Be Careful What You Wish For . . . Or, Another Game of Thrones Read-Through Update

Cersei Lannister by Lee Moyer

By Steven McLain

I've been making my way through Game of Thrones rather glacially, I have to admit.  But bear in mind that it's the holiday season and this book hasn't really inspired me to keep reading.  But I made a commitment, dang it, and I'm going to finish the book. 

From sort of a philosophical perspective, I have to admit that I like the book.  I mean, I like idea of the book.  Political intrigue, dragons (sort of), impending doom, and the walking dead (Maybe.  They seem to have been forgotten).  I like the idea of the whole thing, but the book just doesn't seem to live up to the promise.  I'm well into the five hundredth page, and things are kind of getting rolling.  Eddard Stark is undeniably the protagonist, at this point.  So, at least I've identified a protagonist.  You might call Caetlyn a protagonist as well, but we don't get a lot from her point-of-view and she seems strangely passive, regardless.

The difficulty in finding the book's protagonist is one thing; without that emotional hook of a clearly defined character that the reader can sympathize with, the book stands entirely on plot.  And there's not a lot of that.  I really am surprised that this book did as well as it has.  Maybe the late 90s was just one of those periods were not a lot was going on, and Game of Thrones is at least a mediocre story with professional writing.  I don't know.

***Watch out!  SPOILERS ahead!!!***

Daenerys by John Picocio

Okay, let's see what's been going on.  The King threw a tournament; Caetlyn brought Eddard a knife implicating Tyrion in the botched assassination of Bran; Sansa doesn't cry (interestingly, the hinge on which the story turns); Arya discovers a plot against her father, but her father dismisses it; Daenerys gets pregnant, eats a horse heart, and watches her brother drown in boiling gold; Caetlyn captures Tyrion; Jaime Lannister attacks Eddard, kills his men, and flees; Eddard tries to keep the peace, discovers that Cersei and Jaime are lovers, and that the prince is their offspring.

Have I missed anything?  I'm sure I have.  Tyrion is getting on my nerves, but at least he's doing things.  I imagine that pretty soon civil war will erupt in the land, Eddard will be killed and the next book will be just as emotionally disengaged as this book.  

Emotional distance might be my biggest complaint about this book actually.  Without that clear protagonist, I'm not sure who to be rooting for, and I'm left to the caprice of the plot, which is little more than an intellectual exercise in this novel, a lot like watching chess.  I can sort of see why people like these books, but I'm just a little flummoxed at their overwhelming success.  Oh well.  It takes all types.  

I'm at least nearing the end, so I should have a review for you in the next few weeks (if I manage to power through in the next couple of days).