A Game of Thrones (in which I am surprisingly positive)

So, I'm currently reading George R.R. Martin's A Game of Thrones! Since it's fiction, and popular, of course I have things to say about it.

Just noting: AGOT is the first novel in the series "A Song of Ice and Fire." I'm watching the TV series simultaneously, as it airs on Swedish television. You know, like a boss and all, even though the DVD is already out. Oh Sweden. (It's on tonight! Dang have I missed having something to look forward to.) I've read about as much as I've seen, so far.

If you haven't heard of it, what it's basically about is this shiny awesome chair (you know!) that all these different families want to get, and they throw things at each other to slow the others down. Um. Something like that. Anyway ... we've got the Starks, rulers of Winterfell, who are basically Vikings so I relate to them. ("Winter is coming. Oh fuck.") Then there're the Lannisters, these blonde douchebags, with the semi-exception of the kindly dwarf brother who likes to have sex a lot. We've also got the Targaryens, who used to rule the country before most of them got killed. They all have gorgeous platinum hair and names that end in -rys and believe that they are Otherkin. Sorry, dragons. There're about a million others that aren't as important; if you're interested see the comprehensive list of family trees at the back of the volume. True story. PROCEED WITH TRUCKLOADS OF INTRIGUE.

Actually, I haven't enjoyed a book as much as A Game of Thrones in a long time. It's not so much the plot, or the way Martin writes. He doesn't exactly weave magic with his words or anything. Instead he weaves ... a rope that drags you along through the story. Not in a face-pressed-to-the-dust way either, more like it's the pully on one of the variety of amusing little carts you could ride in when you were little. I have fun reading it, and can get through many pages in one sitting, an ability which has sadly been more and more lost to me in this age of high school homework and distracting computers.

If I were in a normal state of mind I would be analyzing gender issues. But, um, even though society in AGOT is definitely patriarchal, I find myself not being bothered by very much. There are a few minor things, but there are plenty of awesome female characters. Daenerys is my absolute favorite among both guys and girls; even though she's only able to exercise power she gained through the husband she was forced to marry, she is still really badass and I like the way her character develops.

(There's a lot more sex in the show, and it seems like the preferred position in the Seven Kingdoms is doggy style. Is this cultural or...? Also, a lot of boobs if you like that kind of thing. And blood. Harsh imagery, too; exempli gratia: severed heads.)

Did I mention there are tons of cute animals?? Pictured: Direwolf, kawaii version. (There're horses too!)

I will most likely have more commentary once I've finished the book, but for once I'm glad that there's a lot of pages to get through (and four more novels to go when I'm done!). Definitely recommending this for now. Buy it today! Or something.