Were there any characters you hated in the books but really liked in the HBO show?

[TheEvilKing]

"Hated" is a bit much but there are many characters that I enjoy more in the show than the books:

Tyrion

Asha/Yara

Viserys

Osha

Jorah

Olenna Tyrell (already)

Margaery Tyrell

Cersei

Jojen (already)

Sam

[Ser Cookie Monster]

I watched the series first, and the main difference I found was the way the series humanised Tywin, who comes across as likeable and somewhat noble. Yet he was by far the character I hated most in the books and actually my candidate for the worst villain of the whole (book) series. Hated him. But it's hard not to find redeeming qualities in a character if they're played by Charles Dance.

What??... But Tywin was one of my favorite characters in the books.....

[dim_mac]

I like TV Littlefinger more than in the books

I also think that LC Mormont is much better presented in the books than in the show.

[go joff go]

Even though I came around to him in DWD show Theon at this point is blowing my mind with how nuanced he is, as nuanced was one of the last things I would associate with early book Theon.

[Vovea]

Margaery. A million times Margaery. I found her a boring, bordering on Mary-Sue in the books. When she came along in season two I rolled my eyes whenever she was in a scene and didn't pay as much attention as I should have (or I would have found I actually liked her sooner). It's probably down to the fact you get to see more of her side of the story. The manipulation through feigned innocence and naivety is what I was hoping for from Dany (atleast the scene with the Unsullied merchant... "I'm just a young girl but...").

Segawaying to Daenerys she's the opposite. I've lost a lot love for her during the last season and episode one of series three. She was my favorite character from the books, even if some of her chapters were slow. Emelia Clarke does a good job but the changes to her storyline seem to be for the worse. As her entourage has gone and I found only her and Jorah walking around the docks in episode one of series three very strange and lonely as well. Like Robert hunting with just Renly and Barristan.

I also love Tywin from the show and hate the man from the books. Only because Charles Dance is so damn charming.

[Failed to De-anon]

Margaery and Tywin for sure though I am sure it has to do with the way they are being portrayed by the actors who are portraying them, but, none the less I prefer tv!them to book!them. Now that I think about it, the same goes for Bronn too.

[DraculaAD1972]

I prefer tv Stannis to book Stannis. Also Robb, Brienne, Sam, Varys.

[Rhaegarsjoy]

I didn't notice Osha much in the books but love her on the show, Charles Dance as Tywin is so brilliant I forget how much I hate the lannisters . Book STANNIS BARATHEON a man that even tywin lannister fears is so bad ass in the books, I'm not even a fan of his but you gotta respect The Stannis. Tv stannis is weak n pathetic at times makes you wonder who will fear such a man specially last episode "please don't leave me" sorta ruined stannis for me.

[Jon Icefyre]

Book STANNIS BARATHEON a man that even tywin lannister fears is so bad ass in the books, I'm not even a fan of his but you gotta respect The Stannis. Tv stannis is weak n pathetic at times makes you wonder who will fear such a man specially last episode "please don't leave me" sorta ruined stannis for me.

I think ppl are really overreacting with the whole, "Tv Stannis is weak" thing just because of the last episode. We don't get any Stannis or Mel pov chapters in ASOS we only get Davos so all the Tv series is trying to show is that there is obviously an emotional and very intimate connection betwwen Stannis and Mel that is definetly one of the reasons(among many other obvious reasons) Stannis refuses to part with her, and the book Stannis would never admit to that even though it's obviously true. If you watched the countless season 3 trailers as most have then you should know that Stannis will get back to his normal badass self by the end of this season. There's a scene in one of the trailers that shows Stannis talking to a man behind a cell that is undoubtly Davos, and he lays out a pretty badass quote in my opinion:

"The Darkness will devour them all, unless I triumph. We do not choose our destiny, we must do our duty no? Great or small we must do our duty."

Ya I'd say Stannis will definitely end this season as his normal stone cold, hard as a rock, badass self. :bowdown:

[Yarp]

I prefer Charles Dance's Tywin, though I didn't exactly "hate" book-Tywin.

Both Lena Headey's Cersei and John Bradley's Samwell are far more interesting than their entirely unsympathetic book selves.

[Mendoza]

I definitely perfer tv Brienne because I'm having an easier time seeing her pov through the actresses performance as she plays off of Jaime's arrogance. Also, was it book 4, that horrible travel log of Brienne that went no where for pages upon pages really put me off to the character.

[SilentSense]

Probably Theon

[Jon Icefyre]

Probably Theon

I really hate Theon in the books and tv show although I think he's slightly more tolerable in books. The funny thing is I think the way Tywin describes Tyrion in the season 3 premiere as, "An ill made, spiteful little creature. Full of envy, lust, and low-cunning." Is much better suited for describing Theon, infact that's exactly how I would describe Theon in the tv show lol.

[dracomaledicte]

I should note that I watched the first two seasons before reading the books, then rewatched them after having read GoT and CoK. I'm now fully caught up on both. I don't think I particularly hated any characters though there were some that I found more dull to read about than others.

Preferred on the show:

Tywin - the addition of his scenes with Arya sealed it for me

Renly - much more memorable/likeable

Jorah - I thought he was great when I watched the show and was shocked to see how little I liked him when I read the books

Theon - portrayed much more sympathetically in the show, at least thus far

Maester Luwin - I didn't pay much attention to him in the books but he was so well-done on the show that I cried both times I watched his death scene

Preferred in the books:

Asha - a little disappointed so far but I'm hoping that will change as she gets more screentime

Catelyn - I think Michelle Fairley is doing an excellent job but I'm not always happy with how Lady Catelyn is being written

Robb - mostly due to the Talisa/Jeyne switch and how I feel it impacted his character (less about honor, more about selfishness and impulsivity, though maybe it helps that the whole ordeal went down off-screen in the books)

Doreah - even though she's a minor character I was honestly so pissed off at what they did to her character on the show

[Dove]

^^^ Agreed on Luwin. He didn't leave any kind of impression but his character in the show was strong and his death was amazingly powerful. That yell that he gives when he gets stabbed - ugh. I like Maester Aemon a lot too.

Honestly, Michelle Fairley is what helped me come to appreciate Catelyn. I always dismissed her an interesting but sort of irritating character in the books at first, but Fairley's performance really made me reevaluate everything even if her writing can be inconsistent on the show. Now that I'm re-reading the series I'm seeing that my initial dismissal was unfair.

[Castellan]

I don't know about 'really like' but I've moderated my boredom and impatience with Robb. I can't help think its just because men certainly look good in armour and furs. Likewise Iain Glen brings a certain something to Jorah...

I really liked Alfie Allen's portrayal of Theon, I don't know if I like him more or less though, it just brought the whole Iron Islands side of things alive for me.

TV Shae is completely different from book Shae and much more interesting.

Tywin is more human but I think he had to be otherwise he would have remained a cypher - you can work out stuff about him from his children's thoughts in the book but the show can't go inside their heads. Charles Dance is great and I think some of the extra scenes they have put in for him (with Jaime in the red tent, with Arya in Harranhal) plus the scene with Tyrion this season are one of its main claims to excellence. The other actors seem to rise to the occasion when they act with him.

The script continues to do good work showing how repulsive Joffrey is but also that he is a trapped teenaged boy with big problems. One is either cringing at his actions or at his pathetic personality.

I am coming round to the portrayal of Cersei. There was too much looking moody without having enough good lines in the previous series.

On the other side

I feel the Tyrells have really copped a bashing in HBO. I liked the way in the book that Margaery is not a POV character and so to an extent we have to draw our own conclusions about her nature and what her family is up to. In the show it seems like its laid on thick for dummies "These people are plotting!". "She's a phony"! blah blah blah.

[Catherine Storm]

Maybe Dany. In both book and series I find her irritating. I even loved E02 specifically because there was no whiny fire & blood nonsense.

I was impressed E03 though so perhaps moving forward she'll become more interesting.

I am really trying to think... I don't think I hated anyone in the books! (oh except for the Iron islanders - Every time I read a chapter (aside from Theon's) i was like dudes yo have no chance, just go away).

[1234567]

Jaime. Can't stand him in the books, but Coster-Waldau is wonderful and likeable.

[Jon Icefyre]

Jaime. Can't stand him in the books, but Coster-Waldau is wonderful and likeable.

Agreed, I think tv Jamie is a lot funnier lol.

[lostinwesteros]

Shae, definitely...however, she's obviously being portrayed so differently in the HBO series that it's hard for there not to be that difference.

But as to Theon -- not that I'm a 'fan' of his now, but I think the TV series has done a great job of underscoring the 'lost' parts of his character, the pathos of his situation. His role is basically the same in both the books and the TV series, but the TV series has really drawn out those tragic parts of him, made him much less of a one dimensional character. I also think the acting for Theon's part has just been outstanding, and that this has also been instrumental in underscoring the complexities at his core.