The dark brown furnishings and
the dim, dull orange lights adorn the popular hangout for jaunty friends,
somnolent students, workaholics, literature freaks, lovers or simply
coffee-lovers. I happen to be none of these. Yet I ended up at GJC (Gloria
Jean’s Cafe) snuggled up on a comfortable sofa with an aromatic fragrance in
head and a book in hand: A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE: PART V.
As I flipped through the last few
pages, a parallel universe seemed to be coming to an abrupt halt. It had become
a part of my living, for the better part of the last one semester. Yes, I have
spent countless hours going endlessly through the magnificent series of books
by G R R Martin, popularly identified by ‘A GAME OF THRONES’, a TV series
based on it. The reading exercise was accompanied by re-living the epic in my
head, wowing at the grandiose of the kingdoms and castles, hero-worshipping
Tyrion’s witticism, laughing with the Stark victories, brooding over their
dead, cursing the dishonest, taking lessons from honourable men, hoping for an
end to the Lannisters and praying for triumphs to the Starks. Having spent so
much time being a part of this fictional world, I decided to attempt a fair
appraisal of the series through a dedicated blog post.
A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE may best
be described as violent annals of fight for power and kingdoms, closely
replicating historical episodes of times when kings and warriors fought for
lands, wealth, power and glory. It is an honest narrative of the struggle for
survival, a portrayal of the ‘survival of the fittest’ law, a marker of the
unending nature of human lust. It is a sorrowful recital of woes engulfing
mankind, of the evil and the way most of it is not repaid in kind.
It draws a close similarity to
our contemporary society where “common people pray for rain, healthy children, and a
summer that never ends. It is no matter to them if the high lords play their
game of thrones, so long as they are left in peace. They never are;” they are
blatantly exploited by politicians for their own mean, lustful ends.
Most of all, it is an elegant
account of human civilizations and cultures whose imaginative nature does not
fail to capture the exquisite character of human relationships. It demonstrates
how civilizations flourish, nurture and prosper to bind themselves with common
threads of belongingness and patriotism. Every proud patriot can relate to the
supporters of ‘King in the North’ and ‘King beyond the Wall’; for it is the
common thread of customs and traditions, woes and tragedy, war and blood that
binds them together.
The series also has its share of
devout sermons, scientifically inexplicable phenomena left to the disposal of
one’s beliefs, unbelieving coincidences and unseemly, unacceptable tragedies
that leave you feeling lost and helpless.
The most unique feature of the
book is the presentation of each chapter from different characters’
perspective, allowing the reader to walk in the shoes of each character for a
while. It is little wonder then, that a work so bereft of excessive
sentimentalism can make you smile, laugh and weep with its most loveable
characters.
The story takes wild turns ever
so frequently that the voluminous set of books keep you engaged and enthralled
from start till end. While TV fans seem to find these tragic twists most
appealing, there seems to be a general dissatisfaction with the level of
detailing the episodes are able to accomplish. The books however boast of
minutest detail.
The colourful descriptions of
glorious houses, their histories and sigils; the due attention paid to formal
heraldry, allow the readers to live the grandeur of these times. Detailed
accounts of social and religious orders; languages and literature; and the fine
detailing of customs and traditions of different cultures chronicling
superstitious beliefs and orthodox practices make this parallel universe of men
wholesome and realistic. Laws of trade and political systems have been adhered
to and exemplified at work. This along with the justice done to every single
character be it a non-consequential septon with only his faith for sword and
sermons for armour or a warrior introduced just before his doom; clearly attest
the tremendous efforts that have gone behind the conceptualization and
scripting of the series.
Although the enormity and
unrestrictive nature of its scope, its appealing and engaging flow, the
perfection with which tragedy, thrill, adventure, philosophy and magic have
been combined into one and the magnanimity of diligence suffice to make this
heroic series one of best literary works of our times, there is much more in
store!
This towering epic is richly ornamented
with strength of dialogue manifested by Tyrion’s reply to Jaime’s suggestion
that it might be a mercy to kill a cripple, “I beg to differ. Death is so
terribly final, while life is full of possibilities,” or when Bran is answered
for, “Can a man still be brave if he’s afraid?” with “That is the only time a
man can be brave;” and philosophical ramblings such as, “A ruler who hides
behind paid executioners soon forgets what death is.”
The diverse nature of human
society sketched by myriad shades of men—kind-hearted and sadists, honourable
and cunning, industrious and witty, strong and feeble, pious and ungodly allows
everyone to relate to the book, strongly.
Reading between its lines brings
home several important lessons of life. While a popular joke is that none of
the characters ever die of natural causes in GoT, the series does highlight
that one thing that is deadlier than capricious females, is the
fickle-mindedness of life! It may stand strong one moment and decide to turn
against you the next. It is best not to tend to it tenderly in hopes of holding
it safe but to make good use of it before life slips like sand against a
tightly clenched fist.
The series preaches courage and
bravery through little Arya Stark; honour and duty through the ‘Grandfather’,
Ser Barristan Selmy and Brienne; patience and persistence through timeless
longing and struggle for attainment of love, dreams and passions, for success
of plots, for vengeance! And it will hopefully end with a strong case for
benevolence when Daenerys is paid in kind for her righteousness.
A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE is by far
the most beautifully painted web of mankind, its threads running across time
and distance to connect the seemingly unconnected dots on the global canvas of
space and time. So add this colourful sketch of humanity to your wish-lists and
carts at your earliest convenience, because it deserves much more than being
stuck with a 9.4 rating on IMDB. It deserves every reader that can reach it!
For works like it come along but once in a thousand years!
