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I was digging around some boxes of old books looking for a text book for a class to use in a paper, and turns out I have an old edition of A Game of Thrones.
I remember reading it years and years ago, before the idea of a movie or HBO show was even a glimmer in the eye of TV execs, but I had a hard time with it. I wasn't enjoying any of it, mostly because it was such full of scope and grandeur that I felt, one, that I needed to take notes and two, was an already established world that I was looking into where everyone knew what was going on except me.
Compared to Lord of the Rings (a fair comparison, I feel) our first glimpse into the series is in the Shire, on a sunny day in a simple village on a birthday party. Then, when our story gets going, we get to see this new world as our characters do. When we go "wait, what is a Nazgul?" the Hobbits are asking the same thing. When Aragorn and Theoden are discussing what is going to happen at Helm's Deep, we are subtly informed what Helm's Deep is, why the battle is going to go a certain way there, etc.
When I remember reading A Game of Thrones, it's like I was already expected to know stuff that had never been introduced, and it was difficult for me. For instance, I remember in chapter 2 (or maybe 1, after the prologue) when something is happening, they mention it in passing and I think "what the fuck is that" or "who the shit are they talking about?"
It was frustrating. I made it like 50 pages in and gave up. However, I was much younger then - maybe 17 or 18. I'm 24 now - I want to try and read them again.
What kind of mindset should I prepare for when diving into a Song of Ice and Fire? I went in expecting a Tolkien, and it clearly isn't that. What should I expect, in other words?
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>>9161436
The first chapter of A Game of Thrones is kinda shitty. Doesn't really explain anything, is confusing, and is fairly irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.
The rest of the book, they explain things as they go. For example, the first time you see most of the characters, you're in the eyes of Bran, a child, who needs things explained to him. Then you go to Eddard, who reminisces about old times with King Robert.
Also, the World of ASOIAF is no where near the same scope as Middle Earth. There's significantly less depth, the story itself is very focused on the political relationships between warring families, and very rarely do we get any information about common life for common people.
I like the first three books, because they're entertaining and have decent characters. Books 4 and 5 are pretty bad, though. Anyone who compares Martin to Tolkein is a literal idiot, though, and probably only watched GoT/LoR and never actually bothered to read any of their work.
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>>9161436
If you read fantasy then you're a moron. End of discussion.
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>>9161436
I was in your boat, anon. Read the first few in 2007, want to reread them today but can't find the motivation with my backlog.
Stick with it anon, it gets much better. GRRM is not near Tolkien's power level at all. A lot of the developments in book 2 and 3 are genre pulp tier, but fun to read. Just appreciate it for what it is.
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>>9161483
I've heard some say if you read anything besides Academic journals, business and technology news, and mathematical proofs, you're an idiot.
So...
Why should we feel so bad?
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Friendly reminder that if you enjoy Tolkien, you're no better than an ultra-reactionary Catholic
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>>9161539
>If you enjoy a piece of literature that means you're a fundamentalist that believes it word for word
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>>9161539
Okay, that doesn't make any sense. Books are not not only enjoyed because you relate to them. Sometimes, you derive the same sort of pleasure that a tourists gets by seeing how people of another culture live. Their interesting food that you'd never think to eat, their stories, and their architecture. All of it is totally unrelated to you, you are not made a citizen of a foreign country just by visiting it and enjoying it. If you go to China and enjoy it, that doesn't mean you are communist or Chinese. If you go into a cathedral and say it's beautiful, that doesn't make you a Catholic.
Reading anything is about expanding your views and your thoughts.
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>>9161611
>well reasoned arguments
>on 4chan
gtfo, anon
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>>9161637
ごめなさい、せんぱい、忘れちゃった!
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