Yes, I understood what you mean, and I know the feeling, believe me - it's the same one that made me unable to stomach "Rome" and (to some extent) "The Tudors".
That said, the fact that many people like a book doesn't mean it's a good book! And even if it is a good book in some ways, it can still be bad in others. :-) Personally, I can't judge Song of Ice and Fire, because although I read the first book back when it first came out, it so failed to impress me that I don't remember anything about it.
Thanks for the link - it was a very interesting (and horrifying) essay. Have you watched Game of Thrones? People keep telling me to watch it but now I'm wondering if the TV show has as much rape in it as the books. I haven't read the books at all and doubt I ever will. If the TV show is similar then I don't think I'll bother :/
I have watched it, and think it's excellent. It does have some outright and implied sexual violence in it, and more scenes of dubious consent, but it's not nearly as massive in the TV series as the essay's author describes it being in the books. (I haven't read the books - or rather, I read the first one but don't remember a thing about it, and wasn't moved to buy the sequel - so I can't compare them myself.)
But - you watched Spartacus, right? I'm in the process of catching up on it right now, and I really must say that Game of Thrones doesn't have 10% of the sexual violence and consent issues that Spartacus does. Apart from some specific instances, it's not a problem for me in Spartacus because of the way it's handled. It's the same in Game of Thrones.
(This is my most gladiator-like icon. I'm re-purposing it as "young Crixus in the baths". *g*)
Yeah I loved Spartacus until the present season, which mangled Crassus and Caesar so appallingly that I couldn't watch it any more. Not even for the promise of a full-frontal Liam McIntyre! But I knew what that show would be like, whereas I have an aversion to sci fi and fantasy so if I'm already out of my comfort zone watching GoT then I didn't want to be tipped over by random sexual violence, if that makes sense.
I'm still on the fence about watching it. So many people tell me it's good. At least my TV drought will end next month - Da Vinci's Demons sounds like total crack and then Teen Wolf will be back!
Ack, I'm sorry to hear about the mangled historical figures... but then I anticipate not enjoying the last season much anyway, considering the inevitable ending. Still a shame, though.
If you dislike fantasy, then GoT really might not be your thing. I mean, it's mostly like an alternate medieval setting, but the supernatural is also a constant presence in some ways (mostly as an uncontrollable, vague, only half-believed threat, like a tale of horrors nobody quite believes in anymore). And of course there are dragons eventually.
I really don't think the sexual violence would be much of a problem for you though, because I really never registered it as anything particularly massive in GoT. Quite unlike Rome and The Tudors, both of which made themselves unpleasant to me by historical ridiculousness and by the kind of rape wallpaper the essay speaks of.
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That said, the fact that many people like a book doesn't mean it's a good book! And even if it is a good book in some ways, it can still be bad in others. :-) Personally, I can't judge Song of Ice and Fire, because although I read the first book back when it first came out, it so failed to impress me that I don't remember anything about it.
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But - you watched Spartacus, right? I'm in the process of catching up on it right now, and I really must say that Game of Thrones doesn't have 10% of the sexual violence and consent issues that Spartacus does. Apart from some specific instances, it's not a problem for me in Spartacus because of the way it's handled. It's the same in Game of Thrones.
(This is my most gladiator-like icon. I'm re-purposing it as "young Crixus in the baths". *g*)
Reply
I'm still on the fence about watching it. So many people tell me it's good. At least my TV drought will end next month - Da Vinci's Demons sounds like total crack and then Teen Wolf will be back!
Reply
If you dislike fantasy, then GoT really might not be your thing. I mean, it's mostly like an alternate medieval setting, but the supernatural is also a constant presence in some ways (mostly as an uncontrollable, vague, only half-believed threat, like a tale of horrors nobody quite believes in anymore). And of course there are dragons eventually.
I really don't think the sexual violence would be much of a problem for you though, because I really never registered it as anything particularly massive in GoT. Quite unlike Rome and The Tudors, both of which made themselves unpleasant to me by historical ridiculousness and by the kind of rape wallpaper the essay speaks of.
Reply
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