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I personally think that's a big reason why so many love this series. Libby Send a noteboard - 11/07/2011 09:12:46 AM
Four books in and I have no idea what the point is. Sometimes its intriguing but for the most part its annoying. Every other book series I've read has had a clear hero, villain and "quest" right from the beginning of book 1. Wheel of time has Rand needing to reseal the bore. Sword of truth had Richard stopping Darken Rahl, then Jagang. The belgariad had Garion trying to defeat Torak. The lord of the rings had Frodo trying to destroy the ring and evade Sauron. Harry pottery has Voldemort. A song of ice and fire has a bunch of morally grey characters that may die at any point of any novel. There is no main character, no main villain and no big goal or quest. So far.
/rant


There's no main quest here, there's no main hero. The thing about Martin, reading aSoIaF is a little like commanding a battle: you're always reconnoitering, trying to guess where the author will go next, what's a feint and where the action is really heading. I don't know when I have ever been as comprehensively and pleasurably outgeneraled as I am when I read Martin. He raises and raises the stakes, long past when any other writer would have walked away from the table, and just when you think he's done, he goes all in. There is, apparently, no piece he will not sacrifice, no character that you love so much that he will not orchestrate that character's doom.

The complexity of Martin's design ensures that we experience the struggle for Westeros from all sides at once. It's as if he's trying to show us that every fight is both triumph and tragedy, depending on where you see it from, and everybody is both hero and villain at the same time. Or maybe not even that.
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I personally think that's a big reason why so many love this series. - 11/07/2011 09:12:46 AM 881 Views
Hear hear!!! - 21/07/2011 04:21:47 AM 907 Views
Well... - 18/07/2011 07:38:28 AM 829 Views
Interesting... - 21/07/2011 04:23:04 AM 840 Views

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