I admit it. I am a fantasy geek. I'm not quite sure how it started (probably with fairy tales) but I do know exactly when it blossomed into a full-on obsession: 9th grade. That summer I read The Once and Future King, and in September my teacher demonstrated incredible coolness when he forwent (is that a word?) The Odyssey in favor of The Fellowship of the Ring. And with that book I was lost...lost in a world of orcs and wizards and rings and quests. Since then, I have come to love all kinds of fantasy, medieval, and dystopian fiction, from The Hunger Games to The Death of Arthur, and even Beowulf...the Seamus Heaney version. But I haven't read any good, modern, adult fantasy in a long time. To be honest, modern adult fantasy kind of scares me. I mean, it is a little weird for grownups to be reading about wizards and warriors, heroes and princesses, dragons and demons...I feel like it's okay if it's a YA book or a classic, but the contemporary stuff is for the Dungeons and Dragons set, IMHO. Then I picked up Game of Thrones in Logan Airport a few weeks ago and have been lost in fantasy land ever since.
I can't speak to the new HBO show based on the series, but the books are incredibly compelling, if you're at all into fantasy. George RR Martin writes a little like Tolkein, a little like TH White, and a little like himself. My favorite part of the series is that there are about ten different main characters, and the chapters are told from alternating viewpoints. At first it was a little confusing to keep everyone straight, especially because as some main characters die, new ones take their place as narrators. But the technique keeps the story fast-paced and always interesting. I'm deep into book three of four, and I have trouble tearing myself out of the Seven Kingdoms. This is the kind of series that I can't wait to finish because I'm dying to know how it's resolved, but at the same time I dread the ending because it's going to take me forever to recover from the series and find something equally all-consuming to read. This series is so good that I would go so far as to say it could be the "gateway drug" for those reluctant fantasy readers. You know who you are...Harry Potter fans who have never ventured deeper into fantasy than Hogwarts...(I couldn't let this posting go without a jab at Harry Potter. I've actually gone soft on good old HP in my old age...I used to look down on HP fans with derision, but I do accept the value and renewed interest he has brought to the genre...plus I finally read the first chapter of the first book and it was actually pretty good.) If you're hesitant about fantasy, this series is written in a modern enough voice that it just might grab your interest.
Back to the dragons and kingslayers...
Rebecca
First of all, in defense of my love for HP, I am quite aware it's for a younger audience, and if you're doing any of your judging from the movies, they really do not live up to the amazingness of actually reading the series. I think what draws me to the HP series the most is that there is a lot of humor worked into the plot line, mostly about the gaffes of HP and his friends as they muddle through adolescence. They may be wizard-heroes, but they still have very real (and awkward, and FUNNY) adolescent experiences.
ReplyDeleteBut, enough about that. I'm going to pick up Game of Thrones because I need a good page turner. I've been reading a couple of very blah books recently, and I want something that's going to grab my attention and get me interested in reading again!
Miss H.
I started Game of Thrones this week and I'm about half way through. I like it -- but it's VERY long. I'm afraid if I were more busy I would probably give up on it due to sheer length. However, now is the perfect time for me to get some long hours of reading done! And I'm glad Rebecca recommended this book. I'm not a huge fantasy fan, but this one isn't too heavy on the fantasy - some passing references to dragons and other mythical beasts, but it hasn't yet taken a central role. What I am enjoying most is how each chapter is told by a different character. In this way you see all the players perspectives and it kept me guessing which are the good guys and which are the bad guys. There are still a couple characters that you don't know for sure yet! Will update as I read more...
ReplyDeleteMiss H.
First, I owe Miss H an apology. I did not mean to insult HP...well, maybe a little, but mostly I just said that to see if I could get you riled up. I have not seen any of the movies, nor have I read the books, so I'm not really qualified to judge. And I definitely do not have a problem with an adult reading YA lit...it's one of my favorite genres. It's just fantasy has a reputation...a Dungeons and Dragons, live in your mother's basement, dress up for Renaissance fairs kind of reputation, and for most of my life, people looked down my nose at me when I said I liked it. And then HP came out and all of a sudden HP was popular, and people were talking about fantasy as if they knew what they were talking about, and had no idea of the classical roots of the genre. Truly, that's one of the reasons I love it so much - the mythical quality. I was being a fantasy snob. I do appreciate HP (and may even read a bit sooner rather than later) for his role in jumpstarting so many kids' reading habits. He definitely has his place and purpose. My apologies if that appreciation didn't come across the first time.
ReplyDeleteNow, for Game of Thrones. I'm so glad Miss Havisham is reading it too, so that I have someone to discuss the amazingness of this series with. Truth be told, parts of books three and four were a little slow, but they were still good enough to convince me to pre-order book five from amazon. It will be released July 12, and I can't wait!
In addition to the multiple narrators, another thing I really like is the blurry line between good and evil. I thought I had it all figured out in the beginning of the first book, but as Miss H says, you're never really sure. We'll discuss specifics when Miss H finishes the first one. Until then, a few random thoughts in no particular order: 1) Arya is my favorite character! I heart her, and I heart her even more on the tv show (which I started watching last night) 2) I also heart John Snow 3) What do you think of Daenarys?
1) I like Arya too, and even though Sansa proves to be a mean older sister at times, I feel badly for her. She is very naive, and that causes her to be manipulated. But she's just doing what she has be taught to do all her life! She's so innocent because that's the way she was taught to be.
ReplyDelete2) I really like Jon Snow, and the Others are extremely frightening.
3) Daenarys frightens me as well, although I have a lot of respect for her. She went from being an abused and subservient girl under her brother to an extremely string and commanding woman. I don't like her character, but I can't help but having respect for her.