[0359][作废]Reading A Game of Thrones

After Ajun introduced the TV series “Game of Thrones” to me several months ago, I thought it should be full of demons and monsters, then felt disappointed to give it up as watched first two seasons. When a lot of talks and remarks about season five were full around me, I regained some interests in it soon and watched last three seasons. The story is very complex and various, seems even no protagonists to be set for surely, weird. When decision of improving my English by reading long story was made, George R. R. Martin’s fantasy novel “A Song of Ice and Fire” should not be a bad choice.

I’ll make some notes  when read it, and copy a few details that seems important or interesting.

1.   About the marriage between Ned Stark and Catelyn Tully

Eddard Stark had married her in Brandon’s place, as custom decreed, but the shadow of his dead brother still lay between them, as did the other, the shadow of the woman he would not name, the woman who had borne him his bastard son.

1.1   Why does Ned refuse to reveal who’s Jon Snow’s mother ? In chapter 12, Robert talked about  a wench named Wylla whom Ned ever had affairs with, Ned always was too hard on himself, except this time.  He thought it dishonored him and his family, but loved his bastard son as a trueborn one. And Jon is more like Ned than other brothers. But, who’s Jon Snow’s mother still a myth.

2.  Affections between Jon and Arya looks deeper, Arya showered him with kisses when he leaved Winterfell.

3.  What’s the Hand of the King ?

The Hand of the King was the second-most powerful man in the Seven Kingdoms. He spoke with the King’s voice, commanded the king’s armies, drafted the king’s laws. At times he even sat upon the Iron Throne to dispense king’s justice, when the king was absent, or sick, or otherwise indisposed. Robert was offering him a responsibility as large as the realm itself.

The King dreams, the Hand builds.

Suddenly I realized that “a game of thrones” should be described as a game of Kings and Hands of the King.

4.  Some counsel Tyrion Lannister gave Jon Snow

Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armor yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you.

All dwarfs may be bastards, yet not all bastards need be dwarfs.

What a tragedy to be a bastard ! And more than a tragedy to be a dwarf in Tyrion’s heart.

4.1  “Why do you read so much ?” Jon asked Tyrion, and Tyrion told him a lot words below:

… and you’re taller than I will ever be. My legs are short and twisted, and I walk with difficulty. I require a special saddle to keep from falling off my horse. A saddle of my own design, you may be interested to know. It was either that or ride a pony. My arms are strong enough, but again, too short. I will never make a swordsman. Had I been born a peasant, they might have left me out to die, or sold me to some slaver’s grotesquerie. Alas, I was born a Lannister of Casterly Rock, and the grotesqueries are all the poorer. Things are expected of me. My father was the Hand of the King for twenty years. My brother later killed that very same king, as it turns out, but life is full of these little ironies. My sister married the new king and my repulsive nephew will be king after him. I must do my part for the honor of my House, wouldn’t you agree ? Yet how ? Well, my legs may be too small for my body, but my head is to large, although I prefer to think it is just large enough for my mind. I have a realistic grasp of my own strengths and weaknesses. My mind is my weapon. My brother has his sword, King Robert has his warhammer, and I have my mind … and a mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge. That’s why I read so much, Jon Snow.

Most men would rather deny a hard truth than face it.

But both guys are not most men, and Jon said “If that’s what it is, that’s what it is”, meant he would make himself be a real Night’s Watch.

5.  Tyrion told Jeffrey the prince to comfort the Starks for Blan’s falling accident, slapped Jeffery  twice for his refusal. Tyrion said:

You tell your mother, but first you get yourself to Lord and Lady Stark, and you fall to your knees in front of them, and you tell them how very sorry you are, and that you are at their service if there is the slightest thing you can do for them or theirs in this desperate hour, and that all your prayers go with them. Do you understand ? Do you ?

Tyrion looks like a thorn around people.

6. The hatred between the Lannisters and the Starks

Lannisters murdered Blan one more time for keeping the secret of Lannister twins, but failed, which reminded Lady Stark about her sister’s conjecture that the former Hand Lord Arryn was murdered by Lannisters.

The casual conflict between Jeffrey and Arya put the Starks in danger, and caused Sansa’s Lady the direwolf and that butcher’s boy died.

7.  The three-eyed crow told Blan in his dream must live because winter’s coming, then we know Blan have to shoulder a burden of saving the world.

8. Who’s Littlefinger the Lord of Coin?

Catelyn told those below: He was my father’s ward. We grew up together in Riverrun. I thought of him as a brother, but his feelings for me were … more than brotherly. When it was announced that I was to wed Brandon Stark, Petyr challenged for the right to my hand. It was madness. Brandon was twenty, Petyr scarcely fifteen. I had to beg Brandon to spare Petyr’s life. He let him off with a scar. Afterward my father sent him away. I have not seen him since.

9. Lonely Jon on the Wall

He missed his true brothers: little Rickon, bright eyes shining as he begged for a sweet; Robb, his rival and best friend and constant companion; Bran, stubborn and curious, always wanting to follow and join in whatever Jon and Robb were doing. He missed the girls too, even Sansa, who never called him anything but “my half brother” since she was old enough to understand what bastard meant. And Arya … he missed her even more than Robb, skinny little thing that she was, all scraped knees and tangled hair and torn clothes, so fierce and willful. Arya never seemed to fit, no more than he had … yet she could always make Jon smile. He would give anything to be with her now, to muss up her hair once more and watch her make a face, to hear her finish a sentence with him.

Obviously, Jon missed Arya much more than other brothers and sister.

10. Winter’s coming and the Night’s Watch is dying

The Lord Commander Mormont said to Tyrion: The Night’s Watch is dying. Our strength is less than a thousand now. Six hundred here, two hundred in the Shadow Tower, even fewer at Eastwatch, and a scant third of those fighting men. The Wall is a hundred leagues long. Think on that.

In two years I will be seventy. Too old to weary for the burden I bear, yet if I set it down, who will pick it up ?

 11. Lonely Arya in King’s Landing

She wanted to tease Bran and play with baby Rickon and have Robb smile at her. She wanted Jon to muss up her hair and call her “little sister” and finish her sentences with her. But  all of them were gone. She had no one left but Sansa, and Sansa wouldn’t even talk to her unless Father made her.

To be continued.

Notice: Indenting paragraphs are quoted.