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As soon as those spoilers get cleared out, are we gonna start a reread timeline?
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May 19, 2010 07:08
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Dendra posted:Is the audiobook actually decent? I wouldn't be able to listen to a book this long on tape. You know, it's not too shabby. It's a little weird hearing a kindly British guy talk about gang-rape, but the pacing is good and he keeps the melodramatic voices at a minimum. I've been listening to it while I'm relaxing at lunch and find that it's way easier to keep track of all the characters and pick up some details that I glossed over while reading. Screw the party crashers. This was a good idea for a thread, and even if the new readers are bumming I'm still looking forward to an intelligent discussion about lemony-lemoncakes and secret Targs!
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May 19, 2010 07:23
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I'm going to give a month for each book. Discussion during the book should have spoiler tags for the most part. Once each book is done the spoiler tags won't matter, EXCEPT for major areas. E.g. "Remember when Caitlin went.. " is not a spoiler, but ned dies and despite us finishing book 1 and him dyign in whatever book it is, it is something that can spoil things for people if they get into the books late. If you do not comply with the no spoiler policy - YOU WILL BE BANNED. I don't care how Assholey, douchebaggy type wildcards readers have to be, if you want to keep kicking new readers out and not letting them enjoy the book - go back to the bad thread. But me? I want to read the book. I've heard you guys rant and rave about it and I'm dying to see what it's like. For what ti's worth, I don't like his writing style so far but I'm getting through it "and this happened and then they did this, and then tha thappened, and then the sword dropped". It's like, god, shut up!
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May 19, 2010 07:39
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Like I said, I hated the prologue and almost called it quits after that. I'm not a fantasy fan to begin with, and starting off with some pretty stereotypical fantasy BS didn't do it for me. Plus, introducing the Others that early seemed to go against the grain of the slow-burning plot lines that make up the majority of the series. I thought things really started flowing in the first chapter Bran POV. It established what the Starks were all about and introduced a major element that indirectly affects how they progress through the series. It reminds me of the wedding scene in Godfather. I dig George's writing style. I'm not sure why exactly, but it just seems comfortable. He gives a lot of detail and passes on some pretty complex descriptions and ideas without it feeling like he's droning. The only other fantasy novels I've read were the Lord of the Rings books, and that was a major problem that I had with Tolkien.
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May 19, 2010 08:01
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To anyone who isn't sucked in by the beginning give it a little time. The beginning of all fantasy books are necessarily a bit expository with the worldbuilding but it gets really good, and just gets better and better. Please PLEASE don't spoil things guys. The developments in these books are some of the most clobbering twists and reversals I have ever read, and I am so angry that I had some of the significant deaths spoilered for me and I wish I could mindwipe myself and read them again or something. I would say keep the potential spoiler tagged stuff to a minimum just for the poor saps who will inevitably click on it. Stay the gently caress out of the other thread, and the TVIV thread for good measure. Also hahahahahah you loving suckers you are going to become insane like the rest of us, this isn't a book series it is a modern version of the King in Yellow!! MWAHAHAHAHA.
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May 19, 2010 08:18
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bengraven posted:Many or most of these [podcast] guys are Goons too. I'd love to find out who is who on here. Mostly because I have beef with a couple of them. I know names, but it'll cost ya!
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May 19, 2010 08:32
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I hope this draws in more people to read, things are getting a bit stale in the other thread. (Except for that mod challenge, that was  )
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May 19, 2010 08:55
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Also, don't worry about the spoilers now. They're gone.
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May 19, 2010 09:22
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Most of us WILD CARDS would give a lot to be in a newcomer's shoes. Though with the dark knowledge I now possess, I'm not sure if I would read it again or run the gently caress away. In my opinion ASOS is the best book of the lot - the series really only gets better (until AFFC), so enjoy it while it lasts!
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May 19, 2010 10:10
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Can we get a reread timetable going? I just finished the last of my stack of books and I now have nothing until the Dragon Tattoo series arrives (alternatively I could study for exams, but psssh) If nobody wants to write it up - X chapter by Y date - i don't mind giving it a shot.
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May 19, 2010 11:23
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Haraksha posted:I was very much not impressed with the first chapter. The prologue was alright, for what it was, but the first chapter felt so strange and forced to me. I guess that's because GRRM had a vision of this scene, and decided to construct the entire series around it, but it just feels forced. I've never liked the prologue and the first chapter. They make the books look like they're going to be terrible generic D&D fantasy, what with all the magic elements they dump on you in the first 20 pages. It gets better. Much better 
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May 19, 2010 11:34
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Dendra posted:Can we get a reread timetable going? I just finished the last of my stack of books and I now have nothing until the Dragon Tattoo series arrives (alternatively I could study for exams, but psssh) Send me the details and I'll have a look at it. Also - if ANYONE wants things put into the OP, send a PM to myself and/or Zombie dude, and we'll see if it gets to go in there. GRRM stuff - Zombie Dude Timeline stuff - Me Mod stuff - Me
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May 19, 2010 12:08
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I am going to do my 5th? 6th? readthrough with you guys! Crunch time is nearly over at work, so I'll have plenty of time to read!
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May 19, 2010 14:21
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Just got to read about the Eyrie (sp?) again this morning. That castle is so cool. Are there any pictures of it that GRRM had made for any of the fated calendars or anything?
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May 19, 2010 14:44
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Haraksha posted:I was very much not impressed with the first chapter. The prologue was alright, for what it was, but the first chapter felt so strange and forced to me. I guess that's because GRRM had a vision of this scene, and decided to construct the entire series around it, but it just feels forced. It took me a few weeks to choke through the first 80 or so pages and then a week to finish up the rest. I really, really struggled with the beginning, as a combination of just outright not knowing what was going on because of all the names, the prologue that never got revisited in a significant way, and the nagging 'what if it doesn't pick up' thought in the back of my head. It definitely gets better. It took me months to get my wife to read past the first 80 pages, but once she hit that part early on that hooked me (and I am sure many others) she took off at great speed. I just re-read the first book, but will hold off on the second for the re-read with this thread. Great idea and I hope those Wild Cards assholes can stay out instead of being complete dicks to people who are trying to enjoy the same thing that they enjoy.
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May 19, 2010 14:53
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Haraksha posted:I was very much not impressed with the first chapter. The prologue was alright, for what it was, but the first chapter felt so strange and forced to me. I guess that's because GRRM had a vision of this scene, and decided to construct the entire series around it, but it just feels forced. GRRM said his inspiration for the series was a flash of the scene with the stark kids in the snow with no context around it. He thought it would be a cool base for a fantasy story but shelved it until he was done working on another project (Beauty and the Beast?). That's probably why the beginning is rough in comparison to the later chapters.
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May 19, 2010 15:04
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I know very little about all this, but this sounds like fun, so I'll probably be joining in (albeit late - I have 2 other books that I have to finish before they're due back at the library). Also, I used to chat with GRRM on LiveJournal, but just because Sandkings is one of my favorite stories ever. I've never even read a book of his. 
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May 19, 2010 15:09
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I recently read A Game of Thrones for the first time just to see what all the fuss was about. My reaction was that it's a very well-plotted novel with lots of neat ideas (the whole concept of The Wall and the Night's Watch is just a great set-piece for fantasy of this nature), but the prose is nothing special and is often more than a bit sloppy. GRRM tends to "tell" rather than "show" with his characters, which is partly a symptom of POV and the little internal monologues he's so fond of, but it still comes off as lazy. On the other hand, because the writing is so straightforward the novel is very easy to get through. I found it to be a quick and fun read, and I think it'll probably translate very well into an HBO series. Also, when I signed up for a Wild Cards tag it was just being marketed as a general tag for TBB posters; I later discovered that it was a GRRM related thing, but I don't believe that having a Wild Cards tag necessarily indicates any particular familiarity with GRRM. Or am I way off base on that?
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May 19, 2010 15:51
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jmaze posted:Just got to read about the Eyrie (sp?) again this morning. That castle is so cool. Are there any pictures of it that GRRM had made for any of the fated calendars or anything? This year's calendar is actually 12 months of just castle paintings. The Eyrie is one of them, I don't believe it's been posted online yet. Just letting you know if you want to see, there will be a calendar.
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May 19, 2010 16:37
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jmaze posted:Just got to read about the Eyrie (sp?) again this morning. That castle is so cool. Are there any pictures of it that GRRM had made for any of the fated calendars or anything? bengraven posted:This year's calendar is actually 12 months of just castle paintings. The Eyrie is one of them, I don't believe it's been posted online yet. Just letting you know if you want to see, there will be a calendar.  Yes, yes, and yes. There is also a nice picture from within the sky cells, but it's mildly spoilery.
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May 19, 2010 17:36
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I had the opposite reaction to the prologue: it's what convinced me to keep reading. From the stereotypical set up, I knew what was going to happen. Some creepy poo poo was about to go down, then the cocky young upstart trying to command beyond his abilities would get his comeuppance, and the low-born but experienced characters would be vindicated. It was painfully apparent, which is why I usually can't finish fantasy tomes. Maybe it's my fault for having low expectations (though I also have to blame genre books for creating them), but I was really impressed when my predictions went so wrong. Looking back after all these years, the prologue is a good first example of why I like the series so much: most of what I think I know about fantasy is useless when it comes to ASoIaF.
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May 19, 2010 17:43
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Zombie Lincoln posted:
Cool. Thanks! Do you have a link to the picture from within the sky cells so I can see it? I wonder if we'll ever find out how they built the drat thing. Yeah, I agree with Crisco about the prologue. It hooked me, too. I agree that the story gets much much better after you get into the book, but the unexpectedness of how the prologue plays out interested me. edit: Is the door without a balcony that they "make people fly" from in the picture? I don't see it.
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May 19, 2010 17:50
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jmaze posted:Cool. Thanks! Do you have a link to the picture from within the sky cells so I can see it? I wonder if we'll ever find out how they built the drat thing. Avoid this link until after you've already been to the Ayrie, of house Arryn. Painting by Komarck of the sky cells. Not seeing the door as described in the books from this perspective. Perhaps omitted, or on the other side? Or just interpreted differently, and it's the set of doors nearest us. Zombie Lincoln fucked around with this message at 18:20 on May 19, 2010 |
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May 19, 2010 18:16
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Zombie Lincoln posted:Avoid this link until after you've already been to the Ayrie, of house Arryn. Painting by Komarck of the sky cells. Thats a pretty neat picture, kind of how I imagined it would look. Would be a creepy loving place to get sent too
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May 19, 2010 18:49
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I have been intending to re-read these for a while now and never got around to it. This thread is a good excuse! I shall join your quest.Unmistakeable Fire posted:Also hahahahahah you loving suckers you are going to become insane like the rest of us, this isn't a book series it is a modern version of the King in Yellow!! MWAHAHAHAHA. THIS.
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May 19, 2010 19:05
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Zombie Lincoln posted:I always thought the Eyrie was a smaller and scrubbier than this. Seems odd that a place like that would be (mild book 4, no major plot points) inhabited by like 5 people including servants but I guess winter is coming and those were unusual circumstances. Now that I look back I see the mention of seven towers and stuff, but I really just thought of it as a sort of overgrown mansion. I'd join ya'll in re-reading but I burned through all four books less than a month ago. Might be a little early for another run-through, but we'll see.
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May 19, 2010 19:59
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NmareBfly posted:I always thought the Eyrie was a smaller and scrubbier than this. Seems odd that a place like that would be (mild book 4, no major plot points) inhabited by like 5 people including servants but I guess winter is coming and those were unusual circumstances. Well, you have to remember that Lysa basicly alienated the whole Vale by being overprotective, and that the Arryns are the Wardens of the East, so they are "historicly" one of the five top political houses in Westeros.
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May 19, 2010 20:15
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Zombie Lincoln posted:
how is there a water fall at the top of a mountain?
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May 19, 2010 20:27
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Nebalebadingdong posted:how is there a water fall at the top of a mountain? I imagine it's something like this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angel_Falls
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May 19, 2010 20:40
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Quakerman posted:I imagine it's something like this That's on the edge of a plateau, not a mountain
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May 19, 2010 20:43
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Nebalebadingdong posted:how is there a water fall at the top of a mountain? Snow melt and glacial run-off.
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May 19, 2010 22:18
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A wizard did it. 
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May 19, 2010 22:30
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Zombie Lincoln posted:
Thanks! It's not really spoilery, I don't see anyone falling. And holy poo poo, where did you get that pic of the sky cell? Is there a good site to find these paintings?
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May 19, 2010 22:56
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ASOIAF is the last fantasy series I have ever read. I haven't been able to finish a classic fantasy novel since reading it. It has destroyed my love of fantasy novels because, in my opinion, I don't think anyone else could do it better. Martin captured everything I loved about fantasy, and got rid of all the poo poo I was tired of. I guess I'll do my second read through of the series while I try to keep the impending madness from waiting for the new books. Every time I go to the book store, I go and look sadly at the New Fiction section. I am always disappointed. Maybe this will help. Also, I had no idea Wild Cards was about ASOIAF. I probably qualify. Finally, awesome banner ad. Now to find my books...
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May 19, 2010 23:25
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I only just managed to power through A Feast for Crows a couple months ago. There are no words to describe how surprised I am that I'm about to do it again. Tally ho, you absolute fucker. (Seriously, the books are great, read them with us.)
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May 20, 2010 00:19
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Buck Lodestar posted:Also, when I signed up for a Wild Cards tag it was just being marketed as a general tag for TBB posters; I later discovered that it was a GRRM related thing, but I don't believe that having a Wild Cards tag necessarily indicates any particular familiarity with GRRM. Or am I way off base on that? It should, more accurately that you're a bitter shell of humanity filled with hatred and rage toward Gurm. But you're right it was marketed as a general TBB tag by whatever mod did it back then. Of course, those of us in "the bad thread" appreciate the irony of people sporting a tag that they have no idea the underlying terribleness of.
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May 20, 2010 00:29
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Ned is an honorable guy. Cat can be a bitch. Arya reminds me of my wife sometimes Sansa reminds me of my wife the other times Bran is awesome Jon is everyone's favorite character Tyrion is everyone's other favorite character Dany gets under my nerves at first, but I fell for her quickly
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May 20, 2010 00:42
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bengraven posted:Jon is everyone's favorite character He's the perfect archetypical hero. He has no place in a series like this and I hate him 
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May 20, 2010 01:10
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Zombie Lincoln posted:Avoid this link until after you've already been to the Ayrie, of house Arryn. Painting by Komarck of the sky cells. Remember, the Sky Cells are different from the Moon Door. The Mountain that kills then rapes is the best character.
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May 20, 2010 01:28
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By the way, for the newbs I didn't spoil anything in what I posted above. However, I spoil major things below. Elman posted:He's the perfect archetypical hero. He has no place in a series like this and I hate him He is his uncle's nephew. And you know what happened to his uncle, if the rumors of R+L=J are true. I think he's going to lose his head either literally or figuratively.
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May 20, 2010 01:33
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