Sell Me/Unsell me on "A Game of Thrones"

[Vipergrrl]

I'm 115 pages or so into the book and well, not doing much for me thus far. The Night's Watch and THE WALL sound very kewl, but that's the only part thus far that's holding my interest.

So when does the awesome kick in??

[Jonathan M]

It's a thousand pages long, there are four existing novels in the series and another three forthcoming. The author's pushing 60 and doesn't look a particularly healthy type.

It strikes me then that there are two good reasons for not reading any further :

a) Chances are Martin'll pop his clogs before he finishes it meaning that you'll never know the end of the story.

b) If you only read the books that exist now you'll, at best, be halfway through the series. At the end of that you'll have read somewhere around 4000 pages of text. Instead of reading half a story over that time space you could read more or less eight other self-contained stories.

Regardless of how good Martin's works are (and I consider them dull) you have to realise that by deciding to read the series you're deciding that there are no other books that might be more deserving of your time than A Song of Fire and Ice or whatever the series it called.

That's not a decision to be made lightly.

Especially when you can read say The Scar by China Mieville, that's a better book than a Game of Thrones OR The Lies of Locke Lamora, that's also a better book than a Game of Thrones and that's just fantasy off the top of my head.

[mcrow]

I'd say that you have another 100 pages or so before all the good stuff starts to happen.

At about that point, you will start to realize how brutal the books are. It starts slow, but one it gets going its hard to stop.

[ShannonA]

They're some of the best fantasy that I've read in years.

High points:

Great characters with strong characterizations.
You equally understand the motivations of the "good" guys and the "villains".
Fun mysteries and unanswered questions about the past which are hinted at in entirely fair ways that encourage speculation, and which are being slowly answered.
Epic scope.
Harsh and brutal, with nothing being safe.


The biggest downside is the publication rate. If they were coming out every year or two the public would still be chomping at the bit, but Martin has had serious problems moving forward from book to book, and the books have also been bloating in the process. The last few have still been of the highest quality (other than the fact that one of them was split in two, which was a bit frustrating), but down this road leads disaster if Martin isn't careful.

[Something Else]

I don't see any reason to keep reading them... the books seem determined to convince us, "yes, fantasy can be serious literature. See? People are getting raped!" To me, they're the literary equivalent of the kid who listens to Cannibal Corpse and thinks it makes him all badass.

The books do have their high points - many of the brutal, shocking twists are a lot of fun, but overall I just feel that the author tries to hard to be dark and controversial.

[C.W.Richeson]

I agree with Shannon's positive points. I also really liked the coats of arms and general attention to the sorts of detail that make noble families cool.

On the downside, as others point out it's slow to come out and there's no guarantee the author will finish it without dying or something. I loved the first three, but after being dicked around with the Wheel of Time I decided to stop reading huge fantasy series that were still being published.

If you're not really into it within another 100 pages or so it might be best to just put it down and revisit it when the series is done.

[Bobaloo]

I read the first two books and I think they were great. However, I have decided to hold off on the rest until the series is complete. And this is coming from a guy who loves the Wheel of Time and buys them immediately.

[Anaka]

It's an amazing series. If it doesn't grab you in the next 100 pages, though, it isn't going to. As to endings... well, I think I can actually be fairly happy with this regardless, even if it doesn't technically get finished. I really can't recommend it enough.

[mcrow]

For me it is the gritty nature of the books that make them so good. It seems to me that in so many medievil fantasy novels, the medievil way of life is "lighted up".

Plus the attention to detail of the setting, military scenes, and twist after twist in plot.

[Dave Harfield]

On the downside, as others point out it's slow to come out and there's no guarantee the author will finish it without dying or something.


When has anyone had that kind of guarantee? You'll pardon me for thinking that this has to be the most pointless reason for not getting into a series. Or will you only buy books written by twenty-somethings with perfect health?

[Jonathan M]

Or will you only buy books written by twenty-somethings with perfect health?

I'll buy self-contained books, or series that are finished.

For example, R. Scott Bakker's trilogy recently ended and that's loads better than Song of Fire and Ice.

Open-ended sagas composed of thousand page paving slabs with no end in sight and an elderly writer is just begging for trouble. Look at The Wheel of Time... odds are that Jordan will pop his clogs before he finishes it (if in fact he does even have an idea of how to end the story).

[ShannonA]

Open-ended sagas composed of thousand page paving slabs with no end in sight and an elderly writer is just begging for trouble. Look at The Wheel of Time... odds are that Jordan will pop his clogs before he finishes it (if in fact he does even have an idea of how to end the story).

We're having a similar discussion over in the TV forum about canceled shows.

The real question is: do you enjoy the journey or the destination? Even if Song of Fire & Ice never gets finished, I've had some fine reading experiences.

[The Disgruntled Poet]

I read the first of Martin's books and thought it was well-plotted, but still too a bit..."blah" for me. I never quite got over the world that it was a clever writer with cool characters in a DND fantasy setting. (I loved the imp character though!)

Whoever mentioned R Scott Bakker.. yes. By all means, this is a terrific, brilliantly written series. More compact and efficient than Erickson, more original than Martin IMO. For a gritty, brutal world still full of larger-than-life characters, Bakker is hands-down my choice.