Funny Friday: "My Journey North" A Review of an Autobiography by Hodor

7/10 Stars 

(Credit)

Game of Thrones contains many dynamic characters who become heroes, Hodor being one of them. His limitation with speech, however, is a confusion to audiences and characters alike. The only word he is able to utter is “hodor”. Thus he adopted the word as his name, although his real name is Walder in the books and Wylis in the television series. The difference in name is probably done to ensure that no one confused him with Walder Frey, the host behind the Red Wedding. Hodor's speech is the same as his writing, the only word put to paper is indeed hodor. Simply put, this is a book filled with repeated hodors with no translations provided. It is a hilarity of the language barrier between Hodor and the rest of the characters in the show translated to a form real audiences can truly grasp.

As a character, Hodor is a constant staple within Winterfell as we are introduced to the Stark family and follow their story through Westeros. When Ned Stark is elected as the Hand to the King, Hodor is left behind to help care for Bran Stark. With their fates tied together, this strong yet simple man lays out the details of his story from his own perspective. 

With his limited vocabulary, the book is a challenge for any reader used to the reaches and nuances of the English language. If one is well versed in Dothraki or High Valyrian, the same challenge would present itself. This limitation presents difficulties with decoding the story. However, the background knowledge from the original collection of Game of Thrones as well as telling images from the hit television show, one might surmise the ups and downs of the ever present “Hodor.” 

For those who have not read through or watched the full television series, these next analysis will include major spoilers. 

After Winterfell is taken over and Bran is chased away from his home, Hodor dutifully carries his young charge on his journey through the unforgiving terrain north to the wall and beyond it. This story details that harrowing flight from Winterfell as each character witnesses the ups and downs of the world. From being attacked by Wildlings, running into dangerous White Walkers, and meeting the Crow. Their story brings them to the ultimate conclusion that you cannot escape your past. For Hodor, his past is defined through his future actions and the connection he shares with Bran Stark. His ultimate fate showed his purpose in helping Bran return to Winterfell in order to be reunited with his remaining family members in season seven. 

The formatting of the book itself shows the nuances of spoken word, as every type of grammar is deployed for the reader to gain an understanding of the fluctuations in each hodor uttered. With sentences ranging from one to several hodors, one can only assume the word encompasses many types of phrases. Changes such as capitalization and exclamation points uncover moments of surprise, fear, and excitement. One issue with the format is the lack of capitalization of some hodors when beginning a sentence. Recognizing that this is a stylistic choice to show a calmer sense of Hodor, one has to remember the rules of capitalization, especially when publishing a book connected with such a prestigious series of literature. 

The end of the book takes full advantage of a finale ending, with bullet points reflecting a list of what Hodor might have gained from the journey or what he could have done differently. The final two Hodors, with a pause in between, give the reader the impact of a heavy lesson learned. In a moment of remembrance, the final two words recall the scene where Hodor says his goodbyes, in the words he has held onto as his destiny. 

This is a fairly useless narrative that reminds me of the humor of blank paged books toting the titles of “Reasons Men are Better Than Women” or “Ways to Cure Stupidity”. The sarcasm is carried through the process of creating wasteful or useless products such as these. This autobiography even happens to have a second volume, all written in Hodor’s own words. Each book can set one back $10-$13, with such little actual content, the publishers definitely rely on the hilarity of wasteful spending and the craze around the show itself. As more of a collectors item, this book is not worth it for those that have not enjoyed the Game of Thrones show or books. This autobiography is more of an inside joke that managed to carry through a publishing house, it isn’t anything truly worth reading but it is a funny collectors item for fans of the show or books. If anything, I suggest you read the reviews on amazon for this book, as they are just as funny. Those interested in purchasing a copy can find it sold online or in Barnes and Noble.