/lit/ - Literature

What are things that don't seem realistic to you across the 5 books? Notice realism, not historical accuracy.

For me, it's the history. The history of the world is too long. Look back 2000 years to the Roman Empire and imagine how much history has changed. Now imagine Westeros with a history of families in a medieval period going back thousands of years of direct lineage in these families. Yet in each of the seven Kingdoms, there is somehow only 1 maybe 2 families with claims to each Kingdom. It's just not realistic. Within 400 years, England and French nobility, as well as much of feudal Europe, were so intermarried that nearly half their peerage had some sort of claim to something when people began dying. Edward IIIs children would produce dozens of claimants to both England and France within just a few generations.

Yet GRRM wants us to believe that the only people that have claim to Winterfel is one immediate family of starks. It would be impossible. Realistically there should be Karstarks, Bolton, Glover, manderlys, ect... with some sort of claim by this point through math and probability.

>>20295782
Yes, political maneuvering and brutality is such a difficult concept to understand. Medieval Europe was not more brutal than the fat man's ideas. I was not told about evil politicans like Hitler my whole life. How will I ever understand the greek tragedy of the noble house of Atreides.... I mean stark... I know you're being sarcastic. I think my largest issue ASOIAF the notion that everything must be overanalyzed and the belief that every bit of the world is tied to a master plan. George just likes building a very large world with different stories. This is similar to how Tolkien builds Middle earth. There are loads of detail and curiosities in the world, but they don't all tie into one master plan plot with millions of hidden details to study for foreshadowing. Readers of this series do not trust GRRM with anything at face value... when I'm reading the first book.... it's like I realize this is no different than any other fantasy series. Tolkien and Herbert built and expanded as they went along. Herbert still didn't seem to know how things would tie together in the end. This is the creative process. Tolkien had more structure but still he made alterations along the way. I read retarded theories like Ned's dream not being a true account of the tower of joy. The dream is plain as day. "As they were in life" it is repeated.

So who sent the dagger to kill Bran?

>>2128940

>British history is fascinating

Sure is. But I prefer this particular fictionalisation, personally.

>Look forward to awesomeness
>Read through book
>Realize I just read what is essentially a male soap opera

Feels fucking terrible man.

So what's the point of reading this now that there's a TV show out that people say is just as good?

I just finished reading this and have a few questions

>are the other books as good as this one and worth reading?
>is it safe to watch the show now? I heard there was some parts of book 2 towards the end of the season?

I'm a little more than half way through this and I am loving it so far. I saw the first 2 episodes of the show and decided to start reading the book. I'm gonna watch the rest of the season when I finish the book. I have been wanting to read this for awhile now and now that I am reading it I don't know what I was waiting for. On par with Dune as my favorite book.

I don't understand the hate... Best series ever. Nothing is as epic. Nothing is as deep. Nothing is as heart breaking than A Song of Ice and Fire.

This right here is a real mans literature.

So, I just decided to pick this up after a bunch of friends urging me too and seeing a couple pics here and there on /lit/. (Yeah, I'm a little late to the party)

So. It's pretty good so far. I'm only...3 or so chapters in but I liked the bit about The 'others' killing the nightwatchmen and the direwolf pups. I'm not a big fan of the story jumping from perspective to perspective each chapter.

I do like the grimdark kind of setting and noticed that it's not horribly overdone. So...it's going pretty well.

Thoughts? How do you guys like the series? Does it get really good?

just ordered this over the internet, because i saw the first 4 eps of the new series on HBO and i thought they were awesome:D its coming in a few days just wondering if /lit/ like it or not??

Why did Martin even include Fantasy elements if it seems at least to me that he does not like to write them?

It seems like the story would flow better without them.

i wonder what would happen if i posted this...

So is this series any good? I heard it's essentially Sopranos meets fantasy, which sounds entertaining.

I know HBO is working on a series, and I'd like to read the books before it airs. So what's your opinion, /lit/izens?

TV series coming Spring 2011. Anyone else excited?

This was recommended to me a while ago on /tg/. I've been looking for it for a while now and all I can find is torrents of the audio book but nowhere can I find the actual book. I'd really like to read this and unfortunately at the moment I can't afford it. I'd appreciate any help.

Thanks : )

Winter Is Coming

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MophfvUlfI


(Dance of Dragons however still is not)

Why did you nerds tell me this was good?

Make sure you include a note "You are my Cersei <3"

I don't read much fantasy, but i have to admit i like this. It reminds me a lot of the Assassins series. Cool stuff.