Should I read Game of thrones?

[FalconQueen]

I am sorting through some old books to take to the charity shop.
We have the Games of Thrones books, DH read them all years ago and doesn't want to keep them. I can't decide whether to read them or not.
I did enjoy the TV series (except the end) and generally I prefer books as there is more detail. I like epic fantasy but it looks like the series will never be finished.
Will I be left feeling frustrated with all the storylines that are different from the TV series that will never be resolved.
At least at the moment everything is wrapped up and I have closure even if the ending was rubbish.

I have been avoiding reading Name of the Wind for the same reason even though so many people list it as their favourite fantasy book.

I enjoyed the books, but weirdly I prefer reading books after seeing the TV series. I think the books are interesting, but the last one dragged a bit and the question is will he ever actually finish writing them. I suppose you could try the first one and see how you get on.

I thought the books were poorly written. George RR Martin has great ideas but he’s not a brilliant writer.
I quite enjoyed the first one, but they just dragged on.

I thought game of thrones was shit. So long. It desperately needed editing and
it could easily have lost whole books worth and not affected the plot . Have you read robin hobb? Try the assassins apprentice. Much better than game of thrones.

Echo Robin Hobb. Just a fabulous series. Game of Thrones started so promisingly, but got progressively worse - GRRM seemed to lose sight of the plot, or lost interest. The gratuitous sexual violence also got too much.

Yes I love Robin Hobb, have read the Assassins Apprentice series and The Liveship Traders which I loved.

Robin Hobb is brilliant.

I did enjoy the first few ASOIAF novels but I lost interest around A Feast For Crows.

I recently read Joe Abercrombie's First Law series and really enjoyed that. Flawed characters to the max.

I am currently working my way through the Wheel of Time books so they will keep me busy for a while

So far no one has said it is definitely worth reading even if it never gets finished so looks like the books are going into the charity shop bag.

@BeetleyCarapace

Robin Hobb is brilliant.

I did enjoy the first few ASOIAF novels but I lost interest around A Feast For Crows.

I recently read Joe Abercrombie's First Law series and really enjoyed that. Flawed characters to the max.

First Law is definitely on my very long wish list - I might read all the books I want to one day if everyone could just stop publishing new books for a few years

If you like detail then these books are for you. There's a lot of detail about absolutely everything!

@FalconQueen

I am currently working my way through the Wheel of Time books so they will keep me busy for a while

Wheel of Time starts on Prime Nov 11. Apparently they're sort of combining all the books rather than presenting them linearally. Been waiting a long time for this

GoT isn’t very well written and desperately needs a robust editor.

There are more Robin Hobb series to enjoy rather than waste time with GRR Martin.

@Babysharkdoodoodood

I am really looking forward to the Amazon WoT series. I am only 3 books in though so I won't have read them all before it starts.

Game of Thrones is now in the charity shop bag - I will save my time for all the other books I want to read

I absolutely loved the GoT tv series. Hated the books and gave up after a couple, even though I read loads of fantasy. I just think they're badly written. I know this sounds odd, but the violence and dodgy stuff which somehow works on the show feels kind of prurient, calculatedly shocking and gratuitously detailed in the author's 'voice'. I just kept thinking- hmmm, you're really not a very nice person, are you?

Yes. Read it. It's so good. I don't usually read fantasy but I loved GOT.

I loved the books but the frustration of the series not being finished, and possibly never being, means I'd recommend only starting them as and when the final books are published.

I really enjoyed the first two but my interest sort of flagged after that. I felt there was hundreds of characters, many of whom weren’t really interesting and were just there. A lot of the characters (especially female in my opinion) are more likeable and enjoyable in the series for me. Just little things like Daenerys having sexual encounters with maids for no reason, being repeatedly told that Daenerys (who is about 14) has ‘one breast bared’ because that’s the ‘fashion.’ I do find it hard to get into a book that has that type of thing repeatedly.

I always had to read up to a ‘good’ chapter so I would pick it up again.

Have a go. If you dont get on with them, get rid.

They are really good but by God his editor should have had a quiet word at times. It's possible to skip certain characters chapters without missing anything of note and I'm sure it could have been trimmed considerably which may have helped him to have a fighting chance of finishing the series.