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Game of Thrones

xerolee

Scribe
Does the tv series do the book justice? I don't like the trailer and find Sean Bean too blunt and angry too play eddard, opinions?
 

Johnny Cosmo

Inkling
Does the tv series do the book justice? I don't like the trailer and find Sean Bean too blunt and angry too play eddard, opinions?

I liked it a lot. I don't think Sean Bean was too angry either; he was cold, reserved, serious, and sometimes blunt... but that's no different from the books.

I suggest you give it a try; in general it's a good adaptation.
 

soulless

Troubadour
I have not read the book/s, so coming at this not really knowing anything about it I absolutely loved the first season and cannot wait for season two to begin.
 

hppavmx704

Dreamer
I thought that the series did the book justice. I never did finish the season but from what I saw it was a decent replica of the book.
 

mirrorrorrim

Minstrel
I think it does as good a job as any work can that's trying to adapt a different medium. I started watching the series right after I finished the first book, and to me the series seemed very truncated in comparison, which of course it had to be. I was sad by how many scenes weren't depicted, or were depicted shorter than I'd like, but I feel that's an unavoidable consequence of adapting 700+ pages into roughly 10 hours of film.

Sean Bean's Ned Stark was very different than I'd imagined him, but I'm such a fan of the actor that I didn't really mind. The show-stealer, though, is definitely Peter Dinklage's Tyrion–he's absolutely magnificent in every scene he's in!

One other thing I should probably mention is that the show is very R-rated, but that also reflects the tone of the book, so if you're okay with one, I'm guessing you'll be okay with the other.
 

Giant

Minstrel
I am listening to Book 1 now, and I have to say It is excellent. His detail, the style of his writing, the characters, all well above my expectations. I will watch the show as soon as it is available on DVD.
 

Arianna

Dreamer
The books were great and the I thought HBO did a wonderful job with the show! I have watched season 1 three times from start to finish (I got my whole family hooked and re-watched with them) but if you have never read the books jumping right to the TV series can be a little confusing for a while. There are so many characters to get to know and I found the 1st book did a better job of allowing time to get to know the characters. But I honestly think they did a GREAT job with casting, the actors portray their characters beautifully. Of course there were one or two portrayals I thought were awful but that's just my opinion. :rolleyes:

But I would definitely recommend the series to anyone who enjoys fantasy and also the books. Read them they're amazing :D
 

Kevlar

Troubadour
Having read the first four books and waiting for the fifth to come out paperback (I don't like mixed collections) I have to say I am very impressed by most of the television series and I highly anticipate the second season. Some of the casting could have been better. Some were spot on. Some were unexpected but good. One was horrible and left me vacant for the rest of the episode. Shae.

Ugh, their Shae disgusted me. Where did the accent come from? What happened to being young? IMDB says she's thirty-one, which while not nearly old is almost twice as old as her character. What happened to being a shallow, devious little *ahem*? I could go on but let's suffice to say her representation appalled me.

There are no adequate words for Peter Dinklage as Tyrion. His performance was simply amazing, and many a time I chuckled as he did something minor that Tyrion would do, like subtly trying to get the wine that was just out of his reach in his father's tent. If he was in a scene, yes, he did steal the spotlight. Oh, and for anyone who found it half as funny as me:
takethatprincedouchep1.gif


Joffrey I wasn't too sure about at first, but by the time drunken him attacked Micah he had me convinced. The kid plays the little git perfectly. Fun fact: I noticed the other day that he was on Batman Begins. I might just be easily amused, but I was... amused.

Jason Momoa as Khal Drogo was pure gold. He really showed strength as an actor, capable of displaying a primal rage that actually makes you believe. One crit, though not about him in particular, is his killing Mago, who is still very alive in the books.

Other great casting included Jaime, Tywin, Jeor, Robert and Littlefinger. Cersei wasn't so great. A few others I'm not so sure about, but most are pretty good.
 
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gerald.parson

Troubadour
The biggest issue I have with the show is the age disparity portrayed in the books. All the kids are older, in some cases like Rob, much older. I think the show thus far is better than the books in some regards. There are some things the show has neglected which is understandable considering, but all and all its is pretty decent. Peter Dinklage stole the show, he is amazing. I think they made Jon to strong in the show, not that I dont mind, show wise he is one of my favorite characters, book wise he is a puss. 1st book at least.
I loved the books, key word loved, I don't anymore, but I am curious as to how the show will progress.
 

Codey Amprim

Staff
Article Team
I just started watching the series on my computer a few days ago, and even though I have not read the books (I plan to now) I am completely hooked on this. After a few episodes you begin to recognize character names with the actors, and I think hbo did a wonderful job thus far. I'd like to get my girlfriend to watch it, but after what happened in the first episode I doubt she would like to see more... The sex scenes, even though I find some to be pretty funny, really limit the audience for obvious reasons. I understand some are necessary for story reasons but damn lol.

I really want to read the books but I'm afraid I'll never be as gifted and as talented as GRRM at writing if I do read them... Already have enough trouble with living up to LOTR. I am picking up a few nice ideas for my own work.

All in all, I'm glad there's a great fantasy show on television.
 

gerald.parson

Troubadour
Don't let you stop you from reading them, or at least on of them, GRRM probably wont blow you away with his words, but he can put together a cool store and has a creative mind. It's not an intimidating read by any means. It is a multi-POV style book, which while I prefer, I know some people do not. But never get spooked by reading someones book's that have achieved success, you may be surprised to find that their writing is not the greatest but rather they are wonderfully creative.

I just started watching the series on my computer a few days ago, and even though I have not read the books (I plan to now) I am completely hooked on this. After a few episodes you begin to recognize character names with the actors, and I think hbo did a wonderful job thus far. I'd like to get my girlfriend to watch it, but after what happened in the first episode I doubt she would like to see more... The sex scenes, even though I find some to be pretty funny, really limit the audience for obvious reasons. I understand some are necessary for story reasons but damn lol.

I really want to read the books but I'm afraid I'll never be as gifted and as talented as GRRM at writing if I do read them... Already have enough trouble with living up to LOTR. I am picking up a few nice ideas for my own work.

All in all, I'm glad there's a great fantasy show on television.
 

void141

Dreamer
I'm not the biggest fan of the series (and I love the books), but I think that Sean Bean is a great Eddard Stark. He has this irritating seriousness that is necessary if you want to be Eddard.
 

Codey Amprim

Staff
Article Team
Don't let you stop you from reading them, or at least on of them, GRRM probably wont blow you away with his words, but he can put together a cool store and has a creative mind. It's not an intimidating read by any means. It is a multi-POV style book, which while I prefer, I know some people do not. But never get spooked by reading someones book's that have achieved success, you may be surprised to find that their writing is not the greatest but rather they are wonderfully creative.

Would you be surprised if I felt that way about Tolkien? Yes, I should probably hide under a bunker for saying that, but that is how I truly felt after reading the first LOTR book. I understand his writing style was different, but I honestly began to detest reading it. I just finished the first season of the show, and I am completely blown away. I'm getting these books as soon as I can.
 

gerald.parson

Troubadour
For me Game of Thrones was the best book thus far in the Fire and Ice series. I have read all the ones that are out, some a few times, but as the books went on things just got stale for me. But I suggest reading them non the less.
And no I am not surprised by your feelings on Tolkien. While the Hobbit was one of my favorites as a child, I found the others to be a bit drab.
 

Codey Amprim

Staff
Article Team
Thank you for your honest suggestion! I could see how a series could turn boring after so much trickery and numerous plot twists to the point that everything is different that what it seemed would happen (I'm guessing this by what I've seen so far). How long are they on average?
 
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