My hook these days is Game of Thrones – the series. By hook, I obviously mean something that I am hooked on to. I would have certainly liked to watch all of it after I had read the books but what can I do if the author himself has not finished the writing. Why I started watching the series at the first place is an interesting story – for another time. Today I am here to wonder out loud about how different is a scene on the screen and on papers.
Game of Thrones is an epic. You need a genius of an artist to create several characters with a back story for almost all of them, new traditions, a new religion, and new languages. Basically, Martin decided to play God and create his own universe. Every page gulps you in. Every character, every story, every war – All you can do is turn the pages and get yourself engrossed into Martin’s creation. The television series is equally riveting. However, it is interesting when you experience a story simultaneously on print and screen. There are some obvious differences in both the mediums and none of them have me complaining. How many times do we see two versions of the same story and actually like it?
As I write this, I have finished watching season four. And as I watch each and every season and compare it with what I have already read, firstly I am quite pleased with myself because by and large I remember most of the story. And why is that something to be proud of? For the sheer size of the books -- they are huge, with every story in tiny details. So to remember at leat 80% of it is pretty cool! A Song of Ice and Fire series moves along through point of views of all its characters. Again, to my untrained reader eye, it is almost an impossible feat to take a zillion characters, give their point of views and have a whole story move forward. Nowhere does it feel broken or discontinued. But when the same people come alive on your screen, something changes – for good and for bad.
To begin with, you can take brilliant actors but they can never emote out all the emotions we read with such lovely details in the books. You also end up feeling closer to characters or even away from them. Take Robb Stark for example. In the books, we saw the complete story of Robb Stark through his mother’s eyes. In the show, however, he is there himself to live out his story. So although in the show we see how Catelyn worries for him, how she helps him, how she understand him and compares him to his father, we still get to experience a walking talking Robb Stark, unlike the books. I like this because in the books I never really felt connected with Robb and before I could start pondering over why he is not given his own voice in written words, his story is over.
Shae never comes across as a very strong character. In the books, I am not sure if she was even meant to be. On the screen, she holds her own in front of Tyrion. She fights with him, she disagrees with him, loves him fiercely and urges him to leave King’s landing with her. In the books, we only met Shae when Tyrion meets her. The book Shae never formed a specific personality. We know Tyrion really likes her, but she is not his strength. Margery Tyrell is a character I am still getting to know in my pages. But on my screen, I feel she is much tougher. While there are only whispers of the “friendship” between Loras Tyrell and Renly Baratheon in the book, their relationship glares at you through the show.
Cersei is way, way, way shrewd in the books. She is downright nasty. Although after his journey with Brienne, you kind of start liking Jaime, but Cersei is brutal. In fact, in the books, she is totally engulfed with the power game and has no time (or love) for Jaime after he comes back. And hang on, Brienne is in love with Jaime? In the books, I interpreted their relationship only as that of respect and honor. But in the show when Cersei asks Brienne if she loves him, she looks down quietly. I would have liked it if a few things were open to interpretation in the show as well.
Speaking of Brienne, as a small deviation, Podrick ( damn cute in the show, again almost un-noticeable in the books) is a “gift” to Brienne from Jaime while in the books, he stealthily follows her till she confronts and accepts him as her squire. Also, in the show, Podrick asks Brienne to be discreet about searching Sansa Stark while the opposite happens in the books. In the books, Brienne goes about asking everyone if they had seen a “fair maiden of auburn hair” not exactly specifying who is she searching for. If my memory serves me correctly, she says she is looking for her sister. Also, do Brienne and Arya meet in the books? I think no.
Daenerys's track is also not very different from the one in the pages. One difference was that as readers, we meet Barristan Selmy only when he comes out of disguise while as viewers, we already knew that Selmy had joined Daenerys. Her hands maids are Irri and Jhiqi. Missandei as far as I remember was a little girl. (Although I am totally in love with the gorgeous woman playing Missandei). Her dragons never get stolen and she is never betrayed by Dorreah. In fact, I am not completely sure if a Doreah lived between the pages of ASOIAF. I don’t remember Daenerys's incentive of going to the house of undying but she not only meets Drogo there but her other family members as well. That part was quite intriguing in the books. Also, there are no "thirteen" in Quarth in the books. (I liked that bit, though)
I loved Tyrion in the books. I am totally mad about him in the show. He is smart, witty, funny and the best character ever – whether he breathes inside the pages of a book or straddles through our television screens. I think Peter Dinklage is fantastic beyond words. Fans of the show will remember his speech after his trial and your heart just goes out to him. The last book I read in the ASOIAF series was A Feast of Crows and sadly, Tyrion does not appear in it. So I have no idea what happens to him after he flees King’s Landing (Although I have some idea through the spoilers). It is said that you can be brave only when you are scared and there is not a single person braver than Tyrion. I mean he deserves a whole post – he is that good. I can talk a lot about him and eventually I will. But for now, I will move on.
Speaking of bravery, Samwell Tarly is a lot smarter in the show. Whereas in the books you can read his thoughts and know how scared he is at every moment – be it at the wall or at the fist of the first men, Samwell on the show is far more confident. I like this change actually. I sometimes felt like holding the book-Sam and shake him and ask him to get a grip of himself.
Jon’s story is almost the same as that in the books. However when Sam meets Bran, Bran takes a promise from Sam that he shall not tell Jon that they had met. In the show, there is no such promise. Such are the tiny differences. Petyr Baelish introduces Sansa as Alayne Stone, his bastard child with black hair. In the show, she is his niece. Also, they blame a singer for Lady Lysa’s death. Sansa is quite timid in the books compared to that in the show. I am yet to read both the parts of A Dance of Dragon. So I don’t know what her fate is. Theon has not become Reek in the books yet (I mean not till A Feast of Crows at least) so I have to see how his track has been modified. A Feast OF Crows (AFOC) did not have Bran’s story at all so the last I knew of him was that he was stuck in the castle. He has moved on in the show and I am curious to know what words tell his story. AFOC also does not tell Jon’s story after he becomes the 998th Lord Commander of the Wall. On the other hand, I have read all about Arya’s journey to Braavos and Sam’s journey to the Citadel. I don’t know if this is in season 5 but I will know that soon!
No one (including Martin himself) knows when the next book is coming. We will see season six before that and I honestly think that it is not the worst thing in the world. Probably because the people handling the show are doing a great job. Also, because the actors are a treat. I will wait patiently for the Winds of Winter. Let Martin take his time. Maybe he is churning out his best work yet. In the meanwhile, I will satiate my curiosity with season six.And personally, I am yet to start A Dance of Dragons. So you may not hear me complain just yet!
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