Game of Thrones: Advice Needed

Ok, so I've almost finished the first book, own the second, and the first part of the third. I've also seen both TV seasons. Now, after reading the first book it was pretty much the same as the tv show. Here is my question, should I read the second book, or start on the third? Thanks, your help is appreciated.

@dacnomaniac:

Read the second. It's different from the show.

Keep on reading, and then watch the show, thats what I would do.

@dacnomaniac: I'd agree with reading them, they diverge a lot from the books in season 2 and I assume they'll be shuffling things round in season 3 as well.

The battle towards the end of the second book is quite a bit different from the tv series, its a lot bigger in the book.

Definitely continue to read the second and third. They diverged from the second quite a bit and they will probably be doing the same with the third season.

@dacnomaniac: The first book is almost identical to the show (plot-wise, although you do get a fair bit of additional world-building). The second book is pretty different from the book (Bran's story has major elements that were pushed back into Season 3, Arya's story is pretty damn different, Dany's story is significantly more boring in the books, and the Battle of Blackwater plays out at a much more ambitious scale in the books).

I'd say to read the second book. More than that, read the entirety of the third book (both parts) before you watch the third season.

hmm thanks! literally like 100 pages to go in the first book, so thanks for the quick response!

The second book is better than the second series. Aspects of the series seemed rush, and changes were made that I wasn't fond of. It was still a great series, but the book is better. In the books, Asha Greyjoy is an awesome character - witty, spunky, bold, a lot of fun. In the TV series, Yara Greyjoy is boring, sullen, and seemingly humourless.

And read the third book before you watch the series. The third book is my favourite ever book, definitely the best in the series.

@atlas: I don't think I could disagree anymore with this. Dany's story in ACOK is awful, Jojen and Meera being pushed back completely saves the bore that is Bran's ASOS story, Yara feels more in-line with the Greyjoy culture, Arya's story has a lot of unnecessary fat cut out (and now includes the amazing interaction with her and Tywin), and Robb now comes off as less of a goddamn spontaneous dumbass with the Talisa thing.

The only other notable change is the whole Tyrion/Blackwater change. Honestly, they did the best that they could have because that chain was not going to work on-screen (or simply would have eaten too much of their budget).

ACOK is my least favourite book in the series. It's terrible. If it wasn't for the Baratheon brother conflict (and maybe, maybe the Theon story), that book would hardly even be worth reading.

yes read the second book. season 2 of the show is a diarrhea dump compared to the book. also, i would advise to just stop watching the show altogether and try to purge the images of those characters from your mind.

The show is not a direct adaptation of the books. There are a lot of characters introduced in A Clash of Kings that are not featured in the show, so if you jump right into the third book you will be missing some pretty important background stuff.

Always read book before watching television or movie adaptation. There are very few exceptions to that. As for ASoIaF television series, it is only broad strokes of the actual story. You are essentially watching cliffs notes acted out in front of camera. DO NOT skip ahead in the books.

You prefer the tv bastardization of Asha to the actual? Arya's story in CoK is critical to the development of her character in future. Robb is supposed to be a spontaneous dumbass. That is his thing.

Your opinion is incorrect. D:

I feel like I should say that I maybe got a bit heated. It isn't a terrible book by normal standards. But compared to the rest of his work (even AFFC), I think it's the worst of the bunch. It just doesn't have an identity like the other books. It feels like a really awkward middle chapter in a 3-book conflict that severely lacks the focus of its predecessor and the momentum and finality of its successor. Even AFFC and ADWD, which have the awkward job of being the 'in-between massive conflict' books, manage to have radically unique and memorable stories despite this fact.

And yes, I prefer Yara to Asha. She's just as much of a spunky bitch, but she has a moroseness and melancholy layered on top of that spunky bitch that suits the rest of the Greyjoy culture much more than 'sexy pirate lady.' It's actually really funny because Gemma (the actress) is a lot closer to Asha than Yara out-of-character. She's a comedian, she's really lighthearted, and she's always having a good time.

There was too much 'Arya spending unnecessary time in forests' in ACOK, and some scenes that I loved in the books were just too cliché or silly to be on-screen (such as Ned's ghost, and the whole stew thing). My only major gripe with Arya's adaptation is that she never murders the guard while escaping; this feels like a crucial character moment where she displays her habit of unnecessary violence, but is coupled with a bit of guile and ingenuity. I imagine that David & Dan want to save this sort of stuff for Season 4 (and, to a much greater extent, her later seasons).

Robb is supposed to be a spontaneous dumbass, but in the books he felt comically-so. It was the biggest eye-rolling thing I had ever read, and it just felt like a jarring departure from his character (I mean, there is very little 'spontaneous dumbassery' prior to that--certainly not at that level, anyway). At least with the slow build-up of Talisa, he's a dumbass that feels like a real person (as opposed to a 'flawed character'). It also grows to be a narrative that works well on television: the forbidden love.

I see the OP has been suckered into reading the books. I pity you, man.