Tuesday, May 1, 2012

A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

Plot: The first book in the popular series A Song of Ice and Fire, this novel encompasses many complex stories and perspectives woven together in a history of a conflicted world. A Game of Thrones is written with dramatic themes such as war, betrayal, and scandal.

Comments: I'd been given a multitude of recommendations to read A Game of Thrones by the time I finally acquired a copy. Initially, I was unimpressed with the book. The plot felt slow-moving and not entirely interesting, and the characters were introduced too quickly to really connect with, among other issues. I grew to appreciate the story more as I continued to read, but I never loved the book.

One thing I really disliked about A Game of Thrones is the total sexism against women. The book is set in a time of knights, maidens, and tradition; Martin may be modeling the setting after a period of time in Earth's history, complete with gender inequality. However, I don't understand why it's necessary to include the sexism. Women in this book rarely had any power and were for the most part not taken seriously. It chafed me every time a man made a sexist comment or a woman obeyed a man without question. Of course there were also the many prostitutes. Why the sexism?

Another problem I had with this book was the overwhelming barrage of names. There are seemingly hundreds of characters, each with three variations of their name (first name only, last name, title). Minor characters were often not introduced, yet the reader was apparently expected to memorize their names for further reference. The names of places were the same way. There were just too many names and complicated relationships. It really took away from my enjoyment of the story.

The story was extremely complex and unpredictable, which was one of the best parts of the book. I never knew what was going to happen next. In addition, there were several characters whom I grew to enjoy reading about: Tyrion, for example, added hilariously sarcastic wit to the dramatic, tense atmosphere. The many different perspectives from all sides of the conflicts made for an interesting compiled read.

Rating: I rate this book a six out of ten. While the plot is interesting in its compexity and twists, the confusion from the names and the annoyance from the sexism caused me to overall not enjoy A Game of Thrones very much

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