To Watch or Read A Game of Thrones First?

To be clear, A Game of Thrones is not the title of the series, it is the first installment in a series written by George R.R. Martin titled, "A Song of Ice and Fire."

Epic in proportion and revolutionary in its genre, the series took fantasy fiction into a realm where it rarely ventured. Say goodbye to the typical cast of white and dark knights, boys waving wands, fair maidens and damsels in distress.

In Westeros, not everyone is who they appear, obvious distinctions between good and evil no longer exist and character motivations are not transparent. George R.R. Martin manages to draw readers by taking the focus off of fantasy elements and putting the lense on human motivation. The typical pure “do-gooders” have no place, his characters are multi-dimensional and their actions reflect their own self interest (something we can all relate to).

The series is about power, better described as political intrigue set in a rich fantasy backdrop. “A Game of Thrones” sets the pace, revolving around warring feudal houses vying for the ultimate symbol of power, the iron throne. Battles are fought not only with the sword, but with the mind and tongue.

First and foremost, how much do you like reading? If you are at the far end of the spectrum then your decision should be a no-brainer. However, if you are on the fence, it could be very difficult.

Your Vision vs Someone Else's Vision: Do you want to use your imagination and experience your vision of the world?

Active vs. Passive: Do you want to actively participate and stay attentive or do you just want to sit back, relax and enjoy the show?

Spoiled: If you read the book first, you will spoil the show. If you watch the show first, you will spoil the book. Some would prefer to watch the show first. Their thinking is if the book is better, they will still enjoy reading it afterwards.

HBO’s adaptation is faithful, high budget and generally well done. From beginning to end, I can only think of a few moments where events were different in the series than in the book. In terms of overall plot, you won’t miss out if you only watch the show.

What you will miss out on is a good amount of character perspective, development and backstory.

The book is written as a collage of different character perspectives. Each chapter is written from the point of view of a particular character, which come together and form the story. Through reading, you will get to truly understand the character’s motives, specifics on what drives them and why they behave the way they do.

Not all people like this style of writing however, some prefer the plot to zing along, jumping from character to character makes an already dense plot even more convoluted.

Oh...and you'll miss out on the battles too. The show alludes to battles happening, but never actually shows the battles themselves.

Having read the book over ten years ago, I was highly anticipating the show. While I thought it was mostly well done, I was still disappointed. Without the character perspectives and development the overall plot had less of an impact. Knowing the plot twists ahead of time on a plot highly reliant on plot twists didn't help either.

To avoid spoiling the plot, I'll list examples of how I imagined the characters versus how they were cast:

• Ned Stark - Sean Bean was perfectly cast for this role, both in acting and appearance.
• Catelyn Stark - Don't get me wrong, Michelle Farley is a fine and attractive actress, but I imagined her much younger and in the book she is described as extremely pretty.
• Robb Stark - I imagined him a bit more athletic and built.
• Arya - Couldn't be anymore perfect.
• Sansa - Annoying enough, but not pretty enough.
• Robert Baratheon - A fat man, I could never imagine him being a strong warrior in the past.
• The Hound - My BIGGEST grievance, I imagined him to be far more menacing; lean, mean, athletic, lanky and strong. He just looks like a pudgy man.
• The Mountain - The Hounds brother, not sure how you would be able to make him as big as he is described. Maybe get Shaquelle O'Neal or something.
• Ser Ilyn Payne - Who is this old guy? I thought we were talking about the executioner here.
• Tyrion Lannister - Perfectly acted, I imagined him being a bit more disfigured.
• Jaime Lannister - I think Sawyer from Lost (Josh Holloway) would have matched perfectly.
• Cersei Lannister - Almost.