I Realise I May Not Read These For Some Time To Come But I Live In Hope
Sunday, 1st July, 2012 § 1 Comment
I started reading the first three books of George R. R. Martin’s magnum opus a few years ago just before the fourth book came out. A Song of Ice and Fire, a tale of medieval European-like politics disguised as fantasy but with more swords than sorcery, has a lot going for it. It has several main characters and many more bit players which may be confusing to some but I love it, it has despicable villains, a couple of lovable ones (your mileage may vary) and morally upright but stupid good guys (man, are they stupid). Also, it’s a story where being a major character is no guarantee of survival. That’s another reason I love this series. Just because you’re perceived as the ‘hero’ means absolutely nothing. You could easily be killed off in the next chapter. And the entire story kicks off when a young child stumbles upon a secret brother-sister love. Nothing like incest to get concerned parents’ groups to get your book banned…except that no group has actually called for its banning. Don’t they realise these books exist to corrupt the mind of their young? Or are kids not reading good fantasy anymore?
I never picked up Book 4 when it came out because Martin takes his dang time to finish each book. By the time the fourth book came out I had already forgotten some of the plot points from the first three books and wasn’t prepared to re-read them all over again as a refresher course. So I dropped it. The series began in 1996 and sixteen years later it’s still nowhere near the end. Heck, even the author isn’t sure how many books will be in the series. He has promised seven books total but has hinted it may go to eight. To date he hasn’t even finished writing Book Six.
So what’s with the slipcased editions? I’m weak when it comes to hardcovers and oversized editions (hey, maybe I’m compensating for something??) Only the fifth book is missing from my shelf but I’ll add it soon. I have no idea when I’m going to start reading them. Other than the incest secret, the dwarf Tyrion, some woman forced to marry a barbarian who keeps dragons as pets and the Red Wedding, I don’t remember anything about A Song of Ice and Fire. That fact excites and scares me at the same time.
And no, I’ve never watched the HBO adaptation. Not interested. You know how to spot someone who know of the books from watching the TV series? If they refer to the books as ‘Game of Thrones’ instead of ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ or by their individual titles. I point my finger at you and call you poseur!
Oh man..am I the only one who reads Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series?