Book Review: A Game Of Thrones
A Game of Thrones, book one of "A Song Of Fire And Ice" by George RR Martin. paperback from Bantam Spectra. isbn # 0-535-57340-3, US $7.99
Well, it's been a long time coming. Savy, Karen, and countless others have been imploring me to read George RR Martin's "A Song of Fire And Ice" for years now. Eric even went ahead and ordered the existing paperbacks for me as a present. But no pressure ...
This review has been a long time coming, too, since I finished reading the book over Memorial Day weekend.
Here's what I think: A Game of Thrones is high fantasy for those who don't like High Fantasy. It's got all the trappings: set up for an epic storyline, a main cast of dozens, nations and continents to learn your way around, and the requisite tweaking of person names to make them 'read' as more alien than they are while the names of plants and animals are left the same as in our world to keep the reader at least a little grounded. On the other hand, the book is also missing several key elements of High Fantasy: there are no elves, no dwarves, no orcs or trolls. There are some mysterious "Others" that are talked about more than seen, and there are mentions of "the children of the forest," but at least in this first book, the emphasis is not on what might be the undead and elves, but rather on the politics of a realm that is headed for implosion. Tolkein played with politics, Jordan's books faily plod along with politics ... but always overshadowed by the magic and the presence of "other races." Martin puts the politics front and center, and this gives the book its majestic sweep. The politics are as intriguing as they should be. This is world and plot-setting at its best.
In short order, we are introduced to The Starks, Lords of Winterfell and Wardens of the North. Nature doesn't get more bleak than in WInterfell, and inevitable comparisons to Sheinar and the borderlands of Jordan's books can be made. Ned Stark and his wife Catelyn and thier children (Robb, Bran, Sansa, Arya, Rickon and the bastard son Jon Snow) are the heart of this book. Through them we meet most of the remaining important characters: King Robert and his heirs and the members of the Lannister family most importantly, but also the men of the Night's Watch. We are also introduced early on to the exiled heirs to the former King, setting up another plot thread.
What is most impressive is that Martin juggles through at least 8 different character POVs, maintaining each character's voice and staying inside their head -- and manages to move the plot along at a very brisk pace. Things actually happen between chapters and we learn about them only when the POV character mentions them or is informed of them "in front of us." Martin avoids that trope of High Fantasy: the long involved recounting of every troop movement and every sidewise glance. This book covers months of action, and it doesn't feel like months of inaction. Which is really what engaged me the most. Martin skips over ancilliary battles and council meetings and I didn't at all feel lost.
So I'll be heading into Book Two once I'm done with Jonathan Safron Foer's "Incredibly Loud and Extremely Close" and Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander." The first was last month's book club assignment that I didn't get read in time; the second has been recommended to me by Jon and Cathy for as long as the Martin books have been.
This is all by way of saying: Read George RR Martin's "A Game Of Thrones." Even if your burned out on High Fantasy, you will not be disappointed.
Well, it's been a long time coming. Savy, Karen, and countless others have been imploring me to read George RR Martin's "A Song of Fire And Ice" for years now. Eric even went ahead and ordered the existing paperbacks for me as a present. But no pressure ...
This review has been a long time coming, too, since I finished reading the book over Memorial Day weekend.
Here's what I think: A Game of Thrones is high fantasy for those who don't like High Fantasy. It's got all the trappings: set up for an epic storyline, a main cast of dozens, nations and continents to learn your way around, and the requisite tweaking of person names to make them 'read' as more alien than they are while the names of plants and animals are left the same as in our world to keep the reader at least a little grounded. On the other hand, the book is also missing several key elements of High Fantasy: there are no elves, no dwarves, no orcs or trolls. There are some mysterious "Others" that are talked about more than seen, and there are mentions of "the children of the forest," but at least in this first book, the emphasis is not on what might be the undead and elves, but rather on the politics of a realm that is headed for implosion. Tolkein played with politics, Jordan's books faily plod along with politics ... but always overshadowed by the magic and the presence of "other races." Martin puts the politics front and center, and this gives the book its majestic sweep. The politics are as intriguing as they should be. This is world and plot-setting at its best.
In short order, we are introduced to The Starks, Lords of Winterfell and Wardens of the North. Nature doesn't get more bleak than in WInterfell, and inevitable comparisons to Sheinar and the borderlands of Jordan's books can be made. Ned Stark and his wife Catelyn and thier children (Robb, Bran, Sansa, Arya, Rickon and the bastard son Jon Snow) are the heart of this book. Through them we meet most of the remaining important characters: King Robert and his heirs and the members of the Lannister family most importantly, but also the men of the Night's Watch. We are also introduced early on to the exiled heirs to the former King, setting up another plot thread.
What is most impressive is that Martin juggles through at least 8 different character POVs, maintaining each character's voice and staying inside their head -- and manages to move the plot along at a very brisk pace. Things actually happen between chapters and we learn about them only when the POV character mentions them or is informed of them "in front of us." Martin avoids that trope of High Fantasy: the long involved recounting of every troop movement and every sidewise glance. This book covers months of action, and it doesn't feel like months of inaction. Which is really what engaged me the most. Martin skips over ancilliary battles and council meetings and I didn't at all feel lost.
So I'll be heading into Book Two once I'm done with Jonathan Safron Foer's "Incredibly Loud and Extremely Close" and Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander." The first was last month's book club assignment that I didn't get read in time; the second has been recommended to me by Jon and Cathy for as long as the Martin books have been.
This is all by way of saying: Read George RR Martin's "A Game Of Thrones." Even if your burned out on High Fantasy, you will not be disappointed.