Fantasy Book Club discussion
This topic is about
A Game of Thrones
2010 Group Read Discussions
>
02/10 A Game of Thrones - Less Philosophy - Did you like the book? (spoilers)
date
newest »
newest »
I was hooked from the beginning. Now, I read this several years ago (the first time), but it stands as one of my all time favorites. That first time I got into it, I started on a Friday evening after work. For that entire weekend I neglected everything else to read that book. Now, I had no other obligations as it turned out, but I nearly forgot to pause long enough to sleep, eat, shower, or use the bathroom. And when I did do those things, all I could think about was getting back to the book.So yeah, I liked it a bit.
Loved it. I carried the book (and it gets quite heavy after awhile) everywhere with me. My boyfriend started calling it 'the Growth'.
I really enjoyed the book. It was very different from so many other books. (I can't believe I'd never read it before.) It took me a lot longer to read than I thought it would (dang life gets in the way), but as soon as I finished the first one I started the second.I really liked the image of Dany on her silver horse. I have a soft spot for beautiful images of horses.
I was really sad when Eddard had to kill Lady and Arya had to chase away Nympheria (I don't think that's quite right). I loved the direwolves!
I can't think of a thing I didn't like either. Well, maybe one thing: there are a lot of characters to keep track of. That took some getting used to at first.Things I do like: the characters are easy to get attached to, the whole wondering what's going to happen next, the backstabbing, the big "shocker" towards the end of the book. It got pretty intense there. Also the book reads like I'm watching a movie. I loved it from start to finish.
Absolutely loved it! I can't tell you how many times I'd looked at the book in the bookstore and wasn't drawn to reading, but I'm very glad I did. I'm looking forward to reading the next two and will be anxiously the fifth.
I'm actually surprised that we haven't heard from those that didn't like the book as much as we all did. I think in the past some were turned off from all the violence. It is funny how I can handle a ton of violence in books but I run out of movie theatres if it gets to be too much. Considering the time period I didn't see a problem with it, did you?
The first one is REALLY good. Like others have said, the characters are really easy to get attached too. However, I've read all the other ones, and in my opinion they get progressively worse (just a warning to those of you who are going on). I'm not sure he knows how the series will end, so he just sort of keeps going...Trust me, I'm a huge Robert Jordan fan, so I have nothing against long series, but by the third book he's just sort of rambling. The problem is that by then, I'm still so attached to a few of the characters that I can't make myself stop reading the series.
I felt that the women characters didn't get the best roles - though in the first book, that's not apparent. Given that Martin styled this after a feudal society gives reason for this - and he's consistent, in that, his characters intensify, rather than change, as the story progresses.
Julie wrote: "I'm actually surprised that we haven't heard from those that didn't like the book as much as we all did. I think in the past some were turned off from all the violence. It is funny how I can hand..."What would I say? I didn't find it interesting in the first pages, and the boy getting thrown off the roof just totally ruined any desire I had to continue.
I loved this book as well as the series. The unpredictability of the characters. GRRM willingness to kill off major characters kept me on my toes. I enjoyed it. It was def unlike any fantasy book I've read previously.
Janny wrote: "I felt that the women characters didn't get the best roles - though in the first book, that's not apparent. Given that Martin styled this after a feudal society gives reason for this - and he's con..."It's funny, I read a ton of books based in the feudal society or medieval times and I've never questioned the role of women. But then again most of them rise up and kick butt at some point. So I guess I really wouldn't want to actually live in the time period but I enjoy making up my own idea of what it would be like if I did. Because I wouldn't be one of THOSE women, I'd be the one with the sword. *grin*
Oh, Arya rises up and kicks butt.It was Sansa that drove me bug-nuts. And a few of the others, close second. I wish there had been one female in this series as complex and layered as Tyrion, is all.
Yeah, as I stated in the other thread Arya is one of my favorite characters because of that. I agree Sansa and Lysa are not my favorites, and if someone would just pop them over the head I would cheer. I haven't quite figured out what I think of Daenerys yet though and I've read the whole series so far. In the Game of Thrones I do think she is one of the few female characters that grew.
Janny wrote: "Oh, Arya rises up and kicks butt.It was Sansa that drove me bug-nuts. And a few of the others, close second. I wish there had been one female in this series as complex and layered as Tyrion, is all."
I love Arya as well, but in the last couple books Sansa chapters have become my favorite to read. But I hated her in GoT. I think we will see great things from Sansa and by the end of the series you will end up liking her. She is stronger than she seems. Maybe she'll end up being the complex female role you are looking for.
** SPOILER ALERTS **Great books. Hope he doesn't drag them on too long.
Ripley wrote : I love Arya as well, but in the last couple books Sansa chapters have become my favorite to read. But I hated her in GoT. I think we will see great things from Sansa and by the end of the series you will end up liking her. She is stronger than she seems. Maybe she'll end up being the complex female role you are looking for.
The way Sansa's life is headed now, I won't be surprised if she becomes another Cersei. (Remember that even Cersei was treated cruelly by Robert and Robert deserved a large part of what he got from Cersei.) Sansa is being manuevred by everybody to get her claim to the North, and it's possible that she will be badly exploited sexually also. Dealing with plots, taking care of the mad little critter, and playing roles will probably leave her very bitter.
When naive people leave their naivety behind, they usually turn bitter and cynical, or sometimes they end up as dreamers. Both ways would make an interesting character out of her.
Apoorv wrote: "The way Sansa's life is headed now, I won't be surprised if she becomes another Cersei."I'm inclined to disagree with you there. In the last published book I got the sense that Cersei had always been the conniving little *insert explicative here* that she seems to be throughout the series. However, in regards to Sansa, I think the role she plays later in the books will be nothing like what Cersei is doing. I'm lead to believe this based on a prophecy by a certain Red Lady.
Agreeing with Apoorv in the other thread, I have to side with Chris, even though I've completely forgotten the prophesy he's referring to. Anyway, Cersei was drinking schemes with her mother's milk. Her father is one of the more conniving nobles on the whole island and her family's basic moral stance is "whatever it takes so I get mine." Sansa, for all that she's been a spoiled brat, for all that she's had a rough time of it ever since she helped get her father killed, and for all that she's learning more about manipulation (at the hand of a master by the most recent book!), has, I think, a basically good heart. She may harden in a lot of ways, but I don't see her going bad.
Well, not *that* bad anyway!
I'm have a biased opinion because I loved the book!! And I really can't tell you a part that I didn't like because all the storylines were woven together so well.
What did YOU think?