Game of Thrones

[neonplanet40]

I am liking the soundtrack

[melon]

Oh my - some friends of mine are really into the Wheel of Time series. They kept recommending it, so I tried the first book but I couldn't get past trollocs. Each time I read the word, a voice in my head shouted "Trollocs!" I kid you not.

If he'd only called them orcs or goblins, I probably could have persevered with it.

I really do struggle with American fantasy literature. I tried the Dragonlance series when I was a nipper and could tolerate the Americanisms ('the wound had quit bleeding,' etc. as American English can have much more direct parallels with Medieval English) but eventually I found the religious allegorical overtones deeply tedious. Though I remember POSSIBLE DRAGONLANCE SPOILER ALERT being moved by Sturm's death scene /POSSIBLE DRAGONLANCE SPOILER ALERT. I was young when I read them, though. I also seem to remember quite enjoying Raymond E. Feist's Riftwar books, though when I went back to the first one, aged in my mid thirties, I found I didn't like it. Again, I was young when I first read them; the same with David Eddings' Belgariad. Another friend really loved the Sparhawk books (I can't remember the name of the series of them) I think they were by David Eddings too, I really struggled with that and gave up halfway.

Give me Peter Morwood, Mary Gentle and J.R.R. Tolkien any day. (Though with Tolkien, I tend to skip anything with songs and too much of the Hobbit stuff.)

Edit: I really like Sharon Penman's writing - it's not fantasy, it's historical literature and I find she's pretty good at setting out the period and the characters. Reading The Sunne in Splendour really helps simplify (or at least familiarise) the men and women of the Wars of the Roses. She can be a bit romantic for my tastes and isn't quite so good with battles but overall, a cracking writer. C. J. Sansom's Shardlake series are brilliant too (set in Henry VIII's reign, Shardlake is a hunchbacked lawyer and the books absolutely ooze with period detail and feeling.) Elizabeth Chadwick is also good, though she too 'suffers' from the romantic focus that Penman sometimes does, IMVHO.

The last book I read and really enjoyed was the Bible Code 2.

The day before it revealed that Saddam would be caught , he was, so it made it even more compelling to read at the time.

I read one Star Wars novel too based on Vader after he was rebuilt that was good too.

Tried Grapes of Wrath, but couldnt get into it at all.

After my physical problems got much worse in 2002 never been able to really enjoy anything - no idea why - its like i cant picture the words so it ends up feeling more like some essay .

I dont like audio tapes much either , unless im in the mood ( though frys reading of HP was great )

m

[pollaxe]

The last book I read and really enjoyed was the Bible Code 2.

The day before it revealed that Saddam would be caught , he was, so it made it even more compelling to read at the time.

I did see an interesting documentary on that, it started off pointing-out quite spooky correlations which made it sound plausible - then they started looking at the laws of large numbers etc. and showed that you could do it with War and Peace, Lord of the Rings; any medium-to-lengthy book. They'd given it a pretty thorough debunking by the end.

I read one Star Wars novel too based on Vader after he was rebuilt that was good too.

A mate of mine is very much into the Star Wars fiction (he also loves the Warhammer 40K novels too, of which I've only read one, Inquisitor, years ago) so I will probably give them a try soonish.

Tried Grapes of Wrath, but couldnt get into it at all.

Yeah, I struggled with that too.. When I talk to my better read friends and they reel off many classics that they've enjoyed I often think to myself "Hmm.. didn't get past chapter two on that one.." I can't read Charles Dickens, for example. There are many other examples but I'm half asleep at the moment, so my memory isn't co-operating. I think English Literature classes at school poisoned me on a few authors.

After my physical problems got much worse in 2002 never been able to really enjoy anything - no idea why - its like i cant picture the words so it ends up feeling more like some essay .

I dont like audio tapes much either , unless im in the mood ( though frys reading of HP was great )

m

That must be really trying.. I think I'd go a bit potty if I couldn't read (I've usually got two or three books on the go at a time) I've tried a few audiobooks and so long as the narrator's voice fits (Paul McGann does quite a good Sharpe, which are amongst my favourite books) then I can listen to them. The trouble is, a lot are abridged and I notice bits that get cut out and that kind of spoils the experience for me.

My other half is a huge fan of Harry Potter (she reads the books, watches the films) but I tried the first book and it didn't get me hooked at all. So maybe I'm a bit odd!?

With the latest bit of GoT, I found the Robb Stark with his army (still in the field) and the Knight's Watch bits the most interesting so far. I suppose they've been the most European Medieval-feeling bits so far, though Patrick Malahide looked pretty good as the Lord of the Iron Island (IIRC) so there could be hope in that bit. It just feels like it's lost its way a bit. I'm not convinced by the Queer as Folk Irish guy's very hands-on approach to his brothel, either. It seems something a Lord would generally get lackeys to run. I will be watching on Monday though, cursing at the adverts.

[Flibb]

I highly recommend the Warhammer books, especially those by Dan Abnett. Worth checking out the Black Library website, they have done a few free ebooks lately.

[Whiternoise]

Oh my - some friends of mine are really into the Wheel of Time series. They kept recommending it, so I tried the first book but I couldn't get past trollocs. Each time I read the word, a voice in my head shouted "Trollocs!" I kid you not.

If he'd only called them orcs or goblins, I probably could have persevered with it.

It's tricky. I think the first book takes a little getting into, but once they've left the town and they're essentially going questing, stuff gets much more gripping. I was hooked up until book 4. Then it got dull, but I persevered and book 5 was enough to get me back into it. I stopped somewhere in book 6 and keep meaning to get back into it.

If you have time they're excellent books, the story is great once it gets going.

Audiobooks are great provided the narrator is good. I've 'read' a lot of Terry Pratchett's books that way and I strongly, strongly recommend Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell - it's an oustanding audiobook. I was always disappointed that nobody's done a decent reading of the Foundation saga.

[melon]

I did see an interesting documentary on that, it started off pointing-out quite spooky correlations which made it sound plausible - then they started looking at the laws of large numbers etc. and showed that you could do it with War and Peace, Lord of the Rings; any medium-to-lengthy book. They'd given it a pretty thorough debunking by the end.

Yes , I heard about that, but still interesting for me.

A mate of mine is very much into the Star Wars fiction (he also loves the Warhammer 40K novels too, of which I've only read one, Inquisitor, years ago) so I will probably give them a try soonish.

Im not really into all that space marine stuff, not really warhammer fan really at all

Yeah, I struggled with that too.. When I talk to my better read friends and they reel off many classics that they've enjoyed I often think to myself "Hmm.. didn't get past chapter two on that one.." I can't read Charles Dickens, for example. There are many other examples but I'm half asleep at the moment, so my memory isn't co-operating. I think English Literature classes at school poisoned me on a few authors.

i hear ya

That must be really trying.. I think I'd go a bit potty if I couldn't read (I've usually got two or three books on the go at a time) I've tried a few audiobooks and so long as the narrator's voice fits (Paul McGann does quite a good Sharpe, which are amongst my favourite books) then I can listen to them. The trouble is, a lot are abridged and I notice bits that get cut out and that kind of spoils the experience for me.

Yes, I used to read a book a month usually ( mainly forgotten realms salvatore stuff ) when younger.

I tried testing my reading skills and they seem worse too ( 180 words pr min ) 75 % retention

NB The scary part is I thought i was going fast too

m

[redddraggon]

I think Maeargery Tyrell is going to become my favourite character!

[melon]

Dont like Pratchett either - nor Neil Gaiman ( comics yes )

Though even comics dont interest me much any more , I loved Hellboy though ( mainly due 2 the art )

I did read something I liked , will try and find it..

m

[neonplanet40]

Have to admit that the latest episode really annoyed me. Leaving out yet another battle. I am sorry but for a show which is continually hyping up the battles (as there are now multiple armies on the move) and then not showing any of them will cause this shows downfall.

Just my opinion but I am getting fed up with the potential of a battle scene only for it to fade to black and show me the aftermath. Sure I don't expect it to show every battle but stop hinting at them and building up to them if you aren't going to show any.

[redddraggon]

Have to admit that the latest episode really annoyed me. Leaving out yet another battle.

Do you mean the Stark V Lannisters battle? The books don't even follow Robb Stark battles, so the battle that never was in the last episode was a bonus.

[abaxas]

What a load of titillating crap.

Give me a great story without random *breasts* and "intercourse*. It adds nothing especially when it's out of context.

[Terbinator]

Do you mean the Stark V Lannisters battle? The books don't even follow Robb Stark battles, so the battle that never was in the last episode was a bonus.

Not when the show was constantly leading up to it as he pointed out - something season 1 was guilty of and which completely killed my interest in the (tv) franchise as a whole.

Edit: It wouldn't have been so offensive that they skipped the battle, but for the fact they used a 'fade to black' sequence that looked like it had been swiped form Windows Movie Maker.

[pollaxe]

As much as I welcome a bit of on screen girl-on-girl action, I have to agree that all the rumpy-pumpy is getting a bit tedious now. They're trying to shock, I think and it's not working. We know Joffrey is a horrible little git, that scene proved nothing new.

The battle was a massive anti-climax too. I don't know, this season has not grabbed me the way the first one did. I'll probably watch it next week but I may resort to Sky+ so I can fast forward the chuffing adverts. Hmmm.

6/10 so far for this season. I hope it improves.

[melon]

As much as I welcome a bit of on screen girl-on-girl action, I have to agree that all the rumpy-pumpy is getting a bit tedious now. They're trying to shock, I think and it's not working. We know Joffrey is a horrible little git, that scene proved nothing new.

The battle was a massive anti-climax too. I don't know, this season has not grabbed me the way the first one did. I'll probably watch it next week but I may resort to Sky+ so I can fast forward the chuffing adverts. Hmmm.

6/10 so far for this season. I hope it improves.

yes, Im sick of the focus on Joffrey too, but I guess its to establish the unpredictable threat hes really become , and that bad guy you love to hate.

Afterall, would you care so much about Robs war if it wasnt for him ?

The guy has potential but hes too full himself to be serious contender - I imagine he will meet a bad end at the hands of those he trusts in when the time is right

The most telling scene for me tthe end because it completes the transformation now from war drama to fantasy and the implications of what that could mean next.

m

[TeePee]

The battles are irrelevant. It's not about them.
They are making Joff into much more of a monster and less of a misguided child.

They've changed a number of things for pacing, which is a real improvement. Arya wandering around, and skipping Storms End entirely it seems. Hopefully that will allow more time for the second half of the book.

This season is really a setup. There are some great moments, but the third book is the payoff.

[roorooroo]

Pretty disappointed with this season up to now..losing interest a little in it now...