I’m currently reading A Storm of Swords from the Game of Thrones series. Without giving any spoilers, allow me to vent that some of my favorite characters have died or disappeared. Some of my favorite characters have lost everyone dear to them (so they believe, at least), and they are alone in the world.

One of the chapters I finished recently talked about how one character broke a stick “sword” against a tree to release the grief and anger that had welled up inside. It’s an awful feeling to lose someone dear and to feel like no matter which way you turn, all roads are equally dreary. There have been times when I’ve done manual labor-type of jobs around the house because I needed to get out my frustrations. Weed-eating, for instance, is not particularly fun, but it looks nice when it’s finished, and it’s a good arm/shoulder workout. Shredding blades of grass to smithereens helps to clear the weeds out of my head, too.

I appreciate how the author is candid about the characters’ grieving process. Some bottle it up and try to forget it, put on their strong faces and deal with the here-and-now. I’ve been in that place before; sometimes, you just have to do what you have to do to survive the moment. Other characters wail and mourn openly. I’ve been there, as well. Some characters channel their grief into vengeance, purpose, drive, etc. I’ve experienced that resurgence within my own spirit at times, also.

One of the things I dislike about such strong character development in a novel, however, is that I get “close” to a character. I learn to like them and relate to them. I don’t like it when they die. 😦