"The Nice Watch!"
Official Club of the Books of the George R.R. Martin
Week Fifteen
April 13-19
HAPPY HOMESTUCK DAY
This week: Tyrion VIII, Catelyn X, Daenerys VIII
Week Fourteen
April 6-12
[needs a funnie quote]
1.) Cat and Dany both do negotiations with men of much more power than them in these chapters! How are their methods similar or different, and does this reflect more on them or the societies they're living in?
2.) does walder frey have the most potent nut of all time or does he just fuck a lot?
3.) Are there parallels between Jon and Sam as people?
4.) Do you think Danaerys is making a mistake by trying to help a single person? Is it even possible for her to do more?
5.) Who's more likely to die soon, Walder Frey or Henry Kissinger?
6.) Why do you think jon is so upset when given the sword?
7.) IS love the death of duty?
Week Thirteen
March 30-April 5
[needs a funnie quote]
1.) The nobles get a little mad about appointing a woman to the high counsel, extremely mad about making a common man a lord, and think it's very funny when Barristan gets fired. What does this say about #society?
Week Twelve
March 23-29
[needs a funnie quote]
1.) Has your opinion or understanding of Drogo changed at all now that he can better communicate with the audience?
2.) What do Robb and Catelyn's different reactions to Sansa's letter say about each of them?
3.) Robb says Rickon can't be baby forever. Do you agree?
4.) Osha says Robb is marching the wrong way. Did Robb make a huge mistake? Would it even have been possible for him to go north given the circumstances?
5.) Bran says the Karstarks are nothing like the Starks because they're so big, Stark short kings (in the North) confirmed?
Week Eleven
March 16-22
[needs a funnie quote]
1.) What future chapters are y'all looking forward to the most?
2.) What does the difference between Arya and Sansa's ways of #coping tell us about their two characters?
3.) Littlefinger death 1000 years?
4.) So... Benjen is alive, right?
Week Ten
March 9-15
[needs a funnie quote]
1.) "Eddard Stark allowed himself a curse" - what swear word do you think he says here?
2.) Sansa’s chapter has her wishing Loras was sent out to kill Gregor even though she already saw the Loras v. Gregor showdown and notably that it went very badly for Loras. Why do you think/what does it say that she still thinks he would take down Gregor?
3.) There’s also Class Stuff with Sansa and Arya in Sansa III: what’s the significance / purpose of the immediate contrast between how they each view their non - class matched friendships (Mycah and Jeyne) ?
4.) At the end of Daenerys V, After Viserys threatens to kill her and cut out her child, she switches in her mind to calling Viserys “the man who used to be her brother” and Drogo “the sun of her life”. What does this indicate about the shift in Dany’s perception of each/the dynamic between them in her mind?
5.) Was Renly right to tell Ned to strike before Robert died?
6.) Who, Ultimately, was responsible for killing Robert? (And why is it actually the absurd system of feudal governance / absolute monarchy + the hypermasculinity valued by this system which united to create this situation)
7.) Following Boargate, to what extent is Robert's former image/valor restored or reinforced in the eyes of characters such as Ned or Renly?
Week Nine
March 2-8
[needs a funnie quote]
1.) Do you feel that George's portrayal of Lysa is realistic?
2.) Who goes to more jail, Robert or Tyrion?
3.) Do you think Lysa actually thinks Tyrion killed Jon Arryn, or is she just pulling a Cersei and saying "we HAVE a lion?"
Week Eight
February 24-March 1
[needs a funnie quote]
1.) How many years jail for Littlefinger?
2.) Does learning about the regular treatment of bastards in the south, from Robert’s apathy to Cersei’s violence, change your opinion at all of Catelyn’s relationship to Jon?
3.) There’s interesting juxtaposition between Robert Arryn’s titles “lord of the Eyrie, true warden of the east”- with the description of how young delicate and frail he looks. Can this be seen as a societal commentary? What does it Say?
4.) We know Robert dreams about killing Rhaegar every night. But here Ned thinks about Rhaegar “for the first time in years”. What does this contrast say about how Robert and Ned have dealt with/continue to be impacted by their trauma?
5.) Is Catelyn’s fatphobia re: Lysa supposed to read as Catelyn not questioning / internalizing societal standards of beauty and womanhood or am I giving George too much credit?
6.) Do you think Robert really has changed for the worse, or did power simply reveal his true nature/Ned had an idealized version of him before?
7.) Catelyn says Brynden “of all people” should understand Lysa not wanting to marry for political reasons. Does this mean he’s gay? Did he leave Riverrun to escape noble pressures of marriage and heterosexuality? Discuss.
8.) We see Catelyn think about how Lysa treats Robert way differently than she treats Rickon. What about the comparison of Lysa and Robert / Cersei and Joffrey?
9.) Catelyn says “a woman can rule as wisely as a man” when talking to Brynden Blackfish. Do you think shes speaking from experience as Ned’s wife having to rule in his absence? Do you think she has historical heroes - queens and women she admires and emulates - like Jon and Ned do? F&B + WOIAF readers feel free to speculate wildly.
Week Seven
February 17-23
Ned felt half-poisoned himself. “The squire,” he said. “Ser Hugh.” Wheels within wheels within wheels. Ned’s gears were turning just thinking about it.
1.) In this first Ned chapter, Ned really goes off being very direct and sincere with Robert. What do you think this tells you about their relationship, especially pre-rebellion? Do you think Ned is right to act like this or should he treat him differently now that he Detroit: Became King?
2.) Varys talks about what would happen if he was to be beheaded. Do you think mermen can be beheaded? Would water spill out instead of blood? Or would he crack like an egg?
3.) If you're reading for the first time, who do you think could have killed Jon Arryn? If you're re-reading or already know the answer, how well do you think the mystery is set up at this point?
4.) How much did you enjoy it when Tyrion got punk'd by Catelyn?
5.) Tyrion IV introduces the character of Chiggen. If he came up with a sandwich named "The McChiggen", what do you think it would be like and would you eat it?
6.) Lamprey Pie: would you eat it?
7.) Would Robert actually murder Ned or is he just mad and drunk (or both)?
8.) How do you feel about Ser Loras, and how he is viewed differently by Ned and Sansa?
9.) A fight scene is more than just a clash; what does the fight in Tyrion IV show about it's participants?
10.) Varys and Littlefinger both seem to be trying to gain Ned's trust, and telling Ned that the other can't be trusted. Do you think either of them are telling the truth? Does Ned?
11.) Ned doesn't recognize Varys when he isn't dressed in his silks, and Tommen and Myrcella don't recognize Arya chasing the cat. Is this a Theme?
12.) Do you think Arya hearing the conversation in the tunnels is effective storytelling?
13.) Tyrion saves Cat from the mountain men. Is this self-preservation or does he do it for moral reasons?
14.) Is it ethical to kill a pregante 14 year old, or should Robert die?
Click the "Forms" button at the top of the page to submit a discussion question!
Week Six
February 10-16
[Catelyn] did not know what was more satisfying: the sound of a dozen brains expanding at once or the look on Tyrion Lannister's face.
1.) Ser Rodrik complains that he gets so wet that even his boans are soaked. When’s the last time you got that doused?
2.) How would you interpret the relationship between the characters and the climate around them? Eg. Jon and Sam with the cold, Ned with the heat, Cat with the rains, etc.?
3.) Do you agree with Sansa that Joffery is not to blame for Lady's death?
4.) As a tribute of everyone's favorite podcast segment "Warg of the Week", which Varys characteristics could you pick that would confirm Merling Varys? He didn't appear in these chapters but I just remembered that.
5.) Is Septa Mordane cancelled? Yes or yes?
6.) For the as of yet non Stannis-pilled PGOT book club members... What is your handle on this "Stannis" character so far?
Schedule
Currently reading: A Game of Thrones
On deck (May 11, 2020): A Clash of Kings
| Week: | Chapters: |
|---|---|
| Mar. 23 | Bran VI, Daenerys VI, Catelyn VIII |
| Mar. 30 | Tyrion VII, Sansa V, Eddard XV |
| Apr. 6 | Catelyn IX, Jon VIII, Daenerys VII |
| Apr. 13 | Tyrion VIII, Catelyn X, Daenerys VIII |
| Apr. 20 | Arya V, Bran VII, Sansa VI |
| Apr. 27 | Daenerys IX, Tyrion IX, Jon IX |
| May 4 | Catelyn XI, Daenerys X, recap/reflection? |
| Week: | Chapters: |
|---|---|
| May 11 | Prologue, Arya I, Sansa I |
| May 18 | Tyrion I, Bran I, Arya II |
| May 25 | Jon I, Catelyn I, Tyrion II |
| June 1 | Arya III, Davos I, Theon I |
| June 8 | Daenerys I, Jon II, Arya IV |
| June 15 | Tyrion III, Bran II, Tyrion IV |
| June 22 | Sansa II, Arya V, Tyrion V |
| June 29 | Bran III, Catelyn II, Jon III |
| July 6 | Theon II, Tyrion IV, Arya VI |
| July 13 | Daenerys II, Bran IV, Tyrion VII |
| July 20 | Arya VII, Catelyn III, Sansa III |
| July 27 | Catelyn IV, Jon IV, Bran V |
| August 3 | Tyrion VIII, Theon III, Arya VIII |
| August 10 | Catelyn V, Daenerys III, Tyrion IX |
| August 17 | Davos II, Jon V, Tyrion X |
| August 24 | Catelyn VI, Bran VI, Arya IX |
| August 31 | Daenerys IV, Tyrion XI, Theon IV |
| September 1 | Jon VI, Tyrion XII, Catelyn VII |
| September 8 | Theon V, Sansa V, Davos III |
| September 15 | Tyrion XIII, Sansa VI, Tyrion XIV |
| September 22 | Sansa VII, Daenerys V, Arya X |
| September 29 | Sansa VIII, Theon VI, Tyrion XV |
| October 5 | Jon VIII, Bran VII, recap/reflection? |
About
The Postgame of Thrones Discord has started a book club! We are reading a few chapters a week and discussing as we go along. We're trying to keep things mostly spoiler-free for our first-time readers, though there are no specific rules set up yet as to what constitutes spoilers (considering the HBO show as well as the PGoT podcast contain major spoilers throughout). Please use your best judgment these first few weeks, and read the FAQ for a more thorough rundown of the few established guidelines!
Elliott "The Tormentor" Valentine is the organizer of the club... all that really means is that I made a couple of Google Docs, as well as this site. I suppose I'm the person to contact with any questions! (I have very limited modding powers in the #pgot-book-club channel only. If you're having a problem with someone in the PGoT server, please contact one of the actual mods.)
Forms
FAQ
How do I join?
Head on over to the PGoT Discord- that's it! To get notified of discussion times, possible schedule changes, and miscellaneous announcements, check the pinned tweets in the #pgot-book-club server!
Can I join at any time?
Certainly! First-time readers, please be aware that if you join midway through a book, we will be discussing previous chapters and there will be spoilers!
Where can I get the books?
Why, from your local bookstore, of course! Don't go to the #pgot-book-club channel and click the pinned tweets! There is definitely not a tested link to get the series for free as e-books. So don't go poking around in there!
I really want to discuss something that doesn't happen for a couple more books!
Please use your best judgment in the #pgot-book-club server. A short comment along the lines of "Wow, I never noticed this line in Ned I really sets up the reveal of ||SOME BIG MOMENT IN LIKE A FEAST FOR CROWS OR SOMETHING||" is fine (spoiler tags required!!), but if you start to get into a longer discussion about it with someone, consider moving over to the #good-book-spoilers channel.
Contact
Join the PGoT Discord!
Listen to Postgame of Thrones, the podcast that started it all!
Listen to A Song of Babys and Puppys, the official book club podcast!
Get in touch with Elliott on Twitter!
Unclebowl 2020
Total points as of February 9, 2020
| Uncle | Weeks appearing | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benjen Stark | 3 | 19 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 42 |
| Renly Baratheon | 3 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Tyrion Lannister | 2 | 0 | 11 | 0 | -1 | 10 |
| Eddard "Ned" Stark | 2 | 0 | 5 | -1 | 0 | 4 |
1st place votes, worth two points
2nd place votes, worth one point
Point removed from a current vote in order to activate Uncle Removal Points
Point removed for Un-Uncle-Like activities
Click the "Forms" button at the top of the page to cast your votes!
Week Five
February 3 - 9
“Boy, girl,” Syrio Forel said. “You are a brain, that is all.” He clicked his teeth together. ‘Just so, that is the grip. You are not holding a battle-axe, you are holding a—”
“—book,” Arya finished for him, fiercely.
“Just so. Now we will begin the dance.”