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A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book One: Ch. 64 through 73

Posted: Fri Feb 21, 2014 1:20 pm
by Chris OConnor
A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book One: Ch. 64 through 73

Re: A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book One: Ch. 64 through 73

Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2014 8:24 pm
by Suzanne
I have finished the first novel in the GoT series, and I have also watched the first season of GoT on HBO. I was able to fully immerse myself in the novel and I enjoyed the experience very much. I have started reading the second novel. GoT is back on demand so I have decided to read a little and watch a little.

The ending was very dramatic. The book captured the drama better than the show. Dany and Drogo became favorites for me and I was very upset about the demise of Drogo, however, Dany showed her dragon blood and behaved as the strong fierce woman she is.

The two main houses, Stark and Lannister, created a friction that I can only described as honor vs. dishonor. What will win the game of thrones? We won't know until the end of the series I suppose.

Does anyone have any comments on the speech Eddard made before his execution? Did he show fealty for Joffery because he was weak, or was he strong? He must have known that his daughters would have been in danger if he followed his honor and refused to placate Joffery. He choose love over honor. What I don't understand about his speech was he said he wanted the throne for himself. This was never mentioned during counsel meetings. Was he told to say this, or did he decide on his own. Although the deal was for Eddard to spend his life on the Wall, speaking out and saying he wanted to take the throne for himself would give Joffrey no choice but to execute him. Joffrey is like a little Caligula, but because of Eddards words, I don't think Joffery had any other choice but to destroy Eddard. Did Eddard say words he knew would get him killed? He saw Arya, who I felt was his favorite child before speaking. D Eddard sacrifice himself to save his daughters? Eddard was a strong man and I will miss him.

Re: A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book One: Ch. 64 through 73

Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2014 8:30 pm
by Taylor
Eddard rightly claimed Stannis as being rightful heir to the throne but as Stannis was not present Eddard as Hand would Rule as proxy until Stannis made his claim, in essence a claim of the throne for himself. Its the nature of treason and the interpretation of Cersi that Eddard wanted the throne for himself, I think Cersi would have let him live life on the Wall but Joffrey is sick in the head and wanted to demoralize Sansa and anyone else who would be cowed by the beheading. There was really nothing that could be done to help both Sansa and Arya as they are beyond Eddard's control. Sansa is at the mercy of the Lannisters and Arya is with the Nights Watch, nether will likely have it easy. I have a hard time thinking there was much of a sacrifice on the part of Eddard as his death was a forgone conclusion. It is a mark of good fiction that a character so cleverly used to create a drama that simultaneously enrages the reader and yet makes you want to read more.

Re: A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book One: Ch. 64 through 73

Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2014 12:55 am
by Suzanne
Taylor wrote: It is a mark of good fiction that a character so cleverly used to create a drama that simultaneously enrages the reader and yet makes you want to read more.
Martin did an excellent job with this first novel. Eddard seemed to be the center of the novel and through him readers met the other characters who survive to live in the next novels.

I agree with you, Eddard knew he was a goner. Mormont tells Jon that the men in the Nights Watch cannot have families because of the love involved. The men may desert or be ineffective if he had loved ones outside the wall. Eddard chose love over honor. I suppose he may have thought that if he were to die anyway, he may try to save Sansa. Joffrey Caligula may have chopped her head off too had Eddard denied Joffrey. Then again, Joffrey enjoys torturing Sansa, makes her look at her fathers head on a spike and promises her other heads of loved ones may appear on spikes too. Poor girl.

Taylor, have you read all the novels? I'm half way through novel 2, I am thoroughly smitten!

Re: A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book One: Ch. 64 through 73

Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2014 7:11 am
by Taylor
In a way I have felt bad beating up on Eddard, through him taking a job for his friend the king he not only loses life but his family has been totally scattered to boot. I too think he made choices with his heart instead of his brain, and now we know that if he hadn't the story would not be the one we read. War banners are on the march and the story moves with them, we will too I think, we'll follow along to the bitter end, where ever that leads. Khol Drogo; dead, Viserys; dead, King Robert; dead, Eddard; dead, these things are not easy to take in a single story but truth is their stories are done, they create the foundation for what's to come. I found that the more of the books that I read the greater my need to know what happens next, I got so caught up that I read all 5 books over this past holiday season, that was about 4200 pages in 32 days, at one point like Crystal I tried skipping some paragraphs and ended up having to go back and reread because I missed some detail and as you can imagine the details can be very important in this series. I enjoyed and was glad when BT agreed to put this book on its read list, I not the most eloquent online poster or always coherent and or logical but I try, anyway I've looked at other sites that are dedicated to this series but their so far ahead that I thought that this was an opportunity to get something going on a ground floor level of discussion, The world of speculation that has become so much a part of this series is something that I find quite unique in literature at this time, its fun to see the theories that dedicated fans postulate as to the outcomes of various story lines and characters. It seems to me nievete' and wit are keys to long life in A Song of Ice and Fire.

Re: A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book One: Ch. 64 through 73

Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2014 5:30 pm
by Suzanne
Reading all 5 novels in 32 days is amazing.

Re: A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book One: Ch. 64 through 73

Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2014 8:02 pm
by Cattleman
Taylor, you read all five books in 32 days? :o I have read all five, but it took me over six months. I bow to your superior reading speed. :adore:

Re: A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book One: Ch. 64 through 73

Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2014 12:53 pm
by gesler0811
Suzanne wrote:Does anyone have any comments on the speech Eddard made before his execution? Did he show fealty for Joffery because he was weak, or was he strong? He must have known that his daughters would have been in danger if he followed his honor and refused to placate Joffery. He choose love over honor. What I don't understand about his speech was he said he wanted the throne for himself. This was never mentioned during counsel meetings. Was he told to say this, or did he decide on his own.
I could have sworn I recall reading that one of the conditions placed on him was that he publicly claim he wanted the throne, so as to cement the treason charges brought against him. I recall him basically being bullied and threatened into saying this, with the implicit threat of violence or harm against his daughters being held over his head. He did not want to go along and voice this, but the meeting with Cersei basically convinced him he needed to do it for the greater good.

The lie that he would be allowed to join the Nights Watch also helped. Believing he would be spared, and a life in the Night's Watch being better than the alternative if he refused, he ended up going along with it. Of course, he did not factor in what a little jerk Joffrey is, and that Joffrey would not go easy on him. Even Cersei was shocked that her son would go back on his word like that.

And so we see a vivid play of contrasts in the natures of the most noble character of the series, Eddard Stark, and the snotty little runt Joffrey:

- You have Eddard being dishonest to save life, and Joffrey being dishonest to destroy it.
- You have a noble character chained up and treated like a dog, and a sniveling little jerk dressed up and crowned as a monarch.
- You can't help but recall Eddard's speech at the beginning of the book - that any man who would order death should be the one to execute it, or else risk becoming too nonchalant about the taking of a life. This right after he himself executes a Night Watch "deserter." Then, at the end, you have Joffrey callously ordering death and sitting back to watch it as entertainment. Perhaps for me, this was the biggest and most dramatic arrangement of contrasts in the series, and possibly one of the greatest in any of the fiction I've read.

Re: A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book One: Ch. 64 through 73

Posted: Thu May 08, 2014 11:51 am
by gesler0811
Anyone having read this for the first time as a result of this book discussion going to continue on to the next book?

Re: A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book One: Ch. 64 through 73

Posted: Tue May 27, 2014 8:05 pm
by Cattleman
This is kind of an aside comment. Thanks to my daughter, I have viewed the first two seasons of GoT. I must say, that if I had not read the books, I would have wondered what was going on. Currently waiting for volume 6.