Game of Thrones - read the books or watch the series?

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Presley OBannons Sword
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7:34a, 7/2/18
I read all the books. They are good, and if you like to read, you'll likely enjoy them. The first three, as many have already said, are really quite excellent.

That said, if you are an indifferent or not a very dedicated reader, just watch the show. This is coming from reformed read-the-books-first snob.
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HtownAg92
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10:26a, 7/2/18
AG
I watched Season 1, then read Book 1 for gap-filling and background. I started Book 2, but didn't have the time to get into it, then Season 2 was done and I knew what happened so I quit.

Fast-forward to recent, and needing more GoT fix between finale seasons, I read "A Knight For All Seasons", which is the Dunk & Egg stories. Excellent. Got me interested in picking up the books again. So now I've read them all and like most, I was seriously bogged down in Book 5 and just wanting him to end it already. But I'm glad I read it.

Now if you think GRRM loves off-hand references with no background in his main books, read the history of the houses book - The World of Ice and Fire. It was interesting, but holy sheet that dude loves to just make up 1000 names (that sound alike) and give them some random part of history that only he knows about. Something like:

Ser Arbyld Lyykdyyk, son of Arbold Lyykdyyk, who played the key role in the famed Wutthefook Uprising that neared the end of House NeverheardOfIt's power over the RandomLands east of SomeotherRandomLands. His cousing Orbyld Lyykdyyk, called Little Dyyk and squire to F'it'I'give'up...
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M.C. Swag
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10:44a, 7/2/18
AG
I enjoyed both.

I watched S1, then read all books. Then watched the rest of the season. Books 2 & 3 are just awesome to me.

Either way, if you love the show, you'll prolly like the books. It's just a deeper dive into a story you already like.
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DTP02
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12:06p, 7/2/18
AG
The first three books are excellent. It does start to bog down after that, although they're still a worthwhile read.

I do think the show is losing some of what made it great as it doesn't have the books to go off any more. When the show was at its best, it was taking the great stuff from the books and condensing it while still keeping to the main points, and ignoring the extraneous stuff.

Now that they don't have the books to go off, but only a general outline from Martin, they've lost a lot of the subtlety and nuance and art and are focusing more on spectacle, action, and effects. Still very good and entertaining, but just not at that higher level.
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Claude!
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12:28p, 7/2/18
The good and the bad go hand in hand with the books. On the plus side, there's extensive world building. On the downside, the writing is similarly expansive, and not always for the better. Martin is a guy who will use ten words where five will suffice. That's not necessarily a bad thingnot everything needs to be written in a direct Hemingway stylebut his verbosity can get in the way of the story.
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SACR
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In reply to Claude! • 1:19p, 7/2/18
AG

I saw a snippet from an interview where he was talking with Stephen King. Apparently Martin suffers from some serious bouts of writers block, while King just cranks out 60 pages a day. King treats it like a job, while Martin agonizes over it.
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PatAg
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10:29p, 7/2/18
AG
Surprised to see all these people thinking the show is better than the books.

I would say to just watch the show if you are coming in this late, it's a lot of reading to catch up.
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Col. Steve Austin
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In reply to The Dog Lord • 8:03a, 7/3/18
AG
The Dog Lord said:
Short answer: read the books and then watch the show so that you will understand more about what is happening. As someone else mentioned, maps and the wiki of ice and fire are pretty essential to keeping some things straight while reading.

While some parts of the 4th and 5th books are dull (Brienne's "quest"), I didn't mind others. There are also a ton of things that are better in the books than in the show (Dorne, Euron, etc.). The truth is we don't know what the impact of some storylines will be in the books, but people have already written several off as meaningless if they weren't included in the show. There are still a ton of unknowns for the books even with some of the main points being the same/similar to the show.

The show also can't possibly include the history, detail, and complexity of everything going on in the books...Tons of prophecies, Dance of the Dragons and Blackfyre Rebellion providing background as to what may be going on with Aegon (really a Bkackfyre?), what role the maesters and the Faceless Men may be playing besides their obvious ones, the wolves are much more integrated into the story, etc..
This!
I am not the Six Million Dollar Man, but I might need that surgery. "We have the technology, we can rebuild him!"
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Madmarttigan
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In reply to CapCityAg89 • 12:56p, 7/3/18
AG
CapCityAg89 said:
Ton of show watchers here.

This is easily top 5 fantasy series ever. If you like fantasy, read it. The books are awesome.

If you're not into fantasy to begin with, skip the books and just watch the show. It stands on its own fine.


Lol. Reading almost anything Sanderson writes wipes the floor with him and that is just one author.
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SACR
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1:53p, 7/3/18
AG

Just finished watching S1 last night.

I spent the whole season waiting for what happened in the season finale to happen, so I'm pretty happy right now.
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CapCityAg89
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In reply to Madmarttigan • 2:13p, 7/4/18
AG
tv1113 said:
CapCityAg89 said:
Ton of show watchers here.

This is easily top 5 fantasy series ever. If you like fantasy, read it. The books are awesome.

If you're not into fantasy to begin with, skip the books and just watch the show. It stands on its own fine.


Lol. Reading almost anything Sanderson writes wipes the floor with him and that is just one author.

Here's a list that kind of backs me up (excluding single books and vampire series which I struggle to regard as "fantasy") ...

https://thoughtsonfantasy.com/2016/06/15/what-are-the-best-selling-fantasy-books-and-series-of-all-time/
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Madmarttigan
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2:37p, 7/4/18
AG
While I do love me some HP I'm gonna have to go ahead and be a dick and point out that best selling doesn't necessarily mean best. By that logic Avatar is the best movie ever made....
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Zemira
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6:20p, 7/6/18
AG
I generally read & watch most popular and series.

I thought I was one the few people who hadn't read or watched Game of Thrones.

George RR Martin intrigues me due to the fact he's donated his entire science fiction collection to Cushing.

I suppose eventually I will read book one, but if the series is prolific now, it will still be in five years.
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Clavell
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7:57a, 7/7/18
AG
I've read books and watched series. I love to read, but I'd say just watch the series. With the changes made and so long since last book I doubt seriously I would even read it if he does put out another book. Would just be too confusing.
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YouBet
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In reply to Madmarttigan • 8:04a, 7/7/18
AG
tv1113 said:
CapCityAg89 said:
Ton of show watchers here.

This is easily top 5 fantasy series ever. If you like fantasy, read it. The books are awesome.

If you're not into fantasy to begin with, skip the books and just watch the show. It stands on its own fine.


Lol. Reading almost anything Sanderson writes wipes the floor with him and that is just one author.


His older stuff sure doesn't. Elantris is bad to average and I've struggled mightily with Mistborn. First one was ok but I've been reading the second one now for almost two years. I read about 50 pages of it in between other books.

I did enjoy a later novella set in the Elantris universe he wrote. Best thing he's written that I've read.
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HtownAg92
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4:07p, 7/31/18
AG
Ok, I picked up a Sanderson book based on this thread (Way of Kings, Book 1). First thought was - this dude is even worse than GRRM about throwing rando names, places, events at you without any explanation, and this one has more mythical creatures and stuff, and I thought GRRM was bad about made-up nerd spelling. There is no way I'm going to read this pseudo-fantasy-sci-fi crap.

Next - ok, I'll pick it up again and maybe try a few more pages, but I'm not into this.

Next - I at least want to see how this chapter ends, even though I have no idea what I am reading.

Now:

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bearamedic99
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5:49p, 7/31/18
AG
welcome to the club!
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AustinAg2K
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In reply to DTP02 • 12:18a, 8/4/18
DTP02 said:

I do think the show is losing some of what made it great as it doesn't have the books to go off any more. When the show was at its best, it was taking the great stuff from the books and condensing it while still keeping to the main points, and ignoring the extraneous stuff.

Now that they don't have the books to go off, but only a general outline from Martin, they've lost a lot of the subtlety and nuance and art and are focusing more on spectacle, action, and effects. Still very good and entertaining, but just not at that higher level.
I read the books first, and watched up until they caught up on the show. I stopped watching the show waiting for "Winds of Winter." I finally gave up and decided to watch the show. I just finished season 6 and I agree with your post. I was extremely disappointed with the season. They seemed to have just read fan theories and decided which ones would look best on tv, or what would be the most gory. It seems to be in vogue now to deal on the books, but I think even though he's long winded, GRRM is a better story teller than the shows writers. The shows writers are best at condensing exist works. The show doesn't exist with out GRRM's writings to begin with.
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