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Post by eyesofmist on Dec 17, 2015 18:59:25 GMT
I don't know if you remember this movie, it's a simple romantic comedy but whenever it's on on TV, I watch it, either complete, or just parts of it, because I like it but have never stopped to think why it always makes me smile. In the 90s, Bullock wasn't considered so good an actress as she is now, and I hardly knew Bill Pullman or had ever imagined him as the lead in a rom com. I found this review about the film because the movie was on on tv yesterday, again, LOL. www.sheilaomalley.com/?p=4492The review is a thorough essay about script writing and good acting and the reviewer explains why, in her view, this comedy works and is better than others. I'm just keen on movies but I don't have any real knowledge of script writing techniques or acting, so I can only enjoy her essay from my experience as a spectator, but I added the link because I think it's interesting to stop and think why a movie, a book or any type of story works and people can appreciate it. I don't usually do this, I just enjoy the story or not, but there are always reasons for this. In fact I added this because we like ASoIaF enough for us to analyse the story and sometimes we may think this is useless, but I don't really think it is because it can help us to, not only try to guess what may happen in the future but also appreciate what themes, literary traditions, knowledge, talent and skills the author put at work to create something we like so much. I like to stop and think why these are not just any books and why they are so dear to so many readers. This won't give us all the clues because you have to add talent to the mix but it can help us realise why George is so good and perhaps what he is telling us in this story apart from the obvious.
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Post by sillierthings on Dec 20, 2015 15:47:51 GMT
I love this post.
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Post by eyesofmist on Dec 20, 2015 17:51:05 GMT
Thanks! I know you understand what I tried to say here, although sometimes it's difficult to explain why searching for the stitches that conform the tapestry a good story emerges from is interesting. If a story was a real tapestry everybody would understand why each colour shade, type of thread chosen, the techniques used, the style, the pattern matters. A story works in a similar way and something remarkable never appears by chance and much less something moving or with the capacity to remain with us, on our minds.
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Post by katie on Dec 20, 2015 20:09:36 GMT
Well, I certainly hope GRRM is functioning in that capacity too. ;-)
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Post by eyesofmist on Dec 20, 2015 22:23:21 GMT
I think he does, because he's said he likes to leave easter eggs for those who read his books more than once and pick up those references he leaves here and there. He knows many of his fans like to try and guess the secrets hidden in the story by paying attention to what can be read between lines bacause he put it there on purpose, that he writes book that can be read more than once and he is happy people do that and that there are rewards for careful readers. It's a pity I don't remember where to find the actual extract again.
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Post by katie on Dec 20, 2015 22:37:14 GMT
Yeah, but will there be any payoff to those easter eggs? Or are they easter eggs just for the sake of easter eggs? That remains to be seen... sigh.
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Post by sillierthings on Dec 20, 2015 22:38:35 GMT
Well, you know I agree with you. The review you linked was delightful because the viewer was just so happy about the movie and wanted to show why it was so good. I am anticipating such things from Katie's mega-meta that is forthcoming . I don't really like commentaries, reviews, metas...whatever you want to call them...that are too cool for school. I love reading the ones where the writer/reviewer is excited about the work. Yes, I remember that interview. He also calls them "grace notes" -- little flourishes that add beauty and depth to the work as a whole. ETA: Just saw Katie's response, and I think think SOME of the Easter Eggs are there just to be funny (references to football teams and Kermit and Elmo Tully for another); however, when the Easter Eggs are tied back to actual myth and story and seem to support what we know of the actual tale, I would tend to think those are far more purposeful and intended to lead us to certain conclusions.
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Post by eyesofmist on Dec 20, 2015 23:36:20 GMT
I guess You're afraid many apparent clues and references are just there for the sake of it, just for fun, or even worse, that they can be misleading, red herrings and such. I guess some of them are but there are others whose trace can lead us to other stories. For instance, I think the theme of the true knight that was never knighted but behaves honourably links Dunk and Sandor. This supports our idea that Sandor isn't meant to be a villain, as some like to think. Also, the scene where Dunk draws a knife on the red widow, makes me think that the BoBW scene between Sansa and Sandor, which is apparently so violent, may have a hint to romance between the characters, like in that song where a man steals a kiss at knife point.
It's not necessary to analise references, we can enjoy the story and that's enough, but they may prove that our impressions are right and we are reading the story the right way.
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Post by sillierthings on Dec 21, 2015 2:01:15 GMT
I feel like GRRM's Easter eggs are the breadcrumbs leading us through. I personally don't like reading a story where I have no idea where it is going. I'm not in it for the jolt of surprise (although those can be good too), or if I am surprised, I want to be able to go back through the tale and say, "oh, yeah...it was all leading up to this. I just didn't realize at the time." For example, the last time I re-read GOT, I saw neon signs pointing to Ned's death...some within the first few chapters (take this cup away from me with Cat and the whole garden of Gethsemane moment with Arya and Sansa in the godswood at King's Landing). He was clearly slated to die. The Red Wedding was shocking, but once you go back through, there are hints galore.
So, based upon what has already been revealed, and the way GRRM has revealed it, I have to believe that he is giving narrative hints throughout, and that makes his books such a pleasure to reread. I think they are amazingly well-crafted, and he doesn't seem like the type to just jerk his readers around.
Also, having now read several of his other novels, I cannot believe that he's not going to bring a satisfying resolution to the main characters. It may not be happy, but it will be satisfying.
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