CULTURECULTURE CLASH: GAME OF THRONESWHAT’S BETTER - THE BOOKS OR THE TV SHOW? KIRSTY LEE AND RACHEL QUIN FIGHT IT OUTTHE TV SHOWTHE BOOKSKIRSTY LEERACHEL QUINIt is becoming a frequent occurrence that someof our literary best sellers are cashing in ontheir popularity and allowing <strong>for</strong> their novels<strong>to</strong> be adapted <strong>to</strong> fit the screen, This is the case<strong>for</strong> the highly acclaimed and much loved televisionshow, Game of Thrones. The concept istaken from A Song of Fire and Ice, the sevenbooksaga written by George R. R. Martin. Thebooks <strong>to</strong>tal an outstanding 5232 pages whichwhen compared <strong>to</strong> other fantasy epics like LordOf The Rings, which <strong>to</strong>tals 2064 pages includingThe Hobbit, this is staggering and a little daunting<strong>for</strong> many of us.I praise the television show over the books <strong>for</strong>a number of reasons, the first being that thescenes are visually rich and go way beyond whatyou could of imagined in some cases. Sometimeswhen you are reading a novel, it is difficult <strong>to</strong>actually picture what the author wants you <strong>to</strong>,but on the television, several people have collaborated<strong>to</strong> bring you exactly what it is the authorwas describing.By making the scenery come <strong>to</strong> life, it helps<strong>to</strong> bring the whole s<strong>to</strong>ry alive, you get more ofa visual understanding of the setting. Also, anac<strong>to</strong>r is able <strong>to</strong> fully engage with the words andcan show emotion when delivering the lines <strong>to</strong>help put life in<strong>to</strong> the s<strong>to</strong>ry. Sure, the charactersmay not look like how you imagined them in thebooks but through exquisite casting, the ac<strong>to</strong>rsthat were hired <strong>to</strong> play the part somehow seem<strong>to</strong> fit perfectly.The multi-strand narrative allows the audience<strong>to</strong> dive in and out of different s<strong>to</strong>ry lines.I find that this montage style of narrative worksextremely well on television, especially in regards<strong>to</strong> keeping the audience engaged and ontheir <strong>to</strong>es. With television there is the ability <strong>to</strong>flick between all the relevant s<strong>to</strong>rylines with theease of an edit, without having <strong>to</strong> wait chaptersand chapters.Of course there will always be discrepanciesfrom the book <strong>to</strong> the screen, but that is why it ismarketed as an adaptation of the book, and notthe actual book itself. There are <strong>only</strong> so manythings that television can do technically andif there is not the technology <strong>to</strong> create somescenes, then they will be taken out in favour ofthose that can work. It is also incredibly hard<strong>to</strong> break down over 5000 words in<strong>to</strong> hour-longsegments and so some parts maybe left out.Theimportant thing <strong>to</strong> remember <strong>for</strong> a televisionadaptation, is that all the interesting and actionpacked parts of the book need <strong>to</strong> be aired and inthis case they will be aired in favour of lengthypanoramic views over Westeros.After all, the reason we watch programmeslike this is <strong>for</strong> the action. Game of Thrones hasbeen commissioned <strong>for</strong> a fourth series and as thethird season is well under way, I can safely saythat I am very excited <strong>for</strong> the things <strong>to</strong> come.Game of Thrones is more than just a great TV series;it’s also a series of rather interesting booksby George R.R. Martin. Although the TV seriesis as<strong>to</strong>unding and I follow it religiously, the bestway <strong>to</strong> experience it is the way it was intended.The great thing about the books is the minuteattention <strong>to</strong> detail and the vivid characters.Credit where it’s due, the casting <strong>for</strong> the showhas been absolutely sensational. But <strong>for</strong> those ofus with a vibrant imagination, you don’t need atelevision <strong>to</strong> picture the people and places. Further<strong>to</strong> this, the multi-narrative approach of thebooks give you a greater scope of the charactersand their lives. On the negative side, there is somuch detail that the books can become tediousat times. However, un<strong>for</strong>tunately, despite HBO’sbest interests, the show can be just as tedious.At times I find myself zoning out, and someepisodes it feels like nothing at all is happening.With adaptations, my pet hate is this pointlessdesire <strong>to</strong> Hollywood-ise absolutely everything.Whilst I admit most of the TV seriesremains true <strong>to</strong> the books, there are still someridiculous changes. Tyrion Lannister <strong>for</strong> example,according <strong>to</strong> the books, loses his nose andhas his face completely mangled during thebattle of Blackwater Bay. Consequently, this repulseseverybody around him and has profoundeffects on his personality and character, as hefeels a desire <strong>to</strong> live up <strong>to</strong> his monsterous appearance.On the show, he takes a crack <strong>to</strong> thehead like a champ and is back <strong>to</strong> normal withina couple of episodes. Now, I’m not the biggestfan of gore, but it feels like a daft change <strong>to</strong>make just <strong>to</strong> appeal <strong>to</strong> the audience, who mightrecoil at a less than perfect face. Further <strong>to</strong> this,there have been suggestions that the producershave decided that if Martin fails <strong>to</strong> produce thefinal two books be<strong>for</strong>e the TV series catchesup, they have the artistic licence <strong>to</strong> do whateverthey want. As far as I’m concerned, althoughthe series makes it clear that they are simply an‘adaptation’ of Martin’s books, deciding <strong>to</strong> dowhatever the hell you want with the plotline justbecause the author is taking his sweet time <strong>to</strong>write the books is ridiculous. You cannot rusha masterpiece - patience is a virtue my friends.I would recommend reading the books as away of wrapping your head around all the charactersand really being able <strong>to</strong> grasp what’s goingon. Admittedly, I was introduced <strong>to</strong> A SongOf Ice And Fire by watching the TV series, andI found myself so intrigued (and so impatient<strong>for</strong> season two), that I immediately bought thebooks <strong>to</strong> find out more. They are a fantastic wayof getting well-acquainted with the families ofWesteros, and a lifeline <strong>for</strong> those of us who simplycannot af<strong>for</strong>d <strong>to</strong> hang around <strong>for</strong>a year waiting <strong>for</strong> HBO <strong>to</strong> release thenext season.24
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