Game of Thrones

DeadEyeDuk

Superhero Level Poster
Indeed...loads of moaning online about it (wont spoil it ofc)...those that read the books just telling newcomers to shhh and keep watching :)

<----- newcomer so gunna keep watching :D
 

luksta

Active member
I'd read the books long before the series was even announced and got a tad over excited when it was. After watching all the episodes of the 1st series i'm so horribly disappointed. It doesn't hold a candle to the books. Camelot on ch4 is much much better.
 

DeadEyeDuk

Superhero Level Poster
Really? Granted I havent read the books, but I really enjoyed it. And I actually can't watch Camelot...dont know why, I just find it hard to watch! (BBC Merlin > CH4 Camelot :D )
 

luksta

Active member
Come on dude lets not say things we'll regret lol. Merlin on bbc is really poor. Different strokes though i suppose. If you liked game of thrones you'll love the books. There's so much more character depth.
 

Kaitel

Bronze Level Poster
Wow! Gritty fantasy drama with deep characters and a supernatural element. I cant get enough of it, watched it free online here:http://www.couchtuner.com/game-of-thrones/ was hooked from start to finish, it's so good I'll be getting the DVD box set when it finally comes out even though I've seen it and I never buy series boxed sets!
Takes a while to figure out who all the characters are if you haven't read the books but give it time and it soon falls into place. Some hilarious one liners too!
 

kn14

Member
I'd read the books long before the series was even announced and got a tad over excited when it was. After watching all the episodes of the 1st series i'm so horribly disappointed. It doesn't hold a candle to the books. Camelot on ch4 is much much better.

I pretty much had the same experience. Reading through the series for the first time and just started the Clash of Kings. After finishing the first book I've started to watch the series and I find it... lacklustre. I'm constantly having to remind myself that this is an interpretation of the books so I shouldn't compare but still...
 

Mattyp

Enthusiast
As a book reader I'm surprised anyone feels the show didn't do a good job of adapting the book, because it really, really did. Hardly any scenes or characters of importance were cut and the visualisation and locations were superb. The cast is great as well. Honestly would you rather it was turned into a 3 hour movie like LOTR? Imagine how much would be cut then!

The show also does a good job of cutting out some of the boring food orientated scenes. The books are fantastic though (up until AFFC) and I am really looking forward to the second season of GOT.
 

TrustMeItsWorthIt

Gold Level Poster
i actually think that theyve done a good job, as Mattyp says they got most of the important stuff in.
this may of been said before but tbh i was put off because of the epic wait for the new book, let down btw, i cant really bring myself to give george r.r martin another go. i know this is a bit like spitting my dummy out the pram but its how i honestly feel.
tbh i think ive been spoilt by steven erikson, unbelievable writer, best series of book i have ever, ever read, you just need to get past the first book and into the world he's (and esslemont) created. and there was a new book every year...
 

Mattyp

Enthusiast
I haven't read A Dance with Dragons yet, still plodding through Feast at a snails pace. It's a shame you didn't like the new book though, it doesn't fill me with hope. For what it's worth I am enjoying Feast, it's just not as hard to put down as the previous books. Perhaps the long wait tainted the book for you? Personally I think Feast and Dance were always destined to be the weakest parts as they weren't part of the originally planned books and are basically only there to fill in the parts he would have found hard to explain otherwise. I am tempted myself to start reading the Erikson books after seeing them often cited as one of the best fantasy series, how do they compare to ASOIAF?
 

TrustMeItsWorthIt

Gold Level Poster
yeah i definantely think the wait killed it for me, nothing no matter how great could have lived up to my epic expectations for the book so its probably down to me really.
as to erikson, i think, and this is only my opinion, that steven erikson is the single best fantasy writer out there at the minute. the only problem people seem to have is that the series as a whole is pretty daunting. 10 books from him (and hopefully more) and 4 (i think) from esslemont its fairly big and then there is the first book, now the whole series is set out as a historical text as it were, where we as the reader is being lead through the events of an empire on the rise, recovering from a major set of incidents involving the old regime.
because its set out as a "snap shot" of history your kind of thrown in at the deep end, theres not much exposition, erikson really relies on the intelligence of the reader to remember seemingly insignificant facts to bring about massive diversive plots, brilliantly subtle story arks and threads that span all ten/fourteen book.
however if you can keep with the series until the second book then a whole massive and deep world will open up to you, erikson used to be an archeologist and anthropologist so he injects all sorts of wierd and wonderful facts/rituals/ways of thinking from all over the world and from all time periods. which brings me to the best part of the series, imho, are his battles and use of "magic" he writes the best battle scenes i have ever read, cover in the micro and macro of every engagement and the tactics shown and thinking that has gone into telling the story of battles on both the individual and the full scale is some times honestly breathtaking.
anyway i could go on for ages about him, read them, force yourself through the first book (although i dont think youll have to, it carries itself, youll just feel a bit lost at the start) and then prepare to have the Bridgeburners set up camp in your psyche :)
 

Mattyp

Enthusiast
I think I will look into buying them after I've finished Dance. I know GRRM is a fan of his books himself, so that says a lot really!
 

MeveM

Bright Spark
I loved the first season, and I intend to keep watching it. I haven't read the books, but I've been told major spoilers, and some of them really annoy me, he seems very trigger happy, let's leave it at that.

I'll just watch it until it starts getting bad :p
since i haven't read the books I'd -almost- put Game of Thrones up there with my favourites Band of Brothers and Rome. Game of thrones isn't quite as good as them though, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
 

Mattyp

Enthusiast
I loved the first season, and I intend to keep watching it. I haven't read the books, but I've been told major spoilers, and some of them really annoy me, he seems very trigger happy, let's leave it at that.

I'll just watch it until it starts getting bad :p
since i haven't read the books I'd -almost- put Game of Thrones up there with my favourites Band of Brothers and Rome. Game of thrones isn't quite as good as them though, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

There seem to be some real pricks out there intend on ruining this show. I've never seen anything like it. IMDB is plagued with spoilers and they refuse to monitor the boards.

Trust me in that the spoilers you've heard won't ruin the show. You never know they may also have been b/s. In my opinion it is far better than any other television show on at the minute. I never really got into Rome so I can't compare. It has the potential to be one of the most memorable shows in history in my opinion!
 

MeveM

Bright Spark
I don't mind the spoilers tbh, since its from my partner :p She's reading the books. She's just gotten fed up with the books because they keep killing off her favourite characters.

If you read/watch Game of Thrones etc, you need to be prepared to watch/read it as a story, and not as a story following certain characters, since you never know when your favourite character will pop off in the most pathetic way. My favourite died about half way in to season 1, not giving any names but I think most people know whom.
 
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