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/lit/ - Literature

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7262163 No.7262163 [Reply] [Original]

Arbitrarily killing off characters does not make a story deep or sophisticated. Most authors are capable of a limited number of compelling characters and protecting these characters is vital to the reader's continued interest. "Deus ex machina" may be a totally contrived device, but it's been a staple of storytelling for as long as humans have been telling stories. ASOIAF is far from the only series that is guilty of this, but it's the perfect example of what happens when you trade long term plot/character development for the shock value of unexpected deaths.

>> No.7262170

>>7262163
Why post this on /lit/? Everybody here already knows and agrees.

>> No.7262179

Strong opinions about George R. R. Martin

>> No.7262187

>>7262163
I sort of the thought that the whole appeal of GoT was the lack of deus ex machina. When people die there is a large amount of buildup and conflict, but the buildup isn't usually obvious until hindsight. It's sort of designed so that when you look back at a character's death you can say "oh yeah, it makes sense, they really fucked up in x, y, and z ways."

Never read the books, but that was definitely how I felt about the red wedding in the show.

>> No.7262191

Attention everybody? Can I have your attention, please? Yeah. Wearing a diaper is for god-damn babies. I don't do it anymore. Seriously starting to see behind the veil here. It's not good. Pacifiers are also shit, for a number of reasons I could give. Sorry, but it had to be said.

>> No.7262199

>>7262191
>I don't do it anymore.

You're not fooling anyone.

>> No.7262201
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7262201

This book sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

>> No.7262205
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7262205

Whew, just got done with this. What a pile of shit. I would post excerpts of the prose from this trainwreck but you wouldn't even believe me lmao.

>> No.7262208
File: 151 KB, 755x648, goodnightmoon.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
7262208

Don't even get me started.

>> No.7262216

>>7262170
Well, I'm not just bashing ASOIAF. I'm defending that fiction ought to adhere to certain contrived rules, an idea which some might consider reactionary.

>> No.7262224

>>7262163
This story isn't about some characters, it's about the events they take part in. So it doesn't matter that they die, as long as the story keeps going on.

>> No.7262229

>>7262216
It's not going for "deep and sophisticated", it's supposed to be realist fantasy, in the medieval history sense. Everybody dies, and the good and the gullible die the sooner.