Are the books worth it?

[Zanderman489]

I just wanted to get your opinions. I'm caught up with the entire series and in waiting for the 4th season to come out, I've thought about picking up the books.

Here's the conundrum. It has become a routine with a bunch of my friends to all sit down and watch the show every week. I'm not sure if gaining outside knowledge about the characters that you can only get from the book will ruin that experience. They all enjoy the show but are adamant about only watching the shows, not reading the books.

I guess what I'm looking for is cases of individuals who started watching the series before reading the books and whether the extra details were worth it or if you wished that you would've just kept watching the show only.

[King of the Road]

Yeah, I enjoy the detail that GRRM puts into his work and the books do enhance my enjoyment of the show. Whatever criticisms I may have of his prose, GRRM is without doubt the best world-creator in literature at the moment, you can very easily get yourself lost in ASoIaF. Well worth reading if you're a fan of the show.

EDIT: For the record, I have read all the books and my enjoyment of the show has not diminished. It depends on how close an adaptation one desires.

[Atropis the Elf]

I'm one of those who read the books after 2 seasons. I enjoyed them and the only thing I regret is not starting them earlier. I won't say you get more information about the characters, past events etc, that's common knowledge.

It purely depends on you. If you don't want to ruin the experience of watching the show with your friends, then think twice about buying them. But if you indeed buy them, it would be pointless to start from book 3 (season 3 showed almost half of this book).

[Nezzer]

They are definitely worth it, but they might ruin the speculation and the surprises you'd have for having to wait a week between each episode. Reading the books is like being drowned in information, and when you are over, there's not much to speculate about. That's why the ASOIAF sections of this board are so repetitive. It's always the same topics being discussed over and over for years.

[Dragonstoned]

Read the books but don't read beyond where you've got to in the show otherwise you may end up a disillusioned book purist like me, i.e. so far read A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings and the first volume of A Storm of Swords but no further. That way when you watch the show you won't be comparing it to the books and thinking 'yeah it's great n all but I wish this was different etc. etc.'

[Duckfield]

I started reading the books after I watched the first season, by mid-second season I finished all five of them. I really loved the show, so much that I didn't think the books could be even remotely as interesting and awesome. Good god was I wrong. After finishing the books no one could convince me that the show is better, because the books are definitely better by far.

Also, the books covered every little question or misunderstanding I had from the show (except of course for parts that are deliberately not revealed), and they added a lot more depth to the characters.

By the time the second season ended, I was imagining the characters and the story's world the way I see it through the books and not the show, and that's awesome because then I get to see the story in 2 different versions (mine and the show's).

And just when I thought I know everything there is to know about the future seasons, I found this forum and all the amazing interpretations and theories it contains (if you haven't read the books, you won't get them)

I recommend reading the books, and finishing all of the series before season 4 begins. And of course BEWARE OF SPOILERS THEYRE EVERYWHERE! Don't read the forums here.

[Atropis the Elf]

And just when I thought I know everything there is to know about the future seasons, I found this forum and all the amazing interpretations and theories it contains (if you haven't read the books, you won't get them)

To the OP: Do not search for them!

[rystine]

I saw the first season of the show before I read the books. In between season 1 and 2 I read all five books. And while I still enjoy the show immensely, I must admit that my enjoyment has been somewhat tempered by having read through all the books and knowing what's going to happen in the story.

That said the books are definitely worth it.

My advice would be to pick up the first two books, A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings. There are probably minor spoilers for season 4 fairly early on in A Storm of Swords, so if you want to remain completely unspoiled I would say just avoid book 3 altogether for now.

Read through the first two, check out the "still reading" section of the forums here, possibly even re-read the first two if you have the time. And then six months or so, sit back and enjoy season 4 as you always have.

You'll get a deeper understanding of the world and all the characters, and you'll probably appreciate the show more. And as long as you don't read past where the show is, your enjoyment won't be lessened.

[Midnight_Thunder]

I read all five books this past summer after watching the show. (Finally had some free time from law school) Personally, I still love the show, but now I only consider it a sort of "abridged visual companion".

They're really two different beasts. The best aspects of the books--the slowly unraveling mystery and the truly immersive world, don't quite translate to the screen. However, I feel that the show does a good job portraying the characters as they are in the books (Not as good as the books, but it is perhaps the best part of the show)

In the end, if you think you love the world of the show, the books will absolutely be a delight. One reason GRRM's fans are so rabid about the next book's release is because he's created a thoroughly engrossing and addictive story. Any endorsement of the books that I can give must be qualified with a warning: After you're done with the books, the wait for the next one is going to suck.

[Fightbringer]

i would say that, whilst reading the books has diminished my enjoyment of the show (only by a bit though) its still worth it as the books are even better than the show (if thats possible) However, there are plenty of ways to gain the extra knowledge of the world the show is set in. You could read the first two books (might be a couple of spoilers for later on but cant think of anything huge) or you could go onto the hbo guide which is on there website and is spoiler free (maybe a bit lacking in the detail your looking for but still good) or there are a series of videos that were released with the blu-ray boxsets of the show. They're narrated by characters from the show and last a few minutes each, but there are quite a few of them, they deal with the history of the world the show is based in, without giving away anything in terms of spoilers. They're all on youtube and are worth watching if you're looking for greater detail about the GoT universe without reading the books

[Han Snow]

READ THEM!!! :cool4:

[Abyssalix]

If you would ask me, The books and the show have two different stories. i mean in the show we are never introduced to the prince that was promised storyline and the Lyanna storyline, sometimes they are hinted but never shown. Yeah i know gaining more info can be disruptive, but its september , and each book is approx 800 pages long, so just read one book every 2 months for an average of 400 pages / half a book every month, by the time season 4 is out, you would have just reached there in the books.

[Undead Ned With No Head]

Fuck yes

[Lord Jakkor]

I watched the first two seasons and then read all five books in a span of a few months. I'm now re-reading the books (about to start book 4) because I loved them so much and there's so much detail that on first read-through a lot of it went over my head or I missed it.

If you are ok with knowing the general direction a show is going before it happens, then I say definitely read them. Some things in the show are different enough that it adds a different layer in watching.

My biggest thing is that if you like watching the show for the action, and for the effects, than maybe the books aren't for you. But if your favorite parts are the dialogue and the storytelling, and the world mythology, then the books will by HIGHLY rewarding.

[Mistress of Lemon Cakes]

My first question to you is: do you enjoy reading?

If you enjoy reading then I would say: “Yes. Absolutely! Read them all!”

I watched the first two seasons of the show before deciding I absolutely had to read the books. I read all five of them over a span of about six months. I don’t see the point in trying to only read up to the point you are in with the show. If you are like me, you will be splitting hairs to find out what happens next in the books and not be able to restrain yourself.

The trick is to remember that the book and the show are two different mediums. Don’t be a book purist. Appreciate both mediums for what they are. I enjoy both the books and the show immensely and feel like they both enhance one another. There are differences. I am okay with these differences. They don’t cheapen the experience for me at all.

I will say as a warning: my boyfriend is a strict “show only” fan. He hates it when I mention anything about the books. You may find it difficult to keep all the little extra tidbits you learn from the books to yourself, but I’ve managed to restrain myself (in large part thanks to this board). So will you.

[The Scabbard Of the Morning]

The books are definitely better. But if you enjoy the experience of watching with your friend and discussing with them you might want to stick to that. The books will always be there and will be there when the series finishes its run.

[Israel]

Yes if you like to read fantasy, its also a very realistic fantasy world in contrast to like Brandon sanderson's worlds, so even if your leary of fantasy you could consider this fantasy light with a very well thought out world that resembles feudalism.

The show does a pretty good job of delivering the main storylines and characters but the true ASOIAF experience is in the texts. There subplots and sub-sub-plots and way more characters. Theres more mythology. Theres also a whole other plot mystery that does'nt see the light of day in the show I mean the players are mentioned but the pieces of the puzzle arent really presented.

[Winds of Winter blow cold]

If you can keep them apart in your mind. If you let the changes get to you, well...

[EnricoChe]

I think everyone on this forum will agree that you should read the books at some point, but the question is when.

For me, I started reading the books after I watched the first two seasons because I had to know how the story continues and didn`t want to wait any longer.

(unfortunately after reading book 5 I now have to wait even longer) I loved them so much that I even reread all the books before season 3 aired.

I have to say before reading I liked the show, but afer I loved the story and the whole asoiaf world, so it really enhanced the experience for me.

There are so many moments in the books that I can look forward to. (And on the contrary to what some book purists say, the show really does a great job interpreting the books)

But if you like to watch the show with your friends who don`t read the books you might find yourself in the situation that you cannot discuss the show with them and speculate as before because you know stuff. I have to say sometimes when you talk to a show only fan it is really difficult to not spoil anything.

So I have to say read the books! But when? I don`t know, you have to decide for yourself.

[Zanderman489]

Thanks so much everyone for your answers. It may still take some more deliberation to decide whether or not ruining that week-to-week speculation with my friends it worth it, but I do enjoy reading and have watched each season in it's entirety far more than any of them. I may do as a few of you have suggested and read the first two books and wait until season 4 is finished before starting book 3. However, once I get going on a series that I really like, and have accessibility to the sequels, it's difficult to pry me away.