[BOOK SPOILERS] What spoilers would you consider giving to a non-book reading friend

[Tyro Lannister]

As the title says I am looking for some suggestions on what I could get away with spoiling to a friend of mine who is not going to read the books but is nevertheless interesting in knowing just a little more after having watched the tv series..

And what do you think about spoiling the R+L=J theory? Since the tv series skips Ned's dream about the tower of joy there really isn't anything to go on.. so I was thinking this would be a nice one to spoil them on.

[MyDogIsNamedDanerys]

As the title says I am looking for some suggestions on what I could get away with spoiling to a friend of mine who is not going to read the books but is nevertheless interesting in knowing just a little more after having watched the tv series..

And what do you think about spoiling the R+L=J theory? Since the tv series skips Ned's dream about the tower of joy there really isn't anything to go on.. so I was thinking this would be a nice one to spoil them on.

I wouldn't spoil them on anything to be honest. As for R+L, there are a lot of TV newbs who have guessed this (though no one's totally convinced I don't think). You might ask a leading question like "Who do you think Jon's Mom is at this point?" And see what they say. Don't give it away though, respond with "interesting" or something. :P

Besides spoiling with R+L is kind of silly since it really is still a theory and a lot of people dont' pick up on it. Rhaegar is portrayed more sympathetically in discussions in the next few books so he may pick up on that. I actually was very interested in the Rhaegar Lyanna romance as it was unveiled in books 2 and 3, even though I never guessed Jon could be their son.

[Anomandaris86]

Backhistory is all fine.

[Ser Latecomer]

I was talking with a friend about the series right after Ep. 9, because I wanted to get an honest reaction from a non-reader. He told me that he had a feeling Ned was going to die just because of the reputation of the series that he had heard from others, but that he was really hoping Tyrion would hang around for a bit. I semi-spoilered him by telling him that if he likes Tyrion, he is going to LOVE the next season. So, he is spoiled now in that he knows that Tyrion will at least survive a large part of next season.

[Gabe]

Since watching the TV series twice now I've decided to pick up the books. However, I feel like I've read an abridged version of Game of Thrones twice in a row and honestly don't want to sit through the audiobook. Will I miss out on much by going directly to Clash of Kings? Would any kind soul with a few moments to spare care to fill me in on any Earth-shattering details I'll have missed by not reading or listening to the book?

I hit a few chapters in the audio book and it seems to be fairly faithful.

[apt54]

Red Wedding

Tywin's Death

Battle of Blackwater

Old Bear's demise

Joffrey's and Oberyn's deaths.

[The Anti-Targ]

Double the post for double the fun.

[The Anti-Targ]

I think everything from Game of Thrones the book is fair game...if they want to know.

But I wouldn't say "There's this theory going around the internets that R+L=J" You should tell them the "missing scenes" from the books, esp. Neds dreams and recollections without puting your interpretive spin on it

I also think it's fair game to point out the significant changes from the book...if they want to know.

I've done this with a friend of mine and she was more than happy to receive the extra information. But she asked the questions, I didn't rush up to her and shove the extra information down her throat. Another friend of hers did some unconscionably spoily things by confirming Walder Frey is not to be trusted. Sure everyone gets a sense of Frey being shady, but that's different to having a bookwalker confirm that ones suspicions are going to be confirmed in a tangable way.

[King UnGregor]

It is an absolute nightmare having friends who are in the process of reading the books. I introduced a few chums to them, and they read painfully slowly. I'm constantly spoiling bits I assume they've read, ie Bran being crippled, and getting a furious reaction.

[Nick Of Troy]

I don't spoil anything. I'll explain historical stuff like the unification of the Seven Kingdoms or Robert's Rebellion, but anything in the books and I just say "read them!"

*EDIT* although I did get sick of a certain friend always asking about spoilers in AGoT (even though I'd lent her the book) o I told her at the end we find out Bran was replaced at birth with an Other :rolleyes:

[nihil]

Since watching the TV series twice now I've decided to pick up the books. However, I feel like I've read an abridged version of Game of Thrones twice in a row and honestly don't want to sit through the audiobook. Will I miss out on much by going directly to Clash of Kings? Would any kind soul with a few moments to spare care to fill me in on any Earth-shattering details I'll have missed by not reading or listening to the book?

I hit a few chapters in the audio book and it seems to be fairly faithful.

The adaptation was quite faithful; the vast majority of what is missing from the show is the inner monologues of the point of view characters. The effect of this is that reading the book you know characters like Catelyn, Tyrion, and Dany more intimately than in the show, but there are some other characters like Jaime, Ser Barristan, and Varys that are perhaps more fleshed out in the show because you are not limited to seeing them through other characters' eyes.

As far as significant details that you should be aware of (that I think actually make any difference at all), these come to mind:

- The Stark boys' direwolves are extremely present in their stories, much more so than the TV show was able to convey. Sansa and Arya losing theirs comes off as much more of a big deal both practically and symbolically.

- While Bran was in a coma he had a freaky dream where he was falling from such a height that he could see three scary giants in the south and the heart of winter in the north. Then a crow pecked his third eye open and told him to fly. When he woke up he named his wolf Summer.

- Ned had a few flashbacks and thoughts about the past that didn't make it into the show. He remembered an event that occurred during Robert's rebellion, when he and six other men faced down three knights of the Kingsguard who were defending the tower where Lyanna was being held. The only two survivors of that fight were Ned and his friend/bannerman, the crannogman Howland Reed. Ned then found Lyanna dying of a fever in a room that smelled of blood and roses, and made her an unspecified promise that haunts him whenever he thinks about honor.

- For that matter, the role of Kingsguard was not explicitly defined in the show. They are a group of seven knights (seven is a holy number) who renounce all inheritance and swear to protect the life of the king and his family. Current Kingsguard members include Ser Barristan (Lord Commander, recently dismissed), Jaime, and a few z-listers like Meryn Trant, Boros Blount, Mandon Moore, Arys Oakheart and I think maybe the last one is Preston Greenfield? Most of these jokers don't really matter; in fact it is noted that the quality of the Kingsguard has fallen quite a bit since the rebellion. Only Jaime and Barristan were Kingsguard under the Mad King.

- I believe you also get more of an introduction in the first book to the Seven gods that the southerners worship: the Father, the Warrior, the Smith, the Maiden, the Mother, the Crone, and the Stranger. They have dominion over various aspects of life; the only one that isn't completely self-evident is the Stranger, who represents outcasts and death.

- Catelyn's character is significantly more ambitious and politically savvy in the books than the show, as you'll notice.

- Tyrion actually did take part in that battle against the Stark infantry, and he didn't do that horribly for himself.

- Shae is much less exotic and mysterious in the books, she's just a particularly attractive and skilled camp follower.

- We don't have a point of view within Renly's bedroom, so Loras and Renly's relationship is only hinted at, and not even that much in the first book.

In addition, there were a few more characters that weren't introduced in the show; you may get confused encountering them for the first time in the later books:

- Brynden "the Blackfish" Tully: Catelyn's uncle, who was in service with Lysa in the Eyrie after a falling out with Catelyn's father over his refusal to wed. He accompanies Cat when she leaves the Vale and becomes one of Robb's war counselors.

- Edmure Tully: Catelyn's brother, acting as lord of Riverrun while their father slowly dies of cancer. Kind of a well-meaning doofus.

- Roose Bolton: a northern lord noted for being cunning and soft-spoken. He is the one who leads the smaller part of Rob's army to confront Tywin while the larger part crosses at the Twins to engage with Jaime at Riverrun.

- Donal Noye: a one-armed blacksmith and member of the Night's Watch. It is he, not Tyrion, who gives Jon some much-needed advice about what a dick he's being to the other recruits.

- Dany has three handmaidens: Irri, Jhiqui, and Doreah (not all three were named in the show). She also has three Dothraki bodyguards (Aggo, Jhogo, and Rakharo, of which only Rakharo was present in the show).

- In contrast, Ros does not exist in the books, so don't waste time wondering what happened to her.

As you can see, these are generally fairly minor changes, but you might be confused if you didn't expect them. I may have forgotten one or two, but they were really quite faithful to the source. There were some other characters like Janos Slynt and Rickard Karstark that were cast but didn't get called by name, but I think people like that have entries in the Game of Thrones Wikia that is reasonably spoiler-free with regards to future events.

[Gabe]

Stuff

That was great and very helpful. Thank you so much.

[Phantomwriter05]

? + Cersei = Jon

It is known!

(It's an extremly popular theory ... why not join in?)

[King_Baelish]

Nothing. I'd wait until they ask me questions and then I'll tempt them into reading the books. They'll be happier for it in the end.

[GoldSeven]

My hubby and I make an extremely unfortunate duo when watching the series. I've read the books and can be a very "I know something you don't!" kind of person, and he hates it when I do that. But he was so completely lost in Ned's hunt for the clues about the Lannister children that I had to drop hints.

He didn't talk to me for about a day.

I suppose I'll keep all other spoilers well under wraps...

[Mediumjon Umber]

Like Santa I would spread joy to the people around me by telling them Joffrey will get what he deserves.

[Raisin Bran]

I am a spoiler cyst that oozes spoilers. I feel so bad for my brother, who is only on Clash of Kings.

"Haha, it's so funny when Ygritte says this to jon!"

"Um, Jon gets captured?"

"Um......n...nooo?"

OF course, it depends on the friend, whose gender and characteristics you did not identify. For instance, my best friend is a girl who loves her some pairings (not in a Spamming on Tumblr way), so when I told her R + L probably maybe = J, she loved that! "What? Dany and Jon should hook up then???" Oh, how her eyes lit up at the hint of squee material. My brother is more macho so I'll be all "Look forward to a cool battle at the end of that book!" or "Tyrion is awesome in the end of that book, pwnin' all over the place!"

And sometimes friends say to me, "DUDE, TELL ME [bLANK] DIES. I NEED TO KNOW." or "TELL ME [bLANK] MAKES IT THROUGH." And then I lied and told my brother Theon dies to make him feel better. hehehe. :ninja:

[zuziako]

I have a friend who can't get herself to read Clash of Kings (aaargh) and I constantly drop some minor spoilers while talking to her, because I always forget she is still only past book one.

For instance during the conversations about on-screen Sandor pretty scars:

"Oh, You know, it's gonna be the same with Tyrion's nose"

"What? What nose?"

"Uuuugh... Right. You haven't read it yet. It grows when he lies!"

Then I told her the truth - it's a minor thing, but I fear one day, still forgetting, I will drop the Bomb that is the "Wedding"...

I think if one wants someone to read the books good spoilers might be "Tyrion's gonna be so badass in Kings Landing later!" or "Sansa is going to change, don't you worry", "Read it, and you'll know Arya is screwed!". Nothing specific, but it gets the imagination going.

[Kolwynia]

I watched season one with my dad and sister, and I had no problem telling them the theory of R+L=J. It's not proven, so I don't consider it a spoiler. (Though I didn't think of it until I was reading book two.) My sister was totally lost as to who Rhaegar even was. (Another good reason to read the books instead of just watching the show.)

But if I had read one of the not-yet-released books like A Dance With Dragons, and that theory was confirmed, then nothing could have made me spoil it for them. I hate being spoiled myself, so I go out of the way not to spoil anything for anyone else. My dad really liked Ned Stark...and I gave him no warning whatsoever. Also, in like the first episode he was asking "Are those eggs gonna hatch?" I won't lie, but I was all, "They're petrified. There haven't been dragons for hundreds of years."

I will occasionally say, "Oh, that character is awesome," even when they haven't done anything awesome yet. I'm like that about characters like Ser Barristan and Bronn...and I'm sure I'll be that way when we get to see Davos and Brienne. Since it's just an opinion, and vague, I don't consider it spoiler-ish.

But I won't tell them that Joffery is gonna get his. Or the truth about Tysha. (Which was really hard, because my family wasn't so sympathetic when that scene happened in the show. I had to keep my shudder at Tywin's cruelty to myself.) And there's no way I'm gonna let them see the Red Wedding coming. (They'll thank me for it eventually, I know.)

[Reposado]

I've given away spoilers only about things that you would have known by that point in the book. Mostly backstory like how the kingsguard functions, or explanations of why character's don't exist(tyrion's mother died in childbirth). Or long ago history like the doom and Aegon's invasion.