A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

A Song of Ice and Fire: Book 1

This was really more of a Book I Should have Finished by Now. I started it a long time ago (I hesitate to even try to guess how long ago), but have finally finished it. What can I say? I’m terribly distractible.

Just about everybody has probably heard of this story by now, since it was aired as a series by HBO, and has been immensely popular, even among people who don’t typically read epic fantasy novels and series. I haven’t seen the film version of A Game of Thrones, so I can’t say how it measures up to the novel. I can say, however, that this novel measures up to any and all of the epic fantasy creations I’ve enjoyed over the years.

There’s just one thing. I didn’t always like this book as I was reading it. I recognized its quality, marveled at its creativity and epic scope, and got sucked into the story. I, however, wasn’t always enjoying myself. Bad things happen to good and innocent people. Characters I hated got what they wanted. Characters I liked did things that ticked me off. I disliked others that I got the feeling I was supposed to like. What the heck was going on here?

The truth is that Martin has built a wonderfully interesting world to set his story (his long, long story) and has peopled it with realistic characters that are neither protected from their harsh realities nor shielded by preconceived fantasy tropes. To me the ultimate achievement of a fantasy story is to build impossible places that still allow the reader to suspend her disbelief, make both realistic and magical things happen, and put people in those places and situations that are just like real human beings (even if they don’t look like us). Those people should then react, for good or evil, to their environment in ways the reader can understand and sympathize with. With all that in mind, I must say that A Game of Thrones, qualifies as an ultimate achiever.

The struggle for power between the Starks and Lannisters, the adventures of Daenerys with the Dothraki and Jon Snow at the Wall, the looming but yet undefined threat in the cold north, and the shadows of a deep history that includes dragons, king-slayers, and years-long seasons all make for a great escape. A Game of Thrones, however, did more than that. It tricked my mind into believing that these characters and situations were important enough to care about. Often I was frustrated and irritated, but not because the book was lacking in quality (as is too often the case). I was frustrated and irritated because the quality of the story made it all real to me at some level.

While I wasn’t always sure whether to say, “Bravo!” or, “Touché!” I can definitely say, “Success!” and, “More please!” Happily, there’s more. A lot more.


A Year of Books I Should Have Read by Now