[Book Spoilers] What do your non-book reader friends think?

[dansnow]

My cousin enjoys them a lot and refuses to "spoil the show" by reading the books as well. She doesn't remember most of the character names and thinks all houses other than Stark, Lannister and Baratheon are minor (including Arryn, Tyrell, Targaryen etc). She is also convinced Jon is Roberts bastard because they kept mentioning they are brown haired. She says it's poor writing because it is so obvious :bang: :ack:

[Areo Speedwagon]

I watch it weekly with one fellow reader and one non-reader. The reader and I are pretty much on the same page in regards to the changes. Some we like better than others, but we understand that a tv show is a tv show and a book is a book and we try to enjoy them as their own mediums of delivering this massive story.

That being said, the non-reader is keeping up very well. Last episode, he paused it twice, once with a small question about Theon, which, while I can't remember exactly what it was, it was about his backstory. Regardless, it wasn't a major source of confusion.

The second time he paused was when Dany was examining the severed head that got sent back to them by Khal Jhago or Pono. He paused, smiled, looked at both of us and asked "How epic do they get?" I said "What do you mean?" He said "I mean, they have dragons. They're small now but they're going to get bigger. And shit literally can't get worse for them. They have no where to go but up. So I'm thinking shit gets crazy with them. It HAS to." My other friend and I just smiled (All I could think of was SPOILER AHEAD: Dany riding in between the rows of Unsullied then yelling Dracarys!). We told him he's right but don't want to say anything else. He is very excited to see where Dany's story is going as he rightly said They can only go up.

Glad to say he knew it was White Walkers taking the baby. He liked that too. He was wondering about them since they opened the series, yet we haven't seen them since. Personally, I think they should have stopped with Jon hearing them. Kudos to the sound department on the White Walker communication sounds! I thought they were perfect. But yeah, I think they should have left it at that. But, my friend who hasn't read the books really liked seeing them, being reminded they're still out there.

[teemo]

My cousin enjoys them a lot and refuses to "spoil the show" by reading the books as well. She doesn't remember most of the character names and thinks all houses other than Stark, Lannister and Baratheon are minor (including Arryn, Tyrell, Targaryen etc). She is also convinced Jon is Roberts bastard because they kept mentioning they are brown haired. She says it's poor writing because it is so obvious :bang: :ack:

LOL. Those brown-haired people...but at least your cousin is on to something with Jon's questionable parentage. My doctor told me she thought that Lyanna and Rhaegar were Jon's parents, and she has never read the books, which kind of shocked me. And she gave me the whole, "Don't spoil the show!" for me thing too.....

[TMWNN]

My doctor told me she thought that Lyanna and Rhaegar were Jon's parents, and she has never read the books, which kind of shocked me.

This is why, as cool as it would have been to see, there was no need for a Tower of Joy flashback scene. Everything needed for today's Lost-trained TV audience to figure out Jon's likely parentage is within the first two episodes of season one, and the evidence is easier to find than within the pages of a 1,000-page book.

[dreamcatcher]

My mum doesn't know what the hell is going on, but she "likes it". I had to explain to her what is happening and she said, "Oh." I don't think she got it.

My best friend understands the show and LOVES it, especially Cersei, also can't wait to see Natalie Dormer.

[zippypoodle]

So I have several non book-reader friends that watch this show. Maybe like 10. I haven't talked to them all yet, but all of themI have talked to were really...bored. Like super bored, to the point where many of them actually fell asleep. I tell them it's just getting started and will speed up so they don't get discouraged.

I've generally found that boredom says more about the person that it does about what the person is viewing/reading/etc. Not always, but often.

[Hear Us Roar]

I tell them to spend a a few minutes reading the wiki.

I don't spoil a damn thing

[jons nissa]

i have a non-reader friend who's been watching since the first episode season 1. he loves series like this and was addicted to "the wire" and "the borgias". i think those shows prepared him well because he catches damn near everything!

in season 1, he told me the "whore gate" scene with littlefinger telling ros how to have sex with a patron sent the signal loud and clear that littlefinger was going to "screw" ned. he also said that tywin being shown dressing his own kill - which he noted was a stag - was a sign that tywin was a no nonesense kind of guy that didn't mind getting his hands dirty by doing the tough jobs himself.

i was dumbstruck. "really? you got that from that scene?"

but he's not always right. he took the scene between cersei and littlefinger in ep 1 season 2 to mean that cersei had the upper hand when it comes to her enemies. (smirk) he redeemed himself though by saying that the sex scene with stannis and melisandre showed pieces falling off the table. he thinks the duo is going to take down key players.

but he has some wrong ideas, not because he isn't reading them well but that there isn't enough backstory or time spent on them. he thinks melisandre is a religious fanatic (with no power) because she was introduced burning religious statues. he also thought mance rayder took craster's baby since they'd been talking about the wildings.

i'm still surprised he's doing so well. i always expect him to complain that things are going too fast but he thinks the pace is fine. i did tell him to look out for season 3 though. i told him it would rock his world. which he is taking to mean that great things will happen because of the sexual innuendo of that saying. poor guy. :cool4:

he wants to read the books now but says he doesn't have the time for such large tomes. last season though, he said he didn't want to spoil the show.

[teemo]

I've generally found that boredom says more about the person that it does about what the person is viewing/reading/etc. Not always, but often.

Well, I think the super gratuitous sex scenes are actually a turn-off for some people. My boyfriend thinks it's just a medieval soap-opera and he loses respect for the show with the gratuity. I think he's under the impression that my books are full of sex and love stories, when those types of scenes are actually quite rare. I guess I can see how some people see it as a soap opera with how fast everything moves and sex and nudity everyone. I don't know. I wish he didn't hate it so much! :(

[Mendoza]

My brother, a non-book reader, loves Stannis just for how blunt is regarding the line about his beloved brother Robert. He actually saw episode1 before me and was repeating the line to me, "He wasn't my beloved brother. I didn't love him and he didn't love me." He also, for the longest time, hated the Imp, just for being too over the top, but now he says the character is growing on him. He is also sure that King Joffrey "will get his" eventually.

[Gertrude]

This is why, as cool as it would have been to see, there was no need for a Tower of Joy flashback scene. Everything needed for today's Lost-trained TV audience to figure out Jon's likely parentage is within the first two episodes of season one, and the evidence is easier to find than within the pages of a 1,000-page book.

On another forum (the unspoiled one) several people think this, too. Their biggest proof is Ned telling Jon that 'he may not have his name, but he has his blood' - he didn't say, 'you are my son'. Not everyone is convinced, but it comes up quite a bit. A lot of people also think that he can't be a Targ because he burnt his hand when he threw the lantern on the wight. Then again, not everyone here is convinced of R+L+J so that sounds about right.

I also wanted to post this quote from there because it amused me. The conversation seems to have come back around to who send the assassin for Bran. (Littlefinger is a popular suspect, but most think it's Joff. The motivation is to frame Tyrion to get him back for bitch-slapping him.)

Anyone want to bet it was ROBERT'S dagger? You know, like he got gifted a while back? Which was just lying in a chest?

Were does THAT come from? Why would it be Robert's dagger? Why would he bring it to Winterfell? Why would the assassin use it? Can you elaborate?

[Gogossos]

A friend thinks Dany is immortal.

[_Oberyn_]

My borther loves the show but he does not seem to be bothered about where its going since he knows about the number of books and after Neds death he figured everything that happens now is very volatile. So his enjoying every episode on its own merits rather then try to make prediction, though he guessed what Balon wants. I cant wait to see his reaction to the RW though, i dont think he will see that coming.

[Abifer]

Most of my friends who watch the TV show haven't read the books and they're loving it so far, it's different watching the second series for me as I hadn't read the books until after the first series. Unsurprisingly, the most comments from my non-reading friends are related to the sexual content though it certainly hasn't impaired their enjoyment as a whole!

[birdsong66]

I watch with a group of people who have read, and people who have only seen season one. Here's what I'm getting:

1) Quite a few readers are frustrated with the changes in characters for the HBO series.

2) We readers had to explain that Melisandre is not that "bald guy's wife," and that his name is Stannis, who they heard about in season one.

3) This was the funniest observation to me: "Robb is a lot taller....must have found a soapbox." Which, I'm sorry, but ROTFL.

Overall, it seems to help the non-readers to have readers in the room to answer questions, or they give that impression at least.

[howland_reed]

My borther loves the show but he does not seem to be bothered about where its going since he knows about the number of books and after Neds death he figured everything that happens now is very volatile. So his enjoying every episode on its own merits rather then try to make prediction, though he guessed what Balon wants. I cant wait to see his reaction to the RW though, i dont think he will see that coming.

In all honesty, RW is VERY predictable. It's just that we as readers so did not want it to happen, that we're shocked as usual that our protagonists/heroes could not escape. I mean as soon as Robb came back with Jeyne Westerling and threw away his promise to the Freys, you knew something bad was going to happen. Then you have Greywind being chained up outside...its like we blind ourselves to what is inevitable because we expect the protagonists in a work of fiction to always find a way out. I think non-readers are already setting themselves up that anything can happen, including Robb's death.

I think what was more surprising in ASOS was actually Oberyn dying. I thought for sure he was going to kick Gregor's ass and Tyrion would win another trial by combat.

[_Oberyn_]

In all honesty, RW is VERY predictable. It's just that we as readers so did not want it to happen, that we're shocked as usual that our protagonists/heroes could not escape. I mean as soon as Robb came back with Jeyne Westerling and threw away his promise to the Freys, you knew something bad was going to happen. Then you have Greywind being chained up outside...its like we blind ourselves to what is inevitable because we expect the protagonists in a work of fiction to always find a way out. I think non-readers are already setting themselves up that anything can happen, including Robb's death.

I think what was more surprising in ASOS was actually Oberyn dying. I thought for sure he was going to kick Gregor's ass and Tyrion would win another trial by combat.

I agree that is predictable, it was for me because ASOS was the first book in the series i read and since i had no real attachment to Robb as a character it was obvious to me what was happeing. But i think after two and a half seasons even non-readers might think some some characters are too important/well liked/central to the plot to kill.

[TC_Chaos]

After going through all the comments, I think the most unified thing about non-readers is they do not want to read the books for it will ruin the show for them. One of my friends said the same thing to me when I was reading ADWD. He said, "Why would you want to ruin season 5 or 6 for yourself?" The other thing is that non-readers are seriously confused about many things. With this, its pretty obvious. First of all, with the mythology of ASOIAF, how can everything be explained on screen. I remember reading book 1 and was confused as hell, and that was from actually reading the text clearly with words.

As for the new season, the religions are going to be tough for people to digest. First of, I'm not even sure non-readers even know the two distinctions between the old god and the new from season 1. Second, every faction has their own religion. The thing with the Sevens from season 1 was they didn't explained or show who the fuck are the Sevens. Everyone know the old god because Sean Bean was sitting in front of the weirwood. And with Stannis' burning the Sevens, I'm sure non-readers don't know it was the statues of the Sevens he was burning. On top of not explaining the Sevens and the Red God, now they have to introduce the Drowned God next, LOL.

This season is going to be tough on non-readers because there is no major plot twists like season 1. Many are complaining the show is getting boring and it's a legit remark. I felt that ACOK has the best introduction to any book. By saying that I mean how all the Kings and Queen saw the red comet and declared outright it was their sign to rise and take the crown. When they showed the red comet and linked it to the dragons without any interpretation by any King or Queen, I felt they did the book wrong (very wrong). Again, for us readers, we must view this show as an interpretation and not a photocopy of the book.

Going forward, the one thing I really held dear to me was Battle of BW. I won't be too negative about this one just yet. We'll see how the season pan out.

[The Thin White Line]

I watched the first season alone, and hadn't read the books at that time (never even heard of them). As I became a total fanatic of the series, I now invite a group of 8 friends to watch it every sunday. 4 of them are avid book readers, 4 only watch the HBO material.

My opinion so far of Season 2 is that it doesn't quite move me as much as the first season. Too many unnecessary sex scenes, too many unimaginative conversation scenes in terms of filmmaking, a general lack of coherence. I'm pretty sure though that they're saving their budget for later in the season. They're just putting things into place at this point. My reader friends have the same opinion : they like it, but aren't enthusiastic. My non-reader friends are confused. They are sceptic for now. No one remembered who Theon was, no one remembered who Stannis was, and everybody was baffled after the Dragonstone scene. Yet, we're hanging on !

[Ser Chuck]

I was actually the one calling my non-reading friends in confusion last week. "Rakharo's not dead! He's in book five!" I don't know where they are going with that.

As for my friends no one seems to be having much trouble following along with me as a personal wiki that is willing to draw up maps and family trees on a whim. For the 13th straight episode I anticipate them all demanding Joffrey's head as they've done that consistently since day one. I've heard none of this reported confusion over Theon or the fate of Craster's son.