[Nattering Nabob]

Explain how the book series is a 'soap opera'.

Characters come and go and the sex and violence and the intrigue take the place of a specific plot and there is no end in sight...

[redcarpet]

Well we're talking about a civil war, so of course there's violence. People have sex and Martin doesn't want to self-censor it out. And of course there's still intrigue by Dance with Dragons; we're talking about a medieval kingdom gripped by divided politics of the War of the Roses scenario by major figures that are politically minded.

That's not a 'soap opera', as the phrase is conventionally used.

Soap operas don't reflect real life in peace or war and so on.

[Nattering Nabob]

Well we're talking about a civil war, so of course there's violence. People have sex and Martin doesn't want to self-censor it out. And of course there's still intrigue by Dance with Dragons; we're talking about a medieval kingdom gripped by divided politics of the War of the Roses scenario by major figures that are politically minded.

That's not a 'soap opera', as the phrase is conventionally used.

Soap operas don't reflect real life in peace or war and so on.

I did not say that it was a soap opera because there was sex and violence and intrigue...I said it was a soap opera because the plot was replaced by sex and violence and intreague...I also said that the characters come and go like a soap opera...and that there is no end to the story in sight...

No plot except, "look at all the intrigue/sex/violence", no stable characters, the end (if you can imagine an end after five volumes) looks exactly like the beginning (a mess of sex, violence, and intrigue)...yep, it's a soap opera all right...

[redcarpet]

I don't seem to remember all that much sex in the book series, certainly less than in HBO's. They're what... a few paragraphs each time. And usually have important role in the story. Half the time it's just referred to, in passing.

AS for intrigue, what's wrong or illogical with that? We're talking about a civil war, for crying out loud. Several people contesting for the same things. There always is internal division, especially in politics. Do you think there's none today? Of course there is, and in this regard it is an extreme situation.

And wars ARE violent. There might be a few violent parts Martin could have not been detailed about, but would still need to mention for the sake of the story. So take the torture of Theon Greyjoy by Roose Snow. TO exclude totally would not be logical, maybe just vague references at most. Maybe you would advocate it totally be removed, or other instances of description of violence? But as a writer writing the story you obviously have to decide what is essential and how it fits the story.

[Nattering Nabob]

I don't seem to remember all that much sex in the book series, certainly less than in HBO's. They're what... a few paragraphs each time. And usually have important role in the story. Half the time it's just referred to, in passing.

AS for intrigue, what's wrong or illogical with that? We're talking about a civil war, for crying out loud. Several people contesting for the same things. There always is internal division, especially in politics. Do you think there's none today? Of course there is, and in this regard it is an extreme situation.

And wars ARE violent. There might be a few violent parts Martin could have not been detailed about, but would still need to mention for the sake of the story. So take the torture of Theon Greyjoy by Roose Snow. TO exclude totally would not be logical, maybe just vague references at most. Maybe you would advocate it totally be removed, or other instances of description of violence? But as a writer writing the story you obviously have to decide what is essential and how it fits the story.

Please re-read my posts...

[oscar]

I wonder what the political persuasions of the White walkers are ? Are they proletarians ? Royalists ? Are they part of the communist revolution to overthrow the elitism of the seven kingdoms ?

[redcarpet]

Apart from feeling hatred for living beings, I don't think they think rationally. How can they have political beliefs? They're the closest thing to 'evil' Martin uses.