*insert theme music here*
Alrighty here we go. I originally read the first three A Song of Ice and Fire books right in a row one summer while I was in college. They were bloody, sexy, quite long hardcore high fantasies in every way I love. So of course as each season of the show came out on DVD I followed along.
Until season 5. Why? Because it took me FOREVER to get through A Feast for Crows and I wanted to make sure I read as I watched.
I don’t know why I bothered.
For the first few seasons Game of Thrones stays pretty close to the books, changing things here and there but mostly remaining true to the story. By season 5 the show starts to go off the rails. BUT not in a bad way.
No, in this case, the show is improving on the slow sloggy mess that the series had become. A Feast for Crows is BORING, the only real light in it is Cersei and her absolute lunacy. It’s entertaining to be sure, but it can’t carry an entire book. Arya’s stuff is fine but it remains pretty slow along with the rest of the book.
Queue the TV version. All that boring stuff? Gone. The characters you missed because they don’t show up again until Dances with Dragons? Here they are in all their glory. I don’t have to sit through an entire book/season without Tyrion. I don’t have to listen to Samwell bore me to death for page upon page. Thank you, HBO, thank you.
At this point Game of Thrones has become its own entity now that it has surpassed the books in terms of where it is in the plot. Will we ever get Winds of Winter? Who can say. But I doubt it’ll follow the same storyline the show is, it’s deviated quite far now.
And really, I don’t mind. It’s good writing, its entertaining, and it captures the spirit of the material, improves on it even. And that’s not a compliment I give often.
4.5 Nuts to Game of Thrones.
And George? Can we get that next book soon?
Love, your devoted fan.
From my shelf to yours Mr. Martin,
Erin
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