GOT Analysis

A college student's informal analysis on the first book, "A Song of Ice and Fire" and the first season of Game of Thrones on HBO.

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Reflection

I never thought I would get around to reading the Game of Thrones books, but now I think I might try to read them all. I’m glad I had the opportunity to read the first book for a school project because it gave me the push I needed. I definitely love Game of Thrones more now after reading the book. Before, I felt like a fake GOT fan, having skipped the books and only watching the show. But now I feel complete! :)

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GOT Popularity: Revisited

After doing research as to why Game of Thrones is popular, here are my final main arguments: 

1. The series (both the books and tv show) appeal to an older audience. It’s a complex, entertaining fantasy story for adults (both male and female!).

2. The characters are engaging and relatable. Tyrion, Daenerys, and Arya are the three main fan favorites, which is understandable because their characters can be very relatable. (Tyrion: the witty underdog, Daenerys: strength through adversity, Feminist appeal, Arya: underdog + feminist appeal)

3. The start of the tv show brought more popularity to the series. “The publishing industry has benefited greatly from the show, with the “Song of Ice and Fire” book series’ sales getting a boost between the premiere and finale of each season. The show’s first season made the box set with the first four books the only fiction entry on Amazon’s bestseller list” (source).

4. George R. R. Martin still has two more books in the series to complete. So the story isn’t over yet. If Martin lives to finish the series, the popularity is guaranteed to continue. 

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When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground.

Cersei Lannister, A Game of Thrones, page 488

This is another one of my favorite quotes of the book. Either winning or dying is especially true in Game of Thrones, as most everyone dies at some point. 

I love that Cersei says this line to Ned Stark. It’s perfect.

Watch the full scene here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucB4UrhI-3w

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You wear your honor like a suit of armor, Stark. You think it keeps you safe, but all it does it weigh you down and make it hard for you to move.

Littlefinger, A Game of Thrones page 513

This is a great quote as it shows that honesty cannot win the game of thrones. Ned Stark’s honor is his ultimate downfall. 

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I want a direwolf!!

Okay, I am officially in love with direwolves. I’m kinda jealous of the Stark children. 

It’s impossible to not look cute with a direwolf pup... *sigh* Jon Snow

You would have your own personal cute fluffy guard to play with and keep you safe! It’s adorable.

Plus, they would injure/eliminate any threat. (Joffery is a jerk!!!)

... Let’s just not talk about what happens to most of the direwolves, okay? 

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19 years of GOT?!

Wow. I just realized that the first Game of Thrones book came out in August 1996. I didn’t realize the book was almost 19 years old! It’s crazy that the book is still popular. This makes me question why, which is part of the assignment for my class. But before doing any research, here are my theories:

1. The series (both the books and tv show) appeal to an older audience. It’s a complex, entertaining fantasy story for adults.

2. The characters are engaging and relatable.

3. The start of the tv show brought more popularity to the series

4. George R. R. Martin still has two more books in the series to complete. So the story isn’t over yet.

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Don’t get emotionally attached: Update

In response to my “don’t get emotionally attached” post: I have gotten emotionally attached (big surprise!). I love how emotionally complex the characters are and their stories are interesting to explore. Also, it helps that I have faces to the names. For example, Kit Harrington’s face is beautiful and I love his character (Jon Snow) even more now. 

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Don’t do it!

Since I’ve already watched Game of Thrones on tv and know what’s going to happen, I’ve been finding myself internally yelling at some of the characters while I read the book. It’s like watching a horror movie and seeing the guy in the chainsaw mask creeping up behind the unsuspecting victims. 

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Don’t get emotionally attached

Even if you don’t read or watch Game of Thrones, I’m sure you’ve heard that “everyone dies.” That’s why I’m going into this series with the mindset that I will not get emotionally attached to any of the characters. As I’m writing this I already know that I’m lying to myself. But we will see....

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Winter is Coming

I love how the first book, A Game of Thrones, starts the same way that the HBO show Game of Thrones begins. This prologue sets up the next 800 pages of the novel and starts the repeating idea that “Winter is Coming.” In comparison, the opening scene on the show also sets this up, but more terrifyingly. 

https://youtu.be/cDVnVlQ6PnE?t=13s

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Read the book or watch the show?

I’m the type of person who almost always reads the book(s) before their big screen equivalent(s). However, with Game of Thrones, I watched the tv show before reading the books. Part of this came from wanting to be in the loop with all my friends. Since I got on the GOT bandwagon late, and the GOT books are so long, I opted for the easy way out and watched the show instead. However, since I now have the opportunity to read the first GOT book for a school project, I decided to try it. While I already know what’s going to happen, reading the book is still very enjoyable. Since I am already familiar with all of the different characters, it’s easy for me to enjoy reading the story instead of having to stop every few pages and try to remember who’s who. This is giving me a whole new perspective on reading the book vs. watching the live action version.