An absorbing literary experience – if you dare to enter!
Guest review by Affaan
Game
of Thrones, the first novel in the Song of Ice and Fire fantasy series, is a
wonderfully dark novel set in a twisted world inhabited by eerily cruel
characters. The previous must be believed in its maximum capacity as Game
of Thrones is an incredibly dark, twisted, and often times uncomfortable novel,
with an incredibly sadistic narrative structure. The book is set in the
fictional kingdom of Westeros, in a world where the seasons of winter and summer
consume entire years, with winter being incredibly destructive and feared. Exploring several of the cities in Westeros, as well as the ruling
families and their relationships with one another, the book is very much a
political drama rather than a fantasy novel, though it does employ the use of
some fantastical creatures. The book also provides social commentary and
critique, but not very explicitly, unfortunately. The book contains very
unlikable characters, and the characters that are likable, few as they are,
will be swiftly killed off; suffice to say this is not for the faint of heart.
The characters commit enormous atrocities such as murder, betrayal, and a fair
few that should be barred from mention, so if you strongly dislike what has
been mentioned, beware. Contrary to how it may seem, the book does not
glorify evil, but instead showcases its consequences and dangers in an
incredibly vile world, where evil is in ever-increasing abundance.
Some
readers may have trouble keeping track of events and remembering names of
characters and places; this may be detrimental for some as the lore and the
mythos of the world are its most vital components.
The book is bound to be
divisive if anything, and some may find the barrier to entry too steep, but those
that do get past it will find an absorbing and gripping literary experience.
10 thoughts on “An absorbing literary experience – if you dare to enter!”
I think this is a great series. I’ve watched a few episodes they have made on HBO. Very interesting.
I wanted to watch the series since most of my friends say its the best show ever but i also hear there’s alooot of explicit content which makes me think twice before starting it :/
My friend tried reading it before, but she said it was too confusing, so she gave up.
I read up to the 4th book. I found the first book a bit confusing, but the second book was much easier to understand. The books are great, but they’re a bit long.
I also love the tv show. I think the costuming, sets, and cast are amazing.
I’m pretty sure I would have the same perspective in the confusion as her! I can never keep up…that is why I end up reading twice! But it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try…
I only recently got interested in the series because of the actor who plays Drako, Jason Momoa (he’s so hot!).
I’ve heard of this series. Some of my friends say it’s good, but really hard to follow. If only the HBO series wasn’t so sexual.
It’s pretty great, but the first book is a bit confusing-until you start to understand what’s going on.
For those who still want to know what it’s about, but wish for a less graphic display (if you know what I mean), try reading a summary maybe? Sometimes summaries don’t contain as much description, but don’t judge the book by the summary…
I think this is really complex, but its way too long. After reading half of the first book its pretty obvious that Martin is a bit like Tolkien, he has great ideas but drowns them in unnecessary fluff
I would love to read this series. And yes, I heard that it is hard to follow the characters since so many of them are introduced.