A song of ice and fire will change big time

[ThePro]

I can vouch for the re-read. Being 1/3 of the way through AGOT for the second time, it's almost like a whole new book. The first time, the vast list of names and places washed over me, but a lot didn't stick. This time all sorts of things stick out. I know Juleska is way further along in her re-read and feels the same...

 

[The Imp]

I can vouch for the re-read. Being 1/3 of the way through AGOT for the second time, it's almost like a whole new book. The first time, the vast list of names and places washed over me, but a lot didn't stick. This time all sorts of things stick out. I know Juleska is way further along in her re-read and feels the same...

I remember my nephew telling me that getting through the first half or so of aGoT would be "difficult" as a lot of characters, plot lines, geographical locations, etc. were to be introduced. Upon continuing, everything kind of fell into place, but at the same time, everything seemed a bit overwhelming. When I finished aFFC and went back and did a re-read i was amazed at how much I had missed, or not connected/put together, etc. It still baffles me as to how GRRM made TRW a complete shock, given the number of hints about it that he dropped along the way, and how much the event made sense given what we knew about the characters involved.


I think I've read the series 4 times now, and have thoroughly enjoyed it each time, and each time i have gained new insight into the story. The first re-read was the best though. There were so many "AHA" moments

 

[svalbard]

Whatever about the TV series changing how the story goes I have read that Martin has said the series will end "In a courtyard full of tombstones" or something like that. Where I read this I cannot recall.(I will find out though).

More importantly I do not believe Martin knows how he is going to get to this courtyard of tombstones. I fully believe that he lost the plot somewhere about the time of the Red Wedding and he has being scrambling ever since. Hence the filler that was AFFC. It was a relief to see him return to form with ADWD. Although again there was quite a bit of filler in this book. The danger is that the TV series will catch up with the books and that is when HBO might start dictating the course of the story.

 

[juleska]

HBO may begin dictating the course of the TV show (if that happens), but I don't believe they will dictate the course of the story (books).

 

[Rolynd]

Only briefly skimmed this thread because it was winding me up a bit. I'm definitely not a fan boy but it's clear to me that ASOIAF is NOT just a cash cow for Martin to milk. If you want to see an example of that, look at Feist. The original series - Magician, a Darkness at Sethanon and Silver something or other? - was a great fantasy series. Now we're about 50 books down the line and it's very diluted.

ASOIAF was always better (although it's not really a fair comparison, they are very different books) but if there is one criticism you can't level at GRRM it's rushing out thin books just to get them into circulation and get some cash. Stuff like the maps etc, that's what they are for. ASOIAF is precious to him, if it was about the money we'd have seen ten or twelve of them by now. He won't change them to please the producers of the show (since when has he ever given a damn about pleasing anyone??) although parts of the show may influence him in ways he hadn't forseen, that's just natural.

Now I'll be completely honest, I was pretty disappointed in AFFC and ADWD, but no way in hell would I ever say that it's because the books are just a cash cow to him now. That's just patently untrue. My biggest criticism would be to say stop working on maps and playing cards and goddamn recipe books that no one gives a crap about just to get in a few quid and concentrate on your legacy. However, I appreciate it it's not my place to tell him what to do, so it would be friendly advice

 

[The Imp]

Only briefly skimmed this thread because it was winding me up a bit. I'm definitely not a fan boy but it's clear to me that ASOIAF is NOT just a cash cow for Martin to milk. If you want to see an example of that, look at Feist. The original series - Magician, a Darkness at Sethanon and Silver something or other? - was a great fantasy series. Now we're about 50 books down the line and it's very diluted.

ASOIAF was always better (although it's not really a fair comparison, they are very different books) but if there is one criticism you can't level at GRRM it's rushing out thin books just to get them into circulation and get some cash. Stuff like the maps etc, that's what they are for. ASOIAF is precious to him, if it was about the money we'd have seen ten or twelve of them by now. He won't change them to please the producers of the show (since when has he ever given a damn about pleasing anyone??) although parts of the show may influence him in ways he hadn't forseen, that's just natural.

Now I'll be completely honest, I was pretty disappointed in AFFC and ADWD, but no way in hell would I ever say that it's because the books are just a cash cow to him now. That's just patently untrue. My biggest criticism would be to say stop working on maps and playing cards and goddamn recipe books that no one gives a crap about just to get in a few quid and concentrate on your legacy. However, I appreciate it it's not my place to tell him what to do, so it would be friendly advice

I don't think it was him who wrote the recipe book

Having just turned 64 this past week, I can tell all of you "youngsters" that EVERYONE I know that is my age talks about a growing sense of mortality AND how quickly the subjective passage of time becomes. GRRM has to be thinking about how much time he has left to finish the series, and how quickly the time is slipping away. The man is NOT an idiot.

I'm fervently hoping that the enourmous problems he had with both aFFC and aDWD will make his road through TWoW easier. May the Old Gods and the new guide him through the rest of the series.