A Song of Ice and Fire (books 1-3)
News, Political ·Wednesday August 1, 2012 @ 19:26 EDT (link)
It's been a while since I've written here; and I have much to catch up on (such as Sharon's wedding, especially the photos thereof). It's a muggy summer here in St. Petersburg, not shockingly, of course, but it's our first. Honey's away visiting her parents for three weeks; and sometimes that might occasion staying longer hours at work, but honestly there's nothing interesting to do right now with a release pending next Wednesday, so I've been reading; it's nice to have made the time.
There are spoilers for the first three books below; you've been warned.
I have been making my way through George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire (just finished book three and put a hold on book four); what I take from it so far is that it's not the "happily ever after" of Eddings or even Jordan: I did not expect (this back when I was watching not reading) Ned Stark to actually be killed—that was the first warning; and then Ygritte and Rob with various other cruelties interspersed. But then, feudal life likely was "nasty, brutish, and short" (to make some good use of that nasty state bootlicker Hobbes), especially for the "smallfolk"; I cannot fault his realism.
I see also the principle of nothing for nothing—Jon getting Winterfell seemed to good to be true, and indeed it was, because now (at the end of the third book, again) there is a choice to be made and no free lunch. He is not in the least sympathetic with libertarian thought (nor was it expected): the free people of beyond the wall are wiped out by the better disciplined and equipped King Stannis (but again, that's reality; he emphasized many times that discipline beat numbers, so it was no surprise, nor is it impossible for free people to organize cohesively; again, I claimed he had no sympathy for, not antipathy toward). Besides, it's a tale of the game of thrones, not "how free folk threw off the yoke of kings".
Whenever Martin gives, he demands something in return: Tyrion's maiming for his victories; if Snow chooses Winterfell he must burn his father's gods and forsake the oath to the Night's Watch (which means something, even if sworn to the same old gods); Jaime returns free but without his right hand; Lysa gets Baelish but loses her life (if he does well by Robert, who is going to have to grow up awfully fast, though, perhaps even a choice she would make, in her mental state); Rob likewise pays dear for forsaking his oath and choosing Jeyne; and the demands are no transient fees but permanent damage. In sometimes presenting these demands as alternates and choices perhaps the concept of sacrifice is also introduced.
Magic in the books is far rarer than the other worlds mentioned: the wise maesters are skeptical of its very existence and so far the only demonstrated existence of it are in evil creatures like the wights of the north. It remains to be seen at this early point what sort of tale is being woven, and above all what (or if) a larger point is to be made.
Books finished: Princeps' Fury, First Lord's Fury, Heretics of Dune, The Upside of Irrationality, A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords.
