Game of Thrones Book Club
So commenter Daniel and I are going to be hosting a book club for Game of Thrones here at The League. Recent discussions of the show have been a lot of fun, so we thought it would be even better to read the books and really get a good discussion going in the comments. If other commenters would like to write full-length posts on the book as we proceed, let me know. Also, use this thread to toss out ideas on how we should go forward, the pace, etc.
This is an open-source book club, so we’ll just make it up as we go along. I’m leaning toward doing each book as the seasons unfold on HBO but that’s mainly for selfish reasons: I don’t want the books to be too clear in my memory as I watch the show because I like to be a little surprised, or not recall exactly what’s coming, or not quite remember things so well that I bitch and complain when HBO does it differently.
If this sounds like fun, chime in in the comments. We’ll get started within the next couple days once everyone agrees on the terms and conditions…
I suggest rot13 to help manage spoilers.
You can’t mitigate stuff enough for some people (“I didn’t know that spoiler warning meant that stuff that *I* care about would be spoiled!”) but you can blunt the worst.
If people go out of their way to translate “Xyvatre fgnlrq va Xbern” in a thread that talks about M*A*S*H spoilers, they have no one to blame but themselves.
But that’s the paternalist liberal in me talking. If you want to go pretty libertarian and say “spoiler warning” on the front and just politely ask people to refrain from putting spoilers in the first 30ish characters of their post, that works too.Report
I think we’ll probably go the libertarian route, but I’ll check out the link. Thanks!Report
It simply rotates the letters in a string 13 letters… so “Adam and Eve eat the fruit and get kicked out” would become “Nqnz naq Rir rng gur sehvg naq trg xvpxrq bhg” (and, of course, vice versa). Someone just eyeballing the thread wouldn’t see Genesis 3 spoiled but people who wanted to talk about the nitty gritty could still throw stuff back and forth at each other.Report
rot26 is simpler but less effective.Report
Yeah, the “libertarian” route sounds good to me too.Report
Sounds like fun, I just read GoT for the first time over Christmas, so not sure if I want to re-read it already, but I think I remember it well enough to enjoy, if not participate in the discussion.Report
It’s been hard to decide. I’m terrified that reading the books will destroy my love of the show, but I think I’ll have to join in.
This is a great idea by the way.Report
You know, I didn’t think anyone who hadn’t read the books would like the show. I guess I was wrong.
In any case, I’m pretty sure you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the books and only like the series more.Report
E.D. Kain
I don’t think you’ll be surprised by anything in the show once you’ve read the books.
The surprises are far far too memorable to forget them, but everyone really should read the books, as it will be impossible to go three seasons of this show without running into public spoilers.
Particularly when it comes to who dies and how.
Martin has written for TV in the past, so he’s a gifted writer when it comes to moving along a plot. Part of me wonders how much there is to discuss about the books it’s so plot heavy and straightforward. A lot of discussion would involve speculation about later events I feel.Report
It’s not so much “surprise” as it is I don’t remember quite where/when everything happens. For instance, I didn’t remember that Jaime corners Ned outside the brothel. I remembered that shit begins hitting the fan in earnest about that time, but not the order of things. So that’s why I like to keep the books rusty. But yes, everyone should read the books if they haven’t or else really, really avoid spoilers.Report
I’m in!Report
I’m not big into the genre and it may not take, but I’ve been meaning to give it a try and this sounds like a good place to start, so I’m in.Report
I’m in for whatever its worth (different time-zones guys. I’m 12-14hrs apart from the US)Report
Also, any of the masthead members can have the ability to edit to manage spoilers. It is better than banning repeat offenders. The more likely scenario is not callousness but more in line with being absent-minded and being in a rush.Report
I just recently re-read all the books up to a Feast for Crows, but I would definitely participate in a book club. By the way, even knowing what happens, the television show is still really great because it presents the same basic plot from a different angle. (As to be expected since books and television both have different strengths and weaknesses as media)Report
I have recently started reading this series, I’m now just finishing the first book. All I have to say is ,the fans of this show are going to be completely suprised by the upcoming events.I was stunned!Report
I am different from you. I like to be familiar with the book so I can see the details come to life on the screen.Report