Should I read Game of Thrones?

tartaruga · April 2012

Haven't read the thread below because I do't want to see spoilers. Should I read Game of Thrones?

pixy_stix · April 2012

Let me think about this... YES! Even copz has read it, and she doesn't like violence.

Rock_Lobster · April 2012

I love the series.

There are a lot of reasons that I don't want to love it - Martin seems to be a food-obsessed pervert with weird, pedophilic rape fantasies - but I'm completely hooked. I am DYING waiting for the next book to come out.

notquiteblushing · April 2012

Yes!

But it's a rabbit hole I must warn you.

EmiIyJ · April 2012

YES!

It is a fantastic series. There are SO many twists, turns and little details that it's one you really have to read closely and be dedicated to reading. It's not something you can breeze through. But I am loving it, and I highly recommend it.

MommaG123 · April 2012

tartaruga:
Haven't read the thread below because I do't want to see spoilers. Should I read Game of Thrones?

I was wondering the same thing.

Based on the responses so far I'm thinking I need to add it to my library wish list.

MrsAxilla · April 2012

EmiIyJ:
YES!
It is a fantastic series. There are SO many twists, turns and little details that it's one you really have to read closely and be dedicated to reading. It's not something you can breeze through. But I am loving it, and I highly recommend it.

Yes...but this was my problem. I think I breezed through too fast. There are just so many characters and they all have multiple names (first, last, title, nicknames, etc)and I had a hard time keeping them straight - especially when they'd pop up fifteen chapters or maybe two books later and I couldn't remember who they were or why they're now being beheaded. Sometimes minor characters that you just sort of ignore become important later on. There's just so much going on!

But mostly those issues are because of my ADD and tendency to read too fast. I'd maybe recommend reading them while you watch the show. Season 2 just started and it's really helping me remember and reinforce the story lines.

groovingirl · April 2012

I was given the first book for Christmas, and I have tried to sit down and read it but due to the above mentioned problems (even DH said it takes a while to really dig in and get past all the introductory chapters where you learn about everydamnbody. I haven't gotten there yet. And also, I read fast too, and having to slow down and digest everything slowly has held me back.

EllieArroway · April 2012

I checked it out from the library a couple of months ago but only made it a few chapters in before my loan ended. It was SO SLOW. I still want to give it another chance since everyone seems to love it, but I am waiting until I have more time to dedicate to it.

snapplegirl · April 2012

notquiteblushing:
Yes!
But it's a rabbit hole I must warn you.

Agree. They're somewhat similar to the HP books in that the author has created an entire alternate universe. Lots of ground to cover and very addicting! But perhaps because of that he's slower than the usual series writer to update. I think something like six years passed between the publication of books four and five.

copzgirl · April 2012

pixy_stix:
Let me think about this... YES! Even copz has read it, and she doesn't like violence.

OMG!!! Do eeeettttt!!! I want to have mad passionate hair pulling sweat the sheet hot mess sex with half of the characters!!

And the story isn't bad either

jenniloveselvis · April 2012

Absolutely.

arborgold · April 2012

Have you read LOTR? DId you like it?

Because I find GOT to be incredibly similar - not in terms of content, but in terms of depth of character and world development. There's a LOT going on in it.

I personally PPH love the books, but if you're not a fan of the in-depth, gotta-take-your-time kind of reading that the LOTR series epitomizes, then you'll probably be frustrated by these.

ETA: I LOVE LOTR, as well, and they will always hold a special place in my heart but I *might* (and I know this is geek blasphemy) even like these better. That might just be because I felt like there were more powerful female roles in them, though...

msmerymac · April 2012

I like these books better than LOTR. I always thought fantasy was probably like LOTR, but not as good, with poor writing and cheesey love stories. But GoT is AWESOME. My H got me hooked after the last Harry Potter book came out, even though I told him I wasn't really "into" fantasy. You don't have to love fantasy, you just have to be willing to invest in an epic series.

There's something I love about really long books, though. It's a challenge, I know I'll have something to do for the next few weeks, and it's nice to get lost in the middle of one in the den on a cool weekend afternoon.

tartaruga · April 2012

Hmm...I haven't read LOTR and I'm not really a fantasy reader. But I'm open to anything that's interesting and engrossing. I read really fast, so long books are good.

OK I guess I am going to give it a shot - I have a 5 hour plane ride coming up so it will be perfect!

KittyCatBio · April 2012

i think so. I found it very easy to read, but i had watched the tv show first, and it so closely matches the tv show it is unnerving. I'm just one chapter into the 2nd book now. that one i'm going to have to pay a bit more attention to, as I don't have faces to put with new names to help keep them straight except for what happened in the first ep of the 2nd season.

and how the hell do you pronounce Melisandre? it's driving me crazy.

msmerymac · April 2012

It just doesn't strike me as typical fantasy where everyone has a stereotypical role. There's no "hero" or "love interest" or "villain." The characters live in a world where dragons and some magic/fantastical elements exist, and where the technology is very circa Charlemagne times, but they seem so REAL. No one is really 100% good or 100% bad. The character's personalities can easily be transfered to any other type of book or time period or situation because they just seem human. And interesting. Then, you know, add on the creepy supernatural beings, the dragons, the epic journeys and battles... so no wonder we like it, huh?

Rock_Lobster · April 2012

msmerymac:
It just doesn't strike me as typical fantasy where everyone has a stereotypical role. There's no "hero" or "love interest" or "villain." The characters live in a world where dragons and some magic/fantastical elements exist, and where the technology is very circa Charlemagne times, but they seem so REAL. No one is really 100% good or 100% bad. The character's personalities can easily be transfered to any other type of book or time period or situation because they just seem human. And interesting. Then, you know, add on the creepy supernatural beings, the dragons, the epic journeys and battles... so no wonder we like it, huh?

This is one of the reasons that I love it. The characters are so well developed and real, unlike in LOTR where they all seem very flat and no one has a complex character or motivations (everyone is either GOOD and motivated by defending good against evil, or BAD and motivated by greed and power lust).

I also like that you're kind of eased into the fantasy elements. I'm not generally a huge fan of the fantasy genre, but I like this. You aren't expected to accept a world of elves and magic right off the bat, the supernatural/fantasy elements are slowly introduced as the plot develops and before you know it there are dragons and magic and Others.

volenti · April 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-ZeaS_QJ8w

Be warned.

curlydoglover · April 2012

volenti:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-ZeaS_QJ8w

Be warned.

That's awesome. LOL

Velvetshady · April 2012

I am a reader of fantasy and this series in one I've been recommending to non-fantasy readers for years. It is *based* in a fantasy world but it isn't *about* the fantasy aspects--it's about the people, human nature, and the politics.

Nerdicorns · April 2012

This is fantasy but he approachs it from a historical angle- where as LOTR really romanticizes the medieval aspects of Middle Earth, GRRM is pretty gritty and real about it. It's complicated enough that it's more a mix of pretty much every genre out there (romance, mystery, suspense, historical drama, drama, comedy, etc etc) under a much broader umbrella of "Fantasy".

Sibil · April 2012

I'm torn. I read the first book when I first go to Hawaii and had long days and bus rides to fill. I enjoyed it, even if it was a tough slog to get through at times.

However, from what I've heard, the next books are basically rinse/repeat. The story doesn't go anywhere, and it gets so convoluted with all the twists, that there's no resolution. I put my name on the wait list for the 2nd book, but when it was available 4 months later, I had no desire to actually read it anymore.

CinemaGoddess · April 2012

Sibil:

I'm torn. I read the first book when I first go to Hawaii and had long days and bus rides to fill. I enjoyed it, even if it was a tough slog to get through at times.

However, from what I've heard, the next books are basically rinse/repeat. The story doesn't go anywhere, and it gets so convoluted with all the twists, that there's no resolution. I put my name on the wait list for the 2nd book, but when it was available 4 months later, I had no desire to actually read it anymore.

The story goes really slowly and the characters are fleshed out a lot more. There are also surprising deaths and the twists aren't that convoluted when you read the books.

Each book brings up more questions than answers, but the series has just gotten better over the years. The exception to this is the 4th book, which sucked because the Ironborn are boring.

arborgold · April 2012

CinemaGoddess:

Each book brings up more questions than answers, but the series has just gotten better over the years. The exception to this is the 4th book, which sucked because the Ironborn are boring.

I'm sooo glad I'm not the only one who thinks so!

Sibil · April 2012

CinemaGoddess:
Sibil:

I'm torn. I read the first book when I first go to Hawaii and had long days and bus rides to fill. I enjoyed it, even if it was a tough slog to get through at times.

However, from what I've heard, the next books are basically rinse/repeat. The story doesn't go anywhere, and it gets so convoluted with all the twists, that there's no resolution. I put my name on the wait list for the 2nd book, but when it was available 4 months later, I had no desire to actually read it anymore.

The story goes really slowly and the characters are fleshed out a lot more. There are also surprising deaths and the twists aren't that convoluted when you read the books.

Each book brings up more questions than answers, but the series has just gotten better over the years. The exception to this is the 4th book, which sucked because the Ironborn are boring.

Isn't that essentially the definition of convoluted?

MrsAxilla · April 2012

CinemaGoddess:
Sibil:

I'm torn. I read the first book when I first go to Hawaii and had long days and bus rides to fill. I enjoyed it, even if it was a tough slog to get through at times.

However, from what I've heard, the next books are basically rinse/repeat. The story doesn't go anywhere, and it gets so convoluted with all the twists, that there's no resolution. I put my name on the wait list for the 2nd book, but when it was available 4 months later, I had no desire to actually read it anymore.

The story goes really slowly and the characters are fleshed out a lot more. There are also surprising deaths and the twists aren't that convoluted when you read the books.

Each book brings up more questions than answers, but the series has just gotten better over the years. The exception to this is the 4th book, which sucked because the Ironborn are boring.

Someone else mentioned this a while ago - what surprising deaths?? I wasn't really surprised by any of them....then again, I breezed through and apparently missed half of the story.

Sibil · April 2012

MrsAxilla:
CinemaGoddess:
Sibil:

I'm torn. I read the first book when I first go to Hawaii and had long days and bus rides to fill. I enjoyed it, even if it was a tough slog to get through at times.

However, from what I've heard, the next books are basically rinse/repeat. The story doesn't go anywhere, and it gets so convoluted with all the twists, that there's no resolution. I put my name on the wait list for the 2nd book, but when it was available 4 months later, I had no desire to actually read it anymore.

The story goes really slowly and the characters are fleshed out a lot more. There are also surprising deaths and the twists aren't that convoluted when you read the books.

Each book brings up more questions than answers, but the series has just gotten better over the years. The exception to this is the 4th book, which sucked because the Ironborn are boring.

Someone else mentioned this a while ago - what surprising deaths?? I wasn't really surprised by any of them....then again, I breezed through and apparently missed half of the story.

I thought pretty much everyone died. So, if I expect that, can I actually be surprised?

LittleMoxie · April 2012

Sibil:
MrsAxilla:
CinemaGoddess:
Sibil:

I'm torn. I read the first book when I first go to Hawaii and had long days and bus rides to fill. I enjoyed it, even if it was a tough slog to get through at times.

However, from what I've heard, the next books are basically rinse/repeat. The story doesn't go anywhere, and it gets so convoluted with all the twists, that there's no resolution. I put my name on the wait list for the 2nd book, but when it was available 4 months later, I had no desire to actually read it anymore.

The story goes really slowly and the characters are fleshed out a lot more. There are also surprising deaths and the twists aren't that convoluted when you read the books.

Each book brings up more questions than answers, but the series has just gotten better over the years. The exception to this is the 4th book, which sucked because the Ironborn are boring.

Someone else mentioned this a while ago - what surprising deaths?? I wasn't really surprised by any of them....then again, I breezed through and apparently missed half of the story.
I thought pretty much everyone died. So, if I expect that, can I actually be surprised?

Expect some surprising survivals then? Does that help?

Should I read Game of Thrones?

Re: Should I read Game of Thrones?

Choose Another Board

Search Boards