Game of Thrones

[Invisible To Telescopic Eye]

QUOTE (Code Red @ Apr 22 2011, 10:17 AM)

4.2 Million viwers watched opening episode HBO announced That Thrones will have a second season, aptly named 'A Clash of Kings' The books are super long......Invisable Telescopic Eye stick with it, The story builds over time, patience is rewarded tho I hope spoilers are posted,especially ones that never happen for instance.....The dragon Eggs given to Daenarys at her wedding to Drogo, hatch little frodo sam and bilbo, but because they are the afterbirths, they are eaten , it is sad.

I have stuck with it and things are moving...I'm enjoying it so far and anxious to see what happens next...still trying hard to keep track of all the characters though.

[Finding IT]

QUOTE (Invisible To Telescopic Eye @ Apr 24 2011, 03:46 PM)

QUOTE (Code Red @ Apr 22 2011, 10:17 AM) 4.2 Million viwers watched opening episode HBO announced That Thrones will have a second season, aptly named 'A Clash of Kings' The books are super long......Invisable Telescopic Eye stick with it, The story builds over time, patience is rewarded tho I hope spoilers are posted,especially ones that never happen for instance.....The dragon Eggs given to Daenarys at her wedding to Drogo, hatch little frodo sam and bilbo, but because they are the afterbirths, they are eaten , it is sad. I have stuck with it and things are moving...I'm enjoying it so far and anxious to see what happens next...still trying hard to keep track of all the characters though. There are a buttload of characters and it is even more confusing because occasionally, they will reference characters that are long dead or never appear as part of the back story. It's like a Russian novel.   I found there were 6 or 7 that I really cared about and I focused on them.

[Invisible To Telescopic Eye]

QUOTE (Finding IT @ Apr 26 2011, 07:05 AM)

QUOTE (Invisible To Telescopic Eye @ Apr 24 2011, 03:46 PM) QUOTE (Code Red @ Apr 22 2011, 10:17 AM) 4.2 Million viwers watched opening episode HBO announced That Thrones will have a second season, aptly named 'A Clash of Kings' The books are super long......Invisable Telescopic Eye stick with it, The story builds over time, patience is rewarded tho I hope spoilers are posted,especially ones that never happen for instance.....The dragon Eggs given to Daenarys at her wedding to Drogo, hatch little frodo sam and bilbo, but because they are the afterbirths, they are eaten , it is sad. I have stuck with it and things are moving...I'm enjoying it so far and anxious to see what happens next...still trying hard to keep track of all the characters though. There are a buttload of characters and it is even more confusing because occasionally, they will reference characters that are long dead or never appear as part of the back story. It's like a Russian novel.   I found there were 6 or 7 that I really cared about and I focused on them. I couldn't agree more.   I'm 220 pages in and new characters are still being introduced, and as you mentioned, there are the long deads and mentioned but not seen characters...and lets not forget the places. The story is starting to move but honestly the direction it's going and the actual main plot of the story seems to have illuded me so far.   Finally I too am finding there a few characters I care about more than others and actually find myself still reading to get back to those characters stories more so than the story as a whole.   Overall I'm finding it's not a bad story and am still anxious to find out what it's all about.

Edited April 26, 2011 by Invisible To Telescopic Eye

[FoxxiStarr]

Watched the second episode on Monday night, and I'm hooked. Okay, yes Sean Bean is easy on the eye but there are some damn fine characters in this who I'm already investing in emotionally. I'm reading "A Game Of Thrones" at the moment too. Have to agree that all the depth in the families histories etc is a plough but worth it.

 

 

[Finding IT]

QUOTE (Invisible To Telescopic Eye @ Apr 26 2011, 07:47 AM)

QUOTE (Finding IT @ Apr 26 2011, 07:05 AM) QUOTE (Invisible To Telescopic Eye @ Apr 24 2011, 03:46 PM) QUOTE (Code Red @ Apr 22 2011, 10:17 AM) 4.2 Million viwers watched opening episode HBO announced That Thrones will have a second season, aptly named 'A Clash of Kings' The books are super long......Invisable Telescopic Eye stick with it, The story builds over time, patience is rewarded tho I hope spoilers are posted,especially ones that never happen for instance.....The dragon Eggs given to Daenarys at her wedding to Drogo, hatch little frodo sam and bilbo, but because they are the afterbirths, they are eaten , it is sad. I have stuck with it and things are moving...I'm enjoying it so far and anxious to see what happens next...still trying hard to keep track of all the characters though. There are a buttload of characters and it is even more confusing because occasionally, they will reference characters that are long dead or never appear as part of the back story. It's like a Russian novel.   I found there were 6 or 7 that I really cared about and I focused on them. I couldn't agree more.   I'm 220 pages in and new characters are still being introduced, and as you mentioned, there are the long deads and mentioned but not seen characters...and lets not forget the places. The story is starting to move but honestly the direction it's going and the actual main plot of the story seems to have illuded me so far.   Finally I too am finding there a few characters I care about more than others and actually find myself still reading to get back to those characters stories more so than the story as a whole.   Overall I'm finding it's not a bad story and am still anxious to find out what it's all about. Hang in there. I promise it is worth it. Some of the characters that I absolutely despised early on I actually began to like and even admire in the latter books.

[Invisible To Telescopic Eye]

QUOTE (Finding IT @ Apr 27 2011, 11:00 AM)

QUOTE (Invisible To Telescopic Eye @ Apr 26 2011, 07:47 AM) QUOTE (Finding IT @ Apr 26 2011, 07:05 AM) QUOTE (Invisible To Telescopic Eye @ Apr 24 2011, 03:46 PM) QUOTE (Code Red @ Apr 22 2011, 10:17 AM) 4.2 Million viwers watched opening episode HBO announced That Thrones will have a second season, aptly named 'A Clash of Kings' The books are super long......Invisable Telescopic Eye stick with it, The story builds over time, patience is rewarded tho I hope spoilers are posted,especially ones that never happen for instance.....The dragon Eggs given to Daenarys at her wedding to Drogo, hatch little frodo sam and bilbo, but because they are the afterbirths, they are eaten , it is sad. I have stuck with it and things are moving...I'm enjoying it so far and anxious to see what happens next...still trying hard to keep track of all the characters though. There are a buttload of characters and it is even more confusing because occasionally, they will reference characters that are long dead or never appear as part of the back story. It's like a Russian novel.   I found there were 6 or 7 that I really cared about and I focused on them. I couldn't agree more.   I'm 220 pages in and new characters are still being introduced, and as you mentioned, there are the long deads and mentioned but not seen characters...and lets not forget the places. The story is starting to move but honestly the direction it's going and the actual main plot of the story seems to have illuded me so far.   Finally I too am finding there a few characters I care about more than others and actually find myself still reading to get back to those characters stories more so than the story as a whole.   Overall I'm finding it's not a bad story and am still anxious to find out what it's all about. Hang in there. I promise it is worth it. Some of the characters that I absolutely despised early on I actually began to like and even admire in the latter books. I am finding this to be 100% true, and I'm only reading GoT's!!!   I'm 280 pages in and it's really getting interesting...finding myself taking more of my free time (hahahaha....free time) to read more.

[Bastille Night]

Hey CR, good thread!!

 

I just started reading the 'Song of Fire and Ice' books this winter after hearing that 'A Game of Thrones' was going to be made into an HBO series. These books were recommended by numerous people on various message boards even before the HBO series was announced, so I figured that they must be pretty good at least!

 

My initial impressions involved several of the same complaints that I have since read above in this thread (e.g., no obvious protagonist, too many characters, very slow plot, etc.). But I pushed through, and am happy that I did.

 

Given some patience, 'A Game of Thrones' is a great book (and hopefully the entire series bears out). Several of my negative impressions have actually turned into positives, although it takes some time and introspection to make the switch on these complaints:

 

1) It's difficult to 'like' any of the characters. This bothered me at first, but then I realized that this is because most of the characters are actually somewhat three dimensional and realistic. That is, the person that you intially think is 'the hero' turns out to have some substantial flaws (and vice versa with the 'bad guy'). Some books are very obvious with this device, but it seems to work better in this series (which can be infuriating).

 

2) There are too many characters. This is true, at first. It is extremely confusing to figure out who is related to who, and who is fighting who, etc......But that's the point. Part of the fun is trying to figure out all of the convoluted connections between that various families, friends, foes, etc. along with all the slights that have made foes out of friends, and so on.

 

3) The plot moves too slow. This is true also. A Game of Thrones spends much time building up the characters, setting, and background to this tale. Hey, THIS IS A GOOD THING!!! I for one can't wait to see what comes next!

 

With that said about the book, I've just watched the first two episodes of the TV show. All I can say is: AWESOME!!!

 

The show is extremely well produced, they seem to have a really nice budget, and they are following VERY closely along with the narrative of the book (unlike the horrendous 'Pillars of the Earth' miniseries......if you liked that book but hated the miniseries, well, this show is waaaaaay better).

 

With the first two episodes of the tv series, they have completely captured the book as I would have envisioned it.

 

I am hooked on this series and look forward to seeing the next episodes (and am currently reading A Clash of Kings).

 

 

P.S. I'm pretty drunk right now, so if any of the above doesn't make sense, then oh well. I'll try to clarify when I've sobered up......or not!

 

[Finding IT]

QUOTE (Bastille Night @ Apr 29 2011, 09:38 PM)

Hey CR, good thread!! I just started reading the 'Song of Fire and Ice' books this winter after hearing that 'A Game of Thrones' was going to be made into an HBO series. These books were recommended by numerous people on various message boards even before the HBO series was announced, so I figured that they must be pretty good at least! My initial impressions involved several of the same complaints that I have since read above in this thread (e.g., no obvious protagonist, too many characters, very slow plot, etc.). But I pushed through, and am happy that I did. Given some patience, 'A Game of Thrones' is a great book (and hopefully the entire series bears out). Several of my negative impressions have actually turned into positives, although it takes some time and introspection to make the switch on these complaints: 1) It's difficult to 'like' any of the characters. This bothered me at first, but then I realized that this is because most of the characters are actually somewhat three dimensional and realistic. That is, the person that you intially think is 'the hero' turns out to have some substantial flaws (and vice versa with the 'bad guy'). Some books are very obvious with this device, but it seems to work better in this series (which can be infuriating). 2) There are too many characters. This is true, at first. It is extremely confusing to figure out who is related to who, and who is fighting who, etc......But that's the point. Part of the fun is trying to figure out all of the convoluted connections between that various families, friends, foes, etc. along with all the slights that have made foes out of friends, and so on. 3) The plot moves too slow. This is true also. A Game of Thrones spends much time building up the characters, setting, and background to this tale. Hey, THIS IS A GOOD THING!!! I for one can't wait to see what comes next! With that said about the book, I've just watched the first two episodes of the TV show. All I can say is: AWESOME!!! The show is extremely well produced, they seem to have a really nice budget, and they are following VERY closely along with the narrative of the book (unlike the horrendous 'Pillars of the Earth' miniseries......if you liked that book but hated the miniseries, well, this show is waaaaaay better). With the first two episodes of the tv series, they have completely captured the book as I would have envisioned it. I am hooked on this series and look forward to seeing the next episodes (and am currently reading A Clash of Kings). P.S. I'm pretty drunk right now, so if any of the above doesn't make sense, then oh well. I'll try to clarify when I've sobered up......or not!

I liked Tyrion from the beginning. It was pretty clear that this is Martin's anti-hero.

 

I liked Jon Snow.

 

What is absolutely amazing is that I eventually liked Jamie Lannister. His character changes more than any other in the series to date. No spoilers but there is some hubris on the way.

 

I am very surprised how much I like the HBO version. I was prepared to nitpick but there are very few nits available.

[Code Red]

QUOTE (Bastille Night @ Apr 29 2011, 09:38 PM)

Hey CR, good thread!! I just started reading the 'Song of Fire and Ice' books this winter after hearing that 'A Game of Thrones' was going to be made into an HBO series. These books were recommended by numerous people on various message boards even before the HBO series was announced, so I figured that they must be pretty good at least! My initial impressions involved several of the same complaints that I have since read above in this thread (e.g., no obvious protagonist, too many characters, very slow plot, etc.). But I pushed through, and am happy that I did. Given some patience, 'A Game of Thrones' is a great book (and hopefully the entire series bears out). Several of my negative impressions have actually turned into positives, although it takes some time and introspection to make the switch on these complaints: 1) It's difficult to 'like' any of the characters. This bothered me at first, but then I realized that this is because most of the characters are actually somewhat three dimensional and realistic. That is, the person that you intially think is 'the hero' turns out to have some substantial flaws (and vice versa with the 'bad guy'). Some books are very obvious with this device, but it seems to work better in this series (which can be infuriating). 2) There are too many characters. This is true, at first. It is extremely confusing to figure out who is related to who, and who is fighting who, etc......But that's the point. Part of the fun is trying to figure out all of the convoluted connections between that various families, friends, foes, etc. along with all the slights that have made foes out of friends, and so on. 3) The plot moves too slow. This is true also. A Game of Thrones spends much time building up the characters, setting, and background to this tale. Hey, THIS IS A GOOD THING!!! I for one can't wait to see what comes next! With that said about the book, I've just watched the first two episodes of the TV show. All I can say is: AWESOME!!! The show is extremely well produced, they seem to have a really nice budget, and they are following VERY closely along with the narrative of the book (unlike the horrendous 'Pillars of the Earth' miniseries......if you liked that book but hated the miniseries, well, this show is waaaaaay better). With the first two episodes of the tv series, they have completely captured the book as I would have envisioned it. I am hooked on this series and look forward to seeing the next episodes (and am currently reading A Clash of Kings). P.S. I'm pretty drunk right now, so if any of the above doesn't make sense, then oh well. I'll try to clarify when I've sobered up......or not!

Well said Bastille!!!

 

I am happy you are reading the books, Thrones was my first audiobook ever, my brother swore I would fall in love and hate the characters but patience is and will be rewarded for those reading or watching.

 

There are over 500 characters in Thrones

 

Roy Dotrice won the Guiness book of records for character voices in the audiobook.

 

Stick with the series, each book moves faster and becomes more intense

 

The books are written with a POV (Point of View) of each character, so in a brilliant way you see and know what each character is thinking and what actions they make

 

The HBO series so far has PERFECTLY captured the essence of the books, and the dialogue from George RR Martins writing is front and center.

 

I have read/listened to the complete series of the books over 20 times, during my struggle with retinal detachments and surgeries the audiobooks kept me sane. Being completely blind for months was the hardest moments of my life, these stories and characters made my life bearable!

 

Clash of Kings next year and Storm of Swords the year after are going to change or metamorphisize television forever

 

George RR Martin is a genius, HBO has taken that to the screen!!

 

hold on tight all, it is going to be a mindblowing ride!!!

[Invisible To Telescopic Eye]

I just finished the first book and won't say I loved but it was OK.

 

I was really frustrated by the slow pace, it was 400 pages before anything really happened and although the last couple hundred pages were faster moving and actual events occurred, it has left me kinda gun shy about the rest of the books. And as for the rest of the books, it appears Game is the shortest and I'm not sure if I can plow through another Game.

 

My brother in law told me about the books about 6 years ago and swears they are great.

 

[Code Red]

QUOTE (Invisible To Telescopic Eye @ May 12 2011, 05:22 AM)

I just finished the first book and won't say I loved but it was OK. I was really frustrated by the slow pace, it was 400 pages before anything really happened and although the last couple hundred pages were faster moving and actual events occurred, it has left me kinda gun shy about the rest of the books. And as for the rest of the books, it appears Game is the shortest and I'm not sure if I can plow through another Game. My brother in law told me about the books about 6 years ago and swears they are great.

Ya, they are long books for sure.... you will enjoy the next 2 books much more, more action while Thrones imho is the weakest book, it sets up some storylines that develop quickly

[Invisible To Telescopic Eye]

QUOTE (Code Red @ May 15 2011, 05:09 AM)

QUOTE (Invisible To Telescopic Eye @ May 12 2011, 05:22 AM) I just finished the first book and won't say I loved but it was OK. I was really frustrated by the slow pace, it was 400 pages before anything really happened and although the last couple hundred pages were faster moving and actual events occurred, it has left me kinda gun shy about the rest of the books. And as for the rest of the books, it appears Game is the shortest and I'm not sure if I can plow through another Game. My brother in law told me about the books about 6 years ago and swears they are great. Ya, they are long books for sure.... you will enjoy the next 2 books much more, more action while Thrones imho is the weakest book, it sets up some storylines that develop quickly Thanks for the response...I guess I'll give it a shot. What could it hurt, I took a shot with Game and I guess it payed off. I wonder what the people who are only watching the HBO story are gonna think when they get to end of book one?

[willowroolz]

I'm loving the show. I think it's been almost perfectly cast - in particular, the actors playing Tyrion, Jon Snow and especially the little girl playing Arya are all fantastic. It looks great, the music's great (the opening titles are amazing), and all in all I can't see another channel producing it on this scale. The sex and nudity seem to be causing issues for some people on other boards I post on, but being HBO I was expecting it

 

Okay, it'll never be as good as the books, but as page to screen adaptations go I think it's fairly outstanding. Can't wait to see how they handle the rest of this season and then A Clash of Kings. Fingers crossed it'll keep going beyond season 2.

[rushgoober]

Man, now that I've caught on up on this series on HBO, I thought I'd be safe from spoilers, but alas, I found myself skimming half this thread as people are talking about the books, and possibly things that haven't happened on the series yet.

 

Anyway, the show started a bit slow for me - I liked it, but didn't LOVE it. Now I'm pretty much loving it. Lots of shocking twists, and a really cool story. Thumbs up from the wifey and I.

[Finding IT]

QUOTE (rushgoober @ May 30 2011, 08:58 PM)

Man, now that I've caught on up on this series on HBO, I thought I'd be safe from spoilers, but alas, I found myself skimming half this thread as people are talking about the books, and possibly things that haven't happened on the series yet. Anyway, the show started a bit slow for me - I liked it, but didn't LOVE it. Now I'm pretty much loving it. Lots of shocking twists, and a really cool story. Thumbs up from the wifey and I.

My wife has given up on it because she says it is too dark. This, from the woman that loved The Sopranos, Carnivale and Deadwood.

 

I understand the people who believe that the plot is too slow, especially those who read the books. However, the books are really character studies wrapped in the guise of action. We learn as much about the characters from their words as their actions.

[pedro2112]

QUOTE (Finding IT @ Jun 6 2011, 11:40 AM)

QUOTE (rushgoober @ May 30 2011, 08:58 PM) Man, now that I've caught on up on this series on HBO, I thought I'd be safe from spoilers, but alas, I found myself skimming half this thread as people are talking about the books, and possibly things that haven't happened on the series yet. Anyway, the show started a bit slow for me - I liked it, but didn't LOVE it.  Now I'm pretty much loving it.  Lots of shocking twists, and a really cool story. Thumbs up from the wifey and I. My wife has given up on it because she says it is too dark. This, from the woman that loved The Sopranos, Carnivale and Deadwood.   I understand the people who believe that the plot is too slow, especially those who read the books. However, the books are really character studies wrapped in the guise of action. We learn as much about the characters from their words as their actions. My wife, believe it or not, loves it more and more each week. I'm beginning to wonder about her....

[Invisible To Telescopic Eye]

QUOTE (Finding IT @ Jun 6 2011, 01:40 PM)

QUOTE (rushgoober @ May 30 2011, 08:58 PM) Man, now that I've caught on up on this series on HBO, I thought I'd be safe from spoilers, but alas, I found myself skimming half this thread as people are talking about the books, and possibly things that haven't happened on the series yet. Anyway, the show started a bit slow for me - I liked it, but didn't LOVE it.  Now I'm pretty much loving it.  Lots of shocking twists, and a really cool story. Thumbs up from the wifey and I. My wife has given up on it because she says it is too dark. This, from the woman that loved The Sopranos, Carnivale and Deadwood.   I understand the people who believe that the plot is too slow, especially those who read the books. However, the books are really character studies wrapped in the guise of action. We learn as much about the characters from their words as their actions. I still haven't picked up the second part...The character studies are a little too much for me.

[Code Red]

 

 

WOW!!!! The series went far and above my expectations....the best book to TV series ever. I LOVED the fact that there was so much dialogue directly quoted from the book.

 

I got an e mail from GRRM and he said he is currently writing 'The Battle on the Blackwater' for HBO and is having a hard time to not stray from budget, in 'A Clash of Kings' (no spoiler) a huge battle of ships occurs on the doorsteps of KingsLanding! Tyrion has a huge role in the outcome.

 

The acting was superb, and the special effects not overdone.

 

The Finale was OUTSTANDING

 

love all the twists and turns....no character is safe!!

 

very happy with the series amd cant wait till next season

 

 

Now I am off to Vancouver to see Rush perform at thier last Canadian show for TMT!!! When I leave I don't know what I'm hoping to find, when I leave I don't know what I'm leaving behind!!

[Code Red]

[Finding IT]

So Pedro, I caught my wife watching episodes OnDemand after she swore she would never watch another one.

 

Hah, it's a seduction....

[Invisible To Telescopic Eye]

[Code Red]

[Invisible To Telescopic Eye]

[micgtr71]

My wife and I couldn't get enough of this. We bought HBO to watch it and cancelled it shortly thereafter.

[Code Red]

QUOTE (micgtr71 @ Jun 27 2011, 05:53 AM)

My wife and I couldn't get enough of this. We bought HBO to watch it and cancelled it shortly thereafter.

 

 

There are going to be 6 seasons, one for each book!!

 

Hang in there!