It is a truly excellent book, but I must say I was very surprised by the Red Wedding. Killing off three major characters, and two of them viewpoint characters at that! Robb is one thing, his King-in-the-North shtick was never that amusing, but I had grown fond of Arya. As for Catelyn, oh well, she didn't have so much function outside of whining, but I had rather expected her to be reunited with her daughters at least. Surprises! I wonder if Jon Snow can make his claim to King-in-the-North stick?
Posted by Carrie (Member # 394) on :
Three? Erm... really? Methinks you need to keep reading...
The Red Wedding is one of the hardest scenes to read for me - ever.
Posted by MightyCow (Member # 9253) on :
Yes, that was a nasty scene, but I do appreciate that Martin is willing to kill off key characters. Keeps you on your toes.
Absolutely keep reading. The books continue with their excellent stories, but you're in for some impressive surprises. Not all is as it seems.
Posted by Rakeesh (Member # 2001) on :
Yes indeed, things are not necessarily what they seem, KoM. For two of the characters you just mentioned, things are definitely not what they seem. Quite the opposite, in fact.
The fates of Eddard and Robb Stark do raise an interesting question though, don't they? Which is more ethical? Sticking to one's principles no matter what, thus leading to immense suffering for others? Had Eddard been willing to mingle just a little true pragmatism into his stiff Northern honor, he and most-perhaps all-of his family would probably still be alive. Had Robb been willing to do the same, the Red Wedding would never have happened.
But, both men did behave honorably, yes? Tricky tricky tricky. The Red Wedding--even though I saw some disaster befalling the Starks, after Robb's breaking of the promise with Frey--was a real shocker.
If it makes you feel better, keep reading. It's not just the Starks who suffer and die!
Posted by Xavier (Member # 405) on :
I didn't throw the book, but I did stop reading and paced angrily for a while.
Robb was my favorite character. I cheered him at the end of Game of Thrones, and I further cheered as he won battle after battle. Then he gets his head cut off .
I think partly I was upset because Eddard had died, Robb had died, Bran was a cripple (and therefor infertile), leaving no viable Stark lord but Rickon, who was like 4 years old.
But yes, keep reading KOM, and then go read my spoiler thread: Spolier Thread
There may be at least one complete shocker in there. You may figure it out for yourself (but I didn't). It involves a major plot mystery, and the answer is clearly true once you hear it.
Edit: The thread was made before AFFC came out, and none of the theories mentioned on the first page were really were proved or disproved, that I can remember.
Feel free to read the thread after ASOS
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
I actually did throw the book. It's the only time I've ever done that, actually.
Of course, then I walked across the room, picked it up, read until the end of the book, and felt all bothered by having to wait as long as 6 months for the next book in the series (this was in 2002).
Posted by Megan (Member # 5290) on :
I did, too. I'm glad I kept reading, but man...that was rough reading there.
Meanwhile, the next book needs to come out now.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
I did not throw the book. I did, however, briefly look up from the book to look at my wife, who has yet to read these books, to say "You would have thrown this book just now."
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
I never could get over my anger at Catelyn for abandoning her youngest children in order to go down to Kingstown and then to help her eldest campaign for war.
Posted by Rakeesh (Member # 2001) on :
For me, it was her treatment of Jon Snow. Was her venom...perhaps hatred would be a better word...plausible and believable in the character? Definitely. But still, wrong.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
My favorie character died in the first book.
Posted by Rakeesh (Member # 2001) on :
Viserys? Posted by King of Men (Member # 6684) on :
Ok, so I've read on a bit. Bah, Martin shouldn't scare people like that, when 'his axe took her in the back of the head' and it's the Hound wielding the axe, she should be dang well dead. Grumble.
Posted by Carrie (Member # 394) on :
*cough*
Keep going, my friend.
Posted by Rakeesh (Member # 2001) on :
You've got the answer to the problem you're complaining about right there in your post, KoM Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :
lol
just wait....
Posted by Snowman (Member # 10426) on :
Spoiler warning! You must have finished A STORM OF SWORDS to read on, or you must not care.
Arya is my favorite character, so that part scared me, but I knew she was important to the story, so I kinda figured she would live. Now that I just finished the fourth book, I'm dying for Martin to release the next book. After what he pulled off in book two, thinking he had offed both Rickon and Bran, I knew that Catelyn had lived as well. Because it didn't actually show her death scene. OK, I was wrong, but still, I was so happy when she started getting her vengeance on the Frey's.
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