Why you should read Game of Thrones: Book One of A Song of Ice and Fire.
Hey guys! So yes, I know I am very behind when it comes to some books, and also some movies. It was only this summer that I sat down, and I was like I got to read The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, and I did. They’re fantastic if you haven’t read them and I think even if fantasy isn’t entirely your genre you should give them a chance. Sometimes it's just fun to be able to go to Hogwarts or venture across Middle-Earth when life in the real world is tough. But we’re not here to talk about Harry Potter or The Lord of the Rings (though I admit I could talk about them for a verrry long time and just post great memes.) No, we’re here to talk about Game of Thrones: Book one of A Song of Ice and Fire.
And yeah, I know a lot of people have seen the series (yet another thing I’m behind on), but I have a philosophy to always no matter what read the book first. I just think it’s so much more fun, so then when you watch the series and/or movie, you get all the little references, and you can compare them to one another, see the character you love brutally die and feel heartbreak all over again. Maybe it’s just a nerdy thing.
Anyways, when I first started Game of Thrones, the construction of the novel hit me the hardest. Each chapter takes on a different character's life. At first, this might seem like a lot of characters to remember, and it is in the beginning, but trust me after five chapters you start to get the hang of things. I think this technique of switching perspectives of the characters is ingenious. One: There’s always something exciting happening. There was never a moment where I was like oh, nothing’s happening-No, you’re still on the edge of your seat, thinking dear God, what’s next? What’s going to happen to the character I like? And at that moment, where your hurriedly flip several chapters ahead and you notice one of the character’s name are no longer at the chapter title, you’re filled with such dread, and you just know. Yup, he’s dead. Warning Spoiler- That was Eddard Stark, it’s always the good ones that die isn’t it? Word of advice to me and others that get attached to characters, it may not be wise to get attached to the ones in Game of Thrones. Future me reading Book 2: “Oh, I love this character, they're so cool,” me after I've finished the book a few days later, “I can’t believe it!” Wailing and throwing the book against the wall. All book lovers have been there.
But continuing about the characters, because of how the book is structured we get to know all the characters better, and they're layered so much more. Even some of them that arguably blur the lines between good and evil. That later when you see that character in a different situation acting odd, you right away catch that somethings off. It also layers the world. There's not just one huge problem that the whole fantasy world has to deal with, but several events that are all happening at once.
If you like Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings, you’ll definitely like this arguably already classic fantasy book, The Game of Thrones. I do have to say, it’s not for the younger audience like both HP and LOTR (any age can read it), Game of Thrones does have its sex and violence that you don’t want to go giving it to a ten-year-old.
What else can I say? Give it a shot, even if you’re unsure. The world-building is phenomenal as well as the characters. Just don’t get too attached.
Comment below your favorite fantasy reads/movies!