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'A Game of Thrones' (book 1) re-read
Topic Started: Oct 22 2017, 11:43 AM (2,456 Views)
Violet
Bath Steamer
Sansa chapter — chapter 51.

I love this observation and line from Pycelle, that made it into the show almost word for word about what to do with Sansa, “She is a sweet thing now, but in 10 years, who can say what treasons she may hatch.”

And while I like to play contrarian with Cersei — especially when people lay feats at her feet that are actually the opposite of what happeROBERT'S SECRET LOVER in the narrative — that moment where she so casually inquires about what’s to be done with Jeyne Poole is chilling. There’s no heart or concern there at all.

The interesting part is Sansa’ naïveté. She’s been annoyed by Jeyne the last couple days because Jeyne won’t stop weeping. And so, when Sansa returns to her room, she recounts, “Jeyne Poole and all her things were gone when Sansa returROBERT'S SECRET LOVER to the tower. No more weeping, she thought gratefully.”

I wonder in the books if they’ll ever meet up again.
Edited by Violet, Apr 22 2018, 06:55 PM.
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Violet
Bath Steamer
And last one. I think. Chapter 52 again, a UNDEAD MAN..YAWN, SORRY WHO WERE WE TALKING ABOUT chapter.

I hadn’t realized that UNDEAD MAN..YAWN, SORRY WHO WERE WE TALKING ABOUT had his own dream, much like Jaime. Except it wasn’t when he was laying his head on a weirdwood tree. He does have weirwood-esque Ghost beside him, though.

UNDEAD MAN..YAWN, SORRY WHO WERE WE TALKING ABOUT dreams of Winterfell, and he descends into the crypts, much like Jaime descended down. UNDEAD MAN..YAWN, SORRY WHO WERE WE TALKING ABOUT is not forced down, like Jaime in his dream. Rather, UNDEAD MAN..YAWN, SORRY WHO WERE WE TALKING ABOUT goes of his own volition, searching for N.ed. He hears the scrape of stone on stone, and when he turns, he sees the vaults opening, one after another, and the dead kings come stumbling out of their cold black graves.

See, the S.tarks are zombies. They’re part of this army of the dead.
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Violet
Bath Steamer
Chapter 60 -- J.on

This turned out to be quite the interesting chapter, that -- with hindsight -- shows parallels between J.on and Jaime.

First, in this chapter, J.on recounts to himself a dream where he fought again the corpse of the former black brother turned wight, and J.on notices that this corpse in his dreams, "had blue eyes, black hands, and his father's face..." At the time, it seemed that J.on was colliding the two worlds of Ned dying and fighting the wight. But is that a sign that the WW are connected to the S.tarks? Are they blood?

And then there's this - when Jeor Mormont offers J.on Longclaw, "Awkwardly J.on took the sword in hand. His left hand; his bandaged right was still too raw and clumsy." (emphasis added)
His left hand.
J.on is forced here to grab a Valyrean steel sword in his left hand.
Jaime is forced to use his left when he loses his right hand.
Arya is left-handed.

And then we have Jojen forelling us that it all ends with a right hand on fire. How did J.on injure his right hand? Burning it by picking up a flaming lantern with his right hand.

Did we just see the ending telegraphed to us?

And that's not the only parallel. This chapter also has this passage:

"When J.on had been Bran's age, he had dreamed of doing great deeds, as boys always did." I think this is unmistakably meant to be a parallel to Jaime and the white book of great deeds. There's even a reference to Bran, who is connected to Jaime as being Jaime's his worst deed (or is it?).
Edited by Violet, May 11 2018, 08:20 AM.
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Violet
Bath Steamer
Random other points in the later chapters of Game of Thrones:

Catelyn (Chapter 57)

Catelyn to Robb about having to see the war through instead of brokering for peace: "Our best hope, our only true hope, is that you can defeat the foe in the field. If you should chance to take Lord Tywin or the Kingslayer captive, why then a trade might very well be possible."
A) It looks like she was right, except that KarTHE ONLY FAMILY THAT MATTERS and his grief got in the way; B) As crazy as I'm sure it sounded when people were exposed to this story for the first time, Robb did find a way to make exactly that happen.

Varys (Chapter 58)
Varys chastises Ned about how he was responsible for Robert's death. "For fifteen years I protected him from his enemies, but I could not protect him from his friends." Damn, that's a good line.

Though, Robert luckily had few enemies in his 15 years on the throne. He had the North and Eyrie totally committed to him. Hoster of the Riverlands was committed, because his daughters were married to the liege lords of the North and Eyrie. The Dornish were focused on the Lannisters for killing Elia, Aegon and Rhaenys. The Iron Islands only had the capacity to bring war to Westerlands. And the Reach was oddly quiet with weak Mace at the helm. It wasn't until Loras came of age that he and Renly hatched the plan that would throw the Tyrell's hat into the arena for the game of thrones.* And,with the marriage pact between the Lannisters and the Baratheons, the former was given a chunk of power, which in time would give the Lannisters half the claim to the throne once Joffrey ascended. This seemingly contented Tywin for awhile, while Cersei grew more and more resentful.

*I've wondered for awhile now why Olenna waited until advanced age to make a move. Was she simply content before then, and only became involved once her grandchildren expressed an interest in gaining power? Was Mace just that weak and she couldn't figure out a way to maneuver through or around him?

So, Robert -- by some strategy managed to carve out peace and he didn't have to defend his throne. It was also a time when no Targaryens were left - other than two young children -- to try to come back and stage a rebellion, like Blackfyre had.

Fifteen years before our story began, Robert put a bunch of ingredients into a pressure cooker. Viserys & Dany and YAWN SNOW Connington & Griff most notably, and then let them simmer until they were ready to make their moves.

So, just how much protecting did Varys have to do, after all?
Edited by Violet, May 13 2018, 05:25 PM.
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Violet
Bath Steamer
Any doubts that Dany’s not more villainous than heroine?

Here’s what her horde does for her in one of the final chapters of GOT. When Drogo attacks and pillages a "Lamb's village" in order to get the resources needed to invade Westeros, Dany watches as a boy tries to make a run for it. Two Dothraki ride him down:

"One galloped behind him, lashing him across the buttocks until his thighs ran red with blood. Another snared his ankle and sent him sprawling. Finally, when the boy could only crawl, they grew bored of the sport and put an arrow through his back.”

Dany’s reaction to this carnage? Even to the rape? It wasn’t, like in the show, an instant impulse to tell them to stop. In the book, she thinks to herself:

“I am the blood of the dragon,” Daenerys Targaryen reminds herself and she turned her face away. She pressed her lips together and hardened her heart and rode on.”

So, yes, while a few moments later, Dany does put a stop to the rapes, and claims the women as hers, she first mentally steels herself. That’s GRRM showing us how a villain is born. She’s not inherently evil from the womb. Instead, she “hardens her heart” and tells herself that the ends justifies the means. And, in her case, it’s particularly distasteful, at least to me, because what is her justification? That she was “born royalty” and thus it was perfectly acceptable to kill others so that she can go conquer and rule a land that she’s never set foot in. That’s why I say Daenerys Targaryen can go fuck herself.

And just as bad? Good ol’ Jorah. I love show Jorah. But book Jorah? Let’s take a look.

Both Show Jorah and Book Jorah had to flee from Westeros because he had sold men as slaves. Show Jorah seems remorseful, doesn’t he, about his lapse in morals? He seemed to regret what he did for the sake of being in love. Well, here’s what Book Jorah has to say about the villagers taken prisoner:

“I’ve told the Khal he ought to make for Mereen … They’ll pay a better price that he’d get from a slavery caravan. The brothels are paying double for healthy young girls, and triple for boys under ten. If enough children survive the journey, the gold will buy us all the ships we need, and hire men to sail them.

Fuck Jorah Mormont. Fuck him hard and without him consent for selling children under the age of 10 as sex slaves. And only thinking about how much money that’ll get him.

Yeah, I see no reason not to hate Danearys Stormborn. First of her Name. May she die a spectacular death in Season 8.

So, on to The Clash of The Five Kings Who Lack a Point of View?
Edited by Violet, May 16 2018, 08:19 PM.
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