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Oh I agree. I have a confession to make. I didn't finish the first Lord of The Rings.
Look, I understand the beauty of Tolkien's words, I appreciate descriptive writing, but I guess I must be slightly ADD, because I simply don't have the patience to read through gazillion pages of him describing the forest. I need more dialogue.
On the other hand, A Game of Thrones has everything. Great dialogue and the descriptive writing. He creates the entire world in such depth and beauty and at the same time keeps me on my toes the whole time.
Love the first book. Can't wait to read another one.
If the only thing "A Game of Thrones" has is great dialogue and descriptive writing I see why it's so highly rated. Does no one care about characters and plot anymore? Shouldn't these be the hallmarks for what makes a great novel? It seems like people are just randomly piling praise on GRRM simply because he creates good atmosphere.
If the only thing "A Game of Thrones" has is great dialogue and descriptive writing I see why it's so highly rated. Does no one care about characters and plot anymore? Shouldn't these be the hallmarks for what makes a great novel? It seems like people are just randomly piling praise on GRRM simply because he creates good atmosphere.
Have you read the book?
The fact that it has a whole set of great characters and a captivating plot goes without saying. It's pretty much given for a good book and I didn't feel like I needed to verbalize it.
If the only thing "A Game of Thrones" has is great dialogue and descriptive writing I see why it's so highly rated. Does no one care about characters and plot anymore? Shouldn't these be the hallmarks for what makes a great novel? It seems like people are just randomly piling praise on GRRM simply because he creates good atmosphere.
Martin's series is noted for its great characters and compelling plot.
I think the last book lost some steam. Martin is suffering from letting his plot get in the way of his story -- and I rather suspect he's getting burned out. If it's taken him 6 years to finish the next book, it should either be the best thing he's ever written, or he's just tired of it. I'm afraid he's getting tired of it.
Martin's series is noted for its great characters and compelling plot.
I think the last book lost some steam. Martin is suffering from letting his plot get in the way of his story -- and I rather suspect he's getting burned out. If it's taken him 6 years to finish the next book, it should either be the best thing he's ever written, or he's just tired of it. I'm afraid he's getting tired of it.
Are the characters really great or are fans simply doing what they do when they're a fan of something and overhype it like crazy? I say it's the latter. I don't see what's so great about one dimensional characters like Ned, Catelynn, Robb, Bran, Jon, Sansa and Arya? You can make the case that some of them are more interesting to read like Tyrion and Arya, but they're still on the thin side in terms of character development. I can go on and on about all the problems in the books. People seem to ignore all the faults and inflate what they like in the books to gigantic proportions.
Are the characters really great or are fans simply doing what they do when they're a fan of something and overhype it like crazy? I say it's the latter. I don't see what's so great about one dimensional characters like Ned, Catelynn, Robb, Bran, Jon, Sansa and Arya? You can make the case that some of them are more interesting to read like Tyrion and Arya, but they're still on the thin side in terms of character development. I can go on and on about all the problems in the books. People seem to ignore all the faults and inflate what they like in the books to gigantic proportions.
I disagree about main characters being one dimensional, however, you are entitled to your opinion. Not everyone likes the same things, especially when it comes to books.
Are the characters really great or are fans simply doing what they do when they're a fan of something and overhype it like crazy? I say it's the latter. I don't see what's so great about one dimensional characters like Ned, Catelynn, Robb, Bran, Jon, Sansa and Arya? You can make the case that some of them are more interesting to read like Tyrion and Arya, but they're still on the thin side in terms of character development. I can go on and on about all the problems in the books. People seem to ignore all the faults and inflate what they like in the books to gigantic proportions.
It's a matter of genre comparison, I think. Compared to most Fantasy series, Martin's characters are breath of fresh air. But keep in mind that in most Fantasy series, the main characters are scarcely one-dimensional.
Martin's world-building also has one foot firmly planted in reality, in terms not only of the politics, weapons, etc., but especially in terms of culture and the way people behave. Too often in Fantasy, you feel like you're at a Renn Faire and that between chapters the characters are hopping off to Starbuck's.
That being said, most of Martin's cast isn't anything remarkable. It's still a very plot-driven story, as opposed to character-driven. And Martin's years working in television have made him a master of pacing and very good at allowing dialogue and action to tell the story rather than relying solely upon narration.
So, no, he's certainly no Cormac McCarthy. But in the Fantasy genre, he's one of the best things going right now.
ah sweet god, PLEASE let this be it!! I may go now to preorder it on Amazon if I can! will definitely need to reread the first 4 books for a refresher
And that is a big issue with me. When I was reading the first 4 books, I had a difficult time keeping it all straight. I don't see any way I can pick up the threads from the newest book, having read the previous book over a year ago.
I'm contemplating just waiting until he finishes the entire series and then starting from book 1.
In any case, I agree that the characters are much more than one-dimensional. It's plot driven, but with numerous memorable and well-rounded characters.
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Dragon Time
