@Elena

You are really missing out here. You are _supposed_ to get attached to the characters, specifically so you can be crushed when bad things happen to them. That’s one of the strongest parts of the experience. You shouldn’t avoid it.

Love them anyhow. Honest — you won’t wind up feeling betrayed. You may always wonder what happened to a particular character… if only…

But I think Martin does a good job of showing that it’s not “who wins the game of thrones” but how they play that matters.

I was doing the “gotta read ahead!” with Dany’s chapters the first time round.

I loled at this. Ahahaha.

@Elena

I’ve been seeing so many reviews for the TV show warning people “Don’t get too invested in the characters! They might die at any time!” It really bothers me. Yes, some characters die, and because the series is so well written, some of the deaths are surprising, even shocking. But that is the best thing about the books!

The first time I read the series there were moments that left me feeling like I’d been punched in the stomach. I was shocked, I was angry, but more than anything, I was amazed that I was able to have such a strong, visceral reaction to something that was happening to these fictional characters in an imaginary world. I still remember those moments vividly, where I was and what I was doing as I was reading those chapters. It’s the reason I love the books so much. And it was only because I was invested in the characters that I was able to have that reaction to the story.

If you’re not feeling a certain POV, that’s fine, we all have some characters we like more than others. But if you’re deliberately trying to distance yourself from them because you’re afraid GRRM will kill them off, all I can say is STOP IT! Get invested in the characters! Love them! You’ll be glad you did.

I found Dany interesting *because* she was so removed from what was going on in the other parts of the book. I immediately felt that GRRM was telling us- this person is important! Whether or not Dany actually is important to the story remains to be seen of course (How could she not be though!). Ah well.

*** SPOILERS ***

I disagree that we immediately know Viserys isn’t important because his story is from Dany’s persepctive. I don’t think it’s clear at this point because many of the major players do not get their own perspective. No Jaime until ASOS, no Cersei until AFFC, no Robert, no Stannis, no Robb, etc. Often, we view kings, queens, and other people of power through the point of view of someone else.

And I think it does temporarily distract us from Dany. I remember thinking that Dany might be there to provide a reason for the Dothraki to invade the seven kingdoms and that Drogo was going to be a lot more important than he turns out to be. I view it in a similar light to Jaime tossing Bran out that window. I think that act distracts us from immediately thinking through the possible consequences of the twincest; namely, that the royal children are not in fact Robert’s kids.

Maybe it’s the way I devoured the books chapter after chapter when I first read them and maybe it’s the way my mind works but I think Viserys is an effective smokescreen because the reader is thinking that Viserys is important and Dany is our eye on him and when it becomes clear that he is not it is easier to shift one’s thinking to Dany being an eye on someone else important rather than rethinking the basic assumption that Martin sets us up with. As always, YMMV

*** END SPOILERS ***

well, i certainly got more interested in reading after last night’s ep caught me up on at least 1 story thread. was pissed when chapters went bran ned jon ned. damn, not another damn ned chapter! can’t read that till i’ve thought about his last one. so perhaps that’s exactly the mood i’m feeling. 🙂

as to investment…i say we blame joe abercrombie. he taught me not to invest in characters in a world where i know things will inevitably end badly for at least some of them. lolz

Reality Grill, there is the vaguest of possibilities that I can keep my reading ahead of the series, if not our posting (unlikely given how busy my life is, but i have to admit i’ve been more interested in reading now that the show is nipping at my heels), but from what i can see of the series there are a lot of subtle changes that could make for an interesting “wait wait what” kind of reaction even if i think i know what’s coming. You might keep checking in on us and see….

I *like* several of them, but I can’t love them. Not when as far as I’m concerned every single character has a giant battle axe over their head that could drop at any moment. when the last book is written and i know who makes it, THEN i can fall in love with some of them!

@Kim and @Elena

Agreed. Give yourself permission to become invested in the characters. Don’t try to save yourself from frustration. Throw all the dire warnings from us re-readers out of your mind. We’re just having noob fun. Clearly there is something to love or we wouldn’t all still be here! I think you’ll get far more from the stories if you are able to loathe and love without trying to check yourself.

Perhaps there’s a little bit of GoT burnout happening, with the tv show and the podcast and the read thru. I think since the show has officially caught up with us that you’ll start feeling more uh.. refreshed?

***Spoilers***

@EvilClosetMonkey

I agree with you to a point. But do you really think Viserys takes the focus off of Dany? Nothing is from his perspective.. we sort of know immediately that Viserys isn’t as important as Dany is because of that. But I DO like that Viserys really is the only view we get of the old-school Tagaryens. It’s hard to understand why Rhaegar was so well-loved when all you have is his horrific little brother as an example.

But he was well-loved. If Illyrio and Varys and Jorah and all the old Targaryen loyalists are still loyal to the Targaryens it’s not because of Aerys. That’s for damn sure!

You like Arya, right? Or Sansa? Or Tyrion? Or Jon? someone, here?

*** SPOILERS ***

I think Viserys’s main role in the story is to be a red herring. He’s the exiled prince bent on returning to avenge his family and we slowly start to realize that he’s not only a giant dick but no one his going to follow him because he’s really pretty pathetic. Soon his story comes to an end and we know that the exiled prince storyline is a non-starter. Not only is this classic story arc a non-starter but he’s served two other purposes. He’s helped plant the idea in our head that the Targaryen’s were every bit as bad as Robert thinks and he has distracted us from the fact that Dany’s story is the real one about the exiled royal seeking to reclaim her stolen throne.

*** END SPOILERS ***