AGOT 19 – Jon III

“Yes, life,” Noye said. “A long life or a short one, it’s up to you, Snow. The road you’re walking, one of your brothers will slit your throat for you one night.” – “They’re not my brothers,” Jon snapped. “They hate me because I’m better than they are.” – “No. They hate you because you act like you’re better than they are. They look at you and see a castle-bred bastard who thinks he’s a lordling.”

AGOT 19 – JON III (GRRM)

POV character
Jon Snow 3

Chapter (AGOT)
20 / 73

Chapter (ASOIAF)
20 / 344

Summary

Jon trains with the other new members of the watch and beats everyone at the swordfight. Still – Ser Allister Thorne, the master-at-arms, is not satisfied. Jon feels alone as all others are older than him – and his upbringing sets him apart. He is a little angry as nobody had told him the hard truth, except Tyrion Lannister. That Benjen also left him to lead a ranging is also making him angry. But most of all he misses his siblings, Arya and Robb even more than the others.

A group of other young recruits confronts Jon and provokes him by calling his mother a whore. A fight starts, but Donal Noye, the armorer, stops it immediately, sends all out, except Jon. Jon is stubborn and wants to leave, but Noyle tutors him that all are equal here at the wall and all of them are needed, even if they did not have his luck of being raised in a castle. Especially he tells him, that Jon is not better than any of them and may be killed by them soon if he keeps humiliating and bullying them.

When he walks out he looks at the wall and remembers how he had seen it the first time. Benjen called it the biggest structure ever built, and Tyrion the most useless one. The latter one he meets in the courtyard and Tyrion calls him “Lord Snow”. Jon does not want that name, but Tyrion tells him, that if he “owns” the name and takes it for himself, nobody can mock you about it (and as “the Imp” he knows what he is talking about). Tyrion starts to talk about the rumors that Benjen’s party is too long away but Jon denies as they are looking for Ser Waymar Royce and his party and that can take some time.

When they enter the dining hall, Jon is summoned to the Lord Commander because of news about Bran. Tyrion condoles him instantly. He runs to the quarters of Jeor Mormont who hands him a letter sent by Robb that Bran woke up – crippled but alive. Jon is immensely happy and instantly tells Tyrion. He even apologizes to Grenn – the one he humiliated and hurt at the training – and offers to give him some hints. Allister Thorne hears that and does not believe that Jon can help Grenn. Jon replies snarkily and makes Thorne very angry. The knight tells Jon that that was an grievous error and makes clear that he sees him as enemy.

Thoughts

• “We’ll speak when I return.”
  Oh my, something the Stark-brothers should stop saying.
• Donal Noye – I did not think of this one for 10(?) years and I don’t think he is part of the series. But he is a great side-character. Hard and kind and honorable (and important for Jon’s growth).
• The ancient stronghold of the black brothers was no Winterfell, no true castle at all. Lacking walls, it could not be defended, not from the south, or east, or west;
  I know now there will be fighting in and around castle black (what an uninspired name – as good as GRRM is with characters and nicknames, as lacking he is at locations: Castle Black, Red Keep, Riverrun)- but I also knew that would be important when I read it the first time. Some of GRRMs foreshadowing was not as concealed as others.
• Books vs. series: Once Castle Black had housed five thousand fighting men with all their horses and servants and weapons. Now it was home to a tenth that number, and parts of it were falling into ruin.
  However you take it, the visuals in the series were great, but the size of the castles and all the stuff (except the wall) never was delivered correctly. AsoIaF should be fantasy in its grandest scale – and that never was done (ok – it TV and not movie, but still).

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AGOT 10 – Jon II

Suddenly she looked like she was going to cry. “I wish you were coming with us.” – “Different roads sometimes lead to the same castle. Who knows?” He was feeling better now. He was not going to let himself be sad.

AGOT 10 – JON II (GRRM)

POV character
Jon Snow 2

Chapter (AGOT)
11 / 73

Chapter (ASOIAF)
11 / 344

Summary

Jon comes to Bran’s sick-bed to say farewell to his (still comatose) brother. Lady Stark is at the boy’s side since the incident. She is very dismissive, but Jon stands his ground and insists as he says his good-byes.

Bran is all skin and bones and incredibly weak. Jon tells the boy that he will leave and everybody hopes that he will wake up. The unnamed wolf is howling outside and Catelyn suddenly tells Jon, that she did not wanted Bran to go south and prayed multiple times to her gods. Sometimes – she says – the gods answer the prayers. Jon ensures her, that it was not her fault and she – directly – changes her attitude to Jon and is aggressive again, even saying that Jon should be in Bran’s position, before she starts crying – a totally new sight to Jon.

Jon meets Robb in the yard, they talk about the difficulty of departures and about Lady Catelyn. Then they say good bye, before Jon is on his way to a last goodbye. He finds Arya and her wolf Nymeria in Arya’s chamber packing the clothes in a chest. She is happy that Jon visits her, because Septa Mordaine ordered her to stay inside and pack her clothes properly.

Jon gives Arya a very delicate sword as a present. He tells her, that the fighters in Bravos and Myr use such swords and he had asked the smith to make it for her. He reminds her, that it will not cut of an opponents head, but it is still sharp and could poke severe wounds.

Jon tells his half-sister, that she should train every day, but she is afraid that the Septa will take it away and that she does not have a sparring-partner. He assures that the Septa will not find out and that she will find a chance to train and improve. In the end he tells her that – as all good swords – also this has a very special name and that it is named after her “most favorite” thing. She is first puzzled until she detects the irony: the sword was called “Needle”.

Thoughts

• I always thought that Catelyn is especially hard to Jon. On the other hand – maybe the better thing would have been to tell her about Jon’s history (whatever it is). Even Benjen (as pointed out in Jon I) seems to now something. This and her southern upbringing, together with the Tully’s words (Family, Duty, Honor) seem to be the biggest obstacles here.
• I find it really good, that GRRM here shows how difficult it is to keep a comatose person alive. They have to feed Bran watered honey, because all other suff he can not eat and still he gets weaker and weaker.
• Giving a very sharp and deadly weapon to an eight-year old girl seems to be very strange, but in this society it might be ok.
• Book vs. show:
  • Not much to say here as I already covered the Stark kids and family.

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AGOT 05 – Jon I

“I don’t even know who my mother was,” Jon said. “Some woman, no doubt. Most of them are.” He favored Jon with a rueful grin.

AGOT 05 – JON I (GRRM)

POV character
Jon Snow 1

Chapter (AGOT)
6 / 73

Chapter (ASOIAF)
6 / 344

Summary

Jon Snow is drinking his way through the welcoming feast. He is not seated with his siblings, who have a table beneath the high table that hosts Lord and Lady Stark as well as king and queen. Jon sits at the other side of the hall next to the squires, but (this time) he is not angry as he can drink and eat as much as he wants here, without any parental control.

He remembers the royal family parading through the hall with theirs hosts. He thinks about the beatiful queeen with her false smile next to Eddard, the disappointing king (a fat drunkyard and not a formidable fierce warrior) with Lady Stark, princess Myrcella that made a slightly dumb impression in his eyes on his half-brother Robb’s arm. After them came his half-sister Arya with the plump Prince Tommen and afterwards Sansa and crown-prince Joffrey, who is his mother’s likeness. Joffrey – although two years younger than Robb and Jon – is taller than him, a fact he does not like.

But more interested him the pair of men that came after the Stark and royal families: the Lannister brothers – the lion and the imp. The first – Jaime – is queen Cerseis twin brother and equally shiny and beautiful, her male likeness. Jon also thinks about both monikers of Jaime: publicly he is called Lion of Casterly Rock, but behind his back everybody mutters “Kingslayer”. All in all: Jon is impressed as Jaime looks as a true king in his eyes. The second Lannister brother is the total opposite of his siblings. Tyrion is a dwarf, with crooked legs and a too large head for his body. In addition he has one black and one green eye and hair that seems nearly white.

The last of the high lords that entered are Benjen Stark – now a commander of the Nightswatch – and Theon Greyjoy, Lord Stark’s ward (in fact a highborn hostage). The meal goes on and Jon secretly feeds his white direwolf pup, that got the name Ghost. Uncle Benjen visits Jon at his table to ask about the wolf and how much he already had of the wine. They start to talk about Ghost and why Jon is not seated with his siblings (Lady Stark decided this).

They talk about the fact that Eddard Stark does not seem to be in a good mood and Jon thinks on how a bastard has to be attentive to detect small changes in mood and situation. Jon mentions the fury in the queen’s eyes and knows why she is angry: Because Robert and Eddard went to the crypts. Benjen is impressed by his insight and offers Jon that he could join the Nightswatch at “the Wall”. Jon begs Benjen immediately to take him with him, Benjen is hesitant.

Jon presses the matter and states he is old enough and “The young dragon” conquered Dorne in his age. But Benjen is not convinced as the Young Dragon’s campaign was not a lasting success. Again Jon states that he wants to join the nightswatch as he thinks that he might not gain another place in the world. In the existing feudal system a bastard can hardly become a lord of his own, even as a liege of a high lord. Benjen denies again as he thinks that a 14 year old boy should first “father a few bastards” before taking a vow of chastity. Jon is very angry and swears to never father a bastard. He shouts very loud and excuses himself and leaves – now realizing how drunk he is.

Outside in the yard he meets Tyrion Lannister who is interested in Ghost. They start to talk and Tyrion jumps artistically down from the small wall he is sitting on. Tyrion introduces himself to Jon and asks if he is Ned’s bastard, declaring that “Dwarfs don’t have to be tactful”. Jon is hesitant and admits stiffly that “Eddard Stark is my father”. Tyrion calls Jon accoring to his looks a truer Stark than his siblings, what pleases the boy. Tyrion counsels Jon that he should make a weakness his strength, but Jon is dismissive and says that Tyrion is no bastard and can not know. Tyrion explains that “All dwarfs are bastards in their father’s eyes.” and how his father hates him for the fact that his mother died birthing him. After their talk Tyrion goes back to the feast while Jon remains in the yard.

Thoughts

• One green eye and one black one peered out from under a lank fall of hair so blond it seemed white.
  Woah, I totally forgot Tyrion’s physical description – that hit me from the blind side! But memory returns: Isn’t there a theory that Tyrion is half-Targaryen, half Lannister (because Aegon raped Lady Lannister and that was the cause why Tywin resigned as hand?)
  My bet: Yes, sure – the black eye is probably very dark lilac, the hair white not blonde! When we think about GRRMs first plan to stay true to the POVs of book 1 – then all fits, and we have our three heads of the dragon already very clear: the hidden one (J), the half-one (T) and the crazy one (D) – just kidding – the prominent one (D). And that makes young Griff this generation’s Blackfyre-contender.
• His uncle was sharp-featured and gaunt as a mountain crag, but there was always a hint of laughter in his blue-grey eyes.
  A Stark with humor? A rare sight.
• “I am almost a man grown,” Jon protested. “I will turn fifteen on my next name day, and Maester Luwin says bastards grow up faster than other children.”“That’s true enough,” Benjen said with a downward twist of his mouth.
  Why does Benjen’s mouth have a “downward” twist? Is he disagreeing with Maester Luwin? If not, does he know that Jon is not a bastard and therefore will not grow up faster? One word – lots of possibilities.
• I learned long ago that it is considered rude to vomit on your brother.
  GRRM always gives Tyrion the best lines 😉 witty and snarky and fun. Only Genna Lannister is similar.
• After the discussion between Jon and Tyrion it would be quite ironic if in the end Jon is in fact not a bastard and Tyrion is (as also Benjen might think)…
• When he opened the door, the light from within threw his shadow clear across the yard, and for just a moment Tyrion Lannister stood tall as a king
  Is this the foreshadowing of King Tyrion? I know that lots and lots of theories are based on that sentence – maybe we will find out one day.
  I add here: There is a possibility that he in fact is the eldest living son of King Aegon the crazy one. If this is true his claim is at least as good as Jon’s (son of last king vs. son of last crown prince) and better than Dany’s (assuming that male heirs inherit first – but even if not, Jon AND Tyrion are older than Daenerys). But she has dragons. Okok, I know aSoIaF is the war of roses on steroids, but I never saw that GRRM laid out the groundwork clear in chapter 6 of 344 so that anybody who wants to find it can find it. IN the end we might say: it has been always clear in front of us.
• Book vs. show:
  • Lena Heady and Nicolaj Coster-Waldau are a very good Lannister-couple, although they are not nearly identical (which is a little unrealistic anyway). But again (as with the Stark kids: In the show they are not as “golden” blonde as in the books)-
  • Show-Jaime is hard to forget – he fits good.
  • Show-Cersei is somewhat easier to distinguish from the books.
  • Tyrion is different in my head from the show and will always be – to different are physicality and description.
  • Tommen and Myrcella I honestly can not remember from the show – so that is easy.
  • Joffrey in my head always looks a little bit like Tom Felton’s Draco Malfoy (I read quite some Harry Potter the last years), the show-Joffrey was despicable and great, but the memory is murky, good.
  • The Stark kids will be covered another time. Benjen is still the image I had in my head (whoever that is) and not the guy from the show.
    

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