A Song Of Fire And Ice Books Appreciation Thread *Spoiler Tags Please*

I am one of a rare breed who actually read the books first and avoided anything to do with the TV series. I am currently watching through the TV series, just starting on season 3.

I am sorry to tell y'all, but the TV show is better than the books. There is much better fantasy literature out there but the TV adaption is second to none.
 
BunnyKillBot said:
I am sorry to tell y'all, but the TV show is better than the books.
Click to expand...
I think we could argue about that all day. :-) Despite avoiding Martin until all the fuss started around series 1 of the TV series, I too read the books first and believe both are superb.

The TV series is definitely a great adaptation, with a few interesting improvements. However it's also frustrating because it condenses the many great climactic scenes so close together that I feel cheated of the steady, tantalising build up of tension which the books generate. Of course binge-watching doesn't help. It's far harder to binge-read this series. :-)
 
I think the series is poor. It is the direction more than anything... And quite few characters are simplified far too much. I couldn't put the books down, I didn't even bother watching some of the episodes.
 
desires said:
Yer, I wondered if maybe he would alter his writing style to fit the TV show. But GoT HBO show is not his first foray into script writing so hopefully that won't alter it. I read a post by someone somewhere else that basically said, 'the TV show is made to a budget, I don't want to read a book made to a budget.'
Click to expand...

It could be dictated by his pie budget :p

Pighardia said:
I think the series is poor. It is the direction more than anything... And quite few characters are simplified far too much. I couldn't put the books down, I didn't even bother watching some of the episodes.
Click to expand...

Same.

It is good tv but I find it similar to the LOTR films, despite how epic they are they are constrained by time and money and this hinders the telling if the full story effectively.
 
Part of the problem of course is that you've already formed what happens and how it happens in your head, so it either happens not quite how you expected or you are left wondering why left out a bit you were waiting for. This can bring you out of the story somewhat.

To say the HBO series is better is wrong I think. They've simply left out too much. There are parts that I would have cut out completely from teh show to ensure other bits were kept in. As awesome as she in the show, Arya is still neutered when compared to her chapters.

The only real criticism I have of the books is that Mereen is a proper yawnfest and Dany actually becomes slightly undesirable from some of the choices she makes. Casting away the bear for example.
 
So, based upon some of the events that have happened in the show, what do people think is going to happen in the next book?
Which events do you think will change, or how you you envisage them occurring?
 
I think they'll be able 723 pages telling us how white the snow was, and how someone sigil was crooked, and a banner had fallen off.

Obviously Stannis is alive for at least half a book more. His kid ain't been fried. Hodor will get to hold a door. Brienne was to bring Jamie to Stoneheart, so that whole pathway is vastly different. Ramsey has a fake Arya he married, Sansa still be around the Eyrie. Revolt in Dorne is vastly different also.

Give it a book and half and we'll be left with similar players in a similar battle, I am looking forward to it slow pacing and getting nowhere fast (and people complain about the show ;))
 
Jon Snow will be dead in the books, for the ultimate troll of book readers :p

Stannis will survive and basically be the replacement for show Jon. He'll March on Winterfell, unite the North and do whatever else Jon is destined for.

N.B. I'm only half taking the **** here. Between the show and the books, characters have been demonstrated to be fluid. I'm not aware of any reason why Jon and Stannis can't be swapped.
 
Last edited:
I feel that Brans story will remain largely similar to how it has played out so far in the series, but hopefully Summer won't go down to easily, or at all. I guess he will be saved by Coldhands OR Benjen.

Dany's will be somewhat equivalent as well too I guess.

Other stories I guess will be quite different due to how the series has rolled so many characters together or written out others, but some of the main events must be similar.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom