The Gathering Storm: Brandon thinks Mat is on meth

[jsbrads]

In tGS mat stays up all night writing scripts for his operation to find the person behind the posters.

Silly and not very consistent with Mat's character.

Agree/disagree

Want more?

I just think I can read the evil librarian series if I want more of that, wheel of time doesn't need or benefit from slap stick, humor yes not that

[Fains nose]

While i accept that Mats character change in tGS was intentional, it was just poorly done by Brandon. And your right, he has a terrible sense of humour. I think Brandon has trouble writing Mat because Mat is 'cool'. He is a laid back, funny womaniser and a hard c#nt. Brandon is none of those things, so i hope that most of future Mat is written by RJ

[SuperFade]

Oh look, it's this topic again. ._.

 

Personally, I felt that there was nothing wrong with the way Mat was written.

[dapianoplay3r]

Mat was the only character that jared for me but it was only once or twice and it wasnt that bad imo

[Scaw]

While you mention it I do think that situation was sort of odd, though slap is when people trip over their own feet, not when they prepare stupid back-up stories.

 

But I would not necessarily say it is out of character. Part of Mat's character IS being out of character, so to speak. If you want an explanation: he may have done that to take his mind off Tuon and I read from his tone that he new he overdid it. When we read Mat's PoV, he is always struggling with his good side, he tries to convince himself he is "laid back, funny womaniser and a hard c#nt", which he is sometimes, but there is also this other side that cares about people, is thorough, loves Tuon...

 

Also, that may even be a part RJ wrote or provided details for in his notes. And if I look at that book in more general terms, I must really congratulate BS on his work, definitely better than a few of RJs books.

[FarShainMael]

I believe that RJ has indicated that Mat is derived from Odin, the Norse god of wisdom, battle, poetry, and inspiration. Hence the bit about 'writing scripts'.

 

Any of the following sound familiar..?

 

From

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odin

 

" "Odin" is generally accepted as the modern English form of the name, although, in some cases, older forms may be used or preferred. His name is related to ?ðr, meaning "fury, excitation," besides "mind," or "poetry." His role, like that of many of the Norse gods, is complex. He is considered a principal member of the Æsir (Norse Pantheon) and is associated with wisdom, war, battle, and death, and also magic, poetry, prophecy, victory, and the hunt.

 

...

 

"Odin has a number of magical artifacts associated with him: the spear Gungnir, which never misses its target; a magical gold ring (Draupnir), from which every ninth night eight new rings appear; and two ravens Huginn and Muninn (Thought and Memory), who fly around Earth daily and report the happenings of the world to Odin in Valhalla at night. He also owned Sleipnir, an octopedal horse, who was given to Odin by Loki, and the severed head of Mímir, which foretold the future. He also commands a pair of wolves named Geri and Freki, to whom he gives his food in Valhalla since he consumes nothing but mead or wine.

 

...

 

"Odin sacrificed his eye (which eye he sacrificed is unclear) at Mímir's spring in order to gain the Wisdom of Ages. Odin gives to worthy poets the mead of inspiration, made by the dwarfs, from the vessel Óð-r?rir.

 

Odin is associated with the concept of the Wild Hunt, a noisy, bellowing movement across the sky, leading a host of slain warriors.

 

...

 

 

"The Bagler sagas, written in the thirteenth century concerning events in the first two decades of the thirteenth century, tells a story of a one-eyed rider with a broad-brimmed hat and a blue coat who asks a smith to shoe his horse. The suspicious smith asks where the stranger stayed during the previous night. The stranger mentions places so distant that the smith does not believe him. The stranger says that he has stayed for a long time in the north and taken part in many battles, but now he is going to Sweden. When the horse is shod, the rider mounts his horse and says "I am Odin" to the stunned smith, and rides away. The next day, the battle of Lena took place. The context of this tale in the saga is that a peace-treaty has been signed in Norway, and Odin, a god of war, no longer has a place there."

 

 

OK, he hasn't got an 8-legged horse.

 

[Duskfire]

Well he hasnt gotten an 8 legged horse; however he is very good at horsemanship and whatnot, which is a definite link.

 

I really dont think we need yet another topic on how weirdly written Mat was. Yes he isn't the same, but then again to write Mat would be extremely hard. I am no writer, but looking at his mannerisms and sense of humour and whatnot, he would be an incredibly complicated character to write. So yeah, Sanderson didn't do one or two characters 100% the same; that was to be expected and that would have happened no matter the author. Readers should be thankful they actually got a decent author to finish it, and someone who loves the series at that.

[jsbrads]

I just want to say after Brandon finishes this series, if he wants to write a story about a Drakar that is silly, and loves practical jokes, go right ahead.

Noone expects every character to be identical, but...

[blazetheearth]

I don't know. I can understand both sides. I was not jarred out of the story by it, I just took it as another example of how Mat is going overboard on almost everything since he and Toun parted company. Almost every aspect of his personality becomes exaggerated at some point. We have seen Mat come up with a thorough back-story for himself before (ie: Meeting Rahvin/Gaebril in Camelyn), we just haven't seen him try to do it for several other characters also. And yes it was exaggerated, but as I said I think that it was intentional to show us how much out of sorts Mat is over not having Toun around anymore, just as many of his mannerisms and habits are exaggerated in this TGS.

[Dasmarius]

Mat was a little off, but I also agree that it was probably a bit because of Tuon's leaving. Personally, I really enjoyed the banter between Mat and Talmanes about him stopping drinking and gambling, and Talmanes's hidden joke. Yeah, it was a little more forward than Talmanes usually is, but I'm happy with new Mat if it brings out other members of the Band than just his subordinates.

 

i.e., Vanin's the fat disrespectful thief, Talmanes has no emotion, Estean's an idiot (according to Mat)... things like that. I like the Band, so if Mat's personality change allows for more of their characterization, that's fine.

 

I did not like the Left 4 Dead episode in Malden, though. That was just unnecessary.

[Haran]

The thing about the whole Mat/Odin theme is that to my mind, Mat isn't nearly wicked and vindictive enough. Odin was a bit of a bastard, Mats a sweet lad.

Other than that and an 8 legged horse everything seems to be in order

 

About the backstories etc. When I read that scene I could totally envision Tuon, sometime in the future after the LB, trying to have Mat followed to determine his loyalty. He keeps evading her spies and eventually she bursts out in anger while in the presence of Capt Musenge or somesuch. Musenge then confesses that he knows what Mat has been doing all this time, which is taking a random gang of men, some Deathwatch guards, some Da'covale and some Beslan out through travelling gates to go drinking and gabling in secret. Every Friday they meet up and Mat delivers their backstories to all of them. Swashbuckling across the continents. Dealing with pirates and setting up elaborate schemes involving Horseback riding in the Aiel waste and deepsea diving though Travelling gates using damane he has freed illegally.

Musenge then begs her not to tell Mat it was him that ratted on him as it might mean that Mat would ban him from this weeks steam engine race with the king of Tear who owes Musenge quite a sum already.

 

I liked the scene.

[mb]

Mat was in risk of being killed.

Sometimes such situations require such plans.

[Feral]

Hmm Mat's whole cover story thing is a bit tricky cos to me it seems like making a cover story would be a Mattish thing to do, and it did fit the situation. I just feel like the idea was executed poorly. Seemed to me as if RJ put in his notes [insert humourous dialogue about fake stories here] and Brandon just took it a bit too far. So it jars yet fits at the same time for me.