A Game of Thrones (Song of Ice and Fire, Bk 1)
Author:
Genres: Literature & Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
Author:
Genres: Literature & Fiction, Science Fiction & Fantasy
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
Helpful Score: 2
I just finished Game of Thrones, the first volume in the Song of Fire and Ice saga and am amazed. Any epic saga of this sort risks critical comparisons to the Lord of the Rings Trilogy but this one compares favorably. I've always felt that on some levels LOTR was a lament for the War in Europe and the ending of an old way of life in the aftermath. Conversely, this novel seems to set up a post-Watergate post-Viet Nam fantasy that is very different and very forward looking, although it cannot help but share some similar themes.
Epic is too small a world for the world and the conflicts established. None of the dozen or so major characters is simple. The world that has been created is an imperfect world and the characters we meet are dealing with their own demons as well as the main plot conflicts.
There are few entirely good or bad characters and I found myself identifying with many of the characters as we met them. I enjoyed the time I spent in this world and I look forward to seeing some of the characters I hate get what they deserve in later books, but am not entirely certain that they will. Although this is a work of fantasy, it doesn't seem to follow the same rules, and we are savagely reminded toward the end that no one is guaranteed a happy ending.
HBO did a great job of bringing this to the small screen with its 10 part series and it was so faithfully done that I've been swapping back and forth between reading this book and rewatching the HBO episode. While the book is a bit more complex and the characters are fleshed out a bit more, I didn't feel a sense of missing anything in either format. The HBO series does play up some of the pageantry a bit and the sexiness factor has been increased as well. I'm assuming that that is in compensation for the nerd factor associated with a fantasy series. Also the homosexual aspects of some of the characters has been adjusted as well. I've seen others complain of this and would just like to cast my approving vote in this regard.
Epic is too small a world for the world and the conflicts established. None of the dozen or so major characters is simple. The world that has been created is an imperfect world and the characters we meet are dealing with their own demons as well as the main plot conflicts.
There are few entirely good or bad characters and I found myself identifying with many of the characters as we met them. I enjoyed the time I spent in this world and I look forward to seeing some of the characters I hate get what they deserve in later books, but am not entirely certain that they will. Although this is a work of fantasy, it doesn't seem to follow the same rules, and we are savagely reminded toward the end that no one is guaranteed a happy ending.
HBO did a great job of bringing this to the small screen with its 10 part series and it was so faithfully done that I've been swapping back and forth between reading this book and rewatching the HBO episode. While the book is a bit more complex and the characters are fleshed out a bit more, I didn't feel a sense of missing anything in either format. The HBO series does play up some of the pageantry a bit and the sexiness factor has been increased as well. I'm assuming that that is in compensation for the nerd factor associated with a fantasy series. Also the homosexual aspects of some of the characters has been adjusted as well. I've seen others complain of this and would just like to cast my approving vote in this regard.
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