A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book One: Prologue through 07

[Crystalline]

I'm getting all this advice on how to read this book. It's really not a big problem for me...I was just, more or less, critiqueing the author. All of you seem to be absolutely fascinated by this author and this book, and I'm not so sure I feel the same way . I reserve the right to disagree...

[VMLM]

Well wait a minute Chris, the characters as described in the book really are nothing like the characters in the series... I sort of get the feeling that making the HBO face for each character the "official" face is doing each character a disservice.
I like Jon as slim, graceful and quick. Robb makes more sense as a "jock", a little obtuse at times, somewhat impulsive but his father's son nonetheless. I think of Robert as huge, with a thick and wiry black beard, a protruding belly and large, imposing shoulders that have begun to slouch from years of "kinging".
Arya in the HBO series isn't as agile as she's supposed to be, the "imp" is nowhere near as impressive (with one black eye and another green in a squashed in face with a crogmagnon shelf of a brow...). I swear, Peter Drinklage look far more intellectual than that description allows... Which isn't really a problem since Tyrion is rather an intellectual.. but I've always felt that disfigurement was an important part of his character.

[Chris OConnor]

Hey VMLN,

You present an interesting problem. I suppose matching the HBO characters to the book characters won't work as I originally proposed. Oh well.

[Crystalline]

I have not watched the HBO series, but I also heard that the women in the HBO series are portrayed as older than the 11-13 in the book, so as not to offend the audience about the fact that older men are having sex with a 13 year old.
The imagination of the reader always creates a better, more fun and a more entertaining picture...I think we should just stick to the book, or else we will be discussing two different things. Actually, I don't really care, I'll just voice my opinion as I see it .

[Chris OConnor]

I'm getting all this advice on how to read this book. It's really not a big problem for me...I was just, more or less, critiqueing the author.

We're trying to help you with a problem you said you were having. Your words were...

I started reading this book and quickly felt lost amid all the characters, their names and nicknames. The author introduces 30 characters in the first 38 pages of the book. I felt like maybe I needed to take notes as to who was who…

I went on to say that I agree with you. There are a lot of names and it is difficult to keep track of them all. From my experience with fantasy genre books this is a common issue. Names and locations are thrown out quickly. This is why most fantasy genre novels will include extensive maps, dictionaries, and character bios.

Martin’s writing style and descriptions are good, but so far I find no main character, or a couple of main characters. It bothers me somewhat that the younger characters are so young, the girls of 11 and 13 are betrothed and/or married off to adult men, or women brutally raped.

I hope as you progress through the book you change your assessment from "good" to excellent. But perhaps that won't ever happen. We all have different tastes. This fantasy series was turned into an HBO series because of the storytelling genius of George R.R. Martin.

There are a dozen main characters but they are in different houses and you'll have to give the author time to adequately introduce you to them all. Fantasy is different than most other novels. The author is slowly rolling out an entire fantasy world to his readers. And a world is too large for one main character. Each chapter is devoted to a different person. In time they all start to tie together.

If you find 11 and 13 year old girls getting married to adult men as distasteful then you will want to avoid reading much of European history. Even though this novel is set in a fantasy or imaginary world it is largely a medieval world. And in medieval times there were plenty of swords, mead, young marriage and even rape. The author isn't trying to make you comfortable. He is setting a tone. And brutal rape is nothing compared to what you'll eventually read so prepare yourself. There are great battles and wars and beheadings and worse.

[VMLM]

Guys check out this fan-made speculative map of the SoIaF world:
sermountaingoat.co.uk/map/versions/spec ... ve_map.jpg

[Cattleman]

I am enjoying this discussion; it shows how each of us perceives a story, and how we feel about it. The talk about such characters as Robert and Tyrion make this point very well, though I think Robert as portrayed in the TV version is pretty much as VMLM imagines him. As for Tyrion, this is the inevitable limitation when using 'human' actors (think of the old "Star Trek" series where all the aliens had two legs, two arms, etc.). I am watching the video much out of curiosity; my earlier statement of my favorite characters being Tyrion and Ayla was based on my reading, not my viewing.

The map is quite interesting; obviously the creator started out with the maps in the books and added some details.

[Taylor]

I'm probably a bit thick, but one of the things the series does do for me, is demonstrate the proper pronunciation of character names. As an exorcise read a few chapters out loud to yourself then if you can, listen to the dialogue from the series of those same chapters. Sometimes its quite amusing the difference between a practiced dialogue and yourself.

[VMLM]

I actually read Robert's dilogue in Mark Addy's voice xD. Same for Tyrion. And the one actor who has replaces the original image I had in my head of a character is... Sean Bean xD. I'm not sure why, I feel he's excellent for the part.

[Crystalline]

See, you guys like fantasy so much because you are wannabe's: you want to be those knights, riding prancing steeds, wielding magical swords, being victorious in battle, etc., etc. You know what the "etc." stands for !
You even try to speak like them !
(just having some fun)