Has anyone read the books but not watched the shows?

[The Imperator]

I read the books first and then started to watch the series just as Season 2 was starting. The HBO series is pretty damn good. I find it intriguing that a huge chunk of the people that log on to Westeros.org hate the show whereas many fans of the books who don't go to this site like it a lot, at least from my observation. Then, of course, you have the show-only fans who are also very favorable of it, though a lot of them read the books eventually.

[Neo]

A couple of questions to everyone who answered yes to the OP: how will you feel if the shows catch up and overtake the books? Will you desperately attempt to avoid all spoilers (as show-watchers currently have to do, although it will be even worse for readers-only, as there will be reactions to the TV show all over the news/twitter etc), or give in and watch it?

I pray that this does not happen. It will be a travesty if douchebags like Benioff and Weiss get finish a life's work from a genius like GRRM before he gets the chance to do so.

I would happily see the shows cancelled just so GRRM gets to finish his story at his own pace. Benioff and Weiss have already done their best to water down the quality of GRRM's story, over-simplify the characters, and add in as much needless sex and titillation as possible.

If the unthinkable did happen, then I would attempt to avoid all spoilers, but as you say, in the internet-age, that may be very difficult to do.

[Sordelor]

I read the books first and then started to watch the series just as Season 2 was starting. The HBO series is pretty damn good. I find it intriguing that a huge chunk of the people that log on to Westeros.org hate the show whereas many fans of the books who don't go to this site like it a lot, at least from my observation. Then, of course, you have the show-only fans who are also very favorable of it, though a lot of them read the books eventually.

Unfortunately the ones I know think the show improved the book (I have no idea why).

[Ygrain]

I didn't want to but the soundtrack convinced me otherwise. I have watched season 1 and thought it quite good, but I have seen some snippets of 2 and 3 on youtube which I positively hated, so I'm feeling rather ambivalent whether to continue watching or not. Somehow, it has strong LotR vibes - the first part good, the rest screwed.

[Consigliere]

Read the novels and watched the show. The books are vastly superior though. What was the point of the Ros character? Why was the Smalljon not included on the show? The show fails to decently portray Sana and The Hounds relationship and the Robb\Talissa thing was just lame. The worst thing though is that the show gives the impression that Dany is fireproof.

[Sansa_Stark]

Read the novels and watched the show. The books are vastly superior though. What was the point of the Ros character? Why was the Smalljon not included on the show? The show fails to decently portray Sana and The Hounds relationship and the Robb\Talissa thing was just lame. The worst thing though is that the show gives the impression that Dany is fireproof.

$$$$

[Midnight_Thunder]

I pray that this does not happen. It will be a travesty if douchebags like Benioff and Weiss get finish a life's work from a genius like GRRM before he gets the chance to do so.

I would happily see the shows cancelled just so GRRM gets to finish his story at his own pace. Benioff and Weiss have already done their best to water down the quality of GRRM's story, over-simplify the characters, and add in as much needless sex and titillation as possible.

If the unthinkable did happen, then I would attempt to avoid all spoilers, but as you say, in the internet-age, that may be very difficult to do.

GRRM knew exactly what he was getting himself into when he agreed to option ASOIAF. If the show overtakes the books, there's no one to blame but GRRM. That being said, I think GRRM will publish ADOS before the show's final season.

[Sordelor]

Read the novels and watched the show. The books are vastly superior though. What was the point of the Ros character? Why was the Smalljon not included on the show? The show fails to decently portray Sana and The Hounds relationship and the Robb\Talissa thing was just lame. The worst thing though is that the show gives the impression that Dany is fireproof.

Very frustrating that all showwatchers I know say Jon can't be a Targaryen because of that.

[Ser Greg of House House]

Me. I watched the first season, then started reading the books. I never watched again. (I'm lying, I saw one thing or two when people who live with me are watching, but not much)

[Ser Greg of House House]

btw... I don't watch because I think it spoils stuff and I don't really like it. Too much stuff happening, they have to cut too much stuff and it loses all the depth. But I admit it's great. If I had read the books before watching the first season, I'd never think they'd be able to do such a great job. I don't really think it's even possible to do much better than that.

[Stannis Eats No Peaches]

I watched the first season and then read the books. I continue to watch the show as I like seeing the books come to life (or in the case of certain characters, I'm looking at you, Renly, butchered beyond recognition) on screen , but that doesn't make the show anywhere near as good as the books.

[Humbler_than_anyone]

Very frustrating that all showwatchers I know say Jon can't be a Targaryen because of that.

Yeah but that's stupid because we saw Viserys wasn't imune to heat and fire and he also was a Targaryen though not a real dragon. But that Dany wasn't fireproof really got me some headache when I've read it later.

So obviously I watched the show first. It's a good show and and the creators aren't douchebags!!! It's not necessary to insult people because you don't like what they do! I personally think they caught the vibe of the books and you can tell that they love George's work.. Otherwise I can't see why Martin should still approve. And when he's satisfied who am I to hate on it? Still I think the books are better and more addicting by far.

[James March]

I watched the first season when the second came out, then I purchased all books in my mother tongue and afterwards I purchased the english version.

The soundtrack of the HBO, especially for the second season, is great.

The books are always better than the movie, but it is true that what a movie can make you feel in certain moments is far different from what a book gives you. I like to both watch and read the series, and advice to do the same.

[Wolf in Hallowed Places]

I would like to say I'm a book-only man, because I have a lot of issues with the show, but realistically, no matter how much of a mess they make of it, there's no way I'm not gonna watch it, for the following reasons-

-I like to critique it.

-I like to see where it diverges from the books.

-Given the content, the material that they have to work with, there's no way it will be truly bad, or unenjoyable.

-I need my fix until TWOW.

-Everyone needs their downtime/mental junk food.

My mate has never watched the show. He has an idea in his head how all the characters and places look so he doesn't want to see someone else's interpretation.

I can relate to that, but I like to see others' interpretations, I just don't like it when they override my own. It can make the reader lazy, if they don't have to construct a mental image from the descriptions they're given, but just cut-and-paste the TV image into their mind.

I take my mental images of characters and places very seriously, and I like to keep them personal, original, and faithful to descriptions. I really wish I had read the books before ever so much as seeing adverts for the show, as once a character/place's visage has been absorbed into your head, it's quite dificult to excise it and replace it with your own. Even characters I pictured before they appeared in the TV show are in danger of being superseded by their on-screen counterparts. My main motivation for re-reading the series was to try and read it as if I had never seen the show, so I would form my own visions of the world, independent of TV spoonfeeding. This is important for me as I find some of the actors quite obnoxious and/or cringeworthy, both visually and in their manner. But some actors (generally the older ones) are really good, and so are actually harder to shake from my mind.

[Knife Chase]

I, like many, picked up the books after watching the show. Seasons one and two. My whole class did pretty much and it's all we talked about since me and two others were reading the same pace.

Anyway, a question... Those who read the books first... How did you like the actors? I think they're all great portrayals I especially like catelyn and theon in the show. Season 3 shocked me though. Did you guys find a big drop in casting in season 3? I mean daario... Jesus...

[The Crow's Third Eye]

I started reading the books last December in response to friends talking about it, and read up to SoS before even hearing about the TV show on Sky Atlantic (I'm English) so I didn't even realise I could have watched, haha.

Once I finished the books to date I decided to watch some memorable moments on YouTube to see how they were portrayed. I liked RW, although the book did better IMO, but Blackwater was too...not sure, I just didn't like it I'm afraid. I thought Neds beheading and LF betrayal were good though. So from what I have seen I think I will continue to not watch the whole series, but see the big events portrayed on screen

[Azzanadra]

Probably a few people, don't know why though. Even though the show is flawed it is a good show, one of the better shows these days.

[Faydra]

I saw the show at first, and then picked up the books (such a shame, eh?). But I understand why people refuse to watch it. It really bothers me when they add useless scenes, such as Pod being extremely... skilled. That was particularly awkward. Also, what they did to Sansa's development was dreadful. It's still a good show, however.

[armidil0]

I don't watch the show because I already get theories on the boards mixed up with actual canon. Don't need to throw in a third way of tripping me up.

[Lord Puff Fish]

I read the entire series before I started watching the show. I'm half-way into the first season, and while there are some things that I could compain about, I've found it's good. Books are the best though.