So my friend is taking a break from ASOIAF "because it's just too depressing"

[Lady Lann]

Fun fact, I actually stopped reading ASOIAF four years ago after GoT, so I can sympathise. This was before ASOIAF was a thing in my nerd circles, but I knew there where other books... I just didn't want to read them. Even the characters I liked I wanted to slap sometimes, the rest was worse. But damn, even though I was so terribly annoyed with everyone, I still loved the characters and the setting, so I let myself be dragged back in by a friend this year.

Part of my annoyance came from the fact that I found GoT in the children's part of the library without ever having heard about it before, though, so I probably approached it with the most ill-fitting mindset imaginable. Because our local library still sorts with the logic It has dragons, therefore it must be a kids' book. It's almost as funny as those borderline hentai comics they keep placing next to Garfield and Detective Conan.

[Alisa]

I don't find it that depressing. Bad things happen and they often leave me feeling a bit down for a while but I can think of far more depressing books (anything Hardy for example).

I think the one advantage ASoIaF has is that there are so many characters, so even if one of your favourites has a bad bit of luck, there's someone else to root for. Contrast that with say Tess of the d'Urbervilles, where you're completely invested in one character. When bad things happen to her, there's really no escape.

[Saci Targaryen]

My mom stopped watching the TV series when Joff chopped Ned Stark´s head off.

[Kobayashi Maru]

Fun fact, I actually stopped reading ASOIAF four years ago after GoT, so I can sympathise. This was before ASOIAF was a thing in my nerd circles, but I knew there where other books... I just didn't want to read them. Even the characters I liked I wanted to slap sometimes, the rest was worse. But damn, even though I was so terribly annoyed with everyone, I still loved the characters and the setting, so I let myself be dragged back in by a friend this year.

Part of my annoyance came from the fact that I found GoT in the children's part of the library without ever having heard about it before, though, so I probably approached it with the most ill-fitting mindset imaginable. Because our local library still sorts with the logic It has dragons, therefore it must be a kids' book. It's almost as funny as those borderline hentai comics they keep placing next to Garfield and Detective Conan.

You can't believe how many books from children's part of the library shouldn't be there.When I was 14 I stumbled on The clan of the cave bear...and some parts of it left me :blushing:

Back on topic...I don't find the books too depressing but they are pretty dark..I myself think that to some extend they are too dark too be believable.He is trying to make them real as possible and I respect that but if you have 99,99% of awfull things happening to everyone and maybe 0,01% of good things happening by pure chance it's not so realistic to me.

I however believe that this is that darkest part of the night before the dawn and am sure there will be at least some happy endings in books to come.

[Grimwolfe]

for they are the readers of summer, and winter is coming...

[SerStinger]

Well I never found ASOIAF depressing, because it was far less depressing than the stuff I usually read.

But to share a personal note, reading about ASOIAF has been making me worried about my own series, which is much more depressing in a much more frustrating way. I'm afraid I won't have much readership :(

[genegirl]

My daughter just finished with The Red Wedding and is taking a break. This has been the worst week in our entire lives. Her childhood friend, Mickey Shunick was found after being abducted 80 days ago. Life can really suck and ASoIaF certainly mirrors that sentiment.

[Barty]

I stopped reading for a couple of months after the red wedding. And while the series can be depressing for me because I am a Stark loyalist I continue to read because of the hope GRRM keeps feeding me whenever I get too depressed about a comeback from the Starks. If the Starks don't make a comeback, however, then this whole series will probably find a place in the tragedy genre rather than fantasy(at least in my library).

[rmholt]



I nearly threw my e-reader at the wall after the Red Wedding... .

GRRM said he didnt write the Red Wedding until last (in that book) and it upset him to write it. I love that guy.

[rmholt]

You can't believe how many books from children's part of the library shouldn't be there.When I was 14 I stumbled on The clan of the cave bear...and some parts of it left me :blushing:

My upset would be that it wasnt in the ADULT section as well. Kids read what they are ready for and get out of what they read whatever they are ready for. I wouldnt keep a kid from checking out whatever book she wanted. And if she got bored after the cover, fine. Some of the stuff we have to read as kids in school are definitely worth a reread since they become totally different books. As I said earlier, "Advise and Consent" was the first book I recall reading that had a devastating (to me) event. As an adult I reread it and finally understood what led to that event. I knew it was something private and shameful but no idea of the specifics.

[Samsaptakas]

But i like it because it is depressing.

[rmholt]

But i like it because it is depressing.

It cant be TOO depressing or I would have thrown myself from the Palestone thingie by now. I cant finish Pat Conroy books without extra Zoloft.

[Kobayashi Maru]

My upset would be that it wasnt in the ADULT section as well. Kids read what they are ready for and get out of what they read whatever they are ready for. I wouldnt keep a kid from checking out whatever book she wanted. And if she got bored after the cover, fine. Some of the stuff we have to read as kids in school are definitely worth a reread since they become totally different books. As I said earlier, "Advise and Consent" was the first book I recall reading that had a devastating (to me) event. As an adult I reread it and finally understood what led to that event. I knew it was something private and shameful but no idea of the specifics.

They sometimes read what they find,and in this book I at age 13 found scene of rape of a 12 year old girl and some pretty detail sex scenes. Loved the book btw,just was caught by surprise.

I wouldn't do that ether.

[Lord of Cheese]

I actually stopped reading after the RW. It was far too much to handle. After mourning and just recovering my severely depleted energy reserves i went back to the books and finished them.

Its a credit to GRRM that I as a reader became emotionally involved in the story. The fact that GRRM also found it hard to write also impressed me very much. This guy understands... humans. He puts it to page wonderfully.

I also consider it somewhat of a schooling in what can happen when you are playing your own personal 'game of thrones' with your friends, family, or office mates etc... I just have a sense of dread every time im forced to take a side or when i try to play both sides to wait till things blow over. haha i have been emo-scarred havent i ?! Hodor! Thats what you should say to stay alive.

I posted something in another thread a few days ago(Confessions...say what v3):

I spent much of the books being a naive reader and hoping the story would turn to "the good guys will win the day". Every time something bad happened i was like "What....What The Fuck!? Ok... maybe it will all change later somehow. This cant be happening! Im not used to reading this kind of thing!".

And so it began... every page that i turned was like a slap in the face. 1000's of pages worth of face slaps and i just kept glued to it and taking the hits. I felt like i was Sansa and GRRM was Joff taunting me:

Me: "No! You cant! You Mustnt!" GRRM:"What?! What were you thinking just now?! You thought the Starks would win?? You stupid naive little boy! Bring me his head!".

[Jayce]

Isn't their an argument to be made that good and bad things happen in equal measure?

There is, but you can only measure everything and call it equal (or not) when you have the full story to hand. The fact is this story is not finished and like a lot of other stories the bad shit happens before the good.

[Kobayashi Maru]

There is, but you can only measure everything and call it equal (or not) when you have the full story to hand. The fact is this story is not finished and like a lot of other stories the bad shit happens before the good.

So if we had 5 books of bad how can 2 books of good be balanced? I expect some good good.

[MarcherLord]

But i like it because it is depressing.

As do I. I read the books to feel feels, not to know everyone I like is going to end up being just fine in the end.

[Alisa]

I'd say that in times of war the bad always outweighs the good. That's not to say that we won't get a happy ending (please GRRM, I'm begging for at least a glimmer of happiness) or that the fight wasn't worth it, but usually there's an awful lot of bad stuff before you get the good stuff.

[Sand Snake No. 9]

I've reread sections of the books and certain POVs, especially when there's a controversy on the board, but I haven't done a cover-to-cover reread because there are some things I don't want to relive even through the filter of fiction. The execution of Ned really got to me, and of course the series just got "better" after that. Maybe in another year I'll have gotten up the courage.

My daughter just finished with The Red Wedding and is taking a break. This has been the worst week in our entire lives. Her childhood friend, Mickey Shunick was found after being abducted 80 days ago. Life can really suck and ASoIaF certainly mirrors that sentiment.

I'm so sorry for your daughter. How horrible to be that close to tragedy that young.

[carmela28]

Yes, it can be depressing. I am most bothered by the fate of the common folk: Pia, the innkeeper's daughter, the orphans at the inn with Gendry, the people killed/tortured by Clegane.

I am able to remind myself that this is fiction, turn the page and read on. But it is still very disturbing.