Friday, June 5, 2015

A Song of Ice and Fire vs A Game of Thrones: To Watch or to Read

Note: This is a spoiler free post. I cannot claim the same for the comments. Tread with caution.
There has been a topic for a while now in the A Song of Ice and Fire community about what to do about the show passing the books in story line. Based on my observations, people seem to fall into three camps. 
There is the "I just have to stop watching the show. I want to read everything as George RR Martin intended" camp who have abandoned all online interaction with the ASOIAF community and cancelled their HBO Go subscriptions. They are the purists who want to experience it first on page, unmarred by any show additions to stories that may not be made up. Good luck with your journeys, for the nights are long and full of spoilers.


Then we have the "I am not too excited about the books being passed and things getting potentially spoiled for me, but what choice to I have? Martin can only write so fast" group. These are the ones who have resigned to watching the show, even though it passes their knowledge. Maybe they have begrudgingly made the decision that they would rather have the show spoil them instead of people at work on Monday.  But silently (or not so silently) they are urging Martin to write like the wind.

Finally the third, the "Hell yeah! New Game of Thrones Content!! My body is ready!!" These are the people who are just so overjoyed at something new in the world of ice and fire to see, that they couldn't care less that it is one step up from sanctioned fan-fiction on screen. The writers have talked with Martin, they know the general story, it's as good as cannon for them.

It's fun to watch this play out. I personally am primarily in the "Yay! New content" camp. I still have some high pipe-dream level hopes that The Winds of Winter will publish before the next season, but honestly, I just love this world so much, and the HBO series is such a good adaptation, that I am all in.

But it brings up a good conundrum for spoiler sensitive future-Julia. What will it be like to have potential future twists already known or expected? Theories that people have had for literal years are being pretty much confirmed by things the show does. How is that going to read in the book? Will I enjoy it less because of my gratification now?

I don't know. The answer is unclear to me. It's very weird to be in a position where a movie or TV show has spoiled a book before it is even written. I can't think of any other example. Books are usually the predecessor. But in this case, I've made my decision and I am loving it.I can't wait for these next two episodes.


Are you guys in one of these camps? Even if you are not Game of Thrones watchers/readers, how would you react if a popular book series was adapted to film and passed the written texts? 

Happy Friday everyone!



17 comments:

  1. Though I don't watch or read GoT, I have observed the strangeness of this from afar. I tend to distrust filmmakers/showrunners in general when it comes to book-to-screen adaptations. There are just too many bad ones out there. On the other hand, a tv show often sticks closer to the spirit of a book (or comic). In the case of GoT, it isn't like comics, where the storylines are rewritten every reboot.

    If, for example, Tolkien was still writing "The Hobbit," and I saw Peter Jackson's "Hobbit," films, I don't think I would have been as enamored with the book. Jackson's films were stretched too thin, and the elf/dwarf thing was just strange. I wouldn't have understood where he was going with it. So basically, my reaction would still be based on reading the original. I may enjoy something before reading the source, but I will always judge it by the source, regardless of when I read it. But in theory, it doesn't bother me :)

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    1. Surprisingly, Game of Thrones is probably one of my favorite current adaptations. Outlander is the other one on TV right now. They both stick really close to the book, outside of season 5... well as far as I know haha.

      I totally agree on The Hobbit! I just saw it to see it but I was no where near as exciting as The Lord of the Rings adaptations.

      That's an interesting point about judging it by the source. I do the same, but it's strange when the source doesnt exist yet. It's almost like I am watching Fan-fiction or something.

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  2. It not really bothering me as much as I thought it would but I think it more cause I read all the books that are out so long ago that I not able to be as picky as could be. My sister in law though just finished them and every episode we watch is that not in tbe boom that not in the book. I liking seeing these characters come to life and I really don't want it to die while we wait for who knows how long for the next book. I sure the author has given some
    Insight maybe so we get clues but who knows it good that what matters right

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    1. I agree with you. I am just excited. I thought I would pick it apart more, but I am not. The result, whether it is all D&Ds creation or a preview of Martins is so entertaining.

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  3. I've pretty much come to think of the show as a separate entity anyway. I mean, people die in the show who don't die in the book, or vice versa, and many characters are combined, eliminated or enhanced to make for better television. I do still try to read the books first, but the show is kind of making stuff up as they go along anyway haha. I read Martin didn't help write the screenplay for Season 5, which explains why things are getting so weird!

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    1. Yeah. I heard he didn't help because he wanted to focus on WoW so I can't complain there haha. It's fun to watch for it's general entertainment value but also trying to see if I can use anything that the show is doing to make predictions on the books.

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  4. I've read all the books so far and I'm totally up-to-date with the show, I love both. There are parts of the show I'm like "that didn't happen!!" at, but I know it makes for better TV so I soon settle down and get over it, lol! I just can't wait to see what happens. I think, so long as the outcome is the same as what, I'm not really sure if I care! I just want more GoT really lol. I love the world it's set in, and if the books turn out to be different... well, it'll be our little secret :) just for the readers, ey? ;)
    Amy x

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    1. I'm the same way. Especially when the...thing... happened in the Mereen plot with the Harpies. I was like WHAAT. Literally yelling at the TV but enjoying the hell out of it!

      I like the way you think about this! :)

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  5. I nearly fell into the second camp but then I figured the books are still going to be different so it will be just as much a surprise seeing what GRRM intended vs what D&D have planned. I didn't read the books until after I'd watched the second series and wasn't fully caught up until before series 4 and I actually felt kinda sad because I was no longer surprised epecially after S3 Ep9 which had been such a shock! This series has kept me far more on my toes because it's doing things slightly differently (and I may not always agree but that's a discussion for another time) and I find it much more enjoyable because of that. SO I'm excited to see how the WoW will be different!

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    1. That is what I am worried about happening. Not so much this season but next season if WoW isn't released first... but you know, I'm excited for any new ASOIAF content. :)

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  6. I fall somewhere in between the second and third category. I can't be too upset about the show spoiling the books, though, because I actually read book one AFTER watching season one. Watching the show isn't going to keep me from reading the books and I know that there are quite a few variations between the two - both big and small. I'm think I'm ok with that.

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    1. Samsies! I don't mind some of the changes they make. Some I even like better. I am just excited for these next two episodes!!

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  7. I fall somewhere between 1 and 2. I would love to be able to wait it out and read the books first but my will power is completely non existent! I too am still hoping WOW will be out before the next season. If it isn't but it's being released within a couple months then I could probably hold out but I have no hope of stopping myself from watching the show till both books are out.

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  8. I'm in the same camp as you - I love the show so much, I'm just excited to see it! :D I don't think there is any way for me to avoid all spoilers either, so that's another reason to watch it. At the rate the books are going... I don't have much hope that he will catch up anytime soon.

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  9. I'm fine with the TV series closing the story before the books, but that's only because I have such a love/hate relationship with the latter. But I can totally see how this is problematic for the ASOIAF fans, especially those who've been there since the 90s. Gaaah. That would've been heartbreaking for me! Also, I'd like to know how the book sales would go for Book 7.

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  10. I think I'm in a camp of my own lol I've read all the books, but I'm behind on watching because I don't have HBO, so I have to wait for each season to come out on DVD - currently watching 4. At the same time, I know people who are watching Season 5, and I get spoilers from there. Which makes it potentially confusing to remember what I've seen, what I've read, and what I've just heard about.

    On the whole, I like it anyway I can get it, and the purists are welcome to do as they like. I intend to continue to enjoy all of it! (I was given a Drogon figurine for Christmas from my son, and I have a Ned Stark too. :)

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  11. I think I'm a really weird TV show purist. I started the show first, and decided that I wanted to see the show as the show's execs wanted it to be experienced. When the show is over, and if I feel like I want to know more about it (basically, if the conclusion is satisfying), I'll probably read all the books just to fill in the extra details I was missing out on. But I don't like spoiling the show, so I haven't read the books. Really, nothing has changed for me. (Though I do sound like a bit of a traitor to my bookish roots since I chose the show and not the books :o )

    -P.E. @ The Sirenic Codex

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