People starting with ASOS or just skipping chapters

[EnricoChe]

So I started reading with Storm, because after watching the first 2 Seasons of GoT I just had to know how the story continues and a couldn't wait another year for the next season.

I couldn't start with Game because that wouldn't have satisfied my curiosity. Of course after reading Storm, Feast and Dance I read Game and Clash (and then again the other 3),

but starting with Game would have been impossible for me. I believe that a lot of people who come to the books from the TV series do it the same way because they are curious about how the story

continues and not because they want to know more details about the story they already know.

But I have to agree with all of you that skipping chapters is just plain stupid. How can you by choice miss out on some part of this great story.

[King Tam Stark]

its hard to comprehend but on the flip side its hard for non-book readers to comprehend us doing rereads

[KingGendry]

I started reading after Season 1, but still read all through GoT, and obviously read every chapter on my first read through.

I'm re-reading now and I have skipped a couple of chapters (Bran, Dany in Qarth), but I wouldn't skip whole characters.

[Jojen Dayne-Reed]

So I started reading with Storm, because after watching the first 2 Seasons of GoT I just had to know how the story continues and a couldn't wait another year for the next season.

I couldn't start with Game because that wouldn't have satisfied my curiosity.

I refused to watch the show until I'd finished the books for basically the same reason. I understand getting bored by a story when you already know how it ends. It's a little different with something like this because there's so much more in the books but the basic story is the same.

My wife is the opposite. She started GOT after watching the first two seasons and retreads/watches things all the time.

So I guess it takes all kinds.

But yeah, skipping even the characters you hate/think are boring. I can't understand that. But I'm here so obviously I love gathering every bit of information I can under any circumstances.

[Dany Girl]

My favorite is when the people who skipped whole chapters come up with some "brilliant" theory on the boards that has already been confirmed or squashed completely in the books. Then when posters tell them what's up their response is "oh, I didn't read that character's chapters".... well, then shut up. If you haven't read every chapter you are missing huge chunks of information. Like another poster said about skipping Aero's chapters, you miss Doran's plans, which will make a large impact once Aegon arrives.

[Real Heir of Bear Island]

If your going to make the commitment to read multiple 700-1000 page books why not ready everything in them? It doesn't make any sense. You are 500 pages into a book but can't bare to read the next 35 so you skip them? It's silly.

I'll admit I have rushed through certain chapters on my first read because I wanted to know what happened to a favorite character. I still read them though and on my reread wished I hadn't rushed so much.

As for skipping books, why bother reading any of them? You should read a book to enjoy the author's full story, not to just find out what happens.

[Arya_Ghostface]

I read the first few Harry Potter books out of order (3,2,4,1 and then 5,6,7) after watching the first movie, and though I understood the plot fairly well, there were still these small moments of foreshadowing and/or humour in the books that I missed the first time round, especially in goblet of fire. But maybe these minor plot points, like the grey lady strolling by, or Dobby making a joke about socks are not that important to those who just want to know how it all ends :S

[Sordelor]

What I hate much more are people who try to talk about the books when they've only seen the tv show or people who keep saying 'game of thrones books' instead of 'A Song of Ice and Fire.

[Blackfish Greyjoy]

I was introduced to the series thro the show and watched the first two seasons in 2 days lol. Afterwards I went and bought the first 4 books and started reading AGoT but I felt like I had just read it b/c the series follows it pretty closely. So I skipped ahead to ASoS I don't think it was stupid. I am in the middle of a reread and I'm finding that there are quite afew changes from books to tv but I don't feel like I missed anything that I didn't already know.

[WildBlood]

these people are doing themselves a HUGE disservice. They are missing all of Ned's flashbacks, most of the background on Bran and the 3ER and pretty much all of the jumping off points of the story.

[V Targaryen]

I get so tired of answering this same question over and over again on an answers community I'm on: "If I watched season 3, I can start with A Feast For Crows right?"

Ugh, it's enough to make me scream! Not only do they want to jump right in, but they also think they'll have an understanding of the series if they just watch the show.

As for skipping chapters, I just don't get it. Even on rereads, I don't skip anyone even characters who I hate/whose chapter I hate. There's so much to catch and pick up on that it seems impossible to skip a chapter, but people do it.

[The Weirwoods Eyes]

I can not understand skipping books, or chapters at all. But I guess it all depends on if you are a serious reader or not. Reading is pure pleasure why deny yourself that?

I started reading at the very beginning of season 3 and it never crossed my mind to start at ASOS, I quickly realised just how much the show skipped and the changes that they made and feel that I am better for having that information. Though sadly the books ruined the show somewhat as after reading them I am not as in love with the show. I still love it just not quite so much. The books are amazing the show is fantastic but its not able to do the books justice.

You deserve to give yourself the joy of reading the entirety of the series.

[WeirwoodTreeHugger]

I read the books after season 1 of the show and briefly considered starting with ACOK. I'm so glad I didn't. There is so much important information about history and mythology. The extra detail in Bran's dreams is great. Arya's chapters are more harrowing because she had to survive in flea bottom. Dany has a dream that isn't in the show. All the hints in Ned's mind concerning ToJ. I didn't get what it meant until I came here and saw the R + L = J theory, but it was still intriguing. Viserys the cart king. I could on...

Nobody should skip ACOK and miss weasel soup and the HofU. Also the introduction to the Reeds and the Reek deception are better. I know out of practicality they had to change it in the show, but it's still cooler in ACOK.

I do admit to skimming some paragraphs on rereads if they concern heraldry, feast descriptions or the sword fights that don't result in important characters deaths.

[Sordelor]

I read the books after season 1 of the show and briefly considered starting with ACOK. I'm so glad I didn't. There is so much important information about history and mythology. The extra detail in Bran's dreams is great. Arya's chapters are more harrowing because she had to survive in flea bottom. Dany has a dream that isn't in the show. All the hints in Ned's mind concerning ToJ. I didn't get what it meant until I came here and saw the R + L = J theory, but it was still intriguing. Viserys the cart king. I could on...

Nobody should skip ACOK and miss weasel soup and the HofU. Also the introduction to the Reeds and the Reek deception are better. I know out of practicality they had to change it in the show, but it's still cooler in ACOK.

I do admit to skimming some paragraphs on rereads if they concern heraldry, feast descriptions or the sword fights that don't result in important characters deaths.

And they also cutted all Florents and Garlan.

[Buried Treasure]

As far as I am concerned people are perfectly free to skip whatever they like but I find it incredibly frustrating when those same people try to engage in discussions or theories in the main book forums -such theories frequently display obvious flaws because they missed a salient point in a chapter they skipped. If people haven't read D&E or the extra Targ backstory or just misremember things that is all perfectly reasonable because there is a hell of a lot of material but when people haven't made the effort to become somewhat famililiar with all of the main canon I don't feel the rest of us owe it to them to spend any effort taking their theories seriously. It's like holding a conversation using only half the vocabulary you know.

[WildBlood]

They are, IMO, turning into more of a drama on HBO. They gloss over anything magical, which is probably budgetary with exception to dragons. I know folks who haven't read the books and up until recently had no idea that Bran had any kind of powers, and had no idea what the 3ER had to do with anything. Maybe D & D think that by limiting the 'fantasy' they will draw more viewer in with drama. :dunno:

[Samwell Gamgi]

Srsly wtf

Even if you watch the show... Starting at ASOS is stupid and skipping chapters... Well... There isn't a word in all the tongues of men or elves to describe the stupidity of that.

My thoughts are that your harsh criticism is stupid. Why should it matter to you, the way another prefers to read his or her books?

[SaltpansResident]

I started that way, I'm fine with it. By and large the books are extremely plot-driven and the writing is a bit flat-toned and not what I consider Literary Ahhrt. I'm confident enough in my literacy that I don't worry about skipping bits that bore me and coming back to them. I actually find it more immersive because I can stick to one character's POV, though of course that's more true of ASoIaF than most books (I skip and taste most straight-through narrations unless the language is really fun).

[SaltpansResident]

And really, I think it's bad practice to look down on "non-readers." I think the American fetish of reading for the sake of reading has given us a vast number of readers who plow through dreck undiscriminatingly and then get all smug about it.

[Prince of the Green]

I jumped on the bandwagon after the first season of Game of Thrones. I really liked what I saw and was interested to know what else happens, like many fans, but reading the book is actually more exciting than watching an episode or season of the show, in my opinion.

I read every page of AGoT through ADwD because that is how it was meant to be read, not by skipping chapters. It's quite validating to say that you've read through Daenerys' arc even though you have absolutely no interest in going back to those chapters. Then again, I've read Jon, Bran, Arya, and Catelyn's arcs through from book one to book five multiple times, and I enjoy them as much on the fifth read through as I did on the first.