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A Game of Thrones
book
Paperback
Published January 1, 1994
42 people are currently reading
162 people want to read
About the author
George R.R. Martin
1,509 books120k followersGeorge Raymond Richard "R.R." Martin was born September 20, 1948, in Bayonne, New Jersey. His father was Raymond Collins Martin, a longshoreman, and his mother was Margaret Brady Martin. He has two sisters, Darleen Martin Lapinski and Janet Martin Patten.
Martin attended Mary Jane Donohoe School and Marist High School. He began writing very young, selling monster stories to other neighborhood children for pennies, dramatic readings included. Later he became a comic book fan and collector in high school, and began to write fiction for comic fanzines (amateur fan magazines). Martin's first professional sale was made in 1970 at age 21: The Hero, sold to Galaxy, published in February, 1971 issue. Other sales followed.
In 1970 Martin received a B.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, graduating summa cum laude. He went on to complete a M.S. in Journalism in 1971, also from Northwestern.
As a conscientious objector, Martin did alternative service 1972-1974 with VISTA, attached to Cook County Legal Assistance Foundation. He also directed chess tournaments for the Continental Chess Association from 1973-1976, and was a Journalism instructor at Clarke College, Dubuque, Iowa, from 1976-1978. He wrote part-time throughout the 1970s while working as a VISTA Volunteer, chess director, and teacher.
In 1975 he married Gale Burnick. They divorced in 1979, with no children. Martin became a full-time writer in 1979. He was writer-in-residence at Clarke College from 1978-79.
Moving on to Hollywood, Martin signed on as a story editor for Twilight Zone at CBS Television in 1986. In 1987 Martin became an Executive Story Consultant for Beauty and the Beast at CBS. In 1988 he became a Producer for Beauty and the Beast, then in 1989 moved up to Co-Supervising Producer. He was Executive Producer for Doorways, a pilot which he wrote for Columbia Pictures Television, which was filmed during 1992-93.
Martin's present home is Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is a member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (he was South-Central Regional Director 1977-1979, and Vice President 1996-1998), and of Writers' Guild of America, West.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/george...
Martin attended Mary Jane Donohoe School and Marist High School. He began writing very young, selling monster stories to other neighborhood children for pennies, dramatic readings included. Later he became a comic book fan and collector in high school, and began to write fiction for comic fanzines (amateur fan magazines). Martin's first professional sale was made in 1970 at age 21: The Hero, sold to Galaxy, published in February, 1971 issue. Other sales followed.
In 1970 Martin received a B.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, graduating summa cum laude. He went on to complete a M.S. in Journalism in 1971, also from Northwestern.
As a conscientious objector, Martin did alternative service 1972-1974 with VISTA, attached to Cook County Legal Assistance Foundation. He also directed chess tournaments for the Continental Chess Association from 1973-1976, and was a Journalism instructor at Clarke College, Dubuque, Iowa, from 1976-1978. He wrote part-time throughout the 1970s while working as a VISTA Volunteer, chess director, and teacher.
In 1975 he married Gale Burnick. They divorced in 1979, with no children. Martin became a full-time writer in 1979. He was writer-in-residence at Clarke College from 1978-79.
Moving on to Hollywood, Martin signed on as a story editor for Twilight Zone at CBS Television in 1986. In 1987 Martin became an Executive Story Consultant for Beauty and the Beast at CBS. In 1988 he became a Producer for Beauty and the Beast, then in 1989 moved up to Co-Supervising Producer. He was Executive Producer for Doorways, a pilot which he wrote for Columbia Pictures Television, which was filmed during 1992-93.
Martin's present home is Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is a member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (he was South-Central Regional Director 1977-1979, and Vice President 1996-1998), and of Writers' Guild of America, West.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/george...
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 8, 2024
I know I'm late to the party on this one but I've always been curious about this fantasy series.
There are many different characters and plots to follow and I'm sure many people are familiar with the show. The show follows the book very closely but it was nice to get further insight on these characters.
The story is gritty and gave me a feeling of what life in the middle ages must have been like. It also made me curious to read more on the war of the Roses (which this is loosely based on) because I like medieval history.
There is lots of drama and political intrigue. The action and violence really capture the brutality of that world. I looked forward to reading the next novel in the series.
There are many different characters and plots to follow and I'm sure many people are familiar with the show. The show follows the book very closely but it was nice to get further insight on these characters.
The story is gritty and gave me a feeling of what life in the middle ages must have been like. It also made me curious to read more on the war of the Roses (which this is loosely based on) because I like medieval history.
There is lots of drama and political intrigue. The action and violence really capture the brutality of that world. I looked forward to reading the next novel in the series.
April 7, 2025
This narrator is fantastic!
Read
September 3, 2025SO.....I've finally decided to dive into A Game of Thrones after putting it off for far too long. Admittedly, the size of these books can feel daunting, but I’m glad I made the commitment....thanks to someone nagging me to read them🤣
To my surprise, I found the novel not only brilliant but also surprisingly easy to read.
Despite its reputation as a dense fantasy epic, the writing flows so well that it never felt too much. I could pick it up, read a few chapters, set it down for a few days, and return without ever feeling lost, something I really appreciate in a long series.
What stood out most to me was the strong storytelling, excellent character development, and consistently well paced plot. Each chapter being another log in a characters story. George R. R. Martin makes a world that’s immersive without being needlessly complicated, and it’s easy to see why this book/ series has had such a lasting impact.
I’m completely hooked and eager to continue through the series even if, like so many others, I’ll eventually share in the disappointment that the next book still hasn’t been released🤣🫣
To my surprise, I found the novel not only brilliant but also surprisingly easy to read.
Despite its reputation as a dense fantasy epic, the writing flows so well that it never felt too much. I could pick it up, read a few chapters, set it down for a few days, and return without ever feeling lost, something I really appreciate in a long series.
What stood out most to me was the strong storytelling, excellent character development, and consistently well paced plot. Each chapter being another log in a characters story. George R. R. Martin makes a world that’s immersive without being needlessly complicated, and it’s easy to see why this book/ series has had such a lasting impact.
I’m completely hooked and eager to continue through the series even if, like so many others, I’ll eventually share in the disappointment that the next book still hasn’t been released🤣🫣
March 16, 2025
When you read a book like this after already having seen an adaptation, it is impossible to get that imagery out of your head, especial as it seems that the first season of Game of Thrones is such a faithful interpretation of this book, with the exception of the ages of most of the younger characters (thankfully given certain scenes & situations, especially with Daenerys). However, it conjured up pleasant reminisces and, if I hadn't already seen the show, I would be champing at the bit to see what happened next.
January 13, 2025
Narrator was great!
May 8, 2025
Fantastic book. Hooked immediately - you learn a lot the show does not depict/explain
August 21, 2025
Totally immersive from the first page. Couldn’t put it down.
May 8, 2024
Game of Thrones is a book in a genre which I do not usually venture into , I have read very few fantasy books ever and up until my reading of Cruel Prince I wasn’t sure if it was a genre I’d like. However , it blew my expectations completely out of the water and kept me hanging onto every page, no , every word.
Every part of this book is captivating , from the world , to the characters to the plot there’s not a part of it I didn’t love. The strongest strength of the book is by far its characters , there is a wide range of them and each of them is excellently written , they feel human and are unpredictable and flawed like humans. That’s the most important drive of the book , how flawed its characters are , Lord Stark is honest to a fault , King Robert is a shell of his former self and Cersei Lannister can have her head upon the walls of the Red Keep.
The biggest strength of the book is also its greatest flaw though, as there are some characters I loved more than others, making the format of the book constantly changing perspective difficult as I wanted to get back to my preferred characters perspective. For example , towards the end of the book I could not get enough of Tyrion , making me want to read through the other characters parts super quickly to get back to his parts. This is not necessarily a flaw though as the other parts were no less interesting and captivating as Tyrions parts and I would often find myself going from wanting to read more of Tyrions parts to being absorbed in this others characters story line.
This is due to the spectacular writing of the author. Compared to the some of the Warhammer books I’ve read recently this book was a breath of fresh air. The writing flows perfectly leaving little room for confusion or odd phrasing that doesn’t make sense making is a pleasure to read despite the use of many old fashioned words. Even though this book is very dense the pages seemed to melt away due how well the book is written and how well it flows.
Game of Thrones is an excellent book that I think everyone should read , it is a tragic story of friends, plots and betrayal. It does have some weird parts that might understandably put some people off the book, but if you can ignore those parts , this is a fantastic , authentic and living fantasy story that has the opportunity to expand into a grand adventure that might leave a permanent mark on my soul. I’m excited to see where the second book takes the story.
Every part of this book is captivating , from the world , to the characters to the plot there’s not a part of it I didn’t love. The strongest strength of the book is by far its characters , there is a wide range of them and each of them is excellently written , they feel human and are unpredictable and flawed like humans. That’s the most important drive of the book , how flawed its characters are , Lord Stark is honest to a fault , King Robert is a shell of his former self and Cersei Lannister can have her head upon the walls of the Red Keep.
The biggest strength of the book is also its greatest flaw though, as there are some characters I loved more than others, making the format of the book constantly changing perspective difficult as I wanted to get back to my preferred characters perspective. For example , towards the end of the book I could not get enough of Tyrion , making me want to read through the other characters parts super quickly to get back to his parts. This is not necessarily a flaw though as the other parts were no less interesting and captivating as Tyrions parts and I would often find myself going from wanting to read more of Tyrions parts to being absorbed in this others characters story line.
This is due to the spectacular writing of the author. Compared to the some of the Warhammer books I’ve read recently this book was a breath of fresh air. The writing flows perfectly leaving little room for confusion or odd phrasing that doesn’t make sense making is a pleasure to read despite the use of many old fashioned words. Even though this book is very dense the pages seemed to melt away due how well the book is written and how well it flows.
Game of Thrones is an excellent book that I think everyone should read , it is a tragic story of friends, plots and betrayal. It does have some weird parts that might understandably put some people off the book, but if you can ignore those parts , this is a fantastic , authentic and living fantasy story that has the opportunity to expand into a grand adventure that might leave a permanent mark on my soul. I’m excited to see where the second book takes the story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 8, 2024
One of the best books ever written...
It's incredible, the detail in every sentence is beautiful. The book is long but it's writing makes it go by so much faster than one would think. The characters were detailed, relatable, and inspiring. The story has many twists that you won't see coming! This is going to be a classic in a few years time, get ahead of the game and read it now!
It's incredible, the detail in every sentence is beautiful. The book is long but it's writing makes it go by so much faster than one would think. The characters were detailed, relatable, and inspiring. The story has many twists that you won't see coming! This is going to be a classic in a few years time, get ahead of the game and read it now!
June 11, 2024
Andre gang jeg leser den, fortsatt like fengende som å se serien
July 14, 2025
Writing 4
World building 5
Characters 5
Plot 5
Emotional Impact 4
World building 5
Characters 5
Plot 5
Emotional Impact 4
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews