all men must die
h e l l o t h e o
this week’s style inspo:
Olenna Tyrell in her mourning look
what I’m wanderlusting:
The Alcazar in Seville, Spain
what I’m coveting:
Winter is coming and I need this fuzzy coat from The Arrivals
what I’m watching:
All of Game of Thrones on HBO. It’s hard not to like it.
what I’m reading:
Game of Thrones (all of them)
George R. R. Martin
I’m honestly not 100% sure why I read all of these books, but I started them because my husband is totally obsessed with Game of Thrones on HBO and I kind of wanted to be obsessed too. It took me six months to read all of them (I had to read other books in between as palate cleansers) and although they’re not quite page-turners, I’m happy I read them.
RR hasn’t really come up with many of his own ideas or inventions, but the way he has somehow spliced together zombies, dragons, witches, and the Middle Ages into a giant game of Risk is fun. But there are some important distinctions I’d like to make about the books for those of you who have only seen the HBO series.
First of all, there’s like one sex scene in all of the books. After seeing a few episodes, I expected these books to be real bodice rippers, but they’re actually pretty tame. I’d also like to point out that even though the show just came out within the last decade, RR was actually pretty ahead of his time when he wrote the first book in the 1970s, with characters that are gay, gender non-conforming, and unapologetically feminist at a time when women weren’t even allowed to own credit cards.
And as far as the future of the books, I’m not convinced there will ever be an ending. There are too many plot holes and loose ends to contend with, and more created with every page. I am not sad at the prospect of no more books in the series, because I think he’s moved on to bigger and better creative projects. And to be honest, there’s no reason to read these books. There’s no thrilling mystery, or suspenseful foreshadowing, or complicated puzzle for the reader to solve. Sure, they’re fun to read, but they’re more fun to watch.
Did it make me cry: No.
Did it make me laugh: Yes! The books are just as quietly funny as the show.
Did it make me miss a subway stop: No, and there are so many different POVs and chapters that staying up to find out what happens just wouldn’t work. There are two whole books in this series that only follow half of the characters.
Would I recommend it: I would recommend the books ONLY if you are a hardcore fan of the series. The books sort of feel like fan fiction based on the series anyways, so it’s just a different/deeper look into the world of ice and fire and a way to get your fix before the final series comes out in April.
Would I read it again: I wouldn’t want to read them again, but if another book actually does come out one day, I’ll have to read all of them again because I totally forget what happened.
Would it be a good movie: Doi.