a song of ice and fire - If I have seen the TV show Games of Thrones, is it worth it to read the books?

I am a huge fan of the TV show Game of Thrones. I am considering reading the books.

A part of me would like to know the rest of the story, i.e. starting at volume 3. Another part of me is afraid to get lost in the middle of stories that the TV didn't mention (i.e. starting at volume 1).

Answer

Definitely. The TV show only scratches the surface of what the books contain, in my opinion. Due to the constraints of the TV medium, several aspects of the books have been modified or deleted. You'll reap the full benefit of George R. R. Martin's creativity by reading the books.

One analogy that I've come across is the Lord of the Rings. The movies were great, but still don't contain all of the depth that is present in Tolkien's original books.

In the end I believe that most fans would greatly enjoy the story arcs contained within the books that the TV show was based on. You'll have the added benefit of moving ahead of where the TV series is focusing on, since the books have been out for a longer period of time.

You'll want to read the books in their original order:

A Game of Thrones

A Clash of Kings

A Storm of Swords

A Feast for Crows

A Dance with Dragons

More information can be found on the author's site or the Wikipedia page for the series.

Comments

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