Now that I’m almost through book four in the “Song of Ice and Fire” series by George R.R. Martin, and I’ve watched the first two seasons of HBO's smash-hit “Game of Thrones,” I find myself unable to decide which I like better. Other fans of Martin’s books debate the two all over the Internet, with many believing the show is a big pile of shit. Hardly. The show is fantastic. So, what’s the big deal? Well, the writers made significant changes to the story, often in the interest of better television, and these changes sometimes occurred in key parts of the stories. Sometimes it worked, other times not so much, but should a show or film stay true to its book? This question led me to weight the pros and cons of both. So let’s examine the Game of Thrones books versus film in this fiction collision.
Let’s make one thing clear before we begin. There will be spoilers. If you haven’t read the books or watched the show, but you intend to…look the other way. I might ruin some key surprises for you. Otherwise, let’s begin.
One of the most noticeable changes for me was HBO’s rendering of the city of Qarth. I suppose the question isn’t what they did change, but more what didn’t they change. Nothing about that city and no one in it is how I imagined it while reading. In the books, the character Xaro Xhoan Daxos is white and gay. The show? Completely opposite. Martin’s version of events (aka: the original) had Dany and her riders coming to the city well-rested and secure, not begging for their lives as they do in the show, and her bloodrider Rakharo and handmaiden Irri are still alive when she leaves.
Does anyone recall the dragons being kidnapped in the book? No, I don’t recall that either. But then, the structure of Quarth society—actually, its very existence, isn’t one of the best parts of the novels. Martin’s depiction of Qarth is fantastic, mind you, but the television version made it more…memorable. Making Xaro a handsome immigrant who has the hots for Daenerys and breathing life into the Spice King, made for good television. The dragon-napping? It added almost nothing, in my opinion. The scenes needed more punch, I agree, but the dragons are so vital to the story and to Dany’s character, that removing them at this point in the story made her look like an ass. I wonder though, is HBO planning a warlock versus dragon battle? If so, perhaps the changes are for the better. Stay tuned for season three, right?
Moving on. Let’s look to the Stark family, another of many storylines in this series, and we’ll begin with Robb Stark. My God, Richard Madden is one tasty morsel of man-candy, is he not? And actually, the casting is rather well done. I mean, I imagined Robb as handsome, but in the books he’s much younger than Madden appears to be. If the show had followed Martin’s books, Robb Stark would have been just a kid, and he’d have had very little screen time. We’d never have seen him fight or fall in love. That awesome scene with him standing over his wolf as the beast shreds his enemies to bits in the rain would never have come to pass. Many bitch about the love affair HBO gave Robb with pretty nurse Lady Talisa, instead of the book’s version of events, but I don’t know. Lady Talisa didn’t happen in the books, but this romance is a way better in terms of heat and interest than his lukewarm, hasty marriage to Lady Jeyne Westerling. I didn’t buy that “passionate” love in the books for a second. Yet, I bought what they’re selling in the show.
The show gives significantly more face-time with all of the kings than Martin does. Martin keeps all the kings apart from the action in the books, showing us instead the consequences of their decisions. While this is an effective literary technique and a dramatic political message, it just wouldn’t have worked on film. I mean, the Starks side of things would barely factor in. The Talisa/Jeyne thing is harder to justify for some. It’s just such a different tale than Martin is telling that longtime fans have difficulty swallowing it. But I say amen to adding some passion to poor, dull but sexy Robb’s life.
The changes to Joffrey Baratheon are harder to decide on. This character must be one of the absolute worst in terms of pure evil in both the books and the show. However, the Joffrey in the books, up to the point the show has shown him, has limited his most sadistic attentions to animals daring to come within crossbow range. Yet, on the show, he has Ned beheaded, Sansa beaten, and in his spare time, he watches as his minions torture and kill prisoners. And as of book four, I’ve yet to see his supervision of the rape-torture of those two prostitutes, or his order to murder his "father," King Robert's bastards. In the books, that was Cersei's order. And none of these other things happen in the books either. So why the changes? Simply put, King Joffrey is the best villain on television. This is due in part to actor Jack Gleeson's perfect performance as the vile little shit king, and also the writers’ decision to take his sociopathy to ultimate levels. Martin handled Joffrey like a ticking bomb that is always just about to go off, and this works to keep us turning the pages during his parts, but the power of the TV version of Joffrey makes us loathe him so much, we are eager to see his demise. Both angles work.
Perhaps one of the biggest changes, one this reader had to check the books to make sure she had read them right, is the Tywin Lannister/Arya Stark subplot. In the books, Martin has Arya spending the time during Lord Tywin's stay in Harrenhal as a slave who only catches the occasional glimpse of House Lannister's most important man, but on the show, she’s an undercover-cupbearer working right under his nose. Can I just say, Maisie Williams, the girl playing Arya on the HBO series, is possibly one of the best child actors I’ve seen in like…ever. But moving on… putting Tywin and Arya together like they did on the show created fireworks. The chemistry between those two is palpable. Brilliant I say. I think the television folks had it right on this one. Far more intrigue while we visit Harrenhal in their version than there was in Martin’s.
Another significant change made by the show’s writers was Jon Snow’s experiences with the wildlings when they
travel north of the wall. First, he didn’t have a clash with Craster, nor did he see the crazy bastard sacrifice a newborn. He certainly didn’t get whacked in the head with a blunt weapon. But they left out the most exciting parts to add these little details. What about Jon doing the nasty with Ygritte? Did I miss that in the show? Or perhaps that will happen in season three. The show created extra drama for Jon where it wasn’t needed. Instead of keeping with the pace and flow of the book, the show ends with more questions than answers and adds things that make no sense. Wait…I see what they did there. Yep.
Oh and speaking of doing the nasty, there’s something to be said for the subtle way Martin conveys Stannis Baratheon’s relationship with Melisandre in the books. The question is there: Are they or aren’t they? But Martin leaves it to the reader to decipher the clues. In the show, they just throw them on a table and eliminate all doubt. I think this ruins the tension. Yes, the scene is beyond hot, but sometimes hot is not justified. Of course, Martin never explicitly played up the sexual relationship between Renly Baratheon and Ser Loras Tyrell either, but the show certainly did. However, I kind of liked the show’s version of events between those two better than the books.
On the other hand, the small details like changing Theon's sister's name from Asha to Yara was um…annoying? Unnecessary? I think they did it to avoid confusion, because Bran Stark had a wildling girl pal named Osha, but seriously? Name changing wasn’t necessary. Give viewers some credit for having a smidge of intelligence. Another tiny detail that might have been missed by some was Renly taunting Stannis by eating a peach during their negotiation. I loved that part in the books, but apparently the show’s writers thought this a needless extravagance. I mean, who eats peaches in war times, right?
Finally, a subtle change that irked some viewers was the scene where Melisandre's shadow baby killed Renly. Um…what’s with the skulking in under the tent, instead of doing as Martin did and have it hiding in plain sight? I would’ve thought it would make good television to show it creeping off that wall and attacking instead of coming in like cowardly smoke. While I didn’t like these changes, one has to consider what the show’s writers are dealing with. Martin has pages and pages of details in these books. Which to change or omit would be a hard decision to make. Small changes are hard to understand because we’re all “Why not just leave it the same?” but I suspect even these small differences weren’t made without considerable thought and debate. So who wins this fiction collision? I call a tie. After season three is through, we’ll revisit, but for now, both the books and the television show have fans by the balls.
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Maril Swan Sunday, 15 Jul 2012 09:20 AM
Another great analysis. I haven't read the books, but I will while waiting for the next part of the series. I agree on your take on Joffrey, a villain you love to hate. I'm sure when he gets his comeuppance, there'll be cheering across the land (fictional and real),
Now that I’m almost through book four in the “Song of Ice and Fire” series by George R.R. Martin, and I’ve watched the first two seasons of HBO's smash-hit “Game of Thrones,” I find myself unable to decide which I like better. Other fans of Martin’s books debate the two all over the Internet, with many believing the show is a big pile of shit. Hardly. The show is fantastic. So, what’s the big deal? Well, the writers made significant changes to the story, often in the interest of better television, and these changes sometimes occurred in key parts of the stories. Sometimes it worked, other times not so much, but should a show or film stay true to its book? This question led me to weight the pros and cons of both. So let’s examine the Game of Thrones books versus film in this fiction collision.
Let’s make one thing clear before we begin. There will be spoilers. If you haven’t read the books or watched the show, but you intend to…look the other way. I might ruin some key surprises for you. Otherwise, let’s begin.
One of the most noticeable changes for me was HBO’s rendering of the city of Qarth. I suppose the question isn’t what they did change, but more what didn’t they change. Nothing about that city and no one in it is how I imagined it while reading. In the books, the character Xaro Xhoan Daxos is white and gay. The show? Completely opposite. Martin’s version of events (aka: the original) had Dany and her riders coming to the city well-rested and secure, not begging for their lives as they do in the show, and her bloodrider Rakharo and handmaiden Irri are still alive when she leaves.
Does anyone recall the dragons being kidnapped in the book? No, I don’t recall that either. But then, the structure of Quarth society—actually, its very existence, isn’t one of the best parts of the novels. Martin’s depiction of Qarth is fantastic, mind you, but the television version made it more…memorable. Making Xaro a handsome immigrant who has the hots for Daenerys and breathing life into the Spice King, made for good television. The dragon-napping? It added almost nothing, in my opinion. The scenes needed more punch, I agree, but the dragons are so vital to the story and to Dany’s character, that removing them at this point in the story made her look like an ass. I wonder though, is HBO planning a warlock versus dragon battle? If so, perhaps the changes are for the better. Stay tuned for season three, right?
Moving on. Let’s look to the Stark family, another of many storylines in this series, and we’ll begin with Robb Stark. My God, Richard Madden is one tasty morsel of man-candy, is he not? And actually, the casting is rather well done. I mean, I imagined Robb as handsome, but in the books he’s much younger than Madden appears to be. If the show had followed Martin’s books, Robb Stark would have been just a kid, and he’d have had very little screen time. We’d never have seen him fight or fall in love. That awesome scene with him standing over his wolf as the beast shreds his enemies to bits in the rain would never have come to pass. Many bitch about the love affair HBO gave Robb with pretty nurse Lady Talisa, instead of the book’s version of events, but I don’t know. Lady Talisa didn’t happen in the books, but this romance is a way better in terms of heat and interest than his lukewarm, hasty marriage to Lady Jeyne Westerling. I didn’t buy that “passionate” love in the books for a second. Yet, I bought what they’re selling in the show.
The show gives significantly more face-time with all of the kings than Martin does. Martin keeps all the kings apart from the action in the books, showing us instead the consequences of their decisions. While this is an effective literary technique and a dramatic political message, it just wouldn’t have worked on film. I mean, the Starks side of things would barely factor in. The Talisa/Jeyne thing is harder to justify for some. It’s just such a different tale than Martin is telling that longtime fans have difficulty swallowing it. But I say amen to adding some passion to poor, dull but sexy Robb’s life.
The changes to Joffrey Baratheon are harder to decide on. This character must be one of the absolute worst in terms of pure evil in both the books and the show. However, the Joffrey in the books, up to the point the show has shown him, has limited his most sadistic attentions to animals daring to come within crossbow range. Yet, on the show, he has Ned beheaded, Sansa beaten, and in his spare time, he watches as his minions torture and kill prisoners. And as of book four, I’ve yet to see his supervision of the rape-torture of those two prostitutes, or his order to murder his "father," King Robert's bastards. In the books, that was Cersei's order. And none of these other things happen in the books either. So why the changes? Simply put, King Joffrey is the best villain on television. This is due in part to actor Jack Gleeson's perfect performance as the vile little shit king, and also the writers’ decision to take his sociopathy to ultimate levels. Martin handled Joffrey like a ticking bomb that is always just about to go off, and this works to keep us turning the pages during his parts, but the power of the TV version of Joffrey makes us loathe him so much, we are eager to see his demise. Both angles work.
Perhaps one of the biggest changes, one this reader had to check the books to make sure she had read them right, is the Tywin Lannister/Arya Stark subplot. In the books, Martin has Arya spending the time during Lord Tywin's stay in Harrenhal as a slave who only catches the occasional glimpse of House Lannister's most important man, but on the show, she’s an undercover-cupbearer working right under his nose. Can I just say, Maisie Williams, the girl playing Arya on the HBO series, is possibly one of the best child actors I’ve seen in like…ever. But moving on… putting Tywin and Arya together like they did on the show created fireworks. The chemistry between those two is palpable. Brilliant I say. I think the television folks had it right on this one. Far more intrigue while we visit Harrenhal in their version than there was in Martin’s.
Another significant change made by the show’s writers was Jon Snow’s experiences with the wildlings when they
travel north of the wall. First, he didn’t have a clash with Craster, nor did he see the crazy bastard sacrifice a newborn. He certainly didn’t get whacked in the head with a blunt weapon. But they left out the most exciting parts to add these little details. What about Jon doing the nasty with Ygritte? Did I miss that in the show? Or perhaps that will happen in season three. The show created extra drama for Jon where it wasn’t needed. Instead of keeping with the pace and flow of the book, the show ends with more questions than answers and adds things that make no sense. Wait…I see what they did there. Yep.
Oh and speaking of doing the nasty, there’s something to be said for the subtle way Martin conveys Stannis Baratheon’s relationship with Melisandre in the books. The question is there: Are they or aren’t they? But Martin leaves it to the reader to decipher the clues. In the show, they just throw them on a table and eliminate all doubt. I think this ruins the tension. Yes, the scene is beyond hot, but sometimes hot is not justified. Of course, Martin never explicitly played up the sexual relationship between Renly Baratheon and Ser Loras Tyrell either, but the show certainly did. However, I kind of liked the show’s version of events between those two better than the books.
On the other hand, the small details like changing Theon's sister's name from Asha to Yara was um…annoying? Unnecessary? I think they did it to avoid confusion, because Bran Stark had a wildling girl pal named Osha, but seriously? Name changing wasn’t necessary. Give viewers some credit for having a smidge of intelligence. Another tiny detail that might have been missed by some was Renly taunting Stannis by eating a peach during their negotiation. I loved that part in the books, but apparently the show’s writers thought this a needless extravagance. I mean, who eats peaches in war times, right?
Finally, a subtle change that irked some viewers was the scene where Melisandre's shadow baby killed Renly. Um…what’s with the skulking in under the tent, instead of doing as Martin did and have it hiding in plain sight? I would’ve thought it would make good television to show it creeping off that wall and attacking instead of coming in like cowardly smoke. While I didn’t like these changes, one has to consider what the show’s writers are dealing with. Martin has pages and pages of details in these books. Which to change or omit would be a hard decision to make. Small changes are hard to understand because we’re all “Why not just leave it the same?” but I suspect even these small differences weren’t made without considerable thought and debate. So who wins this fiction collision? I call a tie. After season three is through, we’ll revisit, but for now, both the books and the television show have fans by the balls.
Sunday, 15 Jul 2012 09:20 AM
Another great analysis. I haven't read the books, but I will while waiting for the next part of the series. I agree on your take on Joffrey, a villain you love to hate. I'm sure when he gets his comeuppance, there'll be cheering across the land (fictional and real),
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