The Game of Thrones show has come a long way in gaining the popularity that it has now. Although there have always been discrepancies regarding the relationship between the book and the show, the show is much more loved around the world.
The opening of the first episode of Game of Thrones and George R.R.Martin’s A Game of Thrones is the same. We see three Night’s Watchmen patrolling the Wall and discover bodies of Wildlings. Then, they are attacked by the White Walkers and only one of them manages to flee.
Even though the beginning of the show matched with the events in the books, the stories grew apart as the seasons progressed.
So, let’s see how the show fares against the books.
Game of Thrones vs A Song of Ice and Fire
A Song of Ice and Fire contains a plethora of complex plot lines, characters ,religions etc. And the story also has a certain amount of momentum. And that is why people read that book. But, the Game of Thrones show ran away with the story.
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The book contains prose but the show provides us with visuals which are more effective. The shooting locations of Croatia and Iceland provided us with stunning backgrounds. We could see these things on the Game of Thrones show, whereas, Martin’s books just hinted at these with heavy prose pieces.
Character development
A Song of Ice and Fire leaves no stones unturned in providing extensive descriptions of the characters. And it is one of the main strengths of the book. But, it is also a weakness. In the book, any newly introduced character has the potential to either drive the narrative or disappear altogether. And it all happens in the matter of a few pages. Because Martin has an unending supply of characters, he can only highlight a few key personality traits or shortcomings of a character.
On the other hand, the Game of Thrones show makes it very clear as to who are the main characters. And they are the ones who take the story forward.
What did the Game of Thrones show get wrong?
Of course, the show got a few things wrong. Not all the events are going to match the ones in the book. One example that we can take here is the confrontation between Cersei and Jaime at Joffrey’s funeral. The book shows that their confrontation is filled with sadness and desire. But, it was consensual. But, in the show, we see that Jaime forces himself on Cersei and she remains silent. The books obviously contain nudity and parts of sexual violence, but these things come alive in the show as well.
Many fans have also pointed out that there are many discrepancies between the characters’ portrayal in the books and the show. In the book, Daenerys is not immune to fire in the books. But, as we have seen that she emerges from fires unharmed in the Game of Thrones show.
The show puts the plot first
The creators of the show have organized the story in a cohesive way, which would otherwise feel very messy and cluttered. Martin planned to write an epic, not a TV episode script. So, consuming the content from the Game of Thrones show is much easier than the books.
The success of A Song of Ice and Fire is magical, but the shows are no less. The books take you into a whole new world. The show has been going on for 8 eights years now, whereas Martin is yet to finish the final installment of his book. And the Game of Thrones show has kept us hooked for the time being.
