Dance with Dragons-first impressions

[erastes]

Hmm. Well. I'm about 300 pages in and I'm a bit bored, actually. I know we've gone back in time and we are travelling over the same time period as Feast for Crows, but there's SO much repetition. I have a mental red pen when reading this and want to mark "We know this, move on." over and over and over.

Perhaps GRRM thinks it's best to rehash facts for those readers coming fresh to the book—I don't know. I didn't notice him doing this (not to this extent, anyway) in previous books. Anyone starting with book five would be a bit stupid, imho, because you'd miss so much of it.  It's starting to irritate me that we are told every couple of pages how many children Davos has/had, that Tyrion's nose itches and that Dany fancies Daario. Apart from the character introduced in Tyrion's arc, nothing has bloody happened. Dany's attitude to just about everything surprises me. as for Reek… am I supposed to feel sorry for him? Well I don't.

OH! and As for the Jon chapter which was basically a rewriting of Sam's chapter from FFC—i was not impressed. at all. We could have seen all of that from a point further on in flashback without all the repetition. I know my editors wouldn't let me get away with that. and it treats the reader like a moron. The Archers does this kind of thing: "I'm going to [event] next week—you remember, I told you on Tuesday."

I love me some description—as you know—but it's getting a bit too much. The exquisite detailing of every single person and sight and salesperson and tree. Unless it's relevant to the plot, is just padding.

So, hmm. Not extolling the praises as yet. Was jolted with the Jon revelation—although I'm sure that will turn out to be wrong, or someone else—and the character in Tyrion's arc looks a Big Fucking Spanner In The Works (unless they die horribly in the next chapter,very likely).

So, I will continue! 

Comments

[chris-smith-atr.livejournal.com]

Am starting it tonight - can't wait.

PS - as per post, have shifted working hours. Shall I bother you of an evening once more, or are you enjoying your peace and quiet?

[lusiology.livejournal.com]

I haven't read DwD, but after GoT I was left contemplating the idea that Jon was not Ned's bastard after all. I even flirted with the idea he was a true Baratheon king because of his black hair, but they've got that base covered.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

oh - I'm convinced that Jon isn't Ned's, but he's still a Stark....

[gehayi.livejournal.com]

As stated in my post, the book doesn't really pick up until around page 562--which is the end of a chapter. And by "pick up" I mean "the endless repetition stops, and events actually start HAPPENING."

It's as if there are two books. There's the first book, in which GRRM proves that he can write a travelogue just as tedious as the camping trip from Hell. Everyone is walking or sailing somewhere, the weather is bad, no one had any money or any men, and there are no end of scenes mentioning every food and beverage available. Oh, and pissing. Can't forget the pissing. GRRM never does.

And then there's the second book, which starts two-thirds of the way in and in which all the questions that people have been asking for years start getting answered very fast. It's as if someone pointed out to him that the book was just puffery and that the fans were going to want to find out SOME things they'd waited six years to learn.

I've been going through everything with a mental red pen, too. At least 90% of the first 500 pages could have been cut down to a manageable size--or eliminated altogether.

I have a feeling that GRRM fought the editor on this one. A LOT.