A Song of Ice and Fire Book Club - The Final Chapters

 It's the final round up for the A Song of Ice and Fire Book Club, A Game of Thrones edition.

I have travelled this book with fellow Book Clubbers mithrilwisdom, the host and brain behind the club, Allison at Geek Banter and Ria at Bibliotropic.

Each of us has posed a question for the others, so make sure to check out what the others had to say about this weeks topics.









From Jamie:

Do you think there's any room for growth with Sansa? Will she ever find a backbone or do you think she'll remain a frightened, weak willed pup?

In her final chapters Sansa has come to realise just what her 'beloved' King and his mother are actually like. That doesn't necessarily mean that she will find her backbone though. She is in a tough situation, surrounded on all sides by the enemy, and the only sympathetic ear is the Hound. His advice is to give her king what he wants, as much as the thought repels her. If she's going to grow she will need to do it on her own and find the strength by herself from within. If she can manage it she will make for an excellent character, and I can't wait to find out which way she goes.

From Allison:

Do you think Jaime and Cersei have developed as characters at all throughout the story?


Jamie has been heard about more than he has been seen, his activities being conveyed by other characters along the way. We haven't had enough of him firsthand and so his character hasn't moved forward very much throughout the book.
As for Cersei, we've seen glimpses of her true character but she is always standing behind the King, whether he is her husband or her son. I think she expected to have more say in things once Joffrey took the throne but he has taken charge himself straight off the bat. She is once again having to remain in the background, but I wonder how long she'll tolerate that.



From Ria:

Mirri's about-face: expected and in-character, or did it feel to you like it came out of left field?

Mirri's deception was fitting of her character. She had suffered so much at the hands of the Dothraki, and when an opportunity for revenge came she took it. Daenarys' son would only have caused more suffering and pain for her people than his father before him, and so she truly believed she was saving the world from a future tyrant.


From me:

All the chapters have been told from the point of view of particular characters, and the story has gone back and forth along their journeys. Why do you think only these characters have been chosen? What does it say about them over the others?

Each character tells their story from a different region within the Seven Kingdoms (and without). I like this method of shifting the focus across the realm. The choice of characters seems to be with those most likely to be considered to be on the 'good' side, if indeed there is a good vs evil thing going on here.
The exception to this is Tyrion who, being a Lannister, would initially be seen as part of the enemy. I wonder if this focus on him signifies that he will eventually turn away from the dark side.


This round up brings us to the end of the first installment of the A Song of Ice and Fire adventure. It has been brilliant to talk with the others about what's going on in the story, and I'm looking forward to A Clash of Kings.

www.amazon.co.uk

I'd like to say a huge thanks to Jamie at mithrilwisdom for starting this up. Long may it continue ...

If you're interested on joining us for the second part of the Book Club, head over to Jamie's for more details. It will be great to have you on board.

I will be posting something that looks at my thoughts on A Game of Thrones overall later on, but until then remember:

Winter is coming! 

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A Song of Ice and Fire Book Club: Chapters 1-14 - of direwolves and Lannisters

First of all, I'd like to apologise to the other members of the group for posting this a day late. Yesterday our internet connection went down (I think someone has been cutting cables, tut, tut), so this is the first opportunity I've had to get back on.

So, here we are with the first catchup of the Book Club. We are making our way steadily through the first four A Game of Thrones books in preparation for the fourth series being released next March.

The plan is to have a catchup every other Saturday, with each of us posing a question to be answered by the rest.

The brain behind the Club is Jamie, who resides at www.mithrilwisdom.com, and joining him is Allison at Geek Banter, Ria at Bibliotropic and myself.
Make sure to head on over to the others to see their thoughts too.




And now to the questions for this week:

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 that his difference in physical appearance is certainly not the only way Tyrion Lannister is set apart from his siblings. In the beginning he is portrayed by his brother and sister as something less than them, referring to him as 'the Imp' and immediately placing him lower down in their eyes. As we see him apart from them though, we see that there is far more to him than they'd care to advertise, and his intellect and manner of dealing with situations marks him out as someone not to be overlooked, if you'll pardon the pun.
I think he is definitely meant to be a contrast to the cruelty and morals of the rest of his family, and at times I wonder if he is sometimes ashamed to be associated with them. He can see the benefits he has in being part of the Lannister family, not the least of which is that he has lived and grown to a man. This may be a heavy price to pay though for being tarred with the same brush.


Heather: Have you already seen the television series before reading the books? If yes, has it influenced how you read them?

I am currently half way through watching season two of the television series, and inevitably, it means I am seeing the characters in the book as the actors who play them.
This causes a little dilemma though, as the characters in the book are a little younger than they appear in the series. Robb, for example, is only 14 in the book but Richard Madden certainly looks older than this. So far the book is quite close to the series too, which means I picture it as I have seen it on the screen. This is bound to change though, when I get onto the books that are yet to be adapted.
I have to admit, when considering these questions it is hard not to bring in my knowledge from what I've seen in the series so far, and concentrate on the chapters we've read up until this point. 


Allison: What do you think the names chosen for the direwolves say about the children's personalities? And for  a silly bonus question, share what you would name yours (come on, I know you've thought about it :-P)

(and for a silly bonus question, share what you would name yours (come on, I know you've thought about it :P) - See more at: http://www.mithrilwisdom.com/#sthash.6mmMH1K0.dpuf

(and for a silly bonus question, share what you would name yours (come on, I know you've thought about it :P) - See more at: http://www.mithrilwisdom.com/#sthash.6mmMH1K0.dpuf

The names given to the direwolves by the Stark children seem to be a reflection on their own personalities and how they see themselves.
John Snow doesn't see himself as a true Stark, merely a presence among the rest of his half-siblings and so Ghost is appropriate. He believes that although he is present among the house, nobody really sees him or pays much attention.
Sansa has taken to her role of the eldest daughter, excelling in the finer details of what  being a lady entails, such as needlepoint. The name Lady for her wolf demonstrates how she sees herself.
The differences between her and Arya are obvious, with Arya showing no interest in the pursuit of being a lady, instead wanting to join her brothers in combat training. Nymeria was a warrior-queen, and so this choice of name reflects her desire to be something more than just a lady.
Shaggydog is typical for Rickon, who is still very young being only 3 years old. This name shows how literally he still sees things and how unaware he is of the greater world around him.
Grey Wind was named for his colouring and speed, a speed which Robb exhibits in his swordplay. 
Summer is the name of Bran's wolf, which we haven't learnt quite yet in this part of the book. The Stark's words are 'Winter is coming', and so Bran's choice of name could be a reflection of his optimism that although winter is coming, it will not last forever. 

If I had my own direwolf, I'd probably name it Mexico. For as long as I've been able to drive I've longed for a MkI Escort Mexico. One day I will own one, one day ...


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?

Tyrion is well aware of his weaknesses, which centre around his physical limitations. One of the only strengths he has is his mind, and is able to talk himself out of situations that could possibly lead to a physical conflict and put his life in danger.
This in itself makes him a danger, as others with more advanced physical abilities may see his intellect as a threat. His use of words can manipulate others to his will, especially if they don't fully understand his meaning. He reads his books to understand the past and the world around him. This is his whetstone, for sharpening his mind so he can successfully maneuvre through the different peoples he comes into contact with.


I have enjoyed the questions for this catchup, and look forward to more reading and more thinking over the next couple of weeks!

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