67 replies to this topic

[Sarnius1]

I started watching the show. Watched all of Season 1 and loved it. To death.

Then when I started reading the books, which I love, it ruined the show for me. I don't know, I find it harder to watch. My mind knows what's going to happen and realizes how much more depth there was to this particular scene in the books. Locations hardly matter anymore. Nor do events. I used to be completely immersed when watching the show before, loving everything that happened. That immersion goes when an episode ends and I forget 90% of what happened in the episode. Actually 95%. Character interaction done by the show doesn't seem relevant when I've read the books. Everything is muddled up.

Dammit.

Thanks GRRM.
Thanks for this.

Edited by Sarnius1, 09 June 2012 - 11:59 AM.

[Khal Pono]

Sarnius1, on 09 June 2012 - 11:54 AM, said:

I started watching the show. Watched all of Season 1 and loved it. To death.

Then when I started reading the books, which I love, it ruined the show for me. I don't know, I find it harder to watch. My mind knows what's going to happen and realizes how much more depth there was to this particular scene in the books. Locations hardly matter anymore. Nor do events. I used to be completely immersed when watching the show before, loving everything that happened. That immersion goes when an episode ends and I forget 90% of what happened in the episode. Actually 95%. Character interaction done by the show doesn't seem relevant when I've read the books.

Dammit.

Thanks GRRM.
Thanks for this.

I feel your pain. But I think you got the title of this thread wrong.  Shouldn't it say, "The books have ruined the TV show for me?" or "The books have ruined Game of Thrones for me?"

As currently constructed, the thread title essentially says the books ruined the books for you.

[Bushido]

omg... I can not believe this post.

[Sarnius1]

Khal Pono, on 09 June 2012 - 11:56 AM, said:

I feel your pain. But I think you got the title of this thread wrong.  Shouldn't it say, "The books have ruined the TV show for me?" or "The books have ruined Game of Thrones for me?"

As currently constructed, the thread title essentially says the books ruined the books for you.

Not really, now I've seen Season 2 everything is muddled up.
Actually yeah, true.

[Direwolf Lager]

I understand where you're coming from, but I also think Season 2 wasn't as good as the first one

[Kyle Baratheon]

Blasphemy. I think the books are much more thrilling than the show, though i do love the latter aswell. You can't hold it against GRRM that the books ruined an aspect of the show for you. It's the other way around for most die hards!

[Sarnius1]

Stuntout, on 09 June 2012 - 12:13 PM, said:

Blasphemy. I think the books are much more thrilling than the show, though i do love the latter aswell. You can't hold it against GRRM that the books ruined an aspect of the show for you. It's the other way around for most die hards!

I'm not holding against GRRM, I was joking.

Edited by Sarnius1, 09 June 2012 - 12:16 PM.

[Know Face Man]

There were certain parts in season 2 where I thought to myself, hey the book does it like this or in the book this person said that... makes me think to more and not enjoy the show.

But there are certain things in the show that are not in the books. One example is Arya and Lord Tywin have a few great parts where they talk back and forth.
Arya tells Tywin she wants to be like the sister of Aegon I, and carry the sword Dark Sister

[Winterfellian]

LOL I understand what you feel! I watch the first season before reading the and I loved it.

The second season I still liked it a lot but I feel they took too many liberties in some of the story lines and resulted in a less faithful adaptation. For some of the story lines this worked well (Arya's) and for others not so much (Jon's)

Still, try to watch the show as something independent of the books (It's hard I know!)

What really bothered me is when they made little unnecessary changes that somehow ruined a character for me. Ex- Robb marrying in the light of the seven instead of the old gods ah and the Ros character.

[Mediumjon Umber]

The sarcasm is strong with this one

[namtose]

I too came to the books through watching the show. (this must be a subcategory of fans.) Now that I've read all the books the history of westeros, backstory and character developements are really important to me and make the world of Westeros. The books have developed the character growth of Arya, Sansa Jaime, Jon and the others in progressive way that the slow pace of the books can.

the first series of the show followed the books pretty much (needed cuts for time allowed.) the second series has taken much more liberty in the saga and seems to be changing the story (and neglecting the backstory and history of Westeros.) All this is understandable in the conversion of book to show but .....

If this continues then the divide becomes greater and then one will have to changed the show from based on to inspired by and treat the show as a seperate tale.

[ServantOnIce]

Sarnius1, on 09 June 2012 - 11:54 AM, said:

I started watching the show. Watched all of Season 1 and loved it. To death.

Then when I started reading the books, which I love, it ruined the show for me. I don't know, I find it harder to watch. My mind knows what's going to happen and realizes how much more depth there was to this particular scene in the books. Locations hardly matter anymore. Nor do events. I used to be completely immersed when watching the show before, loving everything that happened. That immersion goes when an episode ends and I forget 90% of what happened in the episode. Actually 95%. Character interaction done by the show doesn't seem relevant when I've read the books. Everything is muddled up.

Dammit.

Thanks GRRM.
Thanks for this.

Same thing happened to me. After episode 8 I had a nuclear meltdown and blamed D and D for butchering GRRM's wonderful song. UNTIL I realized I was being totally asinine and that they did a great job and they are fans passionate and more passionate than many folks here. They are talented and are doing a great job, some things are working and some things are not working but that happens with every adaptation.

Just do as I have done, the TV show is the TV show done by D and D and the books are the books done by GRRM. The separation has helped me and many others.  They are different entities similar but not the same headed into completely different directions with completely different character arcs.

[Northern Winds]

I also watched the first series before reading the books. In my mind, the show was excellent in the first series, and was unlike anything I'd seen before. But then I read the books. Problem is, the books go even further than the show - they're one of the most in depth, detailed series I've read and it goes far and above the quality of the show.

So they're both of a really high standard, just the books have more time and no pressures of commercial and financial interests. Once you read the books, you are going to notice the gaps or are going to question a scene that wasn't in the books, which makes you think it wasn't very good. It would be interesting, however, to get the view of someone who starts reading the books after watching both series 1 and 2, as to whether they think the show is not as good, or whether our view of it has diminished because we have read the original version.

[ServantOnIce]

Know Face Man, on 09 June 2012 - 12:23 PM, said:

There were certain parts in season 2 where I thought to myself, hey the book does it like this or in the book this person said that... makes me think to more and not enjoy the show.

But there are certain things in the show that are not in the books. One example is Arya and Lord Tywin have a few great parts where they talk back and forth.
Arya tells Tywin she wants to be like the sister of Aegon I, and carry the sword Dark Sister

I thought Arya was going to puke when he said, "You remind me of my daughter Cersei."  One of the best lines of the season  ..

[Elder Sister]

I don't see how the tv show creators can be totally faithful to the books...it's just an impossibility due to the limitations of an hour long tv show; even with a $60m an episode budget.

My husband has not read the books and although he loves the show, he gets a bit confused with all the plots and subplots, and many characters on the show.  I've told him that they've actually trimmed a good bit from the books to make it a little easier to follow.

[Bushido]

@Sarnius1 LOL,next time use a emoticon or something

[namtose]

I just finished reading Miodrag Zarkovic's review of season 2; taking the adaption to task. He makes interesting points that I'll have to reflect and think about. The interesting question is are D and D moving the series in a such a different direction so that the book and the series will travel different paths. the motivations of Arya, Jon, Cat and Rob have been changed so they are less 'complete' in comparison to the books.

I'm certain that the series will be canceled before GRRM finishes the book series ..... you can't stall for ten years. so they will never meet at the end but how far they are will be different .... how long will they spend with Arya in Bravos and Dany in Slaver's Bay. interesting.

[Paul Stewart]

I treat them as entirely separate entities.  I have never, for one second, wanted the show to be a transcription of the books, as I took care of the mental imagery back when I was reading them.  I wanted to be entertained, and enjoy seeing new interpretations and storylines, as long as they are well-written and well-acted (not always the case, unfortunately).

[Ser Ineedalife]

A pity. I feel the visual adaptation is well done and it enhanced my enjoyment of the books and the books made the visual artform better.  Lord of the Rings and Shogun were two well done visual adaptations of richly descriptive novels. Dune was horrible. My imagination could never get Brienne or Bronn or Ned as perfect as the casting of these great actors.

[Dragon greyscale]

I am with the OP, although I started reading the books simultaneously with the show and overtook the show (I finished book 1 well ahead of the season finale). I think, in part, S2 is less faithful and more superficial because it's simply a more difficult adaptation. It took season 1 about 5 episodes to properly introduce the characters and the beginning of their journeys. Then it took flight. Book 2 deals with the same characters scattered across the place PLUS a host of new characters are introduced in new locations as well. It was always going to be skimmed over. People seem to forget that S1/book 1 was only the tip of the iceberg, for etter and for worse.
Basically, D&D have to make tough and more rigourous editing decisions for S3. Cut out entire arcs. Choose interesting characters and give them depth. Stop hopping from location to location (a la blackwater, I've seen many reviews that praised this one location  strategy). The way the majority of the show is now, everybody is a little disgruntled about something. If they do what I propose (in all modesty of course) you piss off a part of the fanbase but you keep the majority of viewers of content with what you do show. They should show a little more courage in deviating from the books because they'll end up in an impossible position if they follow GRRM as closely as possible. The books are great but anyone can see that their practically impossible to translate ad verbatim. This only becomes a bigger problem when the story unfolds and sprawls.