Saturday, July 13, 2013

Game of Thrones Roundup - Chapters 1-14

Welcome to the Game of Thrones read-a-thon, otherwise known as the A Song of Ice and Fire Book Club, where Jamie from Mithril Wisdom, Ria from Bibliotropic, Heather from Reading, Writing, and Everything In Between, and I are reading Game of Thrones in ten weeks.

First thoughts:
Can this George R.R. Martin guy write, or what? He had me at the first page, which is something I haven't experienced lately in the newer books I've been reading.

A Song of Ice and Fire Book Club Questions:

Jamie: In the few chapters that we've seen already, Tyrion is amazing. His snark and wit mark him out as one of my favourites. Do you think his role is more the comic relief or a juxtaposition for the cruelty of his sibling Lannisters (opposites in appearance as well as personality)?
I think Tyrion's role is definitely much more than the comic relief. He has already said a lot of thought-provoking things, even in just these first chapters. He is an odd combination of wise, sarcastic, witty, and dark, and I look forward to reading more about him.

Allison: What do you think the names chosen for the direwolves say about the children's personalities? (Bonus question: what would you name your direwolf?)
I found the naming of the wolves really interesting in these chapters, because they seemed to describe the children's characters. Jon Snow names his wolf Ghost, which seems appropriate for a bastard child whose step-mother wishes he was invisible. Rickon names his Shaggydog, which seems appropriate for a little boy that we don't know much about yet. Arya calls hers Nymeria after a warrior queen, which says a lot about her aspirations (confirmed when Jon gives her a sword later).

Sansa names hers Lady, which fits perfectly with the princess-y character she seems to be so far. Robb's wolf is Grey Wind, which seems fitting for a fighter and an older boy. Bran's wolf is unnamed yet, which is interesting because he is so young and most little boys would slap a name (like Shaggydog) on immediately, but he took time to think it through.

I would probably name my direwolf something shadowy, like Spectre, or something Old English, like Bardou.

Heather: Have you seen the television series before reading the books? If yes, has it influenced how you read them?
I haven't, but I'm inspired to after I read this first book. I'm curious to see the differences, and how the actors portray these characters.

Ria: "[...] a mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge." What do you think about the veracity of Tyrion's line there, especially in a world that seems to prize physical strength more highly than intelligence.
I think many characters have undervalued the importance of intelligence, and they will probably end up paying the price for it. Tyrion may be saying that because it's all he's got to hope for, but I think there's truth in it, and we will see some pretty awesome things from him to prove it yet.

Final Thoughts:
I know that lots of characters die in this series. I won't get attached to anyone. I won't.

Darn it, Jon Snow's already my favourite.

19 comments:

  1. Yay! I'm glad you're having a blast with it so far! Tyrion Lannister is my favourite; his snark and wit are fantastic, made all the more so because I imagine Peter Dinklage in the role :)

    I wish I had a direwolf - there seems to be a connection between the kids and their animals that goes beyond master and pet - like when Ghost attacks Tyrion because he knows Jon is upset.

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    1. Exactly, or when Bran's wolf howled before he started climbing. I definitely want one.

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  2. Jon kind of got a special place in my heart pretty much from the first time we see him. I've got an attachment to that guy, can't quite figure out why (except for some degree of empathy on the whole "being unwanted" issue, but I think it goes beyond that), and I want to know more about him.

    Also glad that I'm not the only person who hasn't seen the show yet! :p

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    1. Me tooooo! Jon's my favourite. I love his story. I love his wolf. He better not die, that's all I'm saying. I think I will watch the first season of the show once I'm done the book :)

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    2. Yeah, I'm hoping he doesn't die too.

      And I bet there are about a dozen people reading these comments and biting their tongues on spoilers! XD

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  3. After watching some of the series, I highly recommend not getting attached to anyone.

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  4. Jon seems to be a firm favourite at the moment, and I can't disagree with the choice. I have a couple of other favourites, but I don't want to mention too much about them as we haven't encountered them much in the book yet.

    Oh yeah, and although attachment may be ill-advised, it's really hard to avoid!

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    1. It totally is! I'm coming to love Arya as well.

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  5. I've only read the first book, and partly because had heard that some of the characters were going to die . . .and I had a tough time not getting incredibly attached to some of them.

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  6. T Y R I O N

    Him and Arya alternate on being my faves, depending on the day :)

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  7. this is great! I'm a huge fan of the Song of Ice and Fire series (although not so much of the show, it is just not as good as the "show" in my head when I read it). I can't wait to read more!

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    1. I'm looking forward to seeing how they adapted it to the show.

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  8. you already know how much i love this series, book & tv...
    so now you are getting me all excited watching you guys discover the awesomeness!

    my direwolf would be, Seeker. super question!

    and john snow is a great choice! tyrion is my man, tho! gotta watch! he's the bomb!

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    1. That is an awesome name!! It's meaningful, AND there are Harry Potter connotations. I love it.

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  9. I love Tyrion and Arya. They are both such powerful characters. Tyrion is so much more than comic relief, but he is hilarious all the same. He's such a smart guy and quite the player in the game, but may have too big of a heart for a Lannister at times. I never thought anything about the direwolf naming. That's interesting. I would name mine Daediem.

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  10. You know nothing, Jon Snow...oh...wait...that comes later. Tyrion and Arya are favorites of mine, and I'm just going to put it out there that I like Jamie more than I should care to admit.

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