Will post my thoughts/questions in here. About 150 pages into book 1. Works out perfectly because my roommate just finished book 2, so I can stay 1 book behind and keep just getting his when he's finished. Didn't realize the whole backstory with Lysa Arryn and her relationship with Catelyn. Makes more sense now. Also kind of makes sense how fucked up her and the boy were given the murder of the husband. I really feel that it's a good thing that I've watched the first two seasons of the show before reading the books. I would be so lost with all the characters and places, but I have a pretty firm grasp on who's who and what so I can breeze through without having to think about where this character came from. Martin is a great "visual writer," if that makes sense. Describes everything really well without going all American Psycho and describing every minute detail. I also can't believe that this story, with this complexity and this number of characters, was created in this one man's head. It's just so intricate, but there are no flaws re: logistics and relationships.
And what's the significance of the antler being in the dead direwolf's throat? Is that supposed to signify Baratheon killed him or just that a human did? Or neither?
Never gave that a second thought, always just thought of that as a way of showing the deer and wolf killed eachother. Now you have me wondering.
why would a human have done it? the stag's corpse was there. i'm assuming you've seen season 1, so just remember what happened to ned stark at the end of the season and that should give you the significance
I thought it said the antlers were "shaved off" or something to that effect. Probably looking too much into it. Yea, I get that, I was just wondering if it was just an "omen" or something done intentionally.
it's just an omen. you shouldn't have too many questions about the first book tbh. the first season is pretty much identical. there might be some things you want clarified by the end of the book, however.
I always saw it as foreshadowing of Joff (Stag) killing Ned (Direwolf). The problem is that the stag left the direwolf pups, and we learn at the end of the first book that the story doesn't revolve around Ned, but rather his kids.