Books vs TV Show

[biodroid]

I recently started watching GOT the show and am really loving it, I am quite surprised at how close it is to the book and how well the actors are capturing the characters emotions. The settings are brilliant for a small budget tv show (if you are comparing to blockbuster movies). Then it dawned on me that the episodes are covering quite a lot in the book and I ended up on the scene SPOILER where a certain little man gets taken prisoner SPOILER. I promptly continued the book and am happy to say I am 80% in so far and it's really getting brilliant now. The story is really taking shape now SPOILER I am at the Twins crossing scene SPOILER. I really can't wait to finish this book, the nice thing is the show is refreshing my memory of the story and characters while I stay ahead of the spoilers in the book. My wife is also addicted to the show and wants to read the books.

What are your thoughts on the book vs show comparison.

 

[hadd]

It's a solid adaptation. Nowhere near a "small budget tv show" though

 

[Tywin]

I read the books first, and then loved the show. The show adds a lot that wasn't in the books in order to clarify things for the viewer since you don't get the internal perspective of the characters from the TV show.

 

[Yog-Sothoth]

The book is better, but the show is absolutely well done. I watched the show first, then read the book, then watched the show again and was surprised at how faithfully they stuck to the story and dialogue. I wish they made the costumes of the ladies and knights a bit more colorful. GRRM enriched the novel with alot of rubies, sapphires, silver, gold, embroided capes, enameled chain-mail, ornamented helmets and a myriad of different colors for the characters and their animals, be it their eyes, hair, skin, etc.

The actors are well-cast in my opinion, especially the Starks and Lannisters look very at home in that world.

 

[The Imp]

I loved the show and can't wait until season 2. Ther'es almost nothing to complain about, other than the complete omission of the Tower of joy. I wasn't a big fan of the infohump scenes, but they served a purpose.

 

[Mesanna]

There have been rumours circulating that Sean Bean might do a guest appearance in the second series, possibly for flashback scenes, which could be the Tower of Joy.

No idea if there's any substance to these rumours. It's probably all just wishful thinking from the fans, but it would be fabulous if it did happen, and I understand Sean Bean was amenable to the idea. Not taking any bets though!

 

[Moggle]

The show is brilliant and much better than the book. The reason for this is the better pacing. They turned an otherwise boring book into an intriguing story for television.

 

[viZion]

The show is brilliant and much better than the book. The reason for this is the better pacing. They turned an otherwise boring book into an intriguing story for television.

Haha, troll.

 

[Quick Ben]

To be honest, it was because of the TV show that I read the books. Well not quite but it made me read them a lot earlier than I had planned.

Before I read ASoIaF, I had heard a truckload about it and how good it was (as you would if you had even a remote interest in fantasy) and really really wanted to read it. However, on the flip side, I had heard about GRRM and how the gaps between books kept getting larger and larger so vowed to not read it until he had finished the series.

But then the TV show was announced (about 2 years ago) and I knew I would not not be able to watch it when it came out so had to finally give in and read the books because in my previous experiences, books are a lot lot better than the TV shows (it's the nature of it of course, nothing against the adaptations, you can build a lot more towards a climax in the books). So started reading it, watched the TV show, love both and now am impatiently waiting for the next book in the series.

 

[The Imp]

There have been rumours circulating that Sean Bean might do a guest appearance in the second series, possibly for flashback scenes, which could be the Tower of Joy.

No idea if there's any substance to these rumours. It's probably all just wishful thinking from the fans, but it would be fabulous if it did happen, and I understand Sean Bean was amenable to the idea. Not taking any bets though!

They HAVE to get the ToJ into the series. Maybe there's something already filmed but not used yet

 

[Yog-Sothoth]

The show is brilliant and much better than the book. The reason for this is the better pacing. They turned an otherwise boring book into an intriguing story for television.

LOL, you can't be serious! GRRM's system of character-chapters rather than title-chapters flows perfectly; you know exactly where you are, and whom it involves. It's probably one of the most coherent systems in fantasy writing I have ever seen. The pacing is perfect, not to mention the novels are so much more richer in imagination than the tv-show, despite the latter being an excellent adaption.

 

[3EyedCrowsEye]

The first season was very true to the first book, but I'm hearing that it's going to kinda go its own route in season 2 and probably so on. As for if Sean Bean is going to make a flashback appearance, I would love to see Ned face off against Arthur Sword of the Morning Dayne. and Howlin' Howland Reed.

 

[The Imp]

The first season was very true to the first book, but I'm hearing that it's going to kinda go its own route in season 2 and probably so on. As for if Sean Bean is going to make a flashback appearance, I would love to see Ned face off against Arthur Sword of the Morning Dayne. and Howlin' Howland Reed.

Where did you hear this? I know that Jaime's role in the second book.season will be expanded, but I've not seen anything that would indicate that the series is going to veer off course as far as the main storylines go.

 

[3EyedCrowsEye]

Where did you hear this? I know that Jaime's role in the second book.season will be expanded, but I've not seen anything that would indicate that the series is going to veer off course as far as the main storylines go.

Sorry to have made it seem like they're going to totally go somewhere else with the series but It is funny you should mention that Imp because it was from that youtube video of authors@google that GRRM talks about how season 1 was very true to the book but they changed little things like cutting out Marillions tongue but in book three he is supposed to kill Lysa and confess so obviously they're gonna have to change that and there are a few other little examples, and GRRM says the show is the creators (of the show) baby and the book is his