A Song of Ice and Fire - part two
I actually bought the gigantic 5th book already, which in its giganticness and hardcover-ness cost as much as the four previous books together. Yes, I’ll angst about it a little bit, because I glanced through the book and there seemed to be a LOT of Dany. Well, at least I’m not in THAT much of a hurry to start. I need to finish rereading the 7th Harry Potter book before seeing the film first. :)
So the ramble is still based on the four first books… and really only on the characters. :)
When it come to the characters in this series I don’t have massive hate or love for any. Okay, I really detest Dany, but that’s mainly because I find her characterisation… quite bad. What I mean is, that since so many characters do a lot of despicable things, I can’t really condemn one and then forgive the other, since it doesn’t seem “fair” to me. Basically, I like the characters mainly because of their interesting portrayal in the books, not because I think they’d be wonderful people in real life. Granted, I am drawn to the personalities as well and will dislike others because of their personalities, but for me it’s not the only defining factor. Neither is whether they’re more good or more evil, because who can really tell, anyway? It depends how you want to judge(and yes, I’ll judge my way ;) ) The characters do a lot of questionable things, make a lot of stupid decisions, but I like seeing and understanding what’s behind their actions, what actually motivates them to do the things to do and take them as far as they do. Even among the worst cases they still have their redeeming qualities (well, maybe not Joffrey, or the Mountain, but they don’t have POVs, so what do we really know?) and even the more moral ones are far from saints. (besides little kids like Myrcella and Tommen..) I will hate some of my favourite characters from time to time and love some I don’t really care for. And of course… there are those I just love to hate. ;) I did watch most of the TV series first before I read the books, so it definitely influenced me a bit. ;)
I love that we’re provided with different points of view, although I would have preferred some of my favourite characters to have their share as well! Not a single Baratheon or Tyrell has had one, and they’re among my favourite houses! Actually my fave is the Baratheon/Lannister/Tyrell combo. ;) To me they’re the most interesting ones with their ambition and dubious intentions and scheming and ambiguousness. They’re pretty much left, right and centre of the power struggle going on, and in many ways might be portrayed as antagonists. (Although, it’s up to interpretation. They’re more likely antagonists to each other) I also really like the Greyjoys and their impressive ruthlessness and emotional strength.
The Starks don’t really get to me as much. I don’t dislike them or anything, but I tend to not go with the characters I’m “supposed to root for” (I don’t liked being told what to do). Granted, they’re less “in your face” compared to a lot of fictional heroes or antiheroes, but to me they’re the most boring of the lot and I find less interest in the plights of the underdogs that are destined to triumph anyway, because destiny or whatever says so, which is why I greatly appreciate some of the twists the author has bestowed upon us. I don’t feel nearly as certain as I normally do about the great triumph in the end. I could actually see it not happening, and I hope it doesn’t. Two characters in particular seem to be in a designated hero and heroine status and destined for something big and epic. (I’m really, really hoping it won’t end up horribly clichéd... I mean, it can’t be THAT obvious??)
Although, I actually like Jon Snow. He’s an underdog even among the underdogs, and is pretty good at screwing up and acting like a moron, but he gets called out on his crap and actually learns not to be an annoying jerk. (At least at the beginning) However, while he started off as my favourite character slowly slipping into one of the faves, he eventually started to get quite boring and just a little clichéd. As a person he is a lot less interesting and a bit generic.... An overall decent, heroic and awesome guy, who still has to learn before he can become the hero and leader he was destined to be and who hardly faces consquences for his actions and survives perilous situations… I probably can’t dislike him though, because I liked him SO much at the beginning. (His convos with Tyrion just warmed my heart) It’s incredibly rare for me(not sure if it has ever even happened) that my favourite character slips into oblivion. And that’s NOT a good thing. At all.
When it comes do Dany… for me it’s sad that’s she’s such a central character, because, she’s the only character I actually dislike. And I mean, REALLY dislike. Her story is not only boring and too detached from the rest, but she’s been set up as much too powerful to root for. A (VERY) beautiful heroine with the “blood of the dragon”, magical powers and her own dragons, who gains even from screwing up and it’s circumstances rather than her own actions getting her in a privileged position. She’s a (self-proclaimed) queen on a quest to “take back the throne” and obviously she gets a whole bunch of devoted followers (to do her dirty work), because she’s just that awesome? Whatever Mary Sue Dany, I don’t care. Unless you fail or become a villain. THAT would be interesting. Oh yeah.. she’s only like 15, and at 14 she was still a scared little girl. Believable character development is interesting, sudden enlightenment and skills out of nowhere with a personality change? Not so much. The delusions of grandeur and everyone’s readiness to drop at her feet just get on my nerves and aside from her astounding beauty(bleeh), I can’t see why all these characters are worshiping her??? She’s entitled, self-centred, deluded, self-righteous and selfish (which IMO make her more interesting). To be fair, her own agenda aside, she has some good intentions and genuine compassion, but she seems to get away with a lot of dubious stuff. Nobody calls her out on her underhanded dealings or her hypocrisy. (Are we supposed to feel that her actions are justified, since those who oppose her are conveniently “more evil”?) I do understand why people like this character, but to me being boringly awesome and getting things too easily, together with an unpleasant personality is just incredibly off-putting.
On to the rest…. there are so many, that I’m just going with favourites and important characters.
Favourites:
Tyrion
I think he could be raised even as one of the designated heroes, based on his relevance in the whole story, but his route has until now been anything, but the path of a hero. (Then again, that could be another reason for some sort of triumph in the end) To me he is the ultimate underdog. He can’t fight and kick ass the way others do, he’s deformed and ugly, people tend to hate him regardless of what he does and it even seems like he’s doomed to always face adversities (that are mostly not even his fault) and narrowly overcome them, but still be always pushed down. Maybe he gets mentally stronger, but he doesn’t seem to be gaining anymore acceptance or power… quite on the contrary, but he’s smart and considering his situation is unusually nice… and all that together endears him to me. (Not that he doesn’t have his dark side and isn’t a bit of an arse as well… which obviously adds a few more interesting layers) Also, he’s quite amusing and observant and I really like reading his perspective of the world and its people.
Renly
I first loved TV!Renly, but I immediately loved book!Renly as well. He seems like so much fun. ;) And I do believe that he’s a genuinely kind person, despite hiding a more politically savvy and cunning mind behind his friendly and carefree exterior. At least that’s what I’m going with. It’s hard to tell with no POV given and it’s also hard to believe that absolutely nothing worries him. (I can pretty much go with what oter characters have implies. Overall, people seem to really like him, but perhaps not take him incredibly seriously?? Of course, that might have something to do with his attitude...) I also refuse to believe that he’s that casual about his brothers... I mean, I hope he’s not. I’m absolutely going with using humour as a shield. :)
Loras
I don’t normally like brash, arrogant pretty boys, but it’s hard not to feel for him when things just go terribly wrong. :( Besides, his arrogance is not really unfounded. XDD I love how he’s the perfect image of a gallant knight in shining armour (and to quote the author, also the teen idol of the seven kingdoms. :)), but doesn’t actually live up to the cliché. I’d actually love a POV to find out what he’s really thinking while keeping up that image and giving girls flowers. I like his straightforwardness and bluntness and I really can’t see him as deceitful, despite his ambition (To quote Jaime: he’s not false. Well, besides the whole image thing) I don’t think he’s dumb either, (He is able to be fair and reasonable after all… when his mind is not clouded with emotion..) just realistically… a teenager (with prob. some angst I’m not privy to…). And with all the improbable ages, it’s refreshing to have someone act his age (although his skill and fame aren’t perhaps proportional to that)
Margaery
My favourite female character! Which probably means that she’s doomed. She strangely… kind of like Renly in the way that people love her and she really seems genuinely kind and friendly, but is probably more cunning than she lets on (some of the sweetness is laid on a little thick)… I’d love to find out what’s going on in her mind! :) (And I def. think she’s been in on most of the plans, and is either doing it for her family or has her own agenda in the mix… Heck, possibly both.)
Kudos to her for correctly calling Cersei an evil bitch, when Cersei was pretending to care. I mentally cheered there. She seemed to be set up as sort of the antithesis to Cersei, so I really hope she comes out on top... I doubt it….
Theon
Although I'm probably not meant to, I really like Theon. Yes, he’s a jerk and does quite a few horrible things(but who doesn’t?), but I see him as a victim of circumstances. He’s and outcast no matter where he is. Nobody wants him (does anyone even love and respect him, besides his mother, who doesn’t even know him anymore??) and he just tries and tries… well, he tries a lot. He thinks he is better than he is, entitled to more than what he actually gets, probably even tries to be more ruthless than he can be, and in the end he just fails miserably. Basically, Theon is a pathetic loser, and it’s not even really his fault, but his actions and choices certainly don’t help. As a character, I find him incredibly fascinating. He is so wretched and nasty, but I can’t help but feel sympathy for him and am interested in his thought process and how he deals with everything crashing down and climbing out from under it. Besides, I have a weakness for hated characters, who suffer and fail. (Heck, he’s one of the biggest underdogs… I'm rooting for him to survive the hole he mostly dug himself into)
Love to hate:
Cersei
The ultimate queen bitch. I’m so hoping for her demise and hoping for it to be spectacular, but until then I enjoy reading her insane reasoning and evil masterminding and whatever crazy stuff happens in her crazy head. (She’s probably my favourite POV) I have little sympathy for her, but she’s incredibly entertaining to read about. There’s so much surrounding Cersei (with all her machinations, the prophecy and she herself being quite at the centre of things)…
Joffrey
A classic sociopath with pretty much no redeeming qualities to him. There really isn’t much depth to him otherwise, although it’s interesting to speculate how he became a complete monster (and what he could have become…)
Melisandre
Do I hate her or love to hate her? That depends. She seems too powerful and I really dislike that kind of power imbalance. Also, she killed two awesome characters with her shadows, so I need to see her go down. I’m actually looking forward to reading her POV in the next book.
Other interesting characters:
Jaime
I like the character because I don’t know what to think of him. He does a lot of evil crap, he acts like a jerk, but he clearly has a soft spot for his siblings (and some soft spots in general…). I always did sort of like him, and reading his thoughts in his POV didn’t really change my feelings, but rather confirmed them. He’s still an arse with hidden depths. I love that he has enough self-awareness to acknowledge his own horribleness and doesn’t try to justify his actions (explain yes, but not pretend that they’re something they´re not). There’s always a reason for them and he’s prepared to take on the consequences and live with them. He seems also quite perceptive and strangely reasonable in his assessment of others (albeit humanly biased).
Stannis
Has the personality of a lobster(thank you, TV show for that line!), but despite that (or heck, even because of it) is a very interesting character. I can’t like him as a person and I can definitely see why he is universally disliked in-universe, but he amuses me a lot with his serious seriousness, especially in his convo with Renly. (Loved the contrast there) So… unintentionally funny, but also interesting with his moral dilemmas.
Ned
Oh gosh, gosh… he’s such a great example of seriously trying to do the right thing, but due to unfortunate circumstances and harsh moral dilemmas, screws up pretty badly. One of the few honestly good guys (at least among the major characters), serves such an important purpose in the story and his presence illustrates what kind of person has no business playing the game of thrones.
Sansa
I find her to be a realistic portrayal of a young girl. She’s superficial, naïve, inexperienced, has dreams and fantasises, she completely (and understandably) messes up a few times, but she’s learning. I like that she provides a more fish out of water perspective from the midst of a lot of the important events. She also gets hit harder than she deserves with the cruel truth, and she can’t really seem to cope without help. She seems to represent an ultimate damsel in distress, and with so many others kicking ass it sets her apart from them. I appreciate the input from a very tragic and fallen princess that could have been a heroine, but hasn’t got what it takes or needs. At least not yet. Love her POV chapters as well. She’s an interesting, well-rounded and constantly developing character often at the centre of interesting events and pivotal to the plot.
Brienne
I can kind of identify with her… at least the part of being an ugly tomboy, who is ridiculed by most for just not fitting any mould and falling for someone impossible to have? Also: trying so hard to fulfil promises and goals that have been set, but failing often? Yeah. But she kicks ass and is physically ridiculously strong and holds her own against men. Yeah, I’m far from that. Normally I’m not into women overriding men, because it often isn’t done realistically, but in Brienne’s case it makes sense that she can beat so many. And she’s not just a big machine. Despite being tough on the outside, she’s so pure and soft on the inside too, and has naïve ideals, but she learns to be a bit more realistic, while still keeping her honour.
Davos
I was first a little disappointed with having Davos as a POV character and I still don’t find him particularly interesting, but I did actually grow to like him quite a bit. He is straightforward, incredibly loyal and honourable(but not to a fault), cares about his wife and kids and doing the right thing (He’s like a smarter, more perceptive Ned. XDD) I find myself often agreeing with him and his judgement… and strangely identifying with him as well. :) (I don’t think I’d be quite the doormat though)
Other important characters (hated or not):
Arya
Not a fan. I liked her more in the beginning, but her story line doesn’t interest me and I find her actions and effectiveness to be too implausible given the circumstances she started in.
Catelyn
She’s annoying and judgemental, but she has a good heart and I feel for her predicaments. She pays so, so harshly for her rash decisions. Actually, Catelyn is one of the characters that I sympathise with the most.
Samwell
Okay, he’s totally Sam from LoTR. :) And by that I mean that it’s homage to the character. They’re not exactly the same after all. Anyway, ASoIaF! Sam is a lovable coward. Or, just a lovable person in general. (And he really does show bravery later on, despite not believing it or in himself) How can anyone hate him?? (And apparently people do…) He’s pretty darn boring to read about, but overall there’s nothing objectionable about him. He’s like one of the sweetest and nicest characters there is in the series!! And seriously, is the kind of person most of us would be like if we were taken from our comfy 21st century and thrown into the horrible Westeros. ;)
Bran (and Rickon) + co.
Mostly sweet kids, but really boring and uninteresting. (and same goes for the co.)
Littlefinger
What’s up with this guy? I actually like that there isn’t a POV for him... yet, because it remains more of a mystery like this. ;) (But I’d eventually like some clarification). He creeps me out with his serious issues with Catelyn and projection onto Sansa. (Even creepier...)
Jorah
I find him to be pathetic, but I also sympathise with him. A little differently than with Theon, though, because Theon actually interests me. Jorah seems to be mainly defined by his love for Dany, which is also a little creepy, since she’s just a child (although she doesn’t act like it)
Barristan
Was absolutely awesome until he sided with Dany (btw. I knew it was him! :) ) Then I lost a lot of respect for him. Still, he’s prob. the only one of the kingsguard who truly actually gets what it means and truly lives for that role (maybe a little too seriously? no matter how sucky the king is, he will blindly follow. ) He pretty much defines the ideal, no matter how ridiculous in practice.
Sandor
I feel like I’m supposed to think of him as someone who has suffered and that his actions are understandable, because he has shown that there is some good in him. But I don’t and I find his interactions with Sansa creepy and disturbing. I think some cases have been a little convenient for him to show a good side or avoid being pushed to being completely unredeemable.
Robb
Robb feels very flat to me in the books. He’s quite a pivotal character, yet I don’t get to see his feelings... or anything. He seems just there… as a plot device driving the plot forward.
Arianne
I look forward to seeing more of her, since I found her character to be quite compelling (and I really enjoyed reading her chapters). She seems quite ambitious and smart, heck even a little ruthless, yet she manages to screw up so astonishingly badly and show a conscience…
Asha
I like Asha, because she’s tough and ambitious and unlike a few other strong females her strength and power actually makes sense considering the environment she has been raised in.
Other (less important characters) I like
The rest of the Tyrells just interest me as a whole. I feel there is so much more to them than meets the eye. as if Garlan is just gallant and there must be more to Mace as well. Willas hasn’t even shown up (who knows if he ever will), but I really like what I’ve heard of him(he seems a little too sweet to be true ;) ), Olenna(technically not a Tyrell, but whatever) gets credit for some great plotting and just being funny with her rude bluntness.
Oberyn (and his daughters) was(were) a great introduction to the house Martell and I would have loved to see more of them(him). Tommen & Myrcella seem like such sweet and adorable kids! Myrcella has the potential of growing up really tough and strong and Tommen with some coaching could be a good ruler… though he’s a really soft hearted kid. I loved how he sticks up for Margaery :) Bronn is just kind of cool. No hero, but not that black of heart either. Pragmatic and smart more than anything. Podrick seems like a good hearted, brave and earnest kid… and gosh all the stuff he’s going through considering his improbable age. (he is a strangely fitting squire for Brienne.. not that it’s necessarily a good thing), Robar (Royce) only showed up for a short while, but he seemed like a relatively nice person (he helped Catelyn and Brienne escape after all, and actually did believe them… or had his doubts…) Kevan and Genna are great with their blunt reasoning, Edmure seems to me to be a nice, average guy, who lacks in effectiveness. And in a terrible situation through no fault of his own. *keeping fingers crossed for him*
And I forgot to add Courtnay Penrose, who delivers an awesome smackdown on both Melisandre and Stannis. (Don’t know why I would forget that. His short scene was memorable)
Yeah… there are quite few I like actually, and more important ones, but this started getting long again… and I wanted to post this before reading the 5th book. DDD
So the ramble is still based on the four first books… and really only on the characters. :)
When it come to the characters in this series I don’t have massive hate or love for any. Okay, I really detest Dany, but that’s mainly because I find her characterisation… quite bad. What I mean is, that since so many characters do a lot of despicable things, I can’t really condemn one and then forgive the other, since it doesn’t seem “fair” to me. Basically, I like the characters mainly because of their interesting portrayal in the books, not because I think they’d be wonderful people in real life. Granted, I am drawn to the personalities as well and will dislike others because of their personalities, but for me it’s not the only defining factor. Neither is whether they’re more good or more evil, because who can really tell, anyway? It depends how you want to judge(and yes, I’ll judge my way ;) ) The characters do a lot of questionable things, make a lot of stupid decisions, but I like seeing and understanding what’s behind their actions, what actually motivates them to do the things to do and take them as far as they do. Even among the worst cases they still have their redeeming qualities (well, maybe not Joffrey, or the Mountain, but they don’t have POVs, so what do we really know?) and even the more moral ones are far from saints. (besides little kids like Myrcella and Tommen..) I will hate some of my favourite characters from time to time and love some I don’t really care for. And of course… there are those I just love to hate. ;) I did watch most of the TV series first before I read the books, so it definitely influenced me a bit. ;)
I love that we’re provided with different points of view, although I would have preferred some of my favourite characters to have their share as well! Not a single Baratheon or Tyrell has had one, and they’re among my favourite houses! Actually my fave is the Baratheon/Lannister/Tyrell combo. ;) To me they’re the most interesting ones with their ambition and dubious intentions and scheming and ambiguousness. They’re pretty much left, right and centre of the power struggle going on, and in many ways might be portrayed as antagonists. (Although, it’s up to interpretation. They’re more likely antagonists to each other) I also really like the Greyjoys and their impressive ruthlessness and emotional strength.
The Starks don’t really get to me as much. I don’t dislike them or anything, but I tend to not go with the characters I’m “supposed to root for” (I don’t liked being told what to do). Granted, they’re less “in your face” compared to a lot of fictional heroes or antiheroes, but to me they’re the most boring of the lot and I find less interest in the plights of the underdogs that are destined to triumph anyway, because destiny or whatever says so, which is why I greatly appreciate some of the twists the author has bestowed upon us. I don’t feel nearly as certain as I normally do about the great triumph in the end. I could actually see it not happening, and I hope it doesn’t. Two characters in particular seem to be in a designated hero and heroine status and destined for something big and epic. (I’m really, really hoping it won’t end up horribly clichéd... I mean, it can’t be THAT obvious??)
Although, I actually like Jon Snow. He’s an underdog even among the underdogs, and is pretty good at screwing up and acting like a moron, but he gets called out on his crap and actually learns not to be an annoying jerk. (At least at the beginning) However, while he started off as my favourite character slowly slipping into one of the faves, he eventually started to get quite boring and just a little clichéd. As a person he is a lot less interesting and a bit generic.... An overall decent, heroic and awesome guy, who still has to learn before he can become the hero and leader he was destined to be and who hardly faces consquences for his actions and survives perilous situations… I probably can’t dislike him though, because I liked him SO much at the beginning. (His convos with Tyrion just warmed my heart) It’s incredibly rare for me(not sure if it has ever even happened) that my favourite character slips into oblivion. And that’s NOT a good thing. At all.
When it comes do Dany… for me it’s sad that’s she’s such a central character, because, she’s the only character I actually dislike. And I mean, REALLY dislike. Her story is not only boring and too detached from the rest, but she’s been set up as much too powerful to root for. A (VERY) beautiful heroine with the “blood of the dragon”, magical powers and her own dragons, who gains even from screwing up and it’s circumstances rather than her own actions getting her in a privileged position. She’s a (self-proclaimed) queen on a quest to “take back the throne” and obviously she gets a whole bunch of devoted followers (to do her dirty work), because she’s just that awesome? Whatever Mary Sue Dany, I don’t care. Unless you fail or become a villain. THAT would be interesting. Oh yeah.. she’s only like 15, and at 14 she was still a scared little girl. Believable character development is interesting, sudden enlightenment and skills out of nowhere with a personality change? Not so much. The delusions of grandeur and everyone’s readiness to drop at her feet just get on my nerves and aside from her astounding beauty(bleeh), I can’t see why all these characters are worshiping her??? She’s entitled, self-centred, deluded, self-righteous and selfish (which IMO make her more interesting). To be fair, her own agenda aside, she has some good intentions and genuine compassion, but she seems to get away with a lot of dubious stuff. Nobody calls her out on her underhanded dealings or her hypocrisy. (Are we supposed to feel that her actions are justified, since those who oppose her are conveniently “more evil”?) I do understand why people like this character, but to me being boringly awesome and getting things too easily, together with an unpleasant personality is just incredibly off-putting.
On to the rest…. there are so many, that I’m just going with favourites and important characters.
Favourites:
Tyrion
I think he could be raised even as one of the designated heroes, based on his relevance in the whole story, but his route has until now been anything, but the path of a hero. (Then again, that could be another reason for some sort of triumph in the end) To me he is the ultimate underdog. He can’t fight and kick ass the way others do, he’s deformed and ugly, people tend to hate him regardless of what he does and it even seems like he’s doomed to always face adversities (that are mostly not even his fault) and narrowly overcome them, but still be always pushed down. Maybe he gets mentally stronger, but he doesn’t seem to be gaining anymore acceptance or power… quite on the contrary, but he’s smart and considering his situation is unusually nice… and all that together endears him to me. (Not that he doesn’t have his dark side and isn’t a bit of an arse as well… which obviously adds a few more interesting layers) Also, he’s quite amusing and observant and I really like reading his perspective of the world and its people.
Renly
I first loved TV!Renly, but I immediately loved book!Renly as well. He seems like so much fun. ;) And I do believe that he’s a genuinely kind person, despite hiding a more politically savvy and cunning mind behind his friendly and carefree exterior. At least that’s what I’m going with. It’s hard to tell with no POV given and it’s also hard to believe that absolutely nothing worries him. (I can pretty much go with what oter characters have implies. Overall, people seem to really like him, but perhaps not take him incredibly seriously?? Of course, that might have something to do with his attitude...) I also refuse to believe that he’s that casual about his brothers... I mean, I hope he’s not. I’m absolutely going with using humour as a shield. :)
Loras
I don’t normally like brash, arrogant pretty boys, but it’s hard not to feel for him when things just go terribly wrong. :( Besides, his arrogance is not really unfounded. XDD I love how he’s the perfect image of a gallant knight in shining armour (and to quote the author, also the teen idol of the seven kingdoms. :)), but doesn’t actually live up to the cliché. I’d actually love a POV to find out what he’s really thinking while keeping up that image and giving girls flowers. I like his straightforwardness and bluntness and I really can’t see him as deceitful, despite his ambition (To quote Jaime: he’s not false. Well, besides the whole image thing) I don’t think he’s dumb either, (He is able to be fair and reasonable after all… when his mind is not clouded with emotion..) just realistically… a teenager (with prob. some angst I’m not privy to…). And with all the improbable ages, it’s refreshing to have someone act his age (although his skill and fame aren’t perhaps proportional to that)
Margaery
My favourite female character! Which probably means that she’s doomed. She strangely… kind of like Renly in the way that people love her and she really seems genuinely kind and friendly, but is probably more cunning than she lets on (some of the sweetness is laid on a little thick)… I’d love to find out what’s going on in her mind! :) (And I def. think she’s been in on most of the plans, and is either doing it for her family or has her own agenda in the mix… Heck, possibly both.)
Kudos to her for correctly calling Cersei an evil bitch, when Cersei was pretending to care. I mentally cheered there. She seemed to be set up as sort of the antithesis to Cersei, so I really hope she comes out on top... I doubt it….
Theon
Although I'm probably not meant to, I really like Theon. Yes, he’s a jerk and does quite a few horrible things(but who doesn’t?), but I see him as a victim of circumstances. He’s and outcast no matter where he is. Nobody wants him (does anyone even love and respect him, besides his mother, who doesn’t even know him anymore??) and he just tries and tries… well, he tries a lot. He thinks he is better than he is, entitled to more than what he actually gets, probably even tries to be more ruthless than he can be, and in the end he just fails miserably. Basically, Theon is a pathetic loser, and it’s not even really his fault, but his actions and choices certainly don’t help. As a character, I find him incredibly fascinating. He is so wretched and nasty, but I can’t help but feel sympathy for him and am interested in his thought process and how he deals with everything crashing down and climbing out from under it. Besides, I have a weakness for hated characters, who suffer and fail. (Heck, he’s one of the biggest underdogs… I'm rooting for him to survive the hole he mostly dug himself into)
Love to hate:
Cersei
The ultimate queen bitch. I’m so hoping for her demise and hoping for it to be spectacular, but until then I enjoy reading her insane reasoning and evil masterminding and whatever crazy stuff happens in her crazy head. (She’s probably my favourite POV) I have little sympathy for her, but she’s incredibly entertaining to read about. There’s so much surrounding Cersei (with all her machinations, the prophecy and she herself being quite at the centre of things)…
Joffrey
A classic sociopath with pretty much no redeeming qualities to him. There really isn’t much depth to him otherwise, although it’s interesting to speculate how he became a complete monster (and what he could have become…)
Melisandre
Do I hate her or love to hate her? That depends. She seems too powerful and I really dislike that kind of power imbalance. Also, she killed two awesome characters with her shadows, so I need to see her go down. I’m actually looking forward to reading her POV in the next book.
Other interesting characters:
Jaime
I like the character because I don’t know what to think of him. He does a lot of evil crap, he acts like a jerk, but he clearly has a soft spot for his siblings (and some soft spots in general…). I always did sort of like him, and reading his thoughts in his POV didn’t really change my feelings, but rather confirmed them. He’s still an arse with hidden depths. I love that he has enough self-awareness to acknowledge his own horribleness and doesn’t try to justify his actions (explain yes, but not pretend that they’re something they´re not). There’s always a reason for them and he’s prepared to take on the consequences and live with them. He seems also quite perceptive and strangely reasonable in his assessment of others (albeit humanly biased).
Stannis
Has the personality of a lobster(thank you, TV show for that line!), but despite that (or heck, even because of it) is a very interesting character. I can’t like him as a person and I can definitely see why he is universally disliked in-universe, but he amuses me a lot with his serious seriousness, especially in his convo with Renly. (Loved the contrast there) So… unintentionally funny, but also interesting with his moral dilemmas.
Ned
Oh gosh, gosh… he’s such a great example of seriously trying to do the right thing, but due to unfortunate circumstances and harsh moral dilemmas, screws up pretty badly. One of the few honestly good guys (at least among the major characters), serves such an important purpose in the story and his presence illustrates what kind of person has no business playing the game of thrones.
Sansa
I find her to be a realistic portrayal of a young girl. She’s superficial, naïve, inexperienced, has dreams and fantasises, she completely (and understandably) messes up a few times, but she’s learning. I like that she provides a more fish out of water perspective from the midst of a lot of the important events. She also gets hit harder than she deserves with the cruel truth, and she can’t really seem to cope without help. She seems to represent an ultimate damsel in distress, and with so many others kicking ass it sets her apart from them. I appreciate the input from a very tragic and fallen princess that could have been a heroine, but hasn’t got what it takes or needs. At least not yet. Love her POV chapters as well. She’s an interesting, well-rounded and constantly developing character often at the centre of interesting events and pivotal to the plot.
Brienne
I can kind of identify with her… at least the part of being an ugly tomboy, who is ridiculed by most for just not fitting any mould and falling for someone impossible to have? Also: trying so hard to fulfil promises and goals that have been set, but failing often? Yeah. But she kicks ass and is physically ridiculously strong and holds her own against men. Yeah, I’m far from that. Normally I’m not into women overriding men, because it often isn’t done realistically, but in Brienne’s case it makes sense that she can beat so many. And she’s not just a big machine. Despite being tough on the outside, she’s so pure and soft on the inside too, and has naïve ideals, but she learns to be a bit more realistic, while still keeping her honour.
Davos
I was first a little disappointed with having Davos as a POV character and I still don’t find him particularly interesting, but I did actually grow to like him quite a bit. He is straightforward, incredibly loyal and honourable(but not to a fault), cares about his wife and kids and doing the right thing (He’s like a smarter, more perceptive Ned. XDD) I find myself often agreeing with him and his judgement… and strangely identifying with him as well. :) (I don’t think I’d be quite the doormat though)
Other important characters (hated or not):
Arya
Not a fan. I liked her more in the beginning, but her story line doesn’t interest me and I find her actions and effectiveness to be too implausible given the circumstances she started in.
Catelyn
She’s annoying and judgemental, but she has a good heart and I feel for her predicaments. She pays so, so harshly for her rash decisions. Actually, Catelyn is one of the characters that I sympathise with the most.
Samwell
Okay, he’s totally Sam from LoTR. :) And by that I mean that it’s homage to the character. They’re not exactly the same after all. Anyway, ASoIaF! Sam is a lovable coward. Or, just a lovable person in general. (And he really does show bravery later on, despite not believing it or in himself) How can anyone hate him?? (And apparently people do…) He’s pretty darn boring to read about, but overall there’s nothing objectionable about him. He’s like one of the sweetest and nicest characters there is in the series!! And seriously, is the kind of person most of us would be like if we were taken from our comfy 21st century and thrown into the horrible Westeros. ;)
Bran (and Rickon) + co.
Mostly sweet kids, but really boring and uninteresting. (and same goes for the co.)
Littlefinger
What’s up with this guy? I actually like that there isn’t a POV for him... yet, because it remains more of a mystery like this. ;) (But I’d eventually like some clarification). He creeps me out with his serious issues with Catelyn and projection onto Sansa. (Even creepier...)
Jorah
I find him to be pathetic, but I also sympathise with him. A little differently than with Theon, though, because Theon actually interests me. Jorah seems to be mainly defined by his love for Dany, which is also a little creepy, since she’s just a child (although she doesn’t act like it)
Barristan
Was absolutely awesome until he sided with Dany (btw. I knew it was him! :) ) Then I lost a lot of respect for him. Still, he’s prob. the only one of the kingsguard who truly actually gets what it means and truly lives for that role (maybe a little too seriously? no matter how sucky the king is, he will blindly follow. ) He pretty much defines the ideal, no matter how ridiculous in practice.
Sandor
I feel like I’m supposed to think of him as someone who has suffered and that his actions are understandable, because he has shown that there is some good in him. But I don’t and I find his interactions with Sansa creepy and disturbing. I think some cases have been a little convenient for him to show a good side or avoid being pushed to being completely unredeemable.
Robb
Robb feels very flat to me in the books. He’s quite a pivotal character, yet I don’t get to see his feelings... or anything. He seems just there… as a plot device driving the plot forward.
Arianne
I look forward to seeing more of her, since I found her character to be quite compelling (and I really enjoyed reading her chapters). She seems quite ambitious and smart, heck even a little ruthless, yet she manages to screw up so astonishingly badly and show a conscience…
Asha
I like Asha, because she’s tough and ambitious and unlike a few other strong females her strength and power actually makes sense considering the environment she has been raised in.
Other (less important characters) I like
The rest of the Tyrells just interest me as a whole. I feel there is so much more to them than meets the eye. as if Garlan is just gallant and there must be more to Mace as well. Willas hasn’t even shown up (who knows if he ever will), but I really like what I’ve heard of him(he seems a little too sweet to be true ;) ), Olenna(technically not a Tyrell, but whatever) gets credit for some great plotting and just being funny with her rude bluntness.
Oberyn (and his daughters) was(were) a great introduction to the house Martell and I would have loved to see more of them(him). Tommen & Myrcella seem like such sweet and adorable kids! Myrcella has the potential of growing up really tough and strong and Tommen with some coaching could be a good ruler… though he’s a really soft hearted kid. I loved how he sticks up for Margaery :) Bronn is just kind of cool. No hero, but not that black of heart either. Pragmatic and smart more than anything. Podrick seems like a good hearted, brave and earnest kid… and gosh all the stuff he’s going through considering his improbable age. (he is a strangely fitting squire for Brienne.. not that it’s necessarily a good thing), Robar (Royce) only showed up for a short while, but he seemed like a relatively nice person (he helped Catelyn and Brienne escape after all, and actually did believe them… or had his doubts…) Kevan and Genna are great with their blunt reasoning, Edmure seems to me to be a nice, average guy, who lacks in effectiveness. And in a terrible situation through no fault of his own. *keeping fingers crossed for him*
And I forgot to add Courtnay Penrose, who delivers an awesome smackdown on both Melisandre and Stannis. (Don’t know why I would forget that. His short scene was memorable)
Yeah… there are quite few I like actually, and more important ones, but this started getting long again… and I wanted to post this before reading the 5th book. DDD