to let DD (13) read the Game of Thrones series?

[PurpleAquilegia]

DD is nearly 14. She's reading the Game of Thrones books, currently on book 2.

This came up in conversation with some mums of similarly aged youngsters today, and they seemed appalled. Some more so than others, but the consensus was that the books are totally unsuitable for that age group.

I'm inclined to let her continue. AIBU?

DS read them last year, when he was 13. I have read them several times and we discussed them as he read them.

I read all sorts at his age, Lace (the one with the goldfish, if you remember!), Jilly Cooper, Stephen King and James Herbert.

I also let him watch Daredevil and Jessica Jones on Netflix as IMO the themes and morals outweigh the violence and brief sex scenes. I won't let him watch GoT though.

I don't understand why people say it's all violence and sex.

Given the length of the books, and the fact that for most of the series there's a war going on, there really isn't. The tv show has made the books seem a lot worse than they are. It's really no worse than many fantasy/historic series's (sp?!).

Doubt they were written with tv in mind either as the first book was written in 1992 for a fairly niche market by a relatively unknown writer.

I think I read anything about sex that I could get my hands on at that age and I've turned out ok. Yes there is quite graphic violence in it but presumably if she finds it too much she'll stop reading/skip over bits. And there is more to them than sex and violence anyway.

They weren't written for TV, i've been reading in that Genre for 20 years as i like Historical/Fantasy type stuff.. and they're very typical of those kind of books tbh... just a bit more gratuitous than Gemmel or Feist.

I stand corrected then!

I don't think the books are as violent as the tv show.

Have you read them?

No. I don't want to, either; not my thing. I skimmed through one today after the reaction from people, and found the sex to be unpleasant and coerced, but no more graphically described than in the bonkbuster trash of my mum's that I was reading at her age. Less so, in fact. The violence/descriptions of aftermath of violence are unpleasant. I wouldn't particularly want to read it, personally, but DD loves (and writes) dark and often violent stuff.

My DP has read them and said they weren't at all as graphic or gratuitous as the tv series, and that he thought it was fine.

I'd let her read the books but not watch the TV show

I have no intention at all of letting her watch the tv series.

i think some of the events in book 4 are a bit on the unsuitable side.

What in particular, Maddy?

Is she a budding feminist? In that case it would be interesting to discuss with her how GRRM treats his female characters.
Or you could volunteer to read them with her.

Yes, she is very much a budding feminist, and I talk to her too much frequently about how women are treated. We have talked about the misogyny and coercion in the books, and in reality, and will continue to do so. xDP (her dad) is reading the books at the same time she is.

I would read one yourself just to make sure you are ok with the graphic descriptions of torture/perverted sex. I wouldn't encourage any child to read them but if they have already started... However Book 4 is very unpleasant iirc.

I'd let her watch the tv programme but not read the book tbh.

I love the tv series but the books are really disturbing. Author a bit too keen on strong men raping teenagers. At least on the telly they're adults before they're raped/prostituted.

I would let her continue to read them. They are excellent and the tv show is much more graphic than the books. You can't really stop her now she's started them anyway. Just be prepared for The Longest Wait Ever for the next book when she's done... grrr.

I'm the world's biggest fan of those books and would say HELL NO.

Mind you she's on Book 2 already so the horse has already bolted.

But it does get nasty. I really hope the references to a poor very young girl being forced to fuck a dog under pain of death go over her head....

I have to say I consider them wholly adult books. And they're intended to be.

Elspeth: I'd forgotten that bit

Wholeheartedly agree. 13 is Y8 - if I exposed kids to content like that in my classroom I would be lynched by parents and then fired.

The books are less graphic than the tv series.
My 13 year old is reading them.

I read anything and everything at that age (and younger - I read Papillon at 10; now that was an eye opener), and DD has always been the same. I've always encouraged her to read a wide variety of books and never said no to anything she wanted to read. It goes against the grain to censor her reading in any way.

She writes fiction (85,000 words into a fantasy novel that is very dark) and wants to be a writer. She asked to read the GoT books. When I asked her what she likes about them, she said the politics and the intricacy of the world he's created, how many characters there are and how complex the relationships are.

I'm not happy with the sexual violence. Or the violence in general. I wouldn't want to read them. But she is not me.

by less graphic I mean that the violence depicted doesn't seem as gratuitous as the way in which it comes across on screen. I can read the books far more easily than I can watch the tv progs.
They are also very well written.

But trifle there's a huge difference between things like this being compulsory for everyone and a teenager who can (presumably) cope with them reading them when they can stop if they want

It's great that she is an able reader and that she enjoys complexity, but does that mean she should be exposed to depictions of graphic sexual violence at this young age? I can't see that being a good idea. Censorship isn't the same as making sure something is age-appropriate for your child. Up to you, of course.

No, Lules. I would be fired if I gave that content to any student. And rightfully so, it's not my place as a teacher to introduce children to graphic sexual violence. And I am a fairly liberal person.

I'd let her read them. I read whatever I wanted by that age. There was a Lot going on that I missed.

I really hope the references to a poor very young girl being forced to fuck a dog under pain of death go over her head....

FFS! I think DP must have forgotten how horrible they are. I wish I'd asked here before letting her start them now.

Well yes. That's what I was saying. There's a difference between in school (or any similar setting) and out of it.

The books are less graphic than the tv series

Really? Well it's true that you're not seeing the gore or the sex so they're not directly comparable. But the books are very graphic IMO with detailed descriptions of battles, injuries, incest, rape and plenty more. And an over-fondness for the word Cunt.

Ds did

I get it, OP - they're huge books! Unless you had read them cover to cover it would hard to make an informed judgement.

I remember having a debate with a colleague who opposed what he called 'censorship', as he was defending recommending 'American Psycho' to Y10 and Y11 students and I was, frankly, aghast. I asked him if he had read it and he said yes of course, and I asked him what he remembered about it - it turned out to be very little and the novel is of course completely unsuitable for young people.

Sometimes the attitude to books as opposed to films is quite surprising to me.

Lules: Not exactly what you were saying but okay. My point is that there is a reason why I would be fired - the content is inappropriate for a 13 year old.