The Game of Thrones...

[supervike]

I'm a bit late to this.

I'm finally at the last part of the latest book (A Dance With Dragons) and am looking for folks to discuss this with.

I recall George R.R. Martin being held in pretty high esteem from these boards years ago.

While I love his writing, it seems to me that he's not much of a story teller. He incessantly wanders. Not that I haven't enjoyed it, but it does get a bit frustrating when the multitude of plotlines never seem to have any sort of resolution.

His ability to make me both hate and root for the same characters is amazing, however. He breathes life into these people, and they have all the strengths and weaknesses real people would have. Very enjoyable on that regard.


While I'm not quite to the end of A Dance With Dragons, I realize that it's gonna take several more of these massive novels to come to any sort of conclusion. I sure hope Martin is healthy enough to see it through!

My current favorite characters are Arya, Tyrion, and of all people, Ser Jaime.


I've watched the first 'season' of HBO's take on it. While I was disappointed at times, it's shown some promise. It certainly adds to the 'soap opera' quality of Martin's writing.

Any opinions or discussion?

 

[Bloodhowl]

I am taking a different approach. I am watching the series then reading books. I just finished the second book and there are enough differences between the show and books so far, that I am convinced if I went in the opposite order (read then watch) I would be terribly disappointed in the HBO series. My wife has completed the books through A Dance With Dragons and when we were watching the second season, she kept saying "that's not what happened in the book!" or "who is this character? they're not in the book!"

I am afraid that Martin is going to try to out do Jordan's Wheel of Time series, of which I gave up reading around book 8 or 9. I just couldn't care less about some of the characters and the overall story seemed to have stopped progressing by that point. So far, the Majority of Martin's characters have kept my interest and about the time I start to get bored with one, he usually offs them. I agree his ability to make one love or hate the characters is amazing, and is what has kept me interested in the story, even if it is only to wonder how Joffrey will be ended.

By far, (again, I am only through two books, so I reserve the right to change my opinions at a later date!) my favorite character is Tyrion. Probably followed by Jon Snow, then Arya and the Hound. I just want Sansa to be gone. I can't stand her naivete. Everyone else to this point, is just a necessary evil to progress the stories of my favorites.

 

[Banemorth]

I'm a big reader but I haven't gotten to the last Game of Thrones yet, nor the last two in the Wheel of Time. I started another series (Symphony of Ages) and want to finish that first. Martin takes so long with his books that I'm not worried about falling behind. I should have at least a year or two before his next book hits.

If you want some really killer books I recommend The Coldfire Trilogy by C.S. Friedman or Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn by Tad Williams. Both excellent series.

 

[Dragonsreach]

Book One was more than enough for me.
Personally couldn't be Ar**d to bother with anymore of them.

As for the TV series Great Actors, but again couldn't be Ar**d.

 

[TrystanGST]

The good news is that martin is involved with the HBO series, so any changes to the book storyline were oked by him.
I'm close to two thirds thru Dance, and I agree that there really isn't an end in sight. Whether or not that is a good thing has yet to be seen.

And also - Tyrion is awesome. Ser Jaime has come around, and I'm happy to see Cersei getting hers. Not too keen on the way Daenerys is running her show either.

 

[QuietiManes]

I just got around to watching the first 2 seasons of the HBO show, a couple months ago. Due to being told over and over and over again how great it was and how I needed to get in on the awesome. I was a bit underwhelmed, to be honest. I'm not a fan of the soft-pron vibe, I'm not against it really, just, if I want the pronz I'll download the pronz. I don't have any need or desire to masquerade it in a story of fantasy to cover it to get it past my girlfriend or whatever. I do think it could move a little faster though, I don't get the feeling a whole lot has happened from the premiere episode to the end of the second season...

I've got a few too many book series on the go at the moment to think about starting another. But it's something I'm considering for the future. It's interesting to hear some new opinions though and I'll have to check out some of the recommendations.

 

[TrystanGST]

I just got around to watching the first 2 seasons of the HBO show, a couple months ago. Due to being told over and over and over again how great it was and how I needed to get in on the awesome. I was a bit underwhelmed, to be honest. I'm not a fan of the soft-pron vibe, I'm not against it really, just, if I want the pronz I'll download the pronz. I don't have any need or desire to masquerade it in a story of fantasy to cover it to get it past my girlfriend or whatever. I do think it could move a little faster though, I don't get the feeling a whole lot has happened from the premiere episode to the end of the second season...

I've got a few too many book series on the go at the moment to think about starting another. But it's something I'm considering for the future. It's interesting to hear some new opinions though and I'll have to check out some of the recommendations.

That's a lot of the premium cable shows now - Spartacus (awesome show), True Blood, Tudors, anything that was on pay TV is chock full of the live action version of fanservice.

 

[marjedi]

The latest book is the worst so far, save perhaps the slow first one, and feels like a filler book to passthe time with while the author figures out where to go from here. Kinda like several of the Wheel og Time books.

So far i prefer the series to the books.​

 

[supervike]

I just got around to watching the first 2 seasons of the HBO show, a couple months ago. Due to being told over and over and over again how great it was and how I needed to get in on the awesome. I was a bit underwhelmed, to be honest. I'm not a fan of the soft-pron vibe, I'm not against it really, just, if I want the pronz I'll download the pronz. I don't have any need or desire to masquerade it in a story of fantasy to cover it to get it past my girlfriend or whatever. I do think it could move a little faster though, I don't get the feeling a whole lot has happened from the premiere episode to the end of the second season...

I've got a few too many book series on the go at the moment to think about starting another. But it's something I'm considering for the future. It's interesting to hear some new opinions though and I'll have to check out some of the recommendations.

Yep, I'm in totally agreement with the porno vibe. It detracts from the story. Again, I like boobies as much as the next guy, I just don't need them just for the shock value.

 

[QuietiManes]

The funny thing was that most of the people telling me to watch it were...are female. So I was more than a little surprised to see quite so many boobies.

Last HBO show I liked was Rome. Sadly, it cost too much to produce or something retarded.

 

[freakinacage]

lol yeah loads of boobies!

I like it, not read the book mind. I think I'd get frustrated, Dying to see what happens with that hot ginger girl from the North..

 

[The_Demonic]

People are becoming seriously worried that GRRM will die before he finishes the books. They've just become ridiculously long-winded, the Daenerys chapters in A Dance with Dragons were so tedious that I almost gave up on them altogether. The characters are great though - I just hope the next book has a bit more happening in it, rather that all the characters just sitting around twiddling their thumbs.

Dying to see what happens with that hot ginger girl from the North..

Heh heh heh.

 

[RuneBrush]

Must admit that I've not read the books or seen the series yet. I've been recommended both by a variety of friends. I'm certainly not a fan of when books wander from place to place rapidly though. I'm finding a lot of Dan Abnett's recent Black Library stuff does that and it makes getting into a book really difficult as I tend to read during my lunch break and before I go to bed.

Completely agree on what everybody has said on the level of nakedness that seems to be shoehorned into so many programmes now though. I (like most blokes) don't have an issue with naked ladies, but it has to contribute to the programme rather than be "You must see this because of the boobies" - I've just realised how old that makes me sound

 

[TrystanGST]

Must admit that I've not read the books or seen the series yet. I've been recommended both by a variety of friends. I'm certainly not a fan of when books wander from place to place rapidly though. I'm finding a lot of Dan Abnett's recent Black Library stuff does that and it makes getting into a book really difficult as I tend to read during my lunch break and before I go to bed.

Completely agree on what everybody has said on the level of nakedness that seems to be shoehorned into so many programmes now though. I (like most blokes) don't have an issue with naked ladies, but it has to contribute to the programme rather than be "You must see this because of the boobies" - I've just realised how old that makes me sound

Rune - the books do cover a lot of ground, but it didn't really seem like wandering. He's just got a lot of stuff going on with his world, so you need to move around. Heck, two of the books (5 and 6, or was it 4 and 5) take place during the same period of time, but follow different characters. As for boobs - they're definitely not there to contribute to the story. Just eye candy.

 

[RuneBrush]

Rune - the books do cover a lot of ground, but it didn't really seem like wandering. He's just got a lot of stuff going on with his world, so you need to move around. Heck, two of the books (5 and 6, or was it 4 and 5) take place during the same period of time, but follow different characters. As for boobs - they're definitely not there to contribute to the story. Just eye candy.

Specifically it's "know no fear" which is my current lunchtime book (only a bit left and that'll be finished). I found the first third of the book was a complete and utter mare to try and read, much more so than anything else I've read of his. It *would* make an amazing feature length film with the way it was written, but less so as a novel.

I've thoroughly enjoyed most of the Abnett books I've read (the Darkblade books are some of my favourite). He's able to portray humans (such as army troopers etc) in a fantastic package, putting across emotions and thoughts that you can really identify with. I have just found recently that his books bounce around a bit too much for my liking. I think it's highlighted when you read one of the Heresy books by another author. That said, I have enjoyed the book, but likely in future keep the Abnett books to read of a Sunday afternoon rather than in odd half hour chunks.

 

[TrystanGST]

Specifically it's "know no fear" which is my current lunchtime book (only a bit left and that'll be finished). I found the first third of the book was a complete and utter mare to try and read, much more so than anything else I've read of his. It *would* make an amazing feature length film with the way it was written, but less so as a novel.

I've thoroughly enjoyed most of the Abnett books I've read (the Darkblade books are some of my favourite). He's able to portray humans (such as army troopers etc) in a fantastic package, putting across emotions and thoughts that you can really identify with. I have just found recently that his books bounce around a bit too much for my liking. I think it's highlighted when you read one of the Heresy books by another author. That said, I have enjoyed the book, but likely in future keep the Abnett books to read of a Sunday afternoon rather than in odd half hour chunks.

I was talking about George Martin, but I too find that some of the Black Library books are guilty of this. Heck - the one I am reading now (Nagash the Sorcerer) keeps bouncing between two time periods.

 

[cassar]

Book One was more than enough for me.
Personally couldn't be Ar**d to bother with anymore of them.

As for the TV series Great Actors, but again couldn't be Ar**d.

I am of the same opinion as DR. I also found the annoying habit the author has of killing off the main characters then creating new and supposedly major characters then killing them off too to be just too much hassle and i too lost interest or to use a previous quote "i couldnt be arsed" to try and keep track of all the new and presumably doomed characters. I doubt anyone from the original book/series will make it to the end. Mr Martin must have ADHD.

 

[RuneBrush]

I was talking about George Martin, but I too find that some of the Black Library books are guilty of this. Heck - the one I am reading now (Nagash the Sorcerer) keeps bouncing between two time periods.

Lol, sorry The last book of the Nagash trilogy is even worse - that's actually the one I've on the go beside the bed.

 

[TrystanGST]

Lol, sorry The last book of the Nagash trilogy is even worse - that's actually the one I've on the go beside the bed.

Haha that's not encouraging - it makes me want to give up on these pseudo-egyptians and go back to my Horus Heresy!

 

[yxalitis]

The books are over-long, cumbersome, and a PITA to read.
The TV shows takes all the unnecessary characters, subplots, and endless descriptions of knights battling in a tournament of no consequence to any of the plot lines...and distils out a phenomenal piece of entertainment.
Take Feast of Crows..exactly WHAT did Brienne DO for 4 chapters...wander around asking the same question?
Utterly pointless!
The show could ease up on the parade of boobs, and not lose anything in the process, I'm not sure why the production team felt it was necessary in the first place, who was their target audience...13-year-old boys?
Other than that, I have no issues with the TV series; it is some of the finest television ever made.

I do fear for the next series though, a lot of content in season 4 has been drawn from the later books, and there is a real absence of film-able material left over...
I predict that season 5 will diverge from the books far more substantially than previous seasons.
At least I hope so...!