[Books] Is it worth reading A Game of Thrones after seeing the HBO series...

[Fust]

I watched A Game of Thrones on HBO and fell in love with it. I really want to continue on with the series, but I simply can't wait for the new season to come out. My main issue is that I have not read Game of Thrones. Would I be missing out on important details, events, stories, or what ever if I started A Clash of Kings, or is the the book different enough from the HBO series to warrant a read?

The excitment of "what will happen next" is my biggest driving factor to read, and if I already know what's going to happen then the book will simply get boring I don't want to get 400 pages into a 800 page book just to find I've already heard the story before and nothing if going to change at all >.>

So what do you think my fellow champions, what should I do?

[Jeleh]

Oh god a hundred times yes, the books are amazing, there is so much you just cant see in the tv show little nuances about characters traits and plots that don't come across. They can be a bit slow at first but you soon want to know what happens to your fav chars next so read another 3/4 chapters at a time. I once sat down to read 1 chapter in like book 3 and ended up reading 400 pages :x

[kucerakov]

The HBO series covers about the first 1/6 of the first book, if that. It is almost exactly like the books though, so if you can find the very spot where the series left off in the books you could start up there with no problem.

[Muzjhath]

Short answear yes.

Long answear:
The HBO show covers the book good, yet there is still pieces of it that didn't hit the cut. TIme constraints, minor shifts, a few characters that got pushed together into one, some who don't show up. A lot of threads of intruge that happen later in the series are also hinted at in the book but less so in the series.
Lastly, many events are far grander in the books. Tournaments, Hunts, and Battles that in the written medium have no budjet constraints!

[Gallahadd]

so many times yes!

the series is great don't get me wrong, I can't wait for season two, but the books are AWESOME, there's a few things in that where left out of the series, a few of the characters are slightly different *cough*Renly*Cough* and most importantly you've got like 5 books

[grandpab]

I haven't read the books but a friend has told me stuff that is suppose to make the books better than the tv show, just because they get into so much more detail in the books. Like the wolves are apparently more much more badass in the books. I think it was the scene where the kid that can't walk gets surrounded by bandits when hes riding his horse, I don't think there were any wolves in that scene or it mighta just been 1 and it didn't really do anything, but in the book it rips out peoples throats....I think that's one of the examples he gave me at least

[Fuzzzie]

I've been listening to the audio books, pretty damn good I must say.

[ExtremePie]

Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes.

Theres alot of little things left out from the TV show, much like the likes of harry potter and "shudders" twilight. it adds little bits of depth which make it soooo worth it.

[Disenchanted]

Yes, and read the first book as it contains a ton of details HBO was forced to leave out. Some of which WILL matter down the road.

---------- Post added 2011-08-23 at 04:31 PM ----------

I haven't read the books but a friend has told me stuff that is suppose to make the books better than the tv show, just because they get into so much more detail in the books. Like the wolves are apparently more much more badass in the books. I think it was the scene where the kid that can't walk gets surrounded by bandits when hes riding his horse, I don't think there were any wolves in that scene or it mighta just been 1 and it didn't really do anything, but in the book it rips out peoples throats....I think that's one of the examples he gave me at least

Summer didn't just rip a throat or 2 out, both he and Greywind tore shit up... including disemboweling one of the wildings. It was pretty brutal.

[BeingRepressed]

The book is always better than any movie/TV adaptation.

[Ari]

deffo read the book, as many have said some scenes didn't make it or got change, like the wolves defending bran, also where Bran and osha went into the crypt because bran thought his father was there, in the book maester luwin was with them and was the one attacked by the wolf, at least i think haha, but yh, seriously read the book.

[Zaerick]

The show does not even compare to how good the book is. Though I am only on episode 5 of the series I enjoyed the book probably 10 times more.

[Noomz]

I've been listening to the audio books, pretty damn good I must say.

I looked up Roy Dotrice, who does the english version of the audiobooks, and I kinda like his voice. So I'm gonna get my hands on them books now.