A Game of Thrones
discussion
What age should read this book
I think a lot of the people here were unadventurous readers as kids.I wouldn't say 14 is too young, nor would I say its definitely old enough.
I think there's probably enough information about potentially troubling content in the series for the OP to get a good idea if their ready for it yet. If they're not, there's no shame in waiting a few years.
Lilac wrote: "But reading the series make make the OP ready for it, Robin, if that makes sense.I mean, when I was 7 I read just fairy magic books (Ruby the Red Fairy) but I decided I wanted the Harry Potter boo..."
I don't really think that's a fair comparison - Harry Potter may have been written for kids a little older than 8 but it's still a kids/young adult book. It was written for the 10/11 age so 8 is not that big of a stretch. This "Harry Potter Age Guide" says kids as young as 6 may actually be ready to read the first two books (but only the first two): http://www.ivillage.com/harry-potter-...
ASOIAF is mature even for a lot of adults, let alone someone who is still naming Harry Potter as the type of books he reads. In my opinion, Ruby the Red Fairy to Harry Potter is nowhere near the same leap as Harry Potter to A Game of Thrones.
"I'm 15 and handled it fine, though I've read more explicit books before this."
I am not saying some 14 year olds wouldn't be ready for it but judging by what the OP has said and what he reads and even his avatar, I don't think he is one of them.
"If they're not, there's no shame in waiting a few years."
My thoughts exactly - there's nothing wrong with waiting a few years and if that ensures the OP will be ready and will appreciate it all the more, I would encourage waiting. The books aren't going anywhere.
The sexual nature of these books are pretty low. They mention things but they really are not that graphic like the show. I think it is more along the lines of comprehending the books. They are very difficult to read. Even for me sometimes. If I am not reading every line, I miss things. Also, because these books are made into a very mature show, just keep in mind that when your children are reading these, they might want to watch it too. I am a mother of an 11 year old and I will not allow her to read these books until she is 16 because of that.
I'd say 18.However, children are very good at self regulating and will usually put things down that they aren't ready for.
No book was barred from me at home as a child. And yet I chose not to read the Virginia Andrews, recognising that I wasn't interested in that stuff. But I did pick up my mum's Interview with the Vampire and fall in love with it when I was 14.
I wouldn't place Game it in the hands of an under 18 but if one picked it up and read it of their own accord then I guess I'd leave them to handle it themselves. The 18+ bits in the book all have a purpose and consequence and so is better than shock books just trying to provoke reaction.
My secondary school peers were all reading books with very very strong content ie King and Andrews because they were still being treated as kids but had so much going on in their heads that was adult. They were essential reading, a kind of arena to explore fantasy and the dark side of humanity in safety.
How many people read the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant at 16 or younger and didn't even blink about the rape/incest aspects of that, I wonder.
I would say at least 16-17, to read them all is some serious reading, and deep subjects, sometimes hard to keep things straight. Guess it depends on the maturity level.
I'm 13 and i read this since i was 12. Is that okay..?
This is an epic series full of passages of original thought, prophecies and revelations. It is an adult series in the vein of Stephen King's 'The Dark Tower' with a completely different plot twist. It is a fantasy series, but it is crude ... much like the reality it resides in. It is NOT Percy Jackson or Harry Potter. There is sex. There are controversial themes: incest, war, murder, homosexuality and debauchery. There is also the graphic detail of the creation of eunuchs, rape, sexual slavery, prostitution, and torture.
Some individuals may be mature enough to handle this content at 14, but I consider this a mature read and would say one would be safe to rate this book, at bare minimum, 16+.
Adult. I wouldn't give it to anyone below about 17.
I am actually using the ASOIAF books in part of my PhD research at the moment, to get permission from the ethics commission I had to limit my study to persons 18+. That is not to say that a mature reader of 14 could not (or should not) read these books, but there is a lot of graphic content/themes, not the sex so much in my opinion, more the reasonably graphic descriptions of torture, rape, incest etc. (See Hai's post!)
In general I would probably recommend this series for teens from 16 onwards.
But if a reader younger than that felt mature enough to handle these adult themes (and the general complexity of these books) then I say go for it!
Also the books become more adult IMO the further you go in the series too, so you could always read one, then wait a year, before reading the next if you think they are getting too intense
Maturity comes from experience and evaluation. There are many things in life that you will never be "mature" enough to handle until after you have encountered or experienced them. Books are one of the safest ways to explore material which will expand your maturity, especially when combined with good conversation with your parents, mentors, friends, forums and any other perspectives.Amber - for many people ALL conversation with parents are awkward.
Which isn't to say that I fully disagree with Amber's age recommendation. In a vacuum, Game of Thrones is absolutely adult material. For me growing up and for my kids, reading (as well as watching movies) was (or will be) exploratory and collaborative. I was reading about Narnia at the same time as I was reading edgy adult fiction, but my father was available to explore the themes with me. In that setting I am less willing to set a strict age limit because of some of the novels I read in elementary school which were formative for me.
Lachlan wrote: "Allwin wrote: "around 15 and above.. because of contents of incest, beheading etc."i'm 14 so I am not sure. I have read books like the hunger games all Cassandra Clare books, the harry potters an..."
I read it when I was thirteen, I am now 14 like yourself, but I am also considered to be quite mature for my age. I would also like to say that this is on a maturity level way above the books you noted. I have read all of those and I would hardly be able to compare them to Game of Thrones. I read The Hunger Games when I was in fourth grade and could handle the violence. The Game of Thrones is meant for adults and so the author is going to be more descriptive with the sex and violence and not be monitoring of the violence. The violence is descriptive but it just depends on how you picture it while reading. I do not imagine it would be a concern for you with most of the movies these days being full of it. The thing that would depend most on your comfort would be the sex. The sex in the book is very descriptive and there is a lot of it. There is also rape and incest. That would be what would have to be your judge on if you feel it is alright for you. I would say give it a go and then stop if it is too much for you. It is not even close to the books you mentioned in terms of what is in it, though.
My son read them at 14/15 but they are violent and do have quite a lot of sex - I'd say, read them and see if you enjoy them, If you do, you're probably old enough, if they make you wince, stop! I'm a great believer in using your own common sense.
I'd say ok to read for older high schoolers but not for middle schoolers, (the tv series is much more graphic sexually speaking and wouldn't want my Middle School aged dd to watch it)
Quite honestly 18+ but guess it depends on the maturity.
would a 11 year old be able to-he is an excellent reader-he read cherub at age 9 and the GONE series
Lachlan wrote: "Arienn wrote: "I've read hunger games too and that's not even near as crazy as game of thrones. Game of thrones is really graphic and it goes into detail. It's got incest-which scarred me for life..."I was 14. Depends on you, really.
Amy wrote: "would a 11 year old be able to-he is an excellent reader-he read cherub at age 9 and the GONE series"No, definitely not. It doesn't matter how good of a reader he is, this isn't a matter of reading ability, there is too much sex and violence for an 11 year old in my opinion. 14 might be borderline depending on the individual's maturity level but 11 is way too young. Both the Cherub and Gone series look like Young Adult, please understand that Game of Thrones is NOT Young Adult at all. The TV show is rated 18, meaning it's advisable for viewers 18 years old and above, which should give you an idea of the intended audience.
I am 15 and have read it, as has my friend. I think 15 is a solid age in which you are able to determine whether you will cope with such a book. These books can be quite strenuous, particularly if you read the entire series, therefore I think if you think you are able to handle the context as well as the weight of the novel itself you should be fine.
Lachlan wrote: "Allwin wrote: "around 15 and above.. because of contents of incest, beheading etc."i'm 14 so I am not sure. I have read books like the hunger games all Cassandra Clare books, the harry potters an..."
Game of Thrones is not like The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Twilight or TMI/TDI (Which I love, for the record). It is far more violent and graphic, and can be quite strenuous. If you feel it is a book you will enjoy then there's nothing stopping you to give it a go, but don't go into it expecting The Mortal Instruments, because you will be disappointed.
I was about 16-17 when I first started reading this series. The content, as mentioned by many before, may be a bit "disturbing" or "graphic" (depends on what you can handle), but none of this deterred me. I would suggest, however, waiting until you're around that age (16-17) to start reading it, but the choice is ultimately up to you. It's a pretty good series, and definitely falls in the adult category, as opposed to young adult/teen/what-have-you. Give it a go, it's quite fun!
I'm thirteen and I think the violence is not all that bad.I've read books like Malazan book of the fallen, The Tournament by Matthew Reilly, David eddings Elenuim and Tumli (I think that's how its spelt, haven't read it in two years) Night Angel trilogy, black company. the series which Black sun rising is in (forgot what its called). Sword of shadows. Shannara. Riftwar. Memory Sorrow and thorn.
I've read more books then these but right now that's all I can think.
though I have only started reading A Game of Thrones.
ive still gotten far.
I'm not lying I'm serious
Alex wrote: ".....I was 12"and i really enjoyed it
hey have you read Malazan alex?
Nicholas wrote: "hey have you read Malazan alex?"No
Lachlan wrote: "I'm not sure what age I need to bet to read this"
Whatever age you are. Don't worry about age. Just read the things you want to read.
Whatever age you are. Don't worry about age. Just read the things you want to read.
That's sad. Malazan is awesome.
I say this as a long-time fan of the books and now the show: my kids won't be reading these until they are at least 16, and maybe not even then. The sex isn't the only issue imo - those scenes are usually only hinted at or looked at sideways anyways. The subject matter, language, and violence are not meant for kids. These are adult books. The tv show is more visceral in it's handling of the material, but the books are just as heavy with the themes.
What's with the rush to expose kids to this kind of stuff? The night is dark and full of terrors, after all. Let them be kids for a while.
if you think Got's violence is bad then i seriously wonder what you will think of A Tale of Malazan Book of The Fallen.I've read far worse violence in books then AGOT.
(Don't Mean to be rude)
The show is understandable but your saying that even 16 year old's shouldn't read the first book? are you insane? this thread isn't about the show or the book series its about the first book.
cough.......cough.....I'm 13 does that mean I shouldn't be reading the first book?
No worries, I didn't take it that way at all. :)I am reading the first Malazan right now. Violence doesn't bother me, in fact most of my favorite books/games/movies are violent. It's often a key ingredient of mature fiction. I just prefer not to expose my kids to anything of that nature until they are much older.
Nicholas wrote: "if you think Got's violence is bad then i seriously wonder what you will think of A Tale of Malazan Book of The Fallen.I've read far worse violence in books then AGOT.
(Don't Mean to be rude)"
You've barely started the series. Give it time. If I recall correctly, the first book is the least violent because it's mostly set during a more civilized time, before all hell breaks loose.
Regardless, it's not a competition of portrayed violence. I think the point is not so much the explicitness of the violence but the use of adult themes and concepts in general. These are adult books and however much you try to pretend that you are an adult, you are not.
Like I said, the TV show is rated 18, meaning it's for an audience of 18+. The sex is a little more graphic in the show but overall, the brutality of their world is no worse in the show than the book. If your parents don't let you watch the show, I wonder why they let you read the books - or do they not even know? And if they do let you watch the show, I would be curious about their rationale behind allowing a 13 year old to watch something rated 18+. If you read the whole series and watch the TV show and still don't think the violence is all that bad, clearly you have become desensitized to it at an early age and again, I would be curious to know if and why your parents find this acceptable.
Nicholas wrote: "The show is understandable but your saying that even 16 year old's shouldn't read the first book? are you insane? this thread isn't about the show or the book series its about the first book.
cou..."
Like I say, the first book isn't as bad - but trust me, it would only frustrate a reader if they were only allowed to read the first book and then had to wait several years to read the rest. Of course, all readers have had to wait a very long time in between the publication of each book but it's different when you know the book is out but you're not allowed to read it. There is no point in reading the first book if you're not allowed to read the second for 3+ years.
i watched the first episode of the show.my mom didn't think i should be watching it.
my dad thinks its fine.
also there's people younger then me who watch it.
also im Australian so its MA15+
i still haven't watched it since.
i went down and asked my older brother if i could read AGOT. he didn't even blink he just said "Go ahead, enjoy."
and i don't pretend im an Adult.
by the way i don't like being typed to on the internet like im a child.
sorry if i offended you. i didn't mean anything by it.I can be such an ass sometimes.
it was my 24 year old sister who told me to read it. she's seems quite fine with me reading the entire series of books.
im surprised you haven't said anything about me reading Malazan Robin? its an adult book as well.
im pretty sure Got is rated MA here. but i may be wrong. but from memory Australia does not have a R or 18+ rating.
i haven't told my parents outright that im reading AGOT but nor am I hiding it. i take AGOT to the dinner table. they dont say a thing
i read whatever my older brother gives me.which is like 400 hundred books or more total that I've read
violence for me is not an issue. by the time i was eleven i had read Matthew Reilly's Scarecrow series. which to me is a lot more violent then AGOT
Nicholas wrote: "im pretty sure Got is rated MA here. but i may be wrong. but from memory Australia does not have a R or 18+ rating."Yeah we do. and GOT is R
This book series is great. Forget about all the people who say ah the sex is bad in it or w/e that should not matter. With 10 little finger movements we can be at a site where we get more sex then what a book can give us. What i will say is that these book require a very high reading comprehension and retention. If you are not into having to research where everything is and double checking what is what then you should not read this book. I remember having to have a map on my computer open the whole time I was reading this just to make sure i knew where everything was happening.
just checked Got season 1 and 2 are R and 3 is MA15+
I'm really out of the loop. I remember not to long ago that Australia didn't have a R rating
Nah that was only with games, Nicholas.
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A Game of Thrones (other topics)
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Ruby the Red Fairy (other topics)A Game of Thrones (other topics)
I mean, when I was 7 I read just fairy magic books (Ruby the Red Fairy) but I decided I wanted the Harry Potter books for my 8th birthday. It was a huge leap but I adjusted to it and read more books of that maturity from then on.
I personally think that most 14 year olds who show an interest in reading it can probably handle it. Well, unless they only want to read it to boast about having read them, in which case they're not ready to read the series. I'm 15 and handled it fine, though I've read more explicit books before this.