A Game of Thrones

Wow, what an excellent show this is. I've never read the book(s), never even heard of them, but started watching the HBO series when it started a few weeks ago. It took a few episodes to really captivate me, but once it did, it was strong. I've had to go back and rewatch them all, PLUS I now have the audiobook that I'm listening to (the series is incredibly faithful to the book, down to the specific dialogue).

Even so, I find I cannot name all 5 Stark children. I know Bran, Robb, Sansa, Arya, and Jon Snow, but who is the 5th Stark child?

The youngest child, in fact.

I was confusing the King's children.

Has this 5th child showed up in the series yet? And who cared for his direwolf? It's a little hard to believe his mother would leave him alone after what just happened to Bran. Or did the youngest travel with his sisters to King's Landing?

There are many nuances that I'm learning from the book, that are not explained in the series. For example, the notion that incest amongst the royalty is not only not taboo, but encouraged (I'm surprised I didn't realize that, given history). I wonder, then, if Tyrion is also a product of incest? I assume Joffrey is.

Also, when the female direwolf was found dead with the stag horns in her throat, I didn't know what significance that held, until I knew that the King's house symbol is the stag, and the Stark's is the direwolf. Ohh!

I'm really enjoying this, it is so well done, too. The writing, which apparently is actually mostly from the author, is just exquisite. Especially Tyrion's lines!

The Targaryen dynasty did the Pharonic-style brother-sister pairing, but they're regarded by just about everyone as crazy degenerate despots. And not to be too spoilery, but the main incestuous pairing among the major characters is very much not ok, and drives much of the plot through the first two books.

And yes, Tyrion gets all the best lines, and pulls off some pretty audacious stunts over the course of the series.

I hope the series doesn't take too long to show up on Netflix. I don't have cable, but it sounds like they're doing a really terrific job with the series.

Monthly cable is not in the budget, but this I would buy. So glad to hear it is good, and you are enjoying it.

But it is just so well done! The good thing is that when you finally are able to see it, you'll be able to see them all together, instead of this torture of waiting each week for a new installment! Arrgh! That's why I usually wait until the end of a series to watch them all.

Getting it. I'm in your boat and have watched them all ;)

PM me if ya want.

:hi:

That last episode had me gasping!

Horse decapitation!
Full frontal male nudity!

And the ending! JEEBUS!!!

That had me going WTF. How old was that kid anyway?

Breastfeeding a teenager! (well he wasn't quite that old, lol)

...old TV trick!

So much in there that was shocking, I forgot
about the breast-feeding tweenager!

Yeah, the Theon peenie scene was a tad embarrassing to watch w/them, hehe. That episode had a little something for everyone.

do they DARE?

He did make a comment about how not everything is small on him, lol.

They cast a superb actor in that part, I don't think they could have done any better. I remember him from "The Station Agent."

Those sexual sound effects are...well...realistic.

Amazon has a set of the first four for $20, and book five comes out this summer (A Dance with Dragons).

Both our older teens read them all and like me, are dying for the next installment. If you can get the audiobooks from the library those are worth it as well.

Yeah, poor Rickon is a bit neglected in the first book.

And I'm now also considering getting the paper book, too.

This one is breaking all the rules for me. Reading the book while watching the series, buying the audiobook AND the paper book, and the genre itself.

It must be good.

which in a lessor author would be wack.

Here it's like waiting for winter: you know it's coming, and when it does it's going to be AWESOME. :D

I really wasn't expecting it. There is so much in this series. I am just about to start the second book!