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Game of Thrones!

ceecee

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QUESTCHAWN!

For those who have both read the books and are watching the series, would you recommend reading those massive tomes to people just now watching the series?

For myself, I loooooooooooooooove the movie Dune with young hottie Kyle Maclachlan and have watched it several times. But, then I read the first book in the Dune series and was so underwhelmed that I never picked up another one. I do enjoy wikipedia-ing it though to get an overview of the series. I just don't want to read every page of it.

Like most epic sci-fi or fantasy, it is a super dense series to get involved with lightly. I don't read fantasy books generally, either.

If the series is mostly faithful to the books, I'll just stick with the tv series. But if the books are everything the tv series is PLUS SOME and really enhances enjoyment of the story, then I'll go for the books. These books are also hard to come by at the public library with a long wait list and I'm cheap frugral so I'd like to know before I add my name to the list.

Please choose the books. I love the show, don't get me wrong but I am not stuck on it being the same as the books. It's much more enjoyable when you see them as separate things.
 

kyuuei

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So far as I can tell watching the series is enough for people who just want to know some about the craze lately. But the books definitely give you windows unable to be reproduced. Tyrion to me is an extremely romantic loving character and I don't think you get half of that from the series. There are thoughts you can read that just aren't in the show. So if you don't want to read it all skip to chapters ;)
 

ZPowers

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QUESTCHAWN!

For those who have both read the books and are watching the series, would you recommend reading those massive tomes to people just now watching the series?

For myself, I loooooooooooooooove the movie Dune with young hottie Kyle Maclachlan and have watched it several times. But, then I read the first book in the Dune series and was so underwhelmed that I never picked up another one. I do enjoy wikipedia-ing it though to get an overview of the series. I just don't want to read every page of it.

Like most epic sci-fi or fantasy, it is a super dense series to get involved with lightly. I don't read fantasy books generally, either.

If the series is mostly faithful to the books, I'll just stick with the tv series. But if the books are everything the tv series is PLUS SOME and really enhances enjoyment of the story, then I'll go for the books. These books are also hard to come by at the public library with a long wait list and I'm cheap frugral so I'd like to know before I add my name to the list.

The books add a lot that the show just can't reproduce, and probably couldn't even under more ideal circumstances.

The world, scope and story of the books is a lot larger and more involved. Personally, I was astounded by the level of world-building and how little things barely mentioned in book one become so important so much later. You really get a feel not only for what's going on now, but you fully grasp the history of this world and what it is about (Robert's Rebellion, the Mad King, the Greyjoy Rebellion, Aegon the Conqueror and other stuff that is told with pretty exciting detail), and the characters are drawn up very clearly. I will admit in some instances the detail can be a bit tedious, and it can be hard to over come the image of the characters on the show at first (I started reading after Season 1) but eventually I had my own image and take on almost everyone (except Tywin, who still looks like the show's Tywin in my mind, because Jesus-shit best casting choice in the whole thing).

Personally, I burned through the books. Book 4 is accurately reported to be the weakest, but I personally felt Book 5 was fairly solid once again.

My advice is to try them. You can find the first four at a cost of 6 to 9 dollars a piece pretty much anywhere, or just snag them from the library. The investment doesn't have to be huge.
 
D

Dali

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... except Tywin, who still looks like the show's Tywin in my mind, because *beep* best casting choice in the whole thing).

+1

Him and Varys. PERFECT. In season one at least, not sure about what tangents the latter's characterisation took in the current season.


OT: It just struck me what I find slightly unsettling about the neighbourhood pharmacist; he looks exactly like Varys. :D
 
A

Anew Leaf

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Sigh. Finally watched the season finale.

They destroyed the House of the Undying scene. I don't even understand why they changed it. Not seeing Rhaegar = Fail. Dany not being told about her betrayals = Fail.
 

ZPowers

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Dany not being told about her betrayals = Fail.

I straight forgot that's when she heard about the betrayals/heads of the dragons. I was just hoping to see
.
 

Nicodemus

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I told my flatmate: With already low expectations, it was still disappointing. He told me: With already high expectations, it was still very good. The difference, apart from the usual differences: He does not know the books. Cursed are the knowing!
 

DiscoBiscuit

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Kudos if you can. I cannot, and I find it appropriate to judge the series by its source material.

Given the length and density of the source material, it would be tough for anyone to translate it into visual format faithfully without a shit ton episodes and feature film size budgets.
 

Nicodemus

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Given the length and density of the source material, it would be tough for anyone to translate it into visual format faithfully without a shit ton episodes and feature film size budgets.
That is an explanation for mediocre quality, but hardly a justification. If you can't do it well, don't do it at all. I will concede, though, that there are people who think that it is well done.
 

DiscoBiscuit

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That is an explanation for mediocre quality, but hardly a justification. If you can't do it well, don't do it at all. I will concede, though, that there are people who think that it is well done.

That may be so, but I still think HBO has done it better than anyone else would have.

Could the show be better sure (show me one series that couldn't), but I'd rather have the show we have, than have no show at all.
 

ZPowers

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That may be so, but I still think HBO has done it better than anyone else would have.

Could the show be better sure (show me one series that couldn't), but I'd rather have the show we have, than have no show at all.

I more or less agree with you. I can't totally divorce myself from comparing it to the books (which are better), but I do generally enjoy the show and have fun watching it.

And, at the very least, it was the show that got me to read the books.

And maybe it'll give Martin incentive to write in a somewhat timely manner.
 

DiscoBiscuit

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I would have preferred an animation adaptation.

With a high quality animation studio that would keep the grittiness and maturity of the source material intact, then yea I'd go for that.

Although, with animation, I think the show would not reach as large of an audience.
 
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