Read the books before TV series or vice versa!

ElWalrus

This has probably been asked before but anyhow, never got around to watching the series when it was originally aired (always planned to though ). I now have the first two seasons boxed sets. Thing is I've recently got into reading fantasy fiction too.

Just wondering from people that may have both read the books and watched the series, would they have any opinions/recommendations on which to do first?

I just have a feeling that which ever I do first will slightly reduce the enjoyment of the other due to spoilers, or in the case of the TV series fixing the look of certain places characters in my head.

First-world problem I know! :pac: Would be interested in hearing people's opinion on this.

Washington Irving

I'd say watch the TV series first, or at least season 1. It will make A Game of Thrones (the book) a little less interesting but, personally, I like having pre-determined images of the characters and locations before beginning the books or else I can't help myself criticising the casting, CGI etc.

So, I'd recommend watching season 1 of the TV show and then read through the books (at least the first two or three) before starting season 2 and 3. I like knowing what the main characters and locations look like before reading the books but after that I prefer to have read the books beforehand, doesn't take away from the show at all imo.

Gbear

I think reading book 2 makes watching season 2 less confusing.

Hard to know for sure because I read it first but sometimes it felt like parts were a bit unintentionally ambiguous in the show.

Season 1 is a bit more straightforward so there's now harm in doing what SG suggests.

kksaints

Doesnt matter really with season 1 but for season 2 I would read the book first.

thegreatiam

I started the book at the end of episode one, read it sporadically as i watched the show and finished at the end of the final episode in the first series.

So that was a good way of doing it, the characters are mostly established early on, so you can have them visualised as you read. and you can stagger reading and viewing ahead so as not to 'spoil the ending'

I had to pause before the end of the last episode so as to not ruin the book. finished the book with the show on pause and sat through the end of the show, so it was a bit fresh (and sore!) in my mind.

after the 1st series i tore through the rest of the books.

Ill be rereading them soon no doubt, as soon as I hear the theme tune in April I will probably be getting the first one off the shelf.

I would definitely recommend reading the books before watching anything. the TV show is, after all, an adaption of the book. So its best to go to the source for the fuller story.

Liam O

After reading the books and sporadically watching the TV show it's hard to say. I haven't really been able to get into the show after reading the books because I already have differing views of what the characters look like. The show adds about 5 years to every young character's age off the bat. I'm going to wait until I finish Dance with Dragons I think until I properly watch the show. Ultimately it's up to you though and whichever you think you'll be able to enjoy more.

ibarelycare

I watched most of season 1 before starting to read the books. I can have really bad concentration while watching things, especially when I'm tired, so once I started reading the book I was able to follow much easier who everyone was I was already finished watching season 2 before I started that book IIRC (only watched the two seasons last year for the first time, so watched them all within a few weeks) and for me, the two of them went hand in hand. Being able to look up characters when they're mentioned in the book, and to see the actors in the show, helped me piece together things a lot easier.

I'm now on book 5 and couldn't be more excited for the new series, I reckon I'm more excited than if I hadn't read them, because I know some awesome stuff that's coming over the next few series

username123

Books first, its a no brainer.

Reekwind

TV first. Obviously

Seriously though, the TV series gives you the key characters, settings and narrative arcs. That works perfectly well on its own. If you want to fill in some of the blanks around the edges of the canvas afterwards then that's where the books come in

Elmidena

I'd heard a lot about the show but only got around to watching the two seasons last year back to back, and then picked up the books in a Black Friday sale. It's a bit tough reading at times due to cringy sex scenes "He was as hard as the mountain around him", slow paced page after page and the "juicy" bits are few and far between, but it gives more insight as well that the show can't convey, or tidbits about characters that wouldn't translate to screen well. (For example, when he was a boy Joffrey got told the cat was going to have kittens so he cut the stomach of the mother to see them. When Tommen was told same news of impending kittens years later, he loved playing with them and bonded with them). I do highly HIGHLY recommend spacing them out though. I read them all back to back and tbh it killed off my love for the show quite a bit with the needless killing (predicted most) and plots concerning cast I couldn't warm to and so it seemed a drag instead of enjoyable. Would've probably rage quit the series in A Feast for Crows except there was only one more book to go through and I already owned it (glad I didn't, but a DwD couldn't have been anywhere near as awful to read IMO). So I recommend maybe reading up to the end of the third book (where the season ends) and leave a little while before seeing how it progresses, because the pace does drop drastically. Hope you enjoy anyway

username123

Elmidena wrote: »

It's a bit tough reading at times due to cringy sex scenes

Elmidena wrote: »

...slow paced page after page and the "juicy" bits are few and far between

Elmidena wrote: »

Would've probably rage quit the series in A Feast for Crows except...

Elmidena wrote: »

a DwD couldn't have been anywhere near as awful to read

Im totally amazed at the above comments? Out of interest, who would you consider to be a good author if you find GRRM so cringy, slow paced and awful?

Pumpkinseeds

I started reading the books after series 1. I've finished them all now,I enjoyed them all and I would recommend reading them at any point. There is so much more in the books than the television series.

Elmidena

FFC was comprised of chapters of people I really couldn't care less about and very few points of interest (IMO), and I remember thinking him a massive troll when I read the epilogue. For me, that book was definitely the lowest point of the saga. To me, the sex scenes ARE pretty cringy ("not knowing where the cnut ended and the cock began"--DwD), but then again I'm not really a huge reader of erotica and such descriptive things might actually have some effect on others other than the "wtf is he taking the piss" one I had. As a writer, his work is pretty slowpaced due to the large cast he has to contend with but it's better than rushing it, as I said this allows for more history and development, not a negative in my eyes but it does get tedious when compared to the "fast pace" of the earlier books if you are reading them back to back as I did, particularly if you're unlucky and a few back-to-back chapters are characters you don't care about. Hopefully this clarifies your amazement as the points you cherrypicked seemed to overlook the critique I gave with them with the view to advising someone against the experience I had!

ibarelycare

I'm usually a lightning fast reader but it's taken me maybe 5 or 6 months to get to the 5th one and I'm only quarter through. I agree it can be difficult when the chapters are about people you find dull. I wouldn't say I found the books to be "page turners" for the most part, that's just my opinion though. I enjoy GRRM's writing style for the most part although I find some of the sexualising of underage girls a little disturbing.

I didn't find AFFC too bad, but I think that's cos I'd read so many places that it was very tough going! It was obviously a bit dull after ASOS.

username123

Elmidena wrote: »

FFC was comprised of chapters of people I really couldn't care less about and very few points of interest (IMO), and I remember thinking him a massive troll when I read the epilogue.

Im curious as to why you continued reading a series of books you so clearly werent enjoying?

I dont understand the part I bolded?

I agree the pace does change throughout the series but I cant say Ive ever thought it slow paced, compared to some fantasy writers he positively flies along! He is creating an entire universe with a cast of literally thousands, its supposed to be a rich tapestry.

Im still amazed but I suppose different books for different folks, I just never heard a review of GRRM as above. I would certainly rate his writing as the best of any fantasy writers I have read, and the universe he has created as the most interesting. I genuinely cant think of any writer in the genre to challenge him for top spot except perhaps Tolkien, and actually, GRRMs world is far more detailed and I have found it more enjoyable.

Elmidena

As previously stated would have most likely rage quit the series except I already owned the final book (FFC being the penultimate) and read to the end. As for the troll comment, just read the epilogue for that book and that's the best I can say without offering potential spoilers. Cersei's character was destroyed in that book after starting out with such promise, I suppose he was trying to be ironic likening her to things she despised. I'd previously loved reading about her, but that book onwards made me think he'd just messed up the character for the lulz. Again, not going to elaborate as I don't want to offer spoilers, but anyone who read the books should know what I mean by that.

username123

Elmidena wrote: »

........but that book onwards made me think he'd just messed up the character for the lulz.

Thanks, thats the best laugh Ive had in ages. If I understand this, you think that GRRM, one of the most respected, best selling and highly paid authors in the world, is:

a massive troll who messes up characters for the lulz

Thats funny

Although Im not quite clear on what lulz means, its not an english word and a quick google would indicate that it means anything from laugh out loud plural to a noun meaning interesting or funny internet content, but given the context I think you mean "for the laughs"?

Good one, I enjoyed that!

Elmidena

Writer of a trollish epilogue--yes.
Made a caricature of a character that was strong from the onset--yes. Singular.

Kindly stop warping what I write.

username123

Elmidena wrote: »

Kindly stop warping what I write.

How am I warping it? Theyre your words!

So who would you consider to be a good author of the genre who doesnt suffer from all these faults youve outlined about GRRM?

calex71

MOD NOTE: Guys keep it civil and on topic please

Newaglish

I watched Season 1 and then read the books from book 2 onwards. I felt season 1 was straight forward enough but that my friends who hadn't read the books started to get a bit confused as to all the names/locations/families during Season 2.

I do think going from book to TV is easier than the other way around - I feel like reading the books might be a bit of a slog if you know what's going to happen, whereas the TV show is a bit faster paced and is very watchable even if you know broadly where it's going.

Liam O

The books aren't page turners I'd say, I find it difficult to read more than 2 or 3 chapters in a good sitting. That's nothing against the content, just I find it's better to think about the chapters after I read them. It's amazing how he can provide so many cliffhangers throughout a book, you are almost afraid to keep going as anyone could get the chop.

Barna77

Elmidena wrote: »

Cersei's character was destroyed in that book after starting out with such promise,

More or less I'm with you on this one. Nasty as she is, she's one of my favourite characters and didn't like at all her brief storyline in DwD. One may think she's drunk with power and that's the result of it.

Good on her for

bedding the Kettleblacks

Still, the books give so much more information than the tv series. Ask a TV fan who was Rhaegar and the answer is , who? I mean, the background info is huge in the books.

eyeball kid

I had never heard of the books when I watched the first series and absolutely loved it. Thought it was brilliant and really couldn't figure out where the story was

be!

heading.

After that I read all the books before series 2 on tv and I have to say it really affected my enjoyment of the TV series. The suspense was gone, knew pretty much exactly what was going to happen (i think thats why I liked the little deviations from the books in S2).

So I'd recommend TV then the books. (ideally season 1, then book 1, season 2, then book 2) but I'm sure there will be others who disagree and that its better to read the books first.

Cienciano

Doing either has advantages.
I think I'd read first. I watched the first 2 seasons then read from the start, up to book 3. There's a lot of time put into reading the books, it's not that much fun putting in all that time knowing what's going to happen.
Advantage of TV first is you know the characters straight away, have a picture of them in your head too. Although, some might call that a disadvantage!
Books first for me. Sometimes I'd read a bit and an episode is repeated and it's a bit I just read. Great watching it to see how they'll show it on tv.

BTW, I didn't actually read the books, I listened to the audiobooks, read by roy dotrice. IF you don't have time to read, get these audiobooks, he does an amazing job. Does everyones voice differently, even sings the songs. Does a great job of The Bear and the Maiden Fair.