A Song of Ice and Fire (book discussion - spoilers inside)

[Kalevala]

That is what I meant, my bad.

Unless there's also speculation that they'll fuse together in the books a la Dragon Ball Z, which would be AWESOME.

[Shorty]

Ah, if it's for the show, might be best for the show thread!

[Bolivar]

Lucky for you, studies show that spoilers do not ruin the reading experience ^_^

Biggest load of bulltrout "study" ever

You can experience something knowing what happens as many times as you want after your first reading, you only get once chance in your life to expereince something without spoilers and when it's gone it's gone

Yep, totally agreed.

Well it's just something I brought up to encourage ToriJ but my own experiences suggest there's substance behind the statistics. Personally, I heard about Joffrey death while reading the first few books and I remember feeling mortified having the certainty that it would happen within the current novels but all those feelings evaporated when I finally read the scene. The article I posted cited Hitchcock and how knowing something terrible will happen makes it all the more horrifying. Gabriel Garcia Marquez was also lauded for experimenting with telling the reader how it ends ahead of time with resounding success.

I empathize with the gut reaction but research and common experience paint a more complex reality (as they tend to do).

[blackmage_nuke]

Lucky for you, studies show that spoilers do not ruin the reading experience ^_^

Biggest load of bulltrout "study" ever

You can experience something knowing what happens as many times as you want after your first reading, you only get once chance in your life to expereince something without spoilers and when it's gone it's gone

Yep, totally agreed.

Well it's just something I brought up to encourage ToriJ but my own experiences suggest there's substance behind the statistics. Personally, I heard about Joffrey death while reading the first few books and I remember feeling mortified having the certainty that it would happen within the current novels but all those feelings evaporated when I finally read the scene. The article I posted cited Hitchcock and how knowing something terrible will happen makes it all the more horrifying. Gabriel Garcia Marquez was also lauded for experimenting with telling the reader how it ends ahead of time with resounding success.

I empathize with the gut reaction but research and common experience paint a more complex reality (as they tend to do).

Yes but if the creator wants you to think something horrible is about to happen they'll do that through the mood they set and the atmosphere they write with. Alfred Hitchcock says it's more terrifying not more enjoyable and not every story is a horror story.

Also the "research" only conducts it's experiment with one short story (which you could tell was going to end badly if you can see story cliche's coming). This is different from something where you've invested hours/years into and have developed emotional bonds with characters. The creator sculpts your mind into the place they want it to be in when they drop the bomb on you to best envoke the emotion they want.

[Shorty]

I am about a quarter of the way through A Feast for Crows and Sam's chapters are agonizing. I hope they pick up.

[Kalevala]

A Feast for Crows isn't quite as amazing as A Clash of Kings or A Storm of Swords, but it is still a very good book. Sam's chapters get... interesting... eventually.

[Ayen]

I'm having trouble continuing to read the first book. Right now I'm on the Tyrion chapter where he escorts Jon to the Wall and I confess to skipping the Dany chapter that came before that because I just can't bring myself to read it. I see what Shorty was talking about earlier. The first book is basically just one big build up to the second from what I can see.

I do like some things in the book better than they were in the show. Like Jon and Arya being the only children to take after Ned, Joffrey looking like a girl and being taller than Robb and Jon, and the sword practice scene was nice. I'm sad they excluded that from the show but I understand why. I think the show did a better job of making Catelyn and Sansa more likeable at the beginning though. Cat just comes off so freaking cold. I understand the mindset because it's medieval and everything, but damn.

Cersei is so much worse in the books, oh my gods.

[Bolivar]

Book Cersei is indeed pretty sensational but doesn't have as much eyebrow furrowing!

Why can't you read the Day chapter? You should.

[Shorty]

A Feast for Crows isn't quite as amazing as A Clash of Kings or A Storm of Swords, but it is still a very good book. Sam's chapters get... interesting... eventually.

Ugh, Clash of Kings dragged on so badly for me xD My least favorite book for certain. A Storm of Swords has been my favorite, but is now rivaled by A Feast for Crows!

I just finished Crows last night and I loved it. The first quarter of the book was slow for me, but after I pushed past that part, it just kept getting more and more action-packed, even when it felt like nothing was really happening. One of the biggest WTF moments of the series for me was crows spoilerCersei's plans crumbling into a thousand pieces when she visited the High Septon and saw her Kettleblack lover all strung up and tortured. Right there I knew they had her. That was magnificent. I really like Margaery, though, she's my girl and I hope she ends up alright I do like that the Faith doesn't seem to be focusing on any "side" of the players of thrones, and I'm glad to see that Kevan Lannister has been sent to rule as Regent. Pycelle is a scheming little weasel, but I think it's likely that he knows what's better for the realm than Cersei does.

Started on Dragons yesterday after I finished Crows! In the past I've kindof taken a break here and there after finishing each book, but I went straight to the kindle store to jump right into the next one immediately after.

I've had my qualms with GRRM and his writing style (with a few things but particularly with regard to his women - I don't think he writes their POVs very realistically, but hey, they're his characters), but I really do appreciate the stories he weaves and the remarkable way he manages to tie them all together. Really very profound.

[Kalevala]

You read A Clash of Kings after having watched season two though, right? I can see how that would alter the experience.

Did you catch the hints in the prologue/epilogue? If you didn't and want to know.The alchemist in the beginning has the exact physical description as the face Jaqen H'ghar took on after leaving Harrenhal. He seemingly kills Pate, and then we see Pate in the epilogue introducing himself using a title he apparently hated. Jaqen is up to some trout.

[Shorty]

You read A Clash of Kings after having watched season two though, right? I can see how that would alter the experience.

Did you catch the hints in the prologue/epilogue? If you didn't and want to know.The alchemist in the beginning has the exact physical description as the face Jaqen H'ghar took on after leaving Harrenhal. He seemingly kills Pate, and then we see Pate in the epilogue introducing himself using a title he apparently hated. Jaqen is up to some trout.

I did, yes, and WHAT. I did not catch that!

[Ayen]

Why can't you read the Day chapter?

'Cause I didn't feel like it at the time.

I've had my qualms with GRRM and his writing style (with a few things but particularly with regard to his women - I don't think he writes their POVs very realistically

I want to hear more of this. Don't worry about the haters. I'll keep them away by threatening to make them watch Uwe Boll movies.

[Shorty]

Hear more about how I dislike his writing style?

[Ayen]

Hear more about how I dislike his writing style?

Mainly why you find the women POVs unrealistic, but I left the rest in there because I'm curious if your dislikes are the same as my dislikes.

[Psychotic]

I've had my qualms with GRRM and his writing style (with a few things but particularly with regard to his women - I don't think he writes their POVs very realistically, but hey, they're his characters)

http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/Writing_Women