Jayson’s Reviews > A Dance with Dragons > Status Update
Jayson
is 84% done
Two things:
(1) It took a while, but it finally hit me that Ser Gerris Drinkwater is named that because he's a tall drink of water. Like how Aeron Damphair has damp hair. I was wondering why they kept mentioning his height and good looks. George and his wordplay...
(2) Prince Quentyn Martell goes undercover, and uses the alias "Frog." This is another Easter Egg, an allusion to "The Frog Prince" by the Brothers Grimm.
— Dec 30, 2019 12:30AM
(1) It took a while, but it finally hit me that Ser Gerris Drinkwater is named that because he's a tall drink of water. Like how Aeron Damphair has damp hair. I was wondering why they kept mentioning his height and good looks. George and his wordplay...
(2) Prince Quentyn Martell goes undercover, and uses the alias "Frog." This is another Easter Egg, an allusion to "The Frog Prince" by the Brothers Grimm.
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Jayson
is 98% done
Notes:
(1) As a kind of Jack the Ripper "expert" (I daren't say "enthusiast"), the pink-wax letter is both stylistically and substantively similar to the "from hell" letter. Both mention cannibalism, for example. I wouldn't be surprised if Martin took historical inspiration from it.
(2) Daenerys: "'I need a hat,' she said aloud... You are the blood of the dragon, you can make a hat!"
- Some people just aren't crafty.
— Jan 09, 2020 12:10AM
(1) As a kind of Jack the Ripper "expert" (I daren't say "enthusiast"), the pink-wax letter is both stylistically and substantively similar to the "from hell" letter. Both mention cannibalism, for example. I wouldn't be surprised if Martin took historical inspiration from it.
(2) Daenerys: "'I need a hat,' she said aloud... You are the blood of the dragon, you can make a hat!"
- Some people just aren't crafty.
Jayson
is 94% done
Thoughts:
(1) "Ser Barristan could still recall Ashara’s smile... and those haunting purple eyes. Daenerys has the same eyes. Sometimes when the queen looked at him, he felt as if he were looking at Ashara’s daughter."
- I mean, Jon has purple eyes too. It's almost like they're all related or something.
(2) Jon: "They know nothing, Ygritte."
- Seems Jon's graduated from knowing nothing to knowing others know nothing.
— Jan 07, 2020 12:10AM
(1) "Ser Barristan could still recall Ashara’s smile... and those haunting purple eyes. Daenerys has the same eyes. Sometimes when the queen looked at him, he felt as if he were looking at Ashara’s daughter."
- I mean, Jon has purple eyes too. It's almost like they're all related or something.
(2) Jon: "They know nothing, Ygritte."
- Seems Jon's graduated from knowing nothing to knowing others know nothing.
Jayson
is 91% done
Notes:
(1) I've had 32 friend requests and thus 32 new friends since January 1. What a wonderful way to start 2020!
(2) Direct comparisons are made between Ned and Cersei. Specifically, being put on public display at Baelor's Sept.
(3) Brown Ben to Tyrion: '"Stay away from the whores," he warned. "Most o’ them are poxy, and they talk."'
- Who said sellswords only look out for themselves? That's downright neighbourly.
— Jan 05, 2020 12:30AM
(1) I've had 32 friend requests and thus 32 new friends since January 1. What a wonderful way to start 2020!
(2) Direct comparisons are made between Ned and Cersei. Specifically, being put on public display at Baelor's Sept.
(3) Brown Ben to Tyrion: '"Stay away from the whores," he warned. "Most o’ them are poxy, and they talk."'
- Who said sellswords only look out for themselves? That's downright neighbourly.
Jayson
is 89% done
Thoughts:
(1) Shame! Shame! Shame!
(2) '"Does Your Grace find this amusing?" said Septa Scolera.
"No, septa," said Cersei. But one day I will have your tongue ripped out with hot pincers, and that will be hilarious.'
- Well, humor is subjective.
(3) I wonder if having several people hawk meat pies at a walk of shame is some kind of dirty joke? It's definitely intentional, and I see no other purpose for its inclusion.
— Jan 02, 2020 11:50PM
(1) Shame! Shame! Shame!
(2) '"Does Your Grace find this amusing?" said Septa Scolera.
"No, septa," said Cersei. But one day I will have your tongue ripped out with hot pincers, and that will be hilarious.'
- Well, humor is subjective.
(3) I wonder if having several people hawk meat pies at a walk of shame is some kind of dirty joke? It's definitely intentional, and I see no other purpose for its inclusion.
Jayson
is 82% done
Notes:
(1) In order to complete my reading challenge, which I foolishly extended by 25 books, I need to finish 3 books in 4 days. Unless I have 9 spare hours to binge-listen, this one won't make the cut.
(2) Nearing the end, it seems like the whole point of this book was to build up to two epic battles, one in the East and one in the North. Neither are going to happen and, after 1,000 pages, I'm textually frustrated!
— Dec 28, 2019 12:20AM
(1) In order to complete my reading challenge, which I foolishly extended by 25 books, I need to finish 3 books in 4 days. Unless I have 9 spare hours to binge-listen, this one won't make the cut.
(2) Nearing the end, it seems like the whole point of this book was to build up to two epic battles, one in the East and one in the North. Neither are going to happen and, after 1,000 pages, I'm textually frustrated!
Jayson
is 78% done
A couple things:
(1) "The monkeys, though… the monkeys were a plague. Victarion had forbidden his men to bring any of the demonic creatures aboard ship, yet somehow half his fleet was now infested with them."
- I agree, there's too much monkey business on ships as it is!
(2) Since when did Victarion become a New Zealander? Though, it could be Australia or South Africa... I’m not so good with south hemisphere accents.
— Dec 26, 2019 12:10AM
(1) "The monkeys, though… the monkeys were a plague. Victarion had forbidden his men to bring any of the demonic creatures aboard ship, yet somehow half his fleet was now infested with them."
- I agree, there's too much monkey business on ships as it is!
(2) Since when did Victarion become a New Zealander? Though, it could be Australia or South Africa... I’m not so good with south hemisphere accents.
Jayson
is 75% done
Notes:
(1) Irri: "Belaquo will win... It is known."
Jhiqui: "It is not known... Belaquo will die."
Dany: "One will die, or the other will... And the one who lives will die some other day."
- Dany does not seem to abide sports talk in her girl talk.
(2) "'Winter is coming,' Jon said at last, breaking the awkward silence."
- Since when has saying "winter is coming" ever made things less awkward? They are ominous words.
— Dec 24, 2019 12:10AM
(1) Irri: "Belaquo will win... It is known."
Jhiqui: "It is not known... Belaquo will die."
Dany: "One will die, or the other will... And the one who lives will die some other day."
- Dany does not seem to abide sports talk in her girl talk.
(2) "'Winter is coming,' Jon said at last, breaking the awkward silence."
- Since when has saying "winter is coming" ever made things less awkward? They are ominous words.
Jayson
is 73% done
Thoughts:
(1) Lord Wyman: "So young... Though mayhaps this was a blessing. Had he lived he would have grown up to be a Frey."
- Well... Freys are literally expendable.
(2) "The Lord of White Harbor tried to jerk away, but the tabletop pinned him to his chair. The blade slashed through three of his four chins in a spray of bright red blood."
- Thank goodness for the extra chins! Layers of fat? More like of protection!
— Dec 22, 2019 12:10AM
(1) Lord Wyman: "So young... Though mayhaps this was a blessing. Had he lived he would have grown up to be a Frey."
- Well... Freys are literally expendable.
(2) "The Lord of White Harbor tried to jerk away, but the tabletop pinned him to his chair. The blade slashed through three of his four chins in a spray of bright red blood."
- Thank goodness for the extra chins! Layers of fat? More like of protection!
Jayson
is 70% done
Cultural Relativism:
"No Ghiscari feast was complete without a course of dog. Hizdahr’s cooks prepared dog four different ways."
- I know this is meant to seem shocking, disgusting and morally reprehensible, but as a bumpkin from the Philippines, who's actually eaten dog, it's more shocking to me that there are four different ways to make dog taste good. It’s penurious, country grub, not exactly fare for high dining.
— Dec 20, 2019 12:10AM
"No Ghiscari feast was complete without a course of dog. Hizdahr’s cooks prepared dog four different ways."
- I know this is meant to seem shocking, disgusting and morally reprehensible, but as a bumpkin from the Philippines, who's actually eaten dog, it's more shocking to me that there are four different ways to make dog taste good. It’s penurious, country grub, not exactly fare for high dining.
Jayson
is 68% done
Prophesies:
(1) Melisandre: "The danger that I warned you of grows very close now."
Jon: "Daggers in the dark. I know."
Melisandre: "You would do well to keep your wolf beside you, my lord."
(2) Patchface: "Under the sea the mermen feast on starfish soup, and all the serving men are crabs."
- The mermen are Manderly. Crabs are Celtigar, which doesn't make any sense. Starfish could be Bolton's spread-eagle flayed man.
— Dec 18, 2019 12:20AM
(1) Melisandre: "The danger that I warned you of grows very close now."
Jon: "Daggers in the dark. I know."
Melisandre: "You would do well to keep your wolf beside you, my lord."
(2) Patchface: "Under the sea the mermen feast on starfish soup, and all the serving men are crabs."
- The mermen are Manderly. Crabs are Celtigar, which doesn't make any sense. Starfish could be Bolton's spread-eagle flayed man.