Game of Thrones - no spoilers

[akk]

A couple of posts about the tv series Game of Thrones have sprung up across my friends lists in the last couple of days, probably caused by the dvd release of season 1 in Germany and the airing of season 2 (?).
I've followed the posts closely and - so far - I've come to the conclusion that Game of Thrones is one of those fandoms, which I will avoid because I love the books and the tv show, and find its grisly depictions entirely befitting the source. (I only mourn that the direwolves didn't get as much attention as I'd wished for them).

Everybody reads and envisions the events in books differently and GRRM wraps his tale in very pretty prose, but the tale itself is ugly (up to English book 5 - as far as I read) and doesn't pull punches. I assume that for most people it's one thing to read pretty words about ugly things and another to see ugly pictures telling the same thing, because the picture they form in their head when reading is influenced by the pretty words. They are convinced they handled the ugly truth and when shown are uncomfortable (or even put off). In contrast, most of the time I'm put off by shows that pull too many punches to present their source. Maybe it's because I'm "an eye person" and while I prefer pretty words over ugly ones, the prettiness of the words itself doesn't affect the image my mind makes of them. Or maybe my pictures have always been ugly, I don't know. I prefer Alien over E.T., Robin of Sherwood over Errol Flynn any time.

Anyway, people - and people reading - are different and from experience, this specific difference is one that often sours the experience of shows and books (and fan connections), because we all feel we have to prove our points and how tough we are. I don't think that helps with this, however, and I have too much fun with Game of Thrones (books and show) and people in various other fandoms. I don't have - or want - to risk any of it.

Have fun, folks! :-)

Edit: Not all comments I got here are without spoilers, though. :/

Comments

[effie_chan]

That's too bad that you don't feel comfortable discussing your opinions in this fandom context. I love argueing about stuff like that and reading different opinions about characters and plot and the like. As for the characters you like and dislike, they seem pretty mainstream. I hardly know anyone who doesn't hate Sansa. I do, too, although sometimes I like to play devil's advocate just for the heck of it in her case.

[akk]

I guess it depends on the kind of discussions you find yourself in.
I've had my share of the ugly ones and found that the arguments appeared in my mind whenever I went back to the respective book or show. It took the fun out of things.
And so far, Game of Thrones proved to be a universe, I'm comfortable in on my own. :)

You'd be surprised how fast things deteriorate when it comes to the reasons behind the likes/dislikes. Note that King Rob(ert Baratheon/b Stark) both failed to make any list so far.

Regarding Sansa, I've actually met quite a few people who prefer her (and in bookverse, Lady (her graceful wolf pub, Cersei had killed). Personally, she always reminded me of the cliché highschool beauty: pretty face, empty brain, unaware of her cruelty because she's always nice as her mommy taught her (except to people who don't fit into her worldview, that is).
Admittedly, she gets more depth a lot later, but that's quite a bit of plot away & regarding the how and why... I don't want to spoil you. :)

[effie_chan]

Oh I've read the books so no chance of getting spoiled. The thing about Sansa is that she is very privileged and also very unaware of that privilege which makes her a very unlikeable character. As that privilege gets taken away she becomes more compassionate (though not too much) and relateable. I still don't like her very much because she is such an airhead but she has enough complexity in herself that I can see how people can argue about her either way.

The people who I have heard that argue in her favour are mostly Sansa/the Hound shippers, though.

Cersei Lannister is actually one of those characters I can occasionally like, especially in the TV series but overall I still hate her. It's just, she does have redeeming qualities. (Unlike, say, Jeoffrey.)

I get what you say about how a bad argument can ruin the books/TV-series, though.

[akk]

:)

Also, it's a real person tv show, thus unlikely for me to start writing about it. The only RPtv ever triggering writing was Robin of Sherwood, and I didn't write RoS, but original fiction then. So there's also not much to gain from immersing myself in the quarrel-zone. ;)

Cercei, sleeping with her brother, considering herself smart and politically savvy, but being totally blind to the "qualities" of her illbegotten offspring and her talents to actually not piss off everybody non-Lannister.

[effie_chan]

"You really love your children. It's your one redeeming quality. That, and your cheekbones." --Tyrion

(He really does have all the best lines.)

[akk]

No spoilers, please.