Average amount of time it takes a person to finish the series?

[Howl & Read]

I have tried to get several people to try and read Asoiaf, but they are too "squeamish" or they can't get into it. The one person who tried to read the series is still on aGoT, and she started 8 months ago. I understand that it is not a series that you finish in a sitting, but does anyone else have experiences like that? I finished the series in about 5 months with books in between.

So, how long did it take everyone to complete the first 5 books?

[Fat Mac]

Two months. I was reading at least 50 pages for most of those days. Some days I read up to 200, some times I didn't read at all.

[Woofless]

Well it took me longer than most, because at the point when it becomes obvious that Catelyn Stark was not going to be punished for High Treason (when she released Jaime), I threw away the book and didn't go back to if for about a year and a half! Until there was talk of them making a TV series. Then there was a wait for Dance.

[Zizoz]

About 13 months, including having to wait for ADWD. :P

One week for AGOT, then a few weeks' break, then maybe two weeks for ACOK-AFFC, then a year's wait, then four days for ADWD.

So, about three and a half weeks of actual reading.

[Just Maid]

It took me a month to read the 5 books. But I can understand your friend, when I read the AGOT prologue it took me a lot of time. There were so many characters, locations, etc; that it was hard to understand everything. But it gets easier once you get use to it.

[Bran the Bodybuilder]

Around three or four moths. There are moments when the book really grows on you and you read for days and, I won't lie, some moments when you get really bored. Especially when you read a very cool chapter then you start one than you find very unintresting. That's a very annoing thing.

[LemLemLemoncloak]

I think it took my about 3/4 months? But then again I know someone who took a year to read AGoT and then gave up so I suppose it depends on how much you get into them.

[James of the Blackwater]

Took me like 2 weeks to read the first 3 books, like 2 months to get through Feast and then a week for Dance

[SweetPea]

About a year. But half of that was AGoT, sometimes I didn't read for weeks before returning to it again.

[plectrum]

My first re-read has taken about 5 months, but that's at a very deliberate pace. I finished my first read with a clear sense of all the Starks and Lannisters, but a little confusion around the Ironborn and almost no idea WTF was going on with the families of the Kingsguard or the tertiary northern houses. That annoyed me, so I re-read everything slowly to shore that up. Now I'm better with the northern families, but I keep losing the thread with the Kingsguard guys. Might call for a second re-read.

[falcotron]

Well it took me longer than most

But nowhere near as long as it's taken GRRM. :)

[Night'sQueen]

The first time, about 8 days. I was sick with nothing else to do and I just couldn't put the books down. But I read so greedily, wanting to see what was going to befall my favorite characters next, that I missed soooo many things.

The second read was slower, over a period of several months. Currently on my third read and it's with a group so it's a slow pace, but I still find myself reading ahead. These books are still page-turners even on a third pass!

[Shireen Purratheon]

From beginning to end, it took me just under a year. But the first half of that was Game of Thrones, then I read a couple other books. I sped through Clash of Kings so I could get to Storm of Swords in time for season three to start, then read that together with the show. Feast took me a month, and Dance took two weeks.

[The Santa of House Claus]

WIth the audiobooks, I think I plowed through them in less then a month, listening to them while I drive, work, workout, ect. basiacally all day. That was the second time through, the first time through I was delayed because after the Red Wedding I did not start back for a few weeks.

[1000th Lord Commander]

I'm going to end up on the short end of the scale here, 9 days. including a 3am run out to get Dance, because I just wanted to keep going!

[Lady Blackmont]

It took me about two months, including a (very short) wait for ADWD.

I agree about boring chapters, sometimes I'd just want to do something else whenever I say Sansa or Bran's name at the top of a page during ACoK. Unfortunately, there's no skip-and-return option without the chance of missing essential information, even if it does mean sitting through the thoughts of an eight year old or Sansa ogling over how very handsome Loras is.

[TheOne-EyedHound]

A month each book, I take my time.

[kacunnin]

I read all five novels is just over 3 weeks -- but I'm retired, and a former English teacher (so I'm used to reading really fast). I have to admit I read the first three in the first week -- I loved them. The 4th and 5th, not so much.

I've recommended the books to a lot of people (including my son, who loves fantasy), but so far, none of them have read more than a few chapters of the first one. I think the TV series is just too seductive -- and so much easier!

[ChildoftheTropicalForest]

Generally read 50 pages a day, sometimes 200 in a day, had to wait for Dance to come out, would have read TWOW if it was out now. Can be done in a month if you are so inclined...was hard for me to put down on my first read, even though much of the events were spoiled on request...just HAD to KNOW!

[ChildoftheTropicalForest]

Generally read 50 pages a day, sometimes 200 in a day, had to wait for Dance to come out, would have read TWOW if it was out now. Can be done in a month if you are so inclined...was hard for me to put down on my first read, even though much of the events were spoiled on request...just HAD to KNOW! For those with less time, audio books are quick and effortless...great if you've a long commute.