OT: GoT books vs tv series
Since we are (thankfully) almost done with OT season, I figured I would post this now since a new episode is airing tonight.
I only recently got into GoT; I read the books last summer and streamed the tv series over the last month or so - catching up the current episode this week. Having both fresh in mind, it was no surprise that there were many differences between the two. Yet, it seems like there are a number of plot holes and other issues that could have been resolved with better episode writing (even if different from books). I'm curious to read what the board thinks about it - both good and bad.
Football is coming.
SPOILER ALERT.
It's been years now since I read the books, but the change I most disike in the TV series is that they didn't bring Catelyn back from the dead in place of Dondarrion at the head of the Brotherhood. Risen from the Dead Catelyn and Arya would be a fearsome mother/daugher combo.
I disagree. The Lady Stoneheart character was a mistake on Martin's part. She is utterly unsymathetic and she only adds to the idea that even good things (Catelyn in life, the Bortherhood without Banners) can become corrupted and evil. There's enough of that already in the books. Berric Dondarrion is a much more interesting and complex character, and the show was right to keep him.
LAdy Stoneheart is the lynch pin of the cost of resurrection.
We see it most predominately in Drago and Dondarrion, however, Ungregor, Stannis blood, magy and the prophesy, Victorian Greyjoy and his arm, and probably jon snow are all impacted by magic concerning life and death.
Lady Stoneheart is the monkey's paw of this show... I think at least...
I agree that the wights in the series are perhaps made TOO scary (and, at the same time, too unbelievable). I assume that this is in service of the medium.
books are better
I just finished watching all the seasons at breakneck speed and now I'm just one show behind. My husband says the books are fantastic but what always happens with me when I see a movie first then read the book is that I have such a clear visual picture of the characters, it's hard for me to accept the inevitable differences in the book.
imagination? he describes the dicks in VIVID detail
I think they are both great and each has their own strengths and weaknesses.
The books contain so much more history and complexity and fun side-plots like Young Griff, Dragonbinder, and Quentyn Martell that the show never touches upon, but they do slog down in the later books and have so much going on it's hard to keep track of it all.
The TV show does a great job at streamlining the story from the books and centralizing the narrative. The writing, acting, and cinematography are obviously top-notch. However, because of the budget and time commitment required to produce the show, the show is starting to feel a little rushed in terms of plot and we're starting to miss a lot of those little scenes that made the show great (like where everyone drinks wine and make thinly-veiled threats at one another).
If you enjoy Game of Thrones books or TV show, I'd suggest looking into The Expanse (the books or the show on SyFy, which does not feel like a SyFy show if that worries you), The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson (movie in development by DMG), or the Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss (movies and video games are in development by Lionsgate, but Rothfuss is very much in the GRRM writing speed school).
OTOH, Rothfuss is only 44, so seems to have a better chance of finishing his series.
Hey, that could be another 4 books in 20 years! (And he'd still be younger than GRRM is now.)
...and then started a second trilogy with (a better version of) AFFC.
I feel like thats what he did. He just made the mistake of marketing them as a continuing series. If you think about it, each character at the end of book three has reached a sort of conclusion to their first storylines. There's a lot left hanging, but......
Jon is Lord Commander
Sansa is at the Eyrie and out of King's Landing
Arya is on her way to Braavos
Dany has decided to stay put for a bit in Mereen
Tyrion is on his way to Essos
Jamie and Cersei are in Kings Landing and trying to figure out how to rule.
The realm is, at this moment in time, stable and just gearing up for the next wave of threats.
I think he had a great vision for the first trilogy, a sense for how he wanted the series to end, but had no damn idea what he wanted to do in the second trilogy and thus the mess we have here. He may talk about being upset the show has passed the books, but secretly I think he's relieved as there is now a way to ensure his vision is carried out without him having to carry the water. I will personally be shocked if he publishes another book in this series and all the way through people will defend this choice(which is perfectly legitimate, he is an author and you can't compel creativity, which more than anything else I think is the lesson of books four and five), I just wish he didn't feel so justified in basically failing to accomplish what he set out to do.
August 6th, 2017 at 10:22 PM ^
August 6th, 2017 at 11:22 PM ^