No spoilers for later books please

[andrewducker]

[Poll #1754990]

Comments

[andrewducker]

Yes, I know the TV series is just "Game Of Thrones".

[bart-calendar.livejournal.com]

It really comes down to whether you prefer reading about dwarf sex and incest or actually watching dwarf sex and incest.

[andrewducker]

Well, it could well be that there were whole subplots of dwarf sex and incest cut out of the TV series. Or that the sex scenes are a lot more detailed. There's a lot of pages in the book, after all.

[steer.livejournal.com]

... and the books are "A song of fire and ice" with "A game of thrones" being volume one. (Yes, I am being an annoying pedant).

I guess TV producers thought the series title sounded like a tedious Disney dancing on ice show.

[steer.livejournal.com]

I just can't make that choice! Can't I do both?

[joexnz.livejournal.com]

I've said the book was better, but it's only by a couple of percentage points

[philmophlegm.livejournal.com]

Both excellent. And the TV series was very faithful to the book, which is always a good thing.

I can also recommend the world record* setting audiobooks (read by Roy Dotrice, except for 'A Feast for Crows'). The only bad aspect is listening to a very old man acting the part of young girls in sex scenes, which is somewhat uncomfortable for all concerned...



* Most parts played by a single actor in one audiobook or something like that. He does different voices for every part too, although I have no idea why all the Lannisters have Yorkshire accents.

[cairmen.livejournal.com]

To be fair, I've only seen the first episode, although I don't really feel much desire to watch the second.

And the extent to which the TV series follows the books is a Problem if you know the book very well, and hence could write a significant chunk of the script from memory.

[nancylebov.livejournal.com]

For some reason, I get "invalid form submission" when I try to reply to the poll.

I've only read the book. It did occur to me when I was reading it that it was perfect for a mini-series, or possibly a maxi-series.

[strawberryfrog.livejournal.com]

Since "A Game Of Thrones" is getting such good reviews, it's going onto my mental TV watching list ... right after "The Wire".... I should get there by about 2020 at my current rate.

[poisonduk.livejournal.com]

The sex dwarf scenes are our favourite. That actor must have thought his lucky day had come.

[steer.livejournal.com]

And the extent to which the TV series follows the books is a Problem if you know the book very well, and hence could write a significant chunk of the script from memory.

I didn't find it so and I've read the first book five or six times now and could complete many of the speeches from memory.

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

The books are better - but the TV show is not bad.

[cairmen.livejournal.com]

YMMV. I wasn't thrilled with the episode to start with and found the fact that I could predict every beat of the story from memory didn't assist.

[andrewducker]

And this is why I'm watching the TV version first - because I'm sure the book will add a lot to it.

[wolflady26.livejournal.com]

If you want to be pedantic, the books are actually "A Song of Ice and Fire."

[wolflady26.livejournal.com]

I think the TV series has done an excellent job of capturing the books. But as you speculated, the books are much more in-depth and nuanced, so I have to say they're better.

I think the acting jobs done in the series have been spectacular, but I'm also glad for the opportunity to have used my imagination to have created the characters for myself before seeing them portrayed on screen. Sean Bean did a fabulous job as Eddard Stark, but he's far from how I pictured him. And I don't like Catelyn Stark in the series half as much as I did in the books. She seems much weaker (and crazier) to me in the series than in the books.

[steer.livejournal.com]

You are, of course, 100% correct.

[wolflady26.livejournal.com]

There was supposed to be an ironic smiley at the end of my original comment, but I left it out in editing. Sorry if I sounded unfriendly!

[steer.livejournal.com]

No worries, you did not sound a bit unfriendly.

[dreema.livejournal.com]

this. books go into way more detail, esp if you have an active imagination.

[nancylebov.livejournal.com]

Imho, it's a little unfair to compare the books to the series. I think the first book (which is where the tv series is, I think) is much the best, and the books have been gradually slipping downhill.

[alitheapipkin.livejournal.com]

I agree with this, the last book was a big disappointment. The first 2 books probably just about have the edge on the TV series but I shall only be reading the next one for my 2 favourite characters and if it isn't better than the last one I'll be stopping there.