The distance between the pages and the screen will never be perfectly traversed, yet for some reason we TV critics continue to judge adaptations according to their source material. Except we can't even do that with Game of Thrones. The HBO series, adapted from George R.R. Martin's celebrated fantasy saga, "A Song of Ice and Fire," continues to thrill and appease fans of the epic saga with unmatched quality and precision.
As an avid reader, aspiring writer, and general bookophile, it warms my dragon's eggs to know how many people have picked up the multiple thousand-paged series, and are craving more wherever they can get it. Granted, the book does offer a much more descriptive account of the feasts and decorations, but the magic of video-editing and stage-design are able to sum up those hundreds of pages in a glamourous but simple pan of the castle chambers, making more time to focus on the "bodies" of the story.
The trailer for season two promises more of the same -- which is to say, the best hour of television you'll probably end up watching for ten weeks straight. With Peter Dinklage coming out of the Emmy's and the Golden Globes victorious in his portrayal of Tyrion Lannister, the new season can only bring out more of the best from the ever-broadening cast.
I'm a huge fan of the series -- both tv and book -- as well. Amazing what the TV show has been able to produce, and works so well as a standalone offering.
What's crazy is that the novels only get ever more expansive and complex. Fascinated to see what happens.
I'm about a third of the way into Dance with Dragons -- have been kind of slowly grinding through it a few pages at a time before I go to sleep. But I'm trying to savor it at same time.