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@mysteryman,

mysteryman wrote:

Isnt Sean Bean (Eddard Stark) the same person that played on LOTR?
Didnt he play the character that tried to take the ring from Frodo and brbroke up the fellowship?

Yes.

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@mysteryman,

Yes, the character he portrayed was Boromir, a significant character in the novel, but less so in the butchered story Jackson told in the movie.

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@mysteryman,

If you're interested in trying the books, check your local libraries. Mine now have all 5 books, in both ebook and audiobook format. Hardcover, too, if you don't mind schlepping to and fro and destroying trees! Laughing

(j/k...you know that, right?)

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I ain't got a problem with butchering trees for actual, honest to dog books. It's all the mindless, meaningless trade journals and self-promotion "magazines" by businesses that irk me, and level whole forests every year.

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I have been struggling with book 5. Martin insists on introducing new characters even this late in the series after getting so involved in the existing characters he brings in new ones... blah.

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@McGentrix,

I don't understand why people like the series at all. It's some of the most poorly written fantasy that I've ever read.

... and Martin himself is a total douchebag, he has no respect for his own fans and takes ages to put out his books. Steven Erikson and Jim Butcher pump out high-quality fantasy novels at twice the speed and have a real connection to their fan base.

Cycloptichorn

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@McGentrix,

McGentrix wrote:

I have been struggling with book 5. Martin insists on introducing new characters even this late in the series after getting so involved in the existing characters he brings in new ones... blah.

Well, he kinda has to considering how many named characters get killed off in each book. Laughing

Although book 5 has the fewest deaths, I think. A Storm of Swords had a lot...named characters, but not necessarily major characters.

I know what you mean, though. Not sure where you are in ADwD, but for me it really picked up toward the end...I could barely put it down.

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@Cycloptichorn,

I have all Butcher's Dresden File series lined up in my TBR list. I've lost count how many there are now (more than a dozen I think lol).

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@Irishk,

Irishk wrote:

I have all Butcher's Dresden File series lined up in my TBR list. I've lost count how many there are now (more than a dozen I think lol).

I've highly enjoyed them. They are all first-person and read very quickly, very action-y and fun. If you like those, I would also recommend his Codex Alera series - it's not super-deep fantasy, but it does have a very interesting magic system and some compelling characters.

Cycloptichorn

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@Cycloptichorn,

I just checked my files and all twelve of Butcher's Dresden novels roughly equal Martin's 5-book series....for total page count. I should really breeze through those!

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@farmerman,

Derivative ?

Of what?

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@tsarstepan,

tsarstepan wrote:

I hope Roy Dotrice is still alive to read the last two books as he's been reading to me the entire series (all five audiobooks I listened to) so far. He'll be 89 years old this May.

I just watched an interview he did in Canada the other day and when asked about the timetable for TWoW, here's what he said...

Quote:

"It [TWoW] is still in the works, but, you know, I have about two hundred pages of it that I'd say are finished or close to finish, but these books are around fifteen hundred pages in manuscripts, so two hundred pages is just a drop in a bucket. I'll be working on this book for years to come, it will be another... At least two years, maybe three years until I will deliver this one.

That's about what I'd figured on (well, 2 years at least, not 3), but knowing Mr. Martin's predictions of the past, it could well turn into 5 years. I'm happy to hear that it'll be another epic volume, though.

Hang in there, Mr. Dotrice!! (And take lots of vitamins lol)

Video clip

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@farmerman,

O no you don't. The books are absolutely awe-inspiring, absolutely the best series of novels I've ever laid eyes upon. The feral intensity and realism resemblent of the depravity seen in actual warefare is spot on and hits close to home. The good guys don't always win (really they pretty much always lose) and by the third book you become utterly confused as to who the good guys really are. They convey actual human emotion, the narcissism related to power, and the never ending tragedy that is the human condition. GRRM takes risks like no other, killing off main characters on a whim, leaving the reader constantly on edge and completely oblivious as to what is going to happen next. Subplots within counterplots, deceit within treachery, madness within genius. Every type of person in conveyed, and no one is safe. Read the books. Truly, they are utterly amazing.

1 Reply

@bulldogcoma,

Quote:

O no you don't. The books are absolutely awe-inspiring, absolutely the best series of novels I've ever laid eyes upon.

I have a hard time believing this. You ought to try some other series.

FM HAS read the books; did you miss that part?

Cycloptichorn

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@Cycloptichorn,

Cycloptichorn wrote:

I don't understand why people like the series at all. It's some of the most poorly written fantasy that I've ever read.

... and Martin himself is a total douchebag, he has no respect for his own fans and takes ages to put out his books. Steven Erikson and Jim Butcher pump out high-quality fantasy novels at twice the speed and have a real connection to their fan base.

Cycloptichorn

I'm on book II right now, and honestly I'm only reading it because I'm on a temp assignment where I have nothing to do but read 95% of the time.

I bought the 4 book series on the advice of my neighbor, who gushed about how great it was.

Albeit, I was rather busy while reading book I, so it was kinda start again, stop again. I want to give the benefit of the doubt that I'd have liked it better if I was able to read it straight through. As is was I only became interested in the very last chapter of book I when Dany came onto her own. Those chapters were at least the most interesting to me, as they were modeled after the Mongols.

Now I'm 3/4's of the way through book II, so I'll just soldier on.

1 Reply

@chai2,

If you like fantasy novels, do yourself a favor, put that down after this book and start reading Erikson's Malazan series instead.

Cycloptichorn

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@Cycloptichorn,

Cyclop...not really sure why you are so negative on the books, but I think they are terrific...and I think Bulldog up above hit the nail squarely on its head. I know about "different strokes for different folks"...but you are going beyond "I prefer such and such."

Anyone reading here: Read the books. There will be moments when you will be bored and confused...it is a very confusing story. But the suggestion that the series is second rate is off the mark.

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@Frank Apisa,

agree, i'm loving the books so far, i'm basically reading a couple of chapters a day (i always read more than one book at a time, so i split up my reading day), mostly in the morning

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@Frank Apisa,

Frank Apisa wrote:

Cyclop...not really sure why you are so negative on the books, but I think they are terrific...and I think Bulldog up above hit the nail squarely on its head. I know about "different strokes for different folks"...but you are going beyond "I prefer such and such."

2 reasons:

1, I've read all of them purely on the suggestions of other people who said they were really good. And it was a long and unpleasant slog, definitely not worth the trouble. Your mileage may vary.

2, the guy totally disrespects his own fan base by lazing about and taking 5-7 years to write a book. If you are an active and voracious reader (I read 2-3 fantasy and sci-fi novels a week, every single week) this is a ridiculously slow pace. Out of active authors he's writing at the slowest pace of ANYONE I know. If he keeps going at his current pace (which comments he has made seem to indicate is the case) he will have written 7 books in this series over 25 years. I can't wait a third of my life for a story to be wrapped up when it's not that great to begin with. Not only that, I believe there is in fact an excellent chance the man will pass away before the series is done, and after Robert Jordan, I'm not going through that again. (Though Sanderson has been doing a great job filling in!)

Quote:

Anyone reading here: Read the books. There will be moments when you will be bored and confused...it is a very confusing story. But the suggestion that the series is second rate is off the mark.

I didn't find the story to be confusing, but it's definitely boring from time to time. And depressing.

Cycloptichorn

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@Cycloptichorn,

All five books were available when I started reading the series, so I was able to skip the 'frustrated fan' part. And since Martin has alerted us that his next volume won't be ready for another two or three years, I won't waste time on fretting over something out of my control. Of course, I'll have to reread the series by the time book 6 comes out lol (looks like I'll have plenty of time for that).

Hey, thanks for the Malazan tip. A Canadian! Great reviews, too...I've already added the first book to my reading list.

1 Reply

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