“Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armor yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you.”
-pg. 57
Yo, George RR Martin is a straight boss. YOU GUYS, I was not able to do that prediction thing I can do with most books. Ok, so Game Of Thrones by George RR Martin took me months to read, but it was well worth it, snowballing in the last hundred pages where I couldn’t put it down.
Full disclosure, before I book blogged, I used to read LONG family epics like North And South by John Jakes and The Thornbirds by Colleen McCullough. Game of Thrones by George RR Martin is like those books but longer and with more complexity. Game Of Thrones opens mysteriously, with these guys chilling in the woods. Then they die. THEN we meet the Starks who live in Winterfell and value honor. There are five legit kids and one bastard. Also dire wolves, who are the shit. In opposition to the Starks are the Lannisters who are rat bastards and rich as Croesus.
“When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground.”
-pg. 488
OMFG! SO! MUCH! DRAMA! By the end of Game Of Thrones by George RR Martin I actually was starting not to hate certain characters and didn’t know how to feel because there is COMPLEXITY. There’s not one good guy and one bad guy. I think this ‘what do I think WHO do I support now’ reaction is due in large part to multiple perspectives. You aren’t in one character’s head the whole time. ALSO we don’t just get male perspective, but also get to be in a number of female heads.
ALSO! No one is safe from George RR Martin. People die willy-nilly and I was full of the sads! Although one death made me sadder than all the others. Just be prepared. And while we are talking about preparedness I think I should warn you there are several bits that are totally gross in Game Of Thrones – like ew one character breast feeding her 8 year old. Um, what. WEAN YOUR KID AT THAT AGE. Yes, ew. And that’s not even the grossest!
Game Of Thrones by George RR Marting is NOT the book for EVERYONE, but for ME, I was turning pages caught in George RR Martin’s plot line web – because there are a LOT of those. I love gray areas and complexities AND being able to chat books with friends who have already read them. Game Of Thrones did all of this for me.
“What is honor compared to a woman’s love? What is duty against the feel of a newborn son in your arms… or the memory of a brother’s smile? Winds and words. Winds and words. We are only human, and the gods have fashioned us for love. That is our great glory and our great tragedy.”
-g. 662
Disclosure: Purchased copy.
Other reviews of Game of Thrones by George RR Martin:
The Book Swarm
Ticket To Anywhere
S. Krishna’s Books
Jenny’s Books
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I’ve heard so many great things about this that finally I broke down and put a copy on hold at my library. But I requested the audiobook because it’s epically long and I drive quite a bit. Your review makes me more excited to listen to it!
I think audiobooks are a great idea for LONG EPIC reads. I would definitely have done the audioversion, had I not already owned a paper copy of GoT.
I started this one over the summer but then ended up putting it down because I got busy with work and review books. I’ve been wanting to finish it ever since! I wish I would take more time to read epic fantasy. I love the genre, but I sometimes find it difficult to commit to books like these during the school year because they’re always so long and usually part of a series! Lol.
That’s kind of how I did with Game Of Thrones, I started it in September but kept setting it down because of one thing or another.
ALSO I totally feel you on wanting to read more epic fantasy — it is hard though especially when you feel the pressure to read and review a certain amount of books — it’s hard to take the time for a huge book.
I’ve been watching the HBO series and love it. But like you said, the whole boobfeeding session? Gag me with a spoon, gross. In the series, said kid gets all whiny like and is all feed me. I swear I want to punch the kid.
I want to see the HBO series! And yes, that is so gross AT THAT AGE. I mean, breastfeeding is totally appropriate for infants, but at 8, please drink from a glass like a normal human being.
Confession: I got the first four books of this series for my dad for Christmas just so I could steal them to read myself… xD
Ha ha that sounds like when I get my boyfriend or his mother books.
A few of the girls in my book club have been raving about this series, but I’ve been hesitant because I don’t always agree with them on books. After your review? I’m definitely going to have to request it from the library!
As odd as it sounds, I do love when authors kill off people you wouldn’t expect. It keeps you on your toes as you read!
I love the library! Such a low risk way to try new books.
I love it when authors kill off characters too!
I’ve been thinking about reading this one. I’m not sure I can handle the length though haha. I get really impatient when I read books if they’re long.
It can be hard to devote a lot of time to just one book. I get impatient too and deal with it by reading another book at the same time and picking at the long book in bits and pieces.
THIS!! I’ve never reviewed these books because I have a hard time keeping my YA reviews short; I have NO IDEA how I could possibly tame my crazy love into a readable length for a Game of Thrones book! But I’m so glad that you loved it! I can’t wait for you to keep reading them. The gray areas get grayer and the complexity gets more twisty. And being prepared for the sads is good advice. Unfortunately. 🙁
ALSO, THORN BIRDS!! Totally read that AND saw the mini-series. *Sigh* Aussies. SO GOOD.
I haven’t seen the Thornbirds movie yet, but I really want too! I’ve heard it is awesome, and I remember being so riveted by The Thorn Birds.
I am so excited for the other books.
It is taking me months as well to read it. My goal: to have it finished before season 2 comes on.
Great quote from page 488! 🙂 I haven’t gotten that far yet!
That’s smart, trying to finish before the next season. I’d probably just try to read at least one chapter a day. That might get you there.
Did I mention I’ve been meaning to do this series FOREVER. Honestly, think I ‘ve already written this exact post on your blog sometime in the past. When I finish 11/22/63 I’m jumping all over this one as my next side read.
Ha ha, I think you have, and yo, I know the feeling exactly. It seems like every other Top Ten Tuesday I include Game of Thrones.
It took me for freaking ever to read this book but I will definitely be reading the rest of the series at some point. So much drama and intrigue and back-stabbing and plotting – LOVE.
For real! I LOVE THE DRAMA of Game of Thrones!
I haven’t read this, but I saw the first season so I’m a total poser. lol we got HBO… just for this show. It’s so good. I thought about getting the books, but Brian forbid me to. He says I can’t know what’s going to happen before him, and he’s not a heavy reader like I am. But… I should just get the books and read them at work, since the bastard looks up spoilers. grrr.
Love that characters get killed, and that not one is good or bad… everyone has faults.. this makes it real for me.. and the DRAMA.. love that too. You should so watch the show. My neighbor looks like Kal Drogo. I tried to take a pic once.. just to share with everyone, but got yelled at by hubby for being a creeper. He doesn’t look exactly like him.. but if you can picture him 10 years later after some muscle loss and a few beers behind his belt.. .
I’m wondering how reading the books after watching the show would be. I’m not afraid of large books.. I used to read the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan, but think I stopped at the 7th or 8th one, because nothing was happening. I lost interest. I may have to pick it up and try. I already forgot some details from the first season.
OMG WHEEL OF TIME! I’ve only read the first two but I want to continue again.
AND yes, read Game of Thrones, at least the first book.
Also, I laughed out loud at your attempt to photo your neighbor looking like Kal Drogo.
I totally need to get the dvds of the show!
YES! So glad you finally made it through and thought it was worth it. I heart this series so much, it is mind-blowingly complex. I’m all caught up and I still don’t know who I’m rooting for (other than Jon and Tyrion and Arya of course), and there are people I love now that I couldn’t stand in Book 1. They are freaking huge books with long waits in between, but as long as we all donate to a fund to keep Mr. Martin encased in a giant safety bubble through the end, it’ll be worth it.
Watch the series, it’s one of the best book to screen adaptations I’ve ever seen. Like, we subscribe to HBO in this house just to watch it good.
Right. I love Jon and Tyrion and Arya, especially ARYA! I kind of want to punch Sansa in the throat. And yes, about the long wait, I’m lucky I came so late to the series.
I LOVED this book!! And for all the reasons you mentioned! I mean, I would adopt a direwolf in a heartbeat! They are so awesome!
And yeah, the deaths! One broke my heart a bit… I’ve read A Clash of Kings a couple of months ago, be prepared for more gray areas and something even grosser than the stuff in this one! I was reading this with one of my blogging buddies at the time and we totally freaked out over a LOT of things!
I really liked the HBO series as well, can’t wait it to start again!
Right, dire wolves are AWESOME!
I had a few good blogger buddies and friends to freak out over things with, I mean they had already read it, so I didn’t have to worry about spoilers.
I just finished this the other day. Oh my god the characters made this story. I found myself hating some characters less and less because others were just so much worse.
I’m with you on loving long epics. I’m currently working my way through The Woman In White which makes my third chunkster in less than a month. I’m going to try to read at least one a month this year.
I LOVED The Woman In White! Wilkie Collins is da bomb. Seriously he rocks.
And holy moly, yes, on characterization and GRRM.
OH YES to Lady Lyssa or whatever her name is and the breast feeding. So many characters and so much DRAMA RAMA.
And you are so right – no one is safe. Everyone is completely gray and you never know where George is going to take your emotions. WHAT a ride, though.
So gross.
I am loving the ride so far 😀
Yay! Glad you read this and that you enjoyed it. I love this series.
And if you think this had a lot of drama and complexity… Just wait until book 3! Can’t wait to see what you think of that one. 🙂
I hear it only gets better from here and I AM DOWN FOR THAT!
Dire wolves are baller. Arya is baller.
:p
The whole book is baller, yo. If only there was a GRRM gang sign.
I’ll admit it, I saw the series on HBO first and THEN read Game of Thrones. They did a great job casting, I think. I’m currently on the fourth book in this series, A Feast for Crows, and still no one is safe. Martin is all about death and destruction. This one is taking me a lot longer to get through but, if you have time, make SURE you read the second in the series, A Clash of Kings, which is by far my favorite. That one, I blew through.
I’ve been hearing that a lot, that A Clash of Kings is good. I can’t wait to crack it open. I mean, I have to buy it first, but still, it is going to rock!
I have to listen to this soon. I love the show and I’m sure I would love the book. The book is ALWAYS better. 🙂
Great review.
This book series is one of my all time favorite just because you can NEVER guess what is going to come next. If you think the first book is good wait until you get to the 5th book OMG. It is crazy. I actually through one of the books across the room because I got so mad, it pulls strong emotions out of people. The books are epic. I thought I enjoyed the lord of the rings and harry potter worlds but Game of Thrones was a whole different world. I love the fact that HBO picked it up as a tv series because I get to see how people perceived the character and the landscape and I love seeing how people viewed the book.