Can you still imagine the book characters as they should be after watching the show?

Hotale.com

This is by far one of the most annoying things about watching the show IMO, I read A Game of Thrones on holidays last June before watching the show and was really loving imagining the world, some of the characters being so young etc., now I'm essentially watching the show in my mind's eye whenever I'm reading the book

Of course there's some slight difference when I read the book, I do still manage to visualise the book Arya as opposed to the TV Arya (probably because they're so different), likewise with Ned, but besides that I've images of Peter Dinklage doing Cartwheels in Essos and Aidan Gillen (who looks nothing like I originally imagined Littlefinger would) perving on Sansa going around my head..

Sulla Felix

I'm just glad to have had Daario and his blue beard purged from my minds eye. The new guy is better than what I had imagined!
I'm doing a reread at the moment, and one of the stand out things is how bright and colourful everything is in the books. Lacquered armour, massive banners. Even in battle Tywin is wearing blood red painted armour, massive lions head pauldrons etc etc. Much prefer the sleeker, darker look of the series.

lynski

it has gotten so bad for me that i have 'seen' scenes from the book with the tv characters in them! trying to remember if I had seen them on screen or not.
I like the new Daario he is more like I have pictured him, but with the blue beard of course, I imagine you could fall for him, the other one was too good looking, not love material at all.

Paddy Cow

I'm glad that the show added a few years to the younger characters ages. In the books it was uncomfortable reading Dani's scenes, where she is a 13 year old girl who is basically being raped nightly by Drogo, who then turned into a temptress who learned to use sex to get what she wanted. It also wasn't believable that someone this young would be able to amass such a powerful army in such a short space of time and command the respect of people like Jorah and Barristan.

Jon and Robb also seemed too young for the responsibilities they took on. They were both around 15/16 when they were Commander of the Night's Watch and King in the North. Had the show cast teenagers who looked these ages, I think the show wouldn't be anywhere near as successful as it is now. Even Bran, Rickon and Arya are older and it makes it more believable.

The only two characters who are not as I imagined (and I only posted this a few minutes ago on another thread!) are Jon and Davros. I like book Jon a lot more than tv Jon and I was indifferent to book Davros but really like show Davros. His scenes when he was learning to read are great.

One thing I really liked about the show was when they changed Arya's Harrenhal scenes and created the whole Arya/Tywin exchange. That was brilliant tv and shows what a great little actress Maisie Williams is.

turnikett1

I have this REALLY annoying habit of picturing characters from (non-fiction) novels as cartoons. Not every book, but a lot of books I read, I can't help but imagine characters as cartoons. Not every character at least! So uh yeah, I kind of appreciate having visual representation from the show Helps a lot. I also much prefer the fact that the younger characters are older in the show. Picturing a 12 year old getting plowed by Khal Drogo was kind of weird to be honest. Although Cersei was way hotter in my head.

jc4517

I'm the exact same with Peter Dinklage and Tyrion on my re-read of the series, I don't think it's a bad thing though. Dinklage portrays Tyrion down to an absolute T IMO, couldn't have found a better man for the job. I imagined Robb as having a mop of red hair and a ginger peach fuzz beard though so tv Robb kinda ruined that..

Paddy Cow

jc4517 wrote: »

I'm the exact same with Peter Dinklage and Tyrion on my re-read of the series, I don't think it's a bad thing though. Dinklage portrays Tyrion down to an absolute T IMO, couldn't have found a better man for the job. I imagined Robb as having a mop of red hair and a ginger peach fuzz beard though so tv Robb kinda ruined that..

Actually now that you mention it, weren't all the Stark children bar Arya and Jon supposed to have red hair? Jon and Arya looked the most alike and it was noted that Arya looked like Ned's sister Lyanna (and also had the same temperament). This was one of the book readers clues to come to the conclusion that R+L=J.

It doesn't come across as well in the show tough. Not only do the other Stark children, bar Sansa have dark hair but even Catelyn doesn't have hair as red as Sansa.

Hotale.com

Paddy Cow wrote: »

Actually now that you mention it, weren't all the Stark children bar Arya and Jon supposed to have red hair? Jon and Arya looked the most alike and it was noted that Arya looked like Ned's sister Lyanna (and also had the same temperament). This was one of the book readers clues to come to the conclusion that R+L=J.

It doesn't come across as well in the show tough. Not only do the other Stark children, bar Sansa have dark hair but even Catelyn doesn't have hair as red as Sansa.

Arya's a bit too cute looking in my opinion in the show, I actually imagined book Arya as being a bit dangerous looking even despite her age. I remember in the book Ned is talking to Arya about how she is so much like Lyanna, and she says something like "but Lyanna was beautiful", and I don't think Ned even has some token comment to make along the lines of "but so are you!! " he just agrees with her. I don't know what to make of that but Ned is well known for being "to the point", although I'd imagine I'm just over-analysing the scene..

I think it describes Robb as having "auburn" hair, isn't that kind of browny red? I think it could be argued that TV Robb has some bit of red in his hair.. I imagine they made him look more like a Stark so you could see more of Ned in him to make him easier to love, and easier to feel sad over after his death.

lynski

Aryas nickname is horse face as well as underfoot isn't it?

Hotale.com

lynski wrote: »

Aryas nickname is horse face as well as underfoot isn't it?

Yeah but that was probably more to do with Sansa being a b*tch

Sleepy

I always took that conversation with Ned about how much she looked like Lyanna to mean that she's a bit of an ugly duckling: a somewhat awkward looking child who'll grow into her features as she reaches womanhood.

jc4517

Paddy Cow wrote: »

Actually now that you mention it, weren't all the Stark children bar Arya and Jon supposed to have red hair? Jon and Arya looked the most alike and it was noted that Arya looked like Ned's sister Lyanna (and also had the same temperament). This was one of the book readers clues to come to the conclusion that R+L=J.

It doesn't come across as well in the show tough. Not only do the other Stark children, bar Sansa have dark hair but even Catelyn doesn't have hair as red as Sansa.

Haven't read the books in a while now or maybe I'm missing something really obvious but R+L=J?

Liam O

jc4517 wrote: »

Haven't read the books in a while now or maybe I'm missing something really obvious but R+L=J?

Ah really? Rhaegar + Lyanna= Jon, probably the most famous fan theory.

jc4517

I've honestly never heard this theory before!

Washington Irving

jc4517 wrote: »

I've honestly never heard this theory before!

That theory is more widely known than the books themselves :pac:

Paddy Cow

jc4517 wrote: »

I've honestly never heard this theory before!

Hope we didn't ruin it for ya :P

Witcher

Have to be careful..even posting the timeframe is considered a spoiler now apparently:pac:

Gott

This is why I actually refuse to watch the show.

I now it sounds dreadfully hipster and I believe they've done a wonderful job of making everything look really accurate, but I really vividly pictured the books in my head and would prefer to read all of them and then watch the TV show.

That said, as others here have mentioned, Peter Dinklage is an as near to perfect Tyrion, as you'd get, from what little I've watched.

Duckworth_Luas

jc4517 wrote: »

I've honestly never heard this theory before!

Everything's coming up Milhouse!

December2012

Gott wrote: »

That said, as others here have mentioned, Peter Dinklage is an as near to perfect Tyrion, as you'd get, from what little I've watched.

Except Tyrion is supposed to look hideously ugly with different coloured eyes, exaggerated forehead and patchy coloured hair.

Oh and no nose.

ronoc 1

i thought he had half a nose

Paddy Cow

ronoc 1 wrote: »

i thought he had half a nose

Ya, to be fair show Tyrion nails it on the personality but in the books he's supposed to be hideous to look at and that was before he got half his face cut off. The guy who plays Tyrion is obviously a dwarf little person but being frank here, despite his stature, he doesn't doesn't display some of the feature that normal little people do.

Tyrion is quite handsome (well the actor who plays him is), even with his scar and that is not how he was portrayed in the books. In the books he is ugly but charismatic and intelligent and a force to be reckoned with.

I wonder if they had cast a Little Person to play the role of Tyrion who was "aesthetically" challenged, would Tyrion be so loved?

Witcher

Thing with Dinklage is that they needed someone who was that size but also a great actor. Sure they could have got someone a bit more homely but chances are they wouldn't be as good an actor and that's more important at the end of the day.

Paddy Cow

Blay wrote: »

Thing with Dinklage is that they needed someone who was that size but also a great actor. Sure they could have got someone a bit more homely but chances are they wouldn't be as good an actor and that's more important at the end of the day.

With respect, that is rubbish. I'm sure there are many actors of Peter's stature who would've fit the role but lets face it. Most of the actors in GoT are exceptionally good looking for their roles and Tyrion is no exception. Truth is, they could've used make up and special effects to make Peter/Tyrion's character more ugly but then as viewers we wouldn't have taken to him in the same way we have taken to Tyrion. The harsh truth is, they didn't cast someone "homely" because that's bad tv.

Can you name any characters who are actually less than average in this show? Arya had the nickname "horseface" in the books but she is not horsefaced in the show.

Witcher

Paddy Cow wrote: »

With respect, that is rubbish. I'm sure there are many actors of Peter's stature who would've fit the role but lets face it. Most of the actors in GoT are exceptionally good looking for their roles and Tyrion is no exception. Truth is, they could've used make up and special effects to make Peter/Tyrion's character more ugly but then as viewers we wouldn't have taken to him in the same way we have taken to Tyrion. The harsh truth is, they didn't cast someone "homely" because that's bad tv.

Can you name any characters who are actually less than average in this show? Arya had the nickname "horseface" in the books but she is not horsefaced in the show.

Both entitled to our opinions.

Liam O

Paddy Cow wrote: »

With respect, that is rubbish. I'm sure there are many actors of Peter's stature who would've fit the role but lets face it. Most of the actors in GoT are exceptionally good looking for their roles and Tyrion is no exception. Truth is, they could've used make up and special effects to make Peter/Tyrion's character more ugly but then as viewers we wouldn't have taken to him in the same way we have taken to Tyrion. The harsh truth is, they didn't cast someone "homely" because that's bad tv.

Can you name any characters who are actually less than average in this show? Arya had the nickname "horseface" in the books but she is not horsefaced in the show.

Mace Tyrell, Walda(I think) Frey, Asha/Yara Greyjoy, Walder Frey, Balon Greyjoy, the Hound, Gregor Clegane, Sam looks worse in the show than I pictured in the books at this stage, Stannis, Selyse, Varys etc. Just off the top of my head. Basically everyone except Tyrion looks similar enough to how I pictured them, except the black haired Starks, it's one thing I'd praise the show for, and I'm finding less and less reasons to do so...

Paddy Cow

Blay wrote: »

Both entitled to our opinions.

Fair enough but you have to admit, that if they wanted someone to play the part of book Tyrion, either they could've hired a more "homely" little person or they could've used make up to tone down Peter Dinklage's natural good looks.

Paddy Cow

Liam O wrote: »

Mace Tyrell, Walda(I think) Frey, Asha/Yara Greyjoy, Walder Frey, Balon Greyjoy, the Hound, Gregor Clegane, Sam looks worse in the show than I pictured in the books at this stage, Stannis, Selyse, Varys etc. Just off the top of my head. Basically everyone except Tyrion looks similar enough to how I pictured them, except the black haired Starks, it's one thing I'd praise the show for, and I'm finding less and less reasons to do so...

I don't get it. What is the point of listing all these names?!?

Hotale.com

Paddy Cow wrote: »

I don't get it. What is the point of listing all these names?!?

Characters who look less good than the average folk I presume

Paddy Cow

Hotale.com wrote: »

Characters who look less good than the average folk I presume

I thought that was where he was going but there's no one on that list who is ugly or less than average looking and most of them are above average. All of those people listed play moderate roles in the show. Let me re-phrase, is there anyone who plays a major part who isn't blessed with good looks?

Liam O

Paddy Cow wrote: »

I thought that was where he was going but there's no one on that list who is ugly or less than average looking and most of them are above average. All of those people listed play moderate roles in the show. Let me re-phrase, is there anyone who plays a major part who isn't blessed with good looks?

Em, if you look at my list Sam, the Hound and Varys are as main of characters as you can get. I'm sure Asha will be a big character soon too. Dolorous Edd, Allister Thorne, Maester Aemon and Janos Slynt are basically the main guys on the wall now bar Jon and none of them I'd say were dashing. You really think Walda Frey and Sam look above average?

Hotale.com

Paddy Cow wrote: »

I thought that was where he was going but there's no one on that list who is ugly or less than average looking and most of them are above average. All of those people listed play moderate roles in the show. Let me re-phrase, is there anyone who plays a major part who isn't blessed with good looks?

Ned? Tywin?

Washington Irving

Hotale.com wrote: »

Tywin?

Blasphemy!

Hotale.com

Washington Irving wrote: »

Blasphemy!

Ah he's a babe

xoxo

Gott

December2012 wrote: »

Except Tyrion is supposed to look hideously ugly with different coloured eyes, exaggerated forehead and patchy coloured hair.

Oh and no nose.

I get that, and it did strike me as odd when he nailed the personality so well that they didn't go full at it and give him a load of prosthetics to make up for it.

For what it's worth I always imagined Margeary Tyrell as looking more like a darker haired Lyndsy Fonseca than Natalie Dorner but whatever, they've picked who they thought was best.

Hotale.com

Gott wrote: »

I get that, and it did strike me as odd when he nailed the personality so well that they didn't go full at it and give him a load of prosthetics to make up for it.

For what it's worth I always imagined Margeary Tyrell as looking more like a darker haired Lyndsy Fonseca than Natalie Dorner but whatever, they've picked who they thought was best.

And they picked someone savage

snausages

I don't think that Sansa or Margery are exceptionally beautiful. Danyreas is gorgeous but a poor actress compared with most of the cast.

Colour Insanity

snausages wrote: »

I don't think that Sansa or Margery are exceptionally beautiful. Danyreas is gorgeous but a poor actress compared with most of the cast.

I really wish they gave Dany and Viserys the purple eyes... considering it's a really obvious Targaryen trait and all that.

Natalie Dormer is beautiful though. Loved that casting.

Sleepy

Colour Insanity wrote: »

I really wish they gave Dany and Viserys the purple eyes... considering it's a really obvious Targaryen trait and all that.

They actually tried it out but the contacts caused enough problems for the actors for them to decide not to go ahead with them.

Nerdlingr

snausages wrote: »

I don't think that Sansa or Margery are exceptionally beautiful. Danyreas is gorgeous but a poor actress compared with most of the cast.

I think Sansa is the best looking one on the show! Each to their own I guess.

Colour Insanity

Sleepy wrote: »

They actually tried it out but the contacts caused enough problems for the actors for them to decide not to go ahead with them.

That's a shame.

Considering it's one of the distinctive features that makes (F)Aegon's claim actually feasible in ADWD.

Lady Spangles

jc4517 wrote: »

I'm the exact same with Peter Dinklage and Tyrion on my re-read of the series, I don't think it's a bad thing though. Dinklage portrays Tyrion down to an absolute T IMO, couldn't have found a better man for the job. I imagined Robb as having a mop of red hair and a ginger peach fuzz beard though so tv Robb kinda ruined that..

This, and Charles Dance has been just perfect as Tywin Lannister. From demeanour and tone, right down to nuances. Brilliant stuff!

LionelNashe

I read the books after I watched the first 3 series, so I read the books with the TV characters in mind, and I don't remember having to alter my interpretations much. (Edit: as long as we're not talking about the characters' hair colour and facial features, which I just gloss over when reading a book).

I like the fact that so many minor characters don't appear in the TV series; less is more sometimes.

Mr.Nice Guy

Hotale.com wrote: »

This is by far one of the most annoying things about watching the show IMO, I read A Game of Thrones on holidays last June before watching the show and was really loving imagining the world, some of the characters being so young etc., now I'm essentially watching the show in my mind's eye whenever I'm reading the book

Of course there's some slight difference when I read the book, I do still manage to visualise the book Arya as opposed to the TV Arya (probably because they're so different), likewise with Ned, but besides that I've images of Peter Dinklage doing Cartwheels in Essos and Aidan Gillen (who looks nothing like I originally imagined Littlefinger would) perving on Sansa going around my head..

This is exactly how I am. As I mentioned in another post I try to avoid watching TV or film versions of stories that I really enjoy. It annoys me when I see Emilia Clarke on ads for the show because she looks nothing like my Daenerys. :pac:

The only character from the series I have allowed influence my view of the characters is Melisandre, but that's only because I've been a fan of Carice Van Houten ever since I saw her in Black Book.

Oranage2

I've watched the show before I read the books so my impression is heavily swayed by the show.

Some characters that are totally different in my head are jorah and cersei.

poundapunnet

I haven't re-read the books since the show, but Jon Snow is one character that hasn't translated to the screen very well. A lot of that's down to the performance though, god bless Kit Harington's pretty little face I'm just not sure he's up to the job. But in fairness he's been getting better when he gets more to do than sulk and play with invisible wolfs.

I had Sansa as a bit frailer looking too, and Brienne's a bit too good looking.

I'd say the casting has been more hit than miss though. Off the top of my head Tywin, Jaime, the Mormonts, Roose, walder frey, the Hound and Joffrey were pretty bang on.

calex71

Do others feel GRRM did a good job of describing the characters to the extent where you would have a metal image of them like in many other books

I have to be honest I really had no mental picture of them reading the books with the exception of Arianne Martell for some reason , to be even more honest it's not something I get from books much anyway, I more see the characters personality etc and the locations they are in, yet i'll see a screen adoption and and say no that doesn't look like a John Snow etc.

Sleepy

I'd be similar calex71, I rarely visualise characters when reading.