Well, I squeezed it in, just under the wire. Even if it took me until 2 in the morning.
I finished A Feast for Crows last night and I have to say, I’m a little disappointed.
The story was fantastic. The characters just keep improving. I think that adding the points of view that he did really added richness to the story. Everybody has a motivation and, right or wrong, you can see how they came to it.
My disappointment comes from the fact that it took Martin this long between A Storm of Swords and A Feast for Crows and even if he finishes A Dance with Dragons within the next two years, it’s likely going to be four years after that before the next one comes out. I think that some of my favourite storylines won’t be continued for six years.
Nothing that happened in this story surprised me. I didn’t see any of it coming but I never do. On the other hand, I’ve come to understand Martin’s writing style a little more and there were no shocks.
There wasn’t a real ending to this book. I mean, in A Game of Thrones, you had Ned, A Storm of Swords had the Red Wedding and Tywin Lannister on the crapper. (I don’t really remember A Clash of Kings and its ending very well but I think there was something with Jon Snow beyond the Wall). That said, what I’ve read has made me want to read A Dance with Dragons, very much.
Now.
46 to go!
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The fact he gives chapters from every major character's viewpoint is one reason why, for me anyway, his series kills The Wheel of Time. Anyway, I look forward to reading this latest one.
I dunno. I like Martin for what he does but everything's so goddamned cynical. Anyone who's in love is clearly an idiot and a very ignoble end is waiting just around the corner.
That much misery is rough.
I like Jordan because of the epic struggle between good and evil. Sure, the minor players are blurred but there is a definite good and a definite evil and they're going to clash.
I understand that Martin has brought realism to his stories with nobody being truly evil and everything being just a point of view. I appreciate it. I also really appreciate Jordan's storytelling. It's not as close to reality but, hey, this is fantasy.
I'm a big fan of "shades of grey."
What I garner from this bit of conversation is that I should pick up some of Mr. Martin's novels.
I dunno', I probably prefer Martin's novels, at least in part, because aside from a few books I've read, I'm not a huge fan of the fantasy genre in general. So, I found myself becoming a little frustrated with Wheel of Time, because it seemed like a lot of things happened in that book "Just...because they happened like this! Yeah!" It fell back on fate a little too often for my liking. But, the guy CAN write, especially descriptions of scenes.
Anyway, if I ever get some time, I can polish off the book I'm currently reading, then start on Feast for Crows.
Time is for chumps.
I disagree that he falls back on fate too much.
Granted, the taveren thing allows for some cheesy escapes but I think that Jordan has resisted temptation in that and actually used it to hinder his characters as much as help them. I don't think that his story is fake in terms of causation, just in terms of GOOD and EVIL.
But that's just me.
I FINALLY had some time to read last night...curse you, Liam, and your inspiring tales of the joys of literacy!
The only other major complaint I had about the Wheel books was...it seemed like he'd write about 800 or so well-paced pages, then suddenly realize "Oh, crap, this is gettin' long!", have every major character pop up in one town, a big battle, and that's the book in the final 100 or so pages. The pacing of the endings seemed to be a little off.
And for Chrissakes, at some point, some of these people have to DIE. They've all suffered so many mortal wounds, they no longer contain any functional body organs!
I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree.
I think that the buildup to his climaxes is quite good. Book 3 tended to be a little forced, with everyone ending up at the Stone of Tear all at once but I really like the way it was done.
After that, everyone's pretty much split up throughout the series.
Did you get past book 3?
Well, like I said, the BUILDUP part is done quite well...then everything just asll seems to happen in about 25 pages. Oh well.
I made it through book 4, then just gave up. It was one of only 2 times a book(or series of books) has defeated me.
Hey, if it means anything, I DID enjoy those 4 books better than my other literary defeat, Bill Clinton's horribly written piece of crap autobiography!
On another sort-of Robert Jordan note...there was a picture of George R.R. Martin in the Journal yesterday with a short interview. I was amused to notice he looks almost as hickish as Robert Jordan does. I guess, the more backwoods rube-like your fantasy author, the better his material.
Hmm... good point. I should work on my beard...
You also need one of those weird hats those guys wear. You know...they really can't be described as anything but a 'hick hat'. Oh, and overalls, too. A stalk of grass or wheat in your mouth wouldn't hurt, either.
Greg Keyes, who wrote The Briar King and The Charnel Prince is a hick. Like a God's-honest hick. And he's a good writer.
That's it, I need me a thingy of wheat.
And a banjo. That's a must.
A reasonable substitute would be a fiddle. Or a washboard. Doesn't get hickier than using a washboard for music.
Having read half of Feast for Crows, I'm diggin' it. Although, I do miss Tyrion.
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