ithildin | A Game of Thrones

Since several people had good things to say, and since it's going to be a mini series, I ordered 'A Game of Thrones', which arrived yesterday. And I was enjoying it, thinking I might order the second one, until....

My favourite character was killed off. Now I'm kinda meh about the whole thing. Not sure wicked queen [insert dire music] and presumably, the spunky younger daughter posing as a boy to escape the wicked queen/avenge her father (it just seems like the fantasy novel cliched sorta thing that one expects) is going to hold my interest through three more very long books. And from what I understand, the series isn't even finished yet.

So tell me, is it worth plugging away? I'm almost done, so I will at least finish the first one. I'm kind of bummed, since I really did think the series had promise.

at least tell me that there's no posing as a boy!

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Well, I have all that's been written so far, and I have to say I do keep enjoying it - though I had a kind of similar reaction to yours when the first killings of main characters started. I'm probably lucky because the one I like most is still alive, so far. The thing is, a lot of chars that maybe would not be expected to die per 'general average fantasy bookverse rules' do die in this series, I think the author has even declared somewhere that he kind of likes killing them off, or does not mind, or something. In a way, it does make the world feel more real - which I like-, OTOH, well, if you're well into your nice escapist fantasy place, and your best beloved char gets whacked, well, um, ow. (Which, btw, is why I'm mildly surprised at the squee about some casting spoilers - I'm maybe old-fashioned, but I'm not sure that a naked lovescene with a nice actor makes up for the char dying soonish.)
Though, just as a heads up - there will be new characters brought in, also - so maybe you'll find another one to carry your interest (of course, nothing says they won't be killed at some point either).
So, I'm kind of ambivalent on the series - I love the world he builds, but I'm kind of careful not to get too attached to the characters. Not sure yet what my 'ultimate verdict' will be *grin*, but I still plan to buy all the books that come out. I'll likely never be as passionate about it as I'm, say, about the LOTR, but ... I do like it. Despite (or maybe because) it is also rather easy to get lost in the vast maze of characers and storylines:) I've found that it is more rewarding for me to read that book as a vast 'history/saga' thing, moving from an upper layer, so to speak, to a lower one (to get primarily into the 'flow of history' and have the rooting for a character or other as a secondary layer). If I read it as an ongoing, developing, unfolding thing, losing chars I love would dampen my enjoyment too much. If I read it as if an already-happened chronicles, it somehow helps, while still enabling me to care about a character.

I think the author has even declared somewhere that he kind of likes killing them off, or does not mind, or something.

*Nods.* He's said he enjoys killing them off. I don't remember if I saw it in a TIME Magazine piece on the series or somewhere else, but it pretty well guaranteed that I will never read the series.

In a way, it does make the world feel more real...

I never trust talk about character death making something "real". I've seen unrealistic heavy-handed use of character death defended that way too many times. Realism is more than a matter of having someone die. Yes people die, but not everyone all the time. From what I've heard about the series it sounds to me like the author is more interested in the "drama" of a lot of character death than he is in actual realism.

Yeah, I mostly don't trust killing charaters as a sole prop for realism either, but to be honest, actually, in this series, so far to me (as loath I may be to admit it), the deaths do make sense - I mean, they actually do advance plot and serve the story. I haven't reached the point yet where I'd feel that it is overused. It may have something to do with the fact that in most 'conventional' fantasy/sci-fi works I do feel sometimes that killing the 'redshirts' while the main characters always escape (or killing their friends etc) is a)getting old b)implausible c)disrespectful to the redshirts, it's kind of positing that some persons are more worthy of life than the others.
I do dislike killing of a beloved main character just to get a deeper reaction out of the audience, but in the case of George R.R. Martin, I'd have to admit he did not surprise me too nastily in a very late phase (like maybe some other creative minds tend to do, recently) of the story, in this universe, it's pretty much down from rather early on that no-one is immune to being killed.
Like I said, I'm not yet sure how exactly I feel about it,and it certainly does not fill the escapism niche for me, but I do admit to liking it as a work of fantasy lit nevertheless. Of course, I'm also someone that loves well-written realistic deathfics in fanfic (though they're not my comfort read, I go looking for them when I feel the need to sort of stretch myself).

...they actually do advance plot and serve the story.

Firstly, let me repeat something I've said elsewhere in this thread -- character death is something I'm very particular about. It can be done very well. I think Boromir's death in the Lord of the Rings is an example of it being well done. But, it can also be terribly overused. I've gotten the impression directly from George R.R. Martin that he overuses character death simply because he can.

Secondly, just as I dislike character death as a realism prop, I equally dislike it as a plot/story prop. I don't approve of a character, any character since you mentioned 'redshirts,' having their whole life be reduced to a plot device/story prop. I don't see that as realistic. For me, it too clearly shows the author's hand, and reduces the characters to chess pieces in the story rather than organic parts of the narrative.

It may have something to do with the fact that in most 'conventional' fantasy/sci-fi works I do feel sometimes that killing the 'redshirts' while the main characters always escape...

I could tolerate the only character deaths being 'redshirts' if I felt authors could consistently make clear which characters are doomed 'redshirts' versus who are the safe sacred regulars. The problem I have is that too many authors seem either inconsistent about it, or just plain poor at writing 'redshirts.' As far as I'm concerned once an author's allowed a character to grow outside of the tight little box in which 'redshirts' should stay they need to then treat the character as more than an expendable chess piece. The character's life should be valued.

I do dislike killing of a beloved main character just to get a deeper reaction out of the audience ... I'd have to admit he did not surprise me too nastily in a very late phase (like maybe some other creative minds tend to do, recently)...

*Nods.* I HATE writers that pull that stunt. I've crossed Kim Harrison off of my reading list for it, and I'm still grieving the loss of Ianto Jones on Torchwood. One of the things that has kept my anger about the treatment of Ianto Jones up is the talk of everyone dying young in the series without acknowledgment of the characters that have been brought back from the dead on the show, or of Gwen Cooper not only having protected status but having been given Rhys back in "End of Days".

...it certainly does not fill the escapism niche for me...

For me that's all I really need to hear. Ultimately I read/watch fiction to feel better. It can contain heartbreak, but in the end I want to feel better not worse. A story that kills off the wrong character, or too many characters too easily isn't a story that will make me feel better.

Of course, I'm also someone that loves well-written realistic deathfics in fanfic...

I'd say the keywords there are "well-written realistic," since I'd say a deathfic that meets those standards is one where a character may die, but they are still very much a part of the story. The story is in a way all about them. There's nothing cheap about the death.

I'm maybe old-fashioned, but I'm not sure that a naked lovescene with a nice actor makes up for the char dying soonish.)

So he dies too, huh?

I figure characters will die, but the person I saw as sort of the 'main' character. and so soon. kind of threw me.

I may read more at a later date, but I went from 'oh, I need to order the second one now!' to 'maybe I'll get it one day'.