Why I chose this book

[Dan]

I have always wanted to watch the show and a friend of mine told me how amazing the books are, so I decided to read them.

[Laura]

I hope you like them.
Be careful with these discussions, though. They are full of spoilers ;-)

[Anna]

Yes, the internet is dark and full of spoilers. I have been spoiled so many many many times. By forums, by friends, by random comments, even by maps of westeros. :(

[Laura]

Maps? As in a red X with a sign "This is where XYXY was killed"?

[Anna]

Laura wrote: "Maps? As in a red X with a sign "This is where XYXY was killed"?"

Yes, exactly. I accidentally went past the chapters I've read in the interactive map and there was that little skull. :( Stupid map. My fault, though.

[Hannah]

So glad you decided to join us all in Westeros!
Valar Morghlis!

[[deleted user]]

Valar dohaeris!

+You just started reading one of the must outstanding fantasy series. You're gonna live in an amazing world. And take the Laura's caution serious. The thrice-damned net is full of spoilers.

[James]

I am so glad that you have started the read the series, but be aware of the spoilers that lurk around the Internet.

[Holly]

I started reading this series for the same reason. I am a fan of HBO series and I started watching Game of Thrones up through the third season. So I started reading.

The spoilers don't bother me so much, in fact I kind of like to be forewarned about anything horrific so I am emotionally prepared for the carnage and tragedy. If anything good ever happens, I would like to be pleasantly surprised. I'm just trying to avoid getting personally invested in any of the characters though, because I have a feeling that they will all die.

[Brian]

I likewise jumped into the books in anticipation of the HBO series. I think there may have been only one or two scenes in the early seasons that appeared on TV before I got to them in the books. I don't think existing fans intend to ruin the books for newcomers, they just get so excited about them, they can't help revealing important info. But if you are spoiler-averse, avoiding comment sections is a good idea, especially ones devoted to the TV version.

[Laura]

I try to see the TV show as a different entity, like "fan fiction" of a sort. Some events are changed a little, some events are changed significantly. Some characters' personalities, feelings or motivations are also different in the books. If I "forget" about the books while I watch the show, I can enjoy it, because it's quite good.

Advice: avoid anything on Youtube. A lot of users spoil events (especially the most shocking ones) just for the fun of it.

[Bill]

...and now for the first negative comment:

I really hope you are a very patient person, because it could be a very long time before you get to finish the series. The last two (planned) volumes haven't been published yet, no one knows their release dates, and the precedent so far has been "release one book, make the readers wait for many many years, release the next."

[C. G.]

Dan wrote: "I have always wanted to watch the show and a friend of mine told me how amazing the books are, so I decided to read them."

They are amazing, but be patient, and have a great memory. Hundreds of characters, dozens of backstories, dozens of historical incidents that all feed into the tale, it's going to make your head spin. When you get through the fifth book, you may have to reread the first to see where you started, and recall it all to mind to keep it straight. Yes, it's that involved.

[Holly]

I look at it this way, if GRRM dies before he can finish the books, all of his characters will outlive him and they will be free to do as they please. (The first thing Jaime Lannister will do is pee on GRRM's grave for taking his hand.) In my mind I can give my favorites a happily ever after ending and imagine well deserved horrific deaths for the characters I hate.

[Laura]

Holly wrote: "I look at it this way, if GRRM dies before he can finish the books, all of his characters will outlive him and they will be free to do as they please. (The first thing Jaime Lannister will do is p..."

Holly, this is a discussion about A Game of Thrones, written by someone who has NOT read the series. Please, cover your spoilers!

Gee, and after all those comments about spoiler. Really, I can't get some people.

[Holly]

Laura wrote: "Holly wrote: "I look at it this way, if GRRM dies before he can finish the books, all of his characters will outlive him and they will be free to do as they please. (The first thing Jaime Lanniste..."


Please point out the spoilers and I will edit my post.

[Bill]

Holly wrote: "Please point out the spoilers and I will edit my post. "

(view spoiler)[The first thing Jaime Lannister will do is pee on GRRM's grave for taking his hand. (hide spoiler)]

Click "(some html is ok)" at the top right corner of the comment box... it will show you how to put "spoiler" tags around the "offending" content.

[Laura]

Write < spoiler >This is the spoilery text< /spoiler >
Without the spaces I placed between the < > and the word spoiler.

[Bill]

Oh... it lets you type in the < and >? Some comment sections eat them, thinking that they're tags.