I know there are a lot of Harry Potter fans reading this, so I thought I'd pass along my thoughts about a sort of similar reading experiences.
George R.R. Martin is the author of what is now a five-part series called the Song of Fire and Ice. The first book in the series, Game of Thrones, was recently made into a multi-part HBO movie (which I have not seen but got good reviews).
I have just finished reading (frequently non-stop) the fifth and latest book in the series, Dances with Dragons.
"Masterpiece" is an over-used term, but I don't know what else to use. The books have been compared to "Lord of the Rings," but I think they are deeper and more complex even than Tolkien.
I got hooked on the series while stuck in Seattle on work-and-home-repair trip. The clerk at Borders said he liked the series because it was "character-driven" and not just a military strategy sort of swordplay saga. That's only partly true. There is an avalanche of intrigue, betrayal, violence, sex, and yes, swordplay. But the scope is just enormous, and most of it is indeed driven by the amazing cast of characters.
Hogwarts had four houses . . . these books are set in a land with two continents, seven kingdoms, well over a dozen different *major* characters, each with vividly distinct personalities. The characters evolve over time, with some villains becoming almost likable as events wear them down, other seemingly heroic characters reveal weaknesses and poor judgement that cause huge, often disastrous consequences.
The story is told in a series of chapters that hopscotch from one character to another, sometimes interacting with each other, other times, drifting on to a narratives paths that appear to be far, far from the main road . . . with regularly surprising twists, turns, and switchbacks.
I can't tell you captivating this all is. A couple of cautionary notes: If HP was a PG-13 movie, this series would be rated R-Not under 17. Adult situations, violence, and potentially offensive language. Also, don't start this series when you have a major project or deadline . . . i found it totally captivating. Be warned.
2 comments:
I read the first book in this series. It is really, really good, but I stopped there because there's nothing that drives me crazier than having to *wait* for the next book in the series, so I'll wait (decades, perhaps) until it's all out for reading.
If you're not crazy like me, though, you should totally read these books. They're great.
Ditto, Noel. I swore I wouldn't get into an incomplete series and end up hanging around for the author to decide it was time for another Lexus payment or whatever motivated them. But now I'm waiting for "The Wheel of Time" AND George RR Martin to keep going on the Song. I must also say I don't enjoy plots that don't allow basic things like "death" to interfere with character continuity but,yeah, they really are good books. Of course I'm never quite sure Terry Pratchett hasn't got another trip to the Tortoise for me.
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