

Since the guy took most of a decade to finish book five you'd figure he'd be at least halfway done with book six by now.

Well at least this isn't as bad as The War Against the Chtorr series which started in 1983 and has been on a cliff hanger since 1993. The author claims he's still working on the final book... 14 year later!

[Dinner]

While we wait we could always play the Game of Thrones video game: http://us-focushop.gamesplanet.com/s...liate=WESTEROS

Bad reviews though.

http://www.gamespot.com/a-game-of-thrones-genesis/reviews/a-game-of-thrones-genesis-review-6341616

[Lorizael]

Go ahead and comment on what you have read so far, and we (at least I) will be careful not to discuss what is coming ahead.

Oh, I don't have anything specific to comment on. I just like to read about what I'm reading, especially when I'm at work and don't have anything better to do.

Here's something that's occurred to me, though. All of GRRM's characters have interesting backstories and situations and the like, but there are definitely some types of character he uses over and over. I guess this isn't surprising, given how many characters there are.

There's the crotchety old bastard character, which to me includes Walder Frey, Jeor Mormont, Balon Greyjoy, and Tywin Lannister. There's the slimy weasel character, which includes Littlefinger, Varys, and Illyrio. There's the wise old man/woman, which includes most of the maesters, Old Nan, and Osha. And there's the power hungry psychopaths, like Joffrey and Viserys (and I feel like Theon could go down that route, too, but I'm only ~200 pages into the Clash of Kings, so who knows.) And there's the Starks, who are uniformly good and noble except for Sansa, that ****.

[Felch]

When you have eight zillion characters, there's bound to be some overlap. I think you'll start to see more variation in the characters as you read on. I definitely wouldn't put Walder Frey, Jeor Mormont, Balon Greyjoy, and Tywin Lannister in the same category now.

[Lorizael]

Those four are definitely different characters. I group them because they all have the common trait of not taking **** from anyone younger than they are.

[Felch]

As a supporter of inter-generational conflict, I give them a

[Dinner]

Here's something that's occurred to me, though. All of GRRM's characters have interesting backstories and situations and the like, but there are definitely some types of character he uses over and over. I guess this isn't surprising, given how many characters there are.

According to the wiki he intends to introduce still more new characters in the next book. WTF is he introducing still more new characters in the second to last book? He should be wrapping stuff up not adding to an already over loaded cast.

[Lorizael]

Just met Asha.

[MikeH]

There is a group #5 Horny young women.

[Jon Miller]

I just started rereading it again, now I will finally get to book 5

Hopefully he doesn't take 5 years to write the next.

JM

[Guynemer]

When you have eight zillion characters, there's bound to be some overlap. I think you'll start to see more variation in the characters as you read on. I definitely wouldn't put Walder Frey, Jeor Mormont, Balon Greyjoy, and Tywin Lannister in the same category now.

Definitely not.

[Guynemer]

Just met Asha.

Asha

[Dinner]

I just started rereading it again, now I will finally get to book 5

Hopefully he doesn't take 5 years to write the next.

JM

There has been at leastfive year gaps between the last three books so why would he change that now? The last three books came out in 2000, 2005, and 2011. He started the series waaaaayyyyy back in 1996. For the record the second book came out in 1998 so he's getting slowwer not faster and, IMO, the books are getting worse not better.