The Random World of Reading discussion
This topic is about
A Game of Thrones
Monthly Reads
>
A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)
date
newest »
newest »
message 1:
by
Lauren
(new)
-
rated it 5 stars
Sep 18, 2012 11:13AM
What was your take on this book?
reply
|
flag
*
First of all I love that Martin is not afraid to kill off characters!The writing is absolutely amazing. Martin’s descriptions of everything are so vivid and detailed that I know exactly what he is trying to convey and am able to imagine the scene in my mind. With that being said the descriptions can become a little lengthy and exaggerated at points, you just can’t have it both ways though! I also love the style and how he breaks each chapter up into a different perspective. From that perspective the readers is able to get a whole three dimensional persona of every character and their thoughts/feelings on what is going on around them. All of the characters are unique and have their own outlook on everything.
There are separate storylines but Martin makes them all work and blend together literally creating a whole new and incredibly interesting world. He also adds just enough history that allows the reader to get the full picture of the universe in which he is writing.
I loved this book! I like the idea of the different character perspectives. I agree with you Lauren, I love that he's not afraid to kill off characters but sometimes he kills the wrong ones :). My favorite character is Jon Snow so if he survives til the end that would be wonderful!
Jon Snow is one of my favorites also. I love how he presents himself, especially with being a bastard and all I think he has a pretty strong character and self motivation. My other favorite character is Arya. I just think she is fun and quorky.
Martin does seem to kill off the good ones! I loved Ned, he was my favorite in the beginning and I was shocked that he ended up dying. I think Joffrey is really the one that needs to kick the bucket, he just seems like such an ass with no redeeming qualities to his character.
Lauren wrote: "Jon Snow is one of my favorites also. I love how he presents himself, especially with being a bastard and all I think he has a pretty strong character and self motivation. My other favorite cha..."
Yes, I agree with everything that has been said in this discussion so far! :)
Martin has amazing world-building skills!
My favorite (surviving) characters are Jon Snow, Arya, and Tyrion. Too bad Ned had to be killed off because he was an excellent character to read as well. Other than Joffrey, did anybody particularly dislike Sansa, or was that just me? :)
I even began watching the tv show. I borrowed Season 1 from the library and basically had a marathon. The actors nailed their parts, especially Peter Dinklage as Tyrion and Kit Harington as Jon. :)
I'm very excited to read book two (and watch season two when the dvds are available)!
I was actually pretty annoyed with Sansa. I didn't like her attitude in the least and she seems to be a pretty weak character to me.
It's been quite a while since I read this book but I really enjoyed reading it. I thought the characters were really well written. For the life of me I can't think of anything else to say other than it was great!
Catelyn and Sansa were my two least favorite Starks until I read the 3rd book and they just seemed different than I thought.
My favorite characters of book I: Jon, Ned & Tyrion
I have already finished all the books that are available in this series and I loved them all, however it was a hard series to get through because I felt like some of the books, books 2,4 & 5, were transition books, whereas books 1 & 3 contained all the action and juicy bits! I was horribly distraught after finishing book 5 and realizing that the next installment isnt finished! Arrgh! These characters were my life for two straight months! I have been having a tough time moving on to a new book. Thankfully another club I belong to just started a new selection and I'm working on it now, but I'm still breathless with anticipation for the next Game of Thrones book!.
Tyrion is definately my favorite, with Jon Snow a close second. Oh, and Jamie. He really grew on me as the books went on.
Stephanie wrote: "Tyrion is definately my favorite, with Jon Snow a close second. Oh, and Jamie. He really grew on me as the books went on."Hehehe, Jaime grew on me too!
Mod
I have broke my golden rule on this book and watched the TV show before reading the novels. I was a little skeptic at first since it didn't seem like something I normally would have liked. But after really getting into the show I decided that I had to go out and get the book. Now 2/3 of the way through the book, I am sad that I didn't give it a chance a little sooner.Typically I am very critical of how TV and movies represent a book. Often times I find that the visual side of it and the characters really are not what I hoped it would be based on the book. However, in this case I think HBO does a pretty good job of keeping on track with this one. I must say, I understand things so much better now after reading the book - often times without much background I found myself lost while watching the show. I am now regretful that I broke my golden rule and didn't give this book a chance sooner.
This this book is not half as dry as I expected it to be. Even though this is not my first choice in genre, Martin's writing is so brilliant that he keeps the pages turning. One of the things I like most about this book and his writing style is that he is not afraid to take chances. Often times something unexpected and unfavourable happens to one of your favourite characters. But rather than getting angry and giving up on the book it drives you further into the series. Love it! I can only hope that as I make my way through the remainder of the series that it still holds my attention, as often with series by the time I read the second of third book things are losing steam and I am losing interest.
Once I am done with this series I may even check out some of his other books.
Super love the book, not very far into it but am totally addicted!! :) I had a hard time in the beginning getting into it. Lots to take in and I got very confused. Once I started to get the story I was hooked. Glad to have picked it up, it just might take me a while to finish it :(
Okay, not gonna lie, I can't stand Fantasy books or Lord of the Ring-esque stories or anything like that. Harry Potter and The Dresden Files are my fantasy limit. I read the prologue to this book and was only mildly interested in the story. This is a long book and my ADD is very intimidated by the length. Should I keep reading or will I just be miserable the whole time?Have not seen the show, BTW. I might someday but, like I said, I'm not a huge fan of stuff like this.
emily_oriley wrote: "Okay, not gonna lie, I can't stand Fantasy books or Lord of the Ring-esque stories or anything like that. Harry Potter and The Dresden Files are my fantasy limit. I read the prologue to this book..."Hmmmmm how far along are you and how long has it taken you to read that much?
Finished the prolouge in about an hour, maybe hour and a half (whilst juggling five year old Elmo-enthusist and husband trying to convert me to Trekkism T.T )
Jose wrote: "My favorite characters of book I: Jon, Ned & Tyrion"I would agree with you, these are my favorite characters as well. I liked this book a lot. I like the different POV's and the world that author created.
emily_oriley wrote: "Finished the prolouge in about an hour, maybe hour and a half (whilst juggling five year old Elmo-enthusist and husband trying to convert me to Trekkism T.T )"Lol, sadly you are probably not going to be able to get through it if you don't have a set amount of time. Especially with the first book there are so many different characters that if you can't emerse yourself in the reading it is going to be really easy to get lost. Maybe something to save for a day off or a sick day.
I reread the book in the beginning of the year, my favourite character is Arya, she is a tough little girl, I also enjoyed reading the chapters Tyrion and Dany.
Mod
Lasse wrote: "I reread the book in the beginning of the year, my favourite character is Arya, she is a tough little girl, I also enjoyed reading the chapters Tyrion and Dany."Arya is awesome! I am amazed at her abilities for such a little girl
Having an author who is not afraid to kill off both good and bad characters is a refreshing spin on my usual reading material. I thought Martin wrote really well, and I love to debate with my family about what's going to happen. Everyone has their own theory, and it's great fun to hear their reasoning.
