Oh, *that's* it.

[green_dreams]

Been trying to put my finger on the common elements of the chapter characters in /A Song of Ice and Fire/. I had the broad shape of it--people kicked in the teeth--but that didn't quite fit. Davos, for example.

It's people the society says should be useless.

Catelyn's a woman whose husband has died. Bran's a cripple. Jon's a bastard. Samwell's a fat coward. Danaerys is deposed royalty who was good for nothing except a bargaining chip. Jaime's a knight who can't fight. Davos is a smallfolk smuggler. Tyrion's damage is teratogenic, so any children should be--

--whoops, sorry, that's the *other* canny sneaky dwarf bastard.{1}

(Marna, I *will* read /His Majesty's Dragon/; I just want to finish this book first. Should be done by tomorrow, early.)
---
{1} Lois McMaster Bujold, the Miles Vorkosigan books. Good stuff.

Comments

[notsoholygrail.livejournal.com]

i had to put that series down because it got really whiney and depressing. it wouldnt be so bad if it was depressing and heroic, but that was just terrible.

[torrain.livejournal.com]

*blinks* Depressing I can give you. But whiney? Sansa's growing brain cells, cut the poor girl some slack.

It is heroic. It's just not heroic in the way that they have a shiny sword and they smile and the light glints off their teeth, ting. It's heroic in the way that what you are doing is very very important and your friends are screaming all around you and it's best not to look down to see what your foot is caught on, because some things are better not to know.

I mean, I figure I'd go through another twelve hundred pages just to see the Mountain get what's coming to him. And there's the Bastard, and Old Nan's story of the Rat Cook has me *really* looking forward to see what the planner of Red Wedding has coming to him, and I'm about ready to give the Hound a cheering section, and it dawned on me early this evening that half the Others and wights that the Night Watch has killed in the last thousand-odd years have been killed by one character and it's *really* not the one you'd expect to be pulling it off, and I just spent a couple of minutes with John being giddily delighted at Tyrion's exact position in the line of succession after Joffrey's wedding.

Where did you leave off?

[jagash.livejournal.com]

*smiles* That last statement indicates you read one of the goood scenes. Done yet?

[torrain.livejournal.com]

Not yet. The man I wouldn't trust if he told me winter is coming is just talking to Sansa. Should be done by tomorrow.

[jagash.livejournal.com]

*smiles* Can't wait till tomorrow at lunch. I will have both your anthology and "Gardens of the Moon" for you.

[torrain.livejournal.com]

Hang on to the anthology: my smaller collection has disappeared so throughly I am starting to wonder if I ever had it. (Though, y'know, if you are ever moved by The Canterbury Tales...)

Was there anything else you were in the mood to borrow?

[jagash.livejournal.com]

Off the top of my head, i know not for certain. If you have a copy of American Gods it would by much appreciated since i havn't read it at this point.

[torrain.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, no. (I take it you've read /Stardust/? I have that and /Neverwhere/.)

Have you read /Wyrm/? I picked it up on Ben's recommendation, and it's damn decent.

[jagash.livejournal.com]

Never read any of the above. Really, for the most part you can presume havn't read any particular good book. I rely upon your sound judgement.

[notsoholygrail.livejournal.com]

halfway through the second book. the only story i was really interested in at that point was the half brother sent off to do boarder duty.

unfortunetaly it was a while ago and i dont remember much of it. i do remember that it wasnt all bad, but it just got too much. martin kept piling on the problems with no forseeable end, and it got kinda annoying. maybe ill go back to it and re-read it.