Game of Thrones - Book Readers' Thread

[Marvolo]

Spoiler

 

[Sawyer]

Spoiler

I'll tell you something, she's no Lady Olenna.

 

[Infinity9999x]

That's what I mean... some of us would like to read the books before watching the show. So instead of that choice, I have to miss out on the show in favor of waiting for a book that could take five years to get published? Needless to say, that's just ridiculous.

It is getting ridiculous. He started the series in...what, 96? It's been nearly 20 years and he's still hasn't finished. And as cool as it is that he's doing things like the History and Dunk and Egg...I can't help but go "How about you finish your actual series FIRST?"

And honestly, I think that after next season we'll be caught up with all the books. I could easily see them condensing what's left of book 4 and 5 into Season 5 next year. Which means he'll need to get Bk 6 out by next summer at the latest if he doesn't want them to pass him.

 

[Aesop Rocks]

I'll tell you something, she's no Lady Olenna.

Neither are you.

 

[Marvolo]

It is getting ridiculous. He started the series in...what, 96? It's been nearly 20 years and he's still hasn't finished. And as cool as it is that he's doing things like the History and Dunk and Egg...I can't help but go "How about you finish your actual series FIRST?"

And honestly, I think that after next season we'll be caught up with all the books. I could easily see them condensing what's left of book 4 and 5 into Season 5 next year. Which means he'll need to get Bk 6 out by next summer at the latest if he doesn't want them to pass him.

It doesnt help that he refuses to write anywhere but his home. His editor says she's tried to change his mind but he is stubborn about it. So when he takes on these new projects that keep him on the road its even more time that he isnt writing.

 

[Aesop Rocks]

haha he's totally going to die before he even finishes the series. so awesome.*

*this is sarcasm and actually pisses me off deeply

 

[Infinity9999x]

It doesnt help that he refuses to write anywhere but his home. His editor says she's tried to change his mind but he is stubborn about it. So when he takes on these new projects that keep him on the road its even more time that he isnt writing.

Well, honestly, all he's doing in the long run is setting himself up for a heavy dose of self-frustration. As a writer myself, I can imagine that he very much wants to finish telling his story before someone else does. But that's looking more and more unlikely. I have faith in D&D to tell it well, because I've actually liked almost all their changes to the original source material better (though when they mess up, they mess up hard. I'm looking at you Jamie/Cersei scene!) But I would still like to read George's version rather than see it on the show first.

 

[ThePhantasm]

Its quite possible that if the show passes GRRM the two stories will greatly diverge. GRRM has said before that he has major plot points planned but that he wings the rest as he goes. He doesn't outline before writing, so it sometimes happens that he writes a few chapters, decides he doesn't like the way its going, and discards those chapters to write the story in a different direction. So while the showrunners probably know the major plot points they probably don't know what gets them from A to B (GRRM probably doesn't know himself) so they'll have to come up with that on their own.

 

[Aesop Rocks]

Yeah, like that white walker scene with the baby? I felt like that was too soon, there's still too much going on for all that jazz.

 

[Roose Bolton]

Given the recent casting leaks, with them basically going all out with the Dornish storyline of AFFC, the fact that they're going to finally utilize flashbacks next year, and that we still have some major threads from ASOS to finish up, it really wouldn't surprise me if they still have material from books 4&5 going into season 6. Plus they've already shown they like to add filler like Karl "The Fookin Legend" Tanner.

But enough with the *****ing, it's ruining the mood;

 

[Marvolo]

Given the recent casting leaks, with them basically going all out with the Dornish storyline of AFFC, the fact that they're going to finally utilize flashbacks next year, and that we still have some major threads from ASOS to finish up, it really wouldn't surprise me if they still have material from books 4&5 going into season 6. Plus they've already shown they like to add filler like Karl "The Fookin Legend" Tanner.

But enough with the *****ing, it's ruining the mood;

What flashbacks are they doing next season?

 

[Roose Bolton]

Young Cersei and her friends meeting Maggy the Frog.

 

[Marvolo]

Young Cersei and her friends meeting Maggy the Frog.

Thats very interesting.

 

[Roose Bolton]

Yeah, and, correct me if I'm wrong but [blackout] Didn't Cersei murder her little friend after hearing the prophecy? Pushing her down the Well? [/blackout] I wonder if they'll show that...

 

[Marvolo]

Yeah, and, correct me if I'm wrong but [blackout] Didn't Cersei murder her little friend after hearing the prophecy? Pushing her down the Well? [/blackout] I wonder if they'll show that...

She ended up in the well, but I cant remember if the book says [blackout]Cersei[/blackout] did it or if it was just implied. They may cut that part of the prophecy to simplify things.

 

[iamlegend]

Depends how they do episode 10, because right now it looks like they'll still have plot threads from book 3 running into season 5.

And yet there are other plot threads that seem like they'll be significantly advanced compared to where they stood at the end of Book 3.

Plus, Books 4 and 5 have an awful lot of filler of their own that the show could (and in a lot of cases, probably will) be cutting. And it's not like HBO has been shy about saying how long it intends for the show to run, regardless.

 

[iamlegend]

That's what I mean... some of us would like to read the books before watching the show. So instead of that choice, I have to miss out on the show in favor of waiting for a book that could take five years to get published? Needless to say, that's just ridiculous.

I've long since bought into the train of thought that believes Martin honestly has no idea how to get the story to the ending he has in mind.

 

[ThePhantasm]

I've long since bought into the train of thought that believes Martin honestly has no idea how to get the story to the ending he has in mind.

He's basically said as much a few times... he figures it out as he goes.

 

[iamlegend]

She ended up in the well, but I cant remember if the book says [blackout]Cersei[/blackout] did it or if it was just implied. They may cut that part of the prophecy to simplify things.

Yeah...

Spoiler

The fact that Cersei kills her friend is pretty unimportant to the real point of the flashback. Which is, of course, to show why she's always been so quick to hate and fear Tyrion. A part of her is very much afraid that the prophecy that the "valonquar" will kill her is quite true.

Of course, that opens a whole 'nother can of worms... since, as book readers know, she technically has TWO younger brothers... being that she was born moments before Jaime.

 

[Marvolo]

Yeah...

Spoiler

The fact that Cersei kills her friend is pretty unimportant to the real point of the flashback. Which is, of course, to show why she's always been so quick to hate and fear Tyrion. A part of her is very much afraid that the prophecy that the "valonquar" will kill her is quite true.

Of course, that opens a whole 'nother can of worms... since, as book readers know, she technically has TWO younger brothers... being that she was born moments before Jaime.

Spoiler

I've always figured Jaime would be the one to kill her. Directly or indirectly he is the one to do it. And when it happens I can't wait to read her reaction. The only thing sweeter would be if there is an unknown sibling that Tywin hid for whatever reason and they come out of nowhere and randomly kill her ass and in her dying moments she realizes she was wrong about Tyrion. Either way Cersei being blind sided is going to be glorious.

 

[Roose Bolton]

And yet there are other plot threads that seem like they'll be significantly advanced compared to where they stood at the end of Book 3.

Plus, Books 4 and 5 have an awful lot of filler of their own that the show could (and in a lot of cases, probably will) be cutting. And it's not like HBO has been shy about saying how long it intends for the show to run, regardless.

Consider two characters who have had their plot advanced beyond book 3, Theon and Bran. How much did they actuallly utilize from ADWD? granted Bran only had around 3 chapters in that book, and yet we actually haven't seen them really take much from that aside from what I presume will be his first meeting with [blackout] Bloodraven [/blackout] most of what we saw this year was filler material that didn't really add much of anything, same with Theon aside from his scene at Moat Cailin. Would not surprise me at all if they kept Bran to a minimum next year and just padded it out with filler , also just the way they structure the seasons probably means we won't get a lot of the last third of ADWD done , stuff like Barristan trying to [Blackout] hold Meereen together in dany's absence [/Blackout] or Cersei [blackout] walking naked through the city [/blackout]

My guess is that we'll see 13 episodes of AFFC/ADWD material over the course of seasons 5&6.

 

[Perfect Cell]

Consider two characters who have had their plot advanced beyond book 3, Theon and Bran. How much did they actuallly utilize from ADWD? granted Bran only had around 3 chapters in that book, and yet we actually haven't seen them really take much from that aside from what I presume will be his first meeting with [blackout] Bloodraven [/blackout] most of what we saw this year was filler material that didn't really add much of anything, same with Theon aside from his scene at Moat Cailin. Would not surprise me at all if they kept Bran to a minimum next year and just padded it out with filler , also just the way they structure the seasons probably means we won't get a lot of the last third of ADWD done , stuff like Barristan trying to [Blackout] hold Meereen together in dany's absence [/Blackout] or Cersei [blackout] walking naked through the city [/blackout]

My guess is that we'll see 13 episodes of AFFC/ADWD material over the course of seasons 5&6.

Yeah, I think even some of that will be cut entirely, or re-written. Especially the [BLACKOUT]penance walk for Cersei. I think that will be changed heavily. But I need to see Barristan vs Khrazz at some point though. That needs to happen, just to show what a badass Barristan is.[/BLACKOUT]

 

[Roose Bolton]

It'd be a cruel and unusual world if we don't get [blackout] Naked Lena Heady or Ser Barristan proving what a true knight is capable of. [/blackout] but I'm fairly confident about the latter. I'm beginning to think Meereen will fill the Kings Landing role next season.

 

[iamlegend]

It'd be a cruel and unusual world if we don't get [blackout] Naked Lena Heady or Ser Barristan proving what a true knight is capable of. [/blackout] but I'm fairly confident about the latter. I'm beginning to think Meereen will fill the Kings Landing role next season.

I'd be inclined to agree.

Spoiler

A LOT of what happens in King's Landing in AFFC and ADWD can be significantly trimmed down. Most of the Cersei story in AFFC is indulgent filler that can be boiled down to a couple of big moments on the show. So Mereen stepping in to fill that gap is very believable. And how much of the Greyjoy story they intend to include very much remains to be seen.

And the show desperately needs to let Barristan do something, since he's largely just stood around and been grumpy since his big exit from the Kingsguard.

 

[Victarion]

Last weeks episode was so boring I think the whole Jon Snow wildlings storyline just isn't needed at all.

Have I got some bad news about next season...