Does anyone else feel this series has too many characters?

[K]

Yup, I have a bad memory, and I can't remember all of that shit. I think it's been almost two years since I've read ASoS, and I kind of want to read the next book, but I've basically forgotten everyone who isn't a Stark or Lannister, tbh. Lol If it was any other series, I would just go back and re-read the books, but the first three books ASoIaF are too long for me to even bother. I might still give the fourth book a try and wiki characters and storylines that I've forgotten about. Idk.

[Ken]

You do realize there is an appendix in the back of each book that breaks down characters by affiliation? Can it be any easier?

This complaint chalks up to mere laziness, and as I've stated before, Martin isn't even all that challenging.

[Adam]

It's really not that difficult to get your head around. Characters whose names come up several times (or who have their own chapters!) become memorable by default. If you read a name and it's never mentioned again, you don't have to remember it and it's not an issue.

[Britannia]

my fiance always asks me how can i keep up with so many characters, and i tell him there aren't that many if you just know the important ones. I guess i also like to see different faces about stories, but the only thing i don't like is when a character is introduced with lackluster. When I read Bran's chapters, I feel like i'm forcing myself. So once I get over his chapter, I look forward to seeing someone else pop in somewhere. :)

[Victoria]

I will admit that it was only after I had finished Clash of Kings that I finally had gotten my head around the many characters. It is worth it to persevere.

Although I gave up trying to keep track of the names in Meereen!

[Ken]

If your name is really Britannia, that's very cool.

[Jeske]

I think that the amount of named characters of varying importance makes the serie very realistic. Also, I think it will make for an amusing second read, since you'll know more about certain characters that were only casually named in the earlier books and such. However, it does get confusing at times.

[Juliet]

Shaun wrote: "There are a lot of names, so many that it's tiring to take it all in when he starts rattling them off (especially the yunkai (I think) with 'zo' in the middle. However, given the scale of the serie..."
I agree with the wikipedia/AWOIAF thing, very annoying!

[Marilyn]

I have to agree with this. I read the first book with no problem, I thought it was amazing. I came to the second book, I couldn't even figure out what was even happening anymore. :/ I lost track of what happened to who. I eventually gave up.

[Gábor]

I don't mind the main characters and their close family members, that's easy to follow, but all these Sers and bodyguards and God knows what and who. I remember I was reading book 2, there was some words about a Ser, and I was like "Oh boy, who is this, this one belongs to... oh, he died! Thank God!" :D

[Holly]

No problem at all in remembering the multitude of characters; I love books like this.

[Caroline]

Britannia wrote: "my fiance always asks me how can i keep up with so many characters, and i tell him there aren't that many if you just know the important ones. I guess i also like to see different faces about stori..."

This! The number of characters seemed a little overwhelming when I first started reading, but once you learn to distinguish between important characters and lesser ones, it's not that difficult to remember them. The names help to flesh out the world Martin builds. I don't know the names and allegiances of every single character by heart either, but I do recognize them in context (and I drew up some charts of which bannermen belonged to which House).

[Katey]

^I feel the same way. I've read every book in the series and I don't think it's possible to remember every minor character. I've learned to concentrate on the bigger houses, for example Stark, Tully, Lannister, Targaryen.

[Johan]

I read all the books but watched only the first season of the show. To many characters though. Mr Martin has this very bad habit of killing of major characters and leaving minor characters to hang around. Stephen King once admitted blowing up half the characters in The Stand just because things got out of hand and there were just to many.
Time for a bomb Mr Martin :)

[Andrew]

It's not so hard for me to be honest, no more confusing than say Lord of the Rings.

[evelyn]

more haha

[Emma]

Scott wrote: "I read the first book and, while I enjoyed it, it felt like Mr. Martin was firing characters out of a machine gun. Many of them were faceless people to me and they just sort of blurred together aft..."

That very reason is why I had trouble reading the book the first time round, when the TV show was just out. I had to ditch it and now I'm finished the show, I've reread the first book and am just starting the second.

Putting faces and looks to the characters as I read them makes it easier to understand who they are and what their story is (for me).

I personally like the fact that there is a lot of characters; it takes us to all the corners of Westeros. They all have different stories, interesting or boring or exciting or not. You don't get a lot of that from these dystopian YA books/series these days (I'm aware that ASOIAF is fantasy and written in the 90's, I'm just comparing).

[Rowena]

Gianluca wrote: "That's just how Epic Fantasy is. What's the point of creating a fictional world if you're not going to fill it with distinct characters and historical figures?
The many different characters, nation..."

I looked all over and couldn't find a way to 'up-vote' your comment, so I'm commenting instead. In that I completely agree. I'm often perplexed at how people seem to be overwhelmed by something I appreciate so much, but there we go, each to their own :)
So to answer the OP, no, bring them on! WoT/SoIaF cross-over! :D

[Emma]

Rowena wrote: "Gianluca wrote: "That's just how Epic Fantasy is. What's the point of creating a fictional world if you're not going to fill it with distinct characters and historical figures?
The many different c..."

Yeah, Wheel of Time Starts off with a small amount of characters but they keep expanding. I'm only in book 4 and there's so many more characters, but I say embrace it!