The Bandwagon

Druidcraft Tarot

Well, today is very wintry: cold, wet, and gray. So I am going to snuggle on the sofa with some knitting and daytime TV. I hasten to say, before I ruin what reputation I might have for both class and brains, it isn't chat show angst, but crime in the form of Law & Order that will entertain me - I like my perversions to be imaginary.

Speaking of imaginary ... I haven't yet seen any of the HBO series 'Game of Thrones' based on the 1st book of George R.R.Martin's series of books 'A Song of Fire and Ice', as we don't subscribe to the relevant channel here. But as I am not dead, do not live under a rock or in an alternate universe, I am completely aware of how it has taken the viewing world by storm; and so, while in the library a few days ago, when I caught sight of the 1st book, I thought I could catch up with the rest of the world through the written word instead.

About 3 pages in, I realized I had already read these books, some years ago; but long enough ago to have forgotten the details of the story and make it worth while reading again. 

 From the advertizing campaign for the series, no-one could have missed that Sheffielder Sean Bean was a central character. A shoo-in for the role, no doubt, given his acting ability and his prior role as the fatally flawed Boromir. You drool over consider the pictures, and you can just smell the overpoweringly pungent aromas of sweat, leather, horse and iron ...

 

And having read 'Game of Thrones' I went to look at the cast list, to find that he played Eddard Stark, and excellent casting it was too. Looking through the rest of the list, I didn't see many actors that I recognized, but thought that several of them appear too old for their characters as they are described in the book, many of whom are in their early to mid teens.

I found this interesting blog which has good episode reviews; however, I feel his enthusiasm and love for the 1st series somewhat outweigh his critical judgment - he describes the book as fantasy, but light, ie, there are no trolls or orcs; in the book, however, Daenerys' transformation at the end of the book is most definitely fantasy, mystical, and arguably magical, as are some other aspects connected to her storyline.

All this is apropos of nothing, really, except to say that I shall be watching the series when it is available on DVD, and meanwhile I am re-reading the rest of the series: I love meaty books with tons of convoluted plotlines ... a real challenge to the program-makers.