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Book Review: A Game of Thrones



Warning: may contain spoilers.

If you watch the very popular HBO series, Game of Thrones, you hear and see this warning all the time.  If you're a few episodes behind, you may be in danger.  If you're a full season behind, your head is on the block.  If you're reading the 1st book of the 6 book series, forget about it, your head is already on the stake.

So this was me back when I decided to read the novel a few weeks ago.  After hearing all my friends constantly talking about the show online, doing a bit of online investigation myself and just being generally curious, I decided to give the first book a whirl. 

And why?  Why, you ask?  Why wouldn't I just go straight to the series?  It's award-winning!  It's the most talked-about thing on the net!  It has memes about it, for Christ's sake! 

Well, I'm precious.....that's all I can say.  I knew the show was violent, sexually-provocative and exploitive of women.  I also already knew a lot of the spoilers.  I know that Littlefinger gets killed.  I know about Cersei's walk of shame.  I even know about the Daenerys/Jon Snow hook-up!  So I figured if I knew all of those major plot points already AND I can better control what I can read or skim versus watching on TV, then reading would be the better course for me.

And it is a good book.  For a fantasy novel, which is not my usual genre.  There are a lot of nuances that make it a difficult book.  For one, it has a lot of difficult names and family histories to piece together.  Action happens very fast.  The chapters are written as told from a particular character's viewpoint, so waiting to get back to the one you really care about and remembering what the other character did a few chapters back can be maddening.  Also, a reader can't be squeamish about the treatment of women, children and animals (as I've heard many complain about the series).  While a fantasy novel, it is set during a medieval-like time period in which women are little more than property and/or chattel.  Also, there's the incest taboo.  That jumps out and smacks you in the face real quick-like.  Again, it's another place and another time governed by rules that we don't understand or necessarily respect.  To get with GoT, you gotta get with that program.

The story itself is fascinating: war, political intrigue, treachery, and alliances all with a little courtly love and dragons to make it all the more interesting. 



From the start, I was rooting for the following characters: Tryion, Jon Snow and Daenerys.  Reading and watching each of them edging toward coming into their own power is the treat of the 1st novel.  But I think my favorite quote of the book, and the one that mainly sums it all up comes from Ser Jorah as he rides by the side of Daenerys on her "silver":


"The common people pray for rain, healthy children, and a summer that never ends, " Ser Jorah told her.  "It is no matter to them if the high lords play their game of thrones, so long as they are left in peace." He gave a shrug.  "They never are."


Kinda applies to our real lives just a little bit, huh?


Now Cersei tells Ned that in the game of thrones, you either "win or your die".  That far more dangerous description of the title leaves you as cold as you should feel while reading her words.  I much prefer Ser Jorah's claim as I see myself as the "common people" in every book I read, every vote I make and every opinion I hold.


And I know what all my hardcore GoT friends want to know right now: will you watch the series?  Eh, probably not.  I don't even think I'll continue with the next book.  It was just heavier and bloodier than most of the books I read usually.  Everything I read doesn't have to be happy, but I generally like for it to have fewer swords.  However, I do think I will go online and read spoilers, plot summaries and watch short clips.....I do want to know how some plot twists turn out. 


Besides, since the first book ends with Dae-Nay (my nickname, she's okay with it) "birthing" her dragons, I just gotta know what happens with those!






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