I had the same reaction. Just found it to be strange. I bugged my friend by asking "what did he mean? And how so?" Which of course she couldn't really answer having not read the books and not wanting me to spoil her on them. She just said - "he said they were written as shallow and spiteful and without the same depth and heroism as the men or complexity", which again bewildered me.
Maybe it's because the women aren't ~nice~ enough?
Possibly. I mean we do have crazy Lyssa. And I suppose Catelynne and Cersei come across a bit harsh. Dany may seem less heroic than say Jon Snow? I don't know. I've been tossing it around in my head. But I honestly think they are equally complex. Also, considering we are in a medieval society, where power is basically defined by brute strength and men rule...Martin's women are surprisingly strong and outside traditional role models. Also we have the whole range. Yasha Greyjoy who is a warrior who fights to be Queen by fighting ability, and camarederi and won't ever be married or have kids vs. Ceresi who fights for her power through her children, sex, and marriage or manipulation.
While Cersei certainly isn't likable, I agree that she is one of the most psychologically fascinating female characters that I've seen and one of the best villains.
Sansa is oddly growing on me. She is only 15. And all of her illusions have been dashed to smithereens. I find her heartbreaking and riveting. I love how she uses politeness and manners to survive.
No, I really don't understand how anyone could say Martin doesn't like women or can't write them well. I think he's doing a very good job, much better than most fantasy writers that I've read (granted I haven't read that many). (I mentioned to my friend that Martin's female fanbase was about as large if not larger than the male fanbase. Not that necessarily means anything...)
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branchandroot
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Date: 2011-10-03 01:03 am (UTC)She just said - "he said they were written as shallow and spiteful and without the same depth and heroism as the men or complexity", which again bewildered me.
Maybe it's because the women aren't ~nice~ enough?
Possibly. I mean we do have crazy Lyssa. And I suppose Catelynne and Cersei come across a bit harsh. Dany may seem less heroic than say Jon Snow? I don't know. I've been tossing it around in my head. But I honestly think they are equally complex. Also, considering we are in a medieval society, where power is basically defined by brute strength and men rule...Martin's women are surprisingly strong and outside traditional role models. Also we have the whole range. Yasha Greyjoy who is a warrior who fights to be Queen by fighting ability, and camarederi and won't ever be married or have kids vs. Ceresi who fights for her power through her children, sex, and marriage or manipulation.
While Cersei certainly isn't likable, I agree that she is one of the most psychologically fascinating female characters that I've seen and one of the best villains.
Sansa is oddly growing on me. She is only 15. And all of her illusions have been dashed to smithereens. I find her heartbreaking and riveting. I love how she uses politeness and manners to survive.
No, I really don't understand how anyone could say Martin doesn't like women or can't write them well. I think he's doing a very good job, much better than most fantasy writers that I've read (granted I haven't read that many). (I mentioned to my friend that Martin's female fanbase was about as large if not larger than the male fanbase. Not that necessarily means anything...)