I loved it so much in fact that i did something which completely goes against the grain with me, and something which I doubt I would have done if I'd know at the time that it was based on a book. I wikipedia'd it. I was eager to find out what was happening next week, upon reaching it's page I was both disappointed and gleeful that it had been released in America only one day prior to being released in the UK, it's the small things. However I was delighted to discover that it existed in novel format and I contemplated going out to buy it at the first available opportunity. The only thing which tempered me was that it was a mere fortnight before my birthday when this situation arose. My dad also mentioned that my God-dad had some of the books from the series and might be willing to lend me them.
My birthday arrived and with it the present from my Godparents. Frankly it felt a bit like a brick, it was heavy. I opened it to find this inside and was quite excited. My mum almost immediately requested that she was allowed to read it soon, and my sisted sat there with a smug smile saying it was all her fault. As soon as I'd finished 'Holy Fools' I began to read, and made the immediate discovery as to why the Tv series was so good. The dialogue was almost word perfect to that of the book and the scenes were taken directly from the descriptions.
This book however was a contradiction, I loved it but I had a nightmare of a time trying to get into it. I thought the storyline was fantastic but I fell asleep whilst reading it. I loved the fact that the Tv series had been so faithful as it's such a rare occasion, but I hated it. And the reason I hated that perfection was because it was what was causing my struggles with the book. I was practically reading something I'd already read and that for me is my worst nightmare, I hate it and I really struggle to do so in an immediate sense, although I did once reread a series of books it was approximately ten years later, they were some of the first full-length books I ever read, and as I did so it all cam flooding back to me. Anyway, this week I made a breakthrough, I managed to get ahead in the book of where the Tv series was and it was exactly how I think a book should be. I couldn't put it down and I really didn't want to put it down. This was also when I first started to notice discrepancies between the two, when things started to play out of order and when phrasings changed, they even added a couple of extra scenes. And, despite disliking the fact it deviated, I completely understand why they had to do it. The extra scenes covered flashbacks and thoughts which couldn't possibly be done any other way.
Something else which I loved about this book was that I don't know which characters I trust and which I don't. I'll be learning to like one and then they'll do something which puts me off them. In this book there are 8 characters whose voices tell the story. and I like them to varying degrees. My favourite by a long way is Jon Snow who I pity and admire and also think can be a bit pig-headed. Next is Arya Stark, Jon's half-sister, I like her Tom-boy aspects and willingness to give everything a go, except sewing. Then come's Tyrion Lannister, who I really don't know how I should feel about, because he's one of the Lannister's who are undoubtedly the bad-guys, but he's so amusing and carries around the weight of the world on his shoulders that you can't help but pity him and have a little love for him. After Tyrion is Daenerys Targaryen, who seems at first wildly unrelated to the rest of the characters but you soon begin to see the links evolve, she pretty, and young and abused. Then is Bran, short for Brandon, Stark he was a bit of a wild-child like his sister Arya until the Lannisters pushed him from a tower and he broke his spine paralysing him from the waist down. Then comes the honourable Lord Eddard Stark, you want to be able to like him but for some reason find yourself to love him with the same fierceness you feel you should. Sansa Stark is second from last, I do not actively dislike her, yet she has a mean streak which causes me to, this is probably caused by her, as described in the book, being a 'little idiot'. Lady Catelyn Stark is my least favourite of the 8 viewpoint characters, this is because she is mean, insensitive and uncaring to Jon Snow, although she has an admirable love for her own five true-born children, she can't find it in her to care for her Bastard Stepson Jon Snow and is cruel to him at any given moment, you find yourself asking 'why blame the child and not the parent?' because Lord Eddard she does not blame.
My God-dad lent me the next three books in the series;
And I intend to read them soon. However I'll be breaking them up with some books from the 1001 because I'd like to be able to intake other stories, I'd like to prolong this one as a lot of the characters are becoming good friends already and I also learnt a valuable lesson once, reading 32 books by the same author in a row will leave you feeling bored and jaded!
Rowen
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