Austin Harper - 23 May 2012 09:33 AM

I finished A Clash of Kings (Book 2) a week or so ago and I’ll be starting A Storm of Swords shortly.  I’m enjoying the books, but they’re not the best I’ve ever read.  My biggest complaint is the over-use of profanity.  I’m no prude and have no problem with profanity being used when appropriate but it seems to me that GRRM just puts it in because he can.  I feel the same way about graphic descriptions of sex acts.  If they fit the story, fine, but don’t force them in.

I think that there’s a bit more going on behind the vulgarity. With the exception of Tyrion, many of the protagonists are pretty much vulgarity-free. I think that he uses it to demonstrate characters who have given up on the value of social graces and of bettering society, and are existing purely on self-preservation.

TromboneAndrew - 23 May 2012 07:21 PM

Austin Harper - 23 May 2012 09:33 AM

I finished A Clash of Kings (Book 2) a week or so ago and I’ll be starting A Storm of Swords shortly.  I’m enjoying the books, but they’re not the best I’ve ever read.  My biggest complaint is the over-use of profanity.  I’m no prude and have no problem with profanity being used when appropriate but it seems to me that GRRM just puts it in because he can.  I feel the same way about graphic descriptions of sex acts.  If they fit the story, fine, but don’t force them in.

I think that there’s a bit more going on behind the vulgarity. With the exception of Tyrion, many of the protagonists are pretty much vulgarity-free. I think that he uses it to demonstrate characters who have given up on the value of social graces and of bettering society, and are existing purely on self-preservation.

From the TV version, I would say, rather that Tyrion’s vulgarity of speech is not from having “given up on the value of social graces”, but rather is a response to the hypocrisy of such social graces and neither would I say that he has given up on bettering society and is existing on pure self-preservation, as he clearly has a deep heart felt connection to his lover and he also performed admirably and selflessly (facing probable death) as the king’s hand in the battle of Blackwater.