After the success of the extremely awesome HBO television adaptation of the first book in George R.R. Martin's legendary fantasy franchise, "A Song of Ice and Fire," it should come as no surprise that these books are wildly popular right now. If you're reading this blog post and haven't put your name on the request list for "A Game of Thrones," stop reading right now and do it, because I guarantee that 5 people will be added to the list in the amount of time it takes you to read this post (whether that is a comment on the popularity of the books or the length of my posts can be left to the interpretation of the reader). Ok, back....? Good, let's begin. GAME OF THRONES IS FREAKIN' AWESOME!!!!
People have been comparing Martin to another highly lauded "R.R" in fantasy literature, J.R.R. Tolkien, author of Lord of the Rings. I would venture to say that Martin not only walks in Tolkien's footsteps, but leaves tracks of his own that dwarf Tolkien's. Martin's book accomplishes everything that LOTR had (an interesting story, an engaging world, memorable characters, etc.) while putting his characters in situations that will actually make you feel like you are experiencing the action. There were moments when I was reading this where I actually laughed out loud and other moments where I did all I could to keep from weeping. This truly is a beautiful story and from what I can tell, the beginning of a saga for the ages.
Characters are obviously a strong point in Martin's writing. His world is populated with a plethora of memorable characters, and what makes GoT so great is that every person who reads it will have their own unique set of favorites. Every Martin fan I've talked to has answered the question "Who's your favorite character?" with different answers that are alike only in their passion. While some may be fans of the dark, brooding Sandor Clegain like myself, others are fans of the sarcastic, manipulative dwarf, Tyrion Lannister. I can't wait to read the rest of the series because I know there will be more awesome characters to come. On this same note, without revealing anything too major, Martin is different from other authors in the fact that he is not afraid to rack up a body count of major characters. NOBODY is safe from death in Martin's saga, which keeps the reader on their toes.
This one is a must-read. If you don't like fantasy, I'd still recommend this. If you don't like long books, get over yourself and pick this one up--- you'll be reading it faster then you'd think. Please do me a favor and just read this book. The longer you wait to read it the further behind you're going to be when all of your friends are talking about it without you and you're forced to live a hermit-esque existence until you finish it. In case I wasn't clear enough, READ THIS DAMN BOOK!!
No comments:
Post a Comment