Let’s pretend it’s magical make-believe land, and George R.R. Martin has finished The Winds of Winter (book 6 of the Song of Ice and Fire series, or Game of Thrones for the TV watchers). Will you read it? Tell us why, and vent as needed.
I’m sure that multiple “no” answers might be applicable for many people, but pick the most important factor if that’s your answer.
Yes, eagerly!
Yes, but I won’t be in a rush
I’ll say no because I’m mad at him, but I’d probably eventually read it
No, book 5 (A Dance with Dragons) was awful
No, the delay has pissed me off / I’ve lost interest
No, the last season(s) of the TV show ruined it for me
I voted Yes, but won’t be in a rush. I’m as upset about the delay as the next person, but I still really enjoy the series. I’m curious as to how GRRM’s official canon will look compared to the show. Actually, I’m currently re-watching the series. I’m about 1/2 way through season 2.
I don’t think I’ve heard of anyone slagging Book 3 before (usually they’ll stop before then if it wasn’t their thing) as it’s widely considered the best book of the series.
I have novels sitting in my pile that occasionally wait a few years before I get around to them, so if it takes me less time to get around to it than it took him to write it, that’s still reasonably fast by my standards.
“No, the delay has pissed me off / I’ve lost interest”
I read the books years ago. I was into it. All that’s left now is a vague memory of huge cliffhangers and a lingering pissed off feeling. Haven’t watched the show, but not because I’m mad about the book thing.
Which is a shame, because on a re-read it became my 2nd favorite book of the series. When I first read it I was expecting the same wall to wall action of the second half of Book 3, but when I read it for what it was, I really appreciated it and enjoyed the widening of the world and the focus on the common folk.
“No, the delay has pissed me off / I’ve lost interest” … and I haven’t read any more of the Wild Cards novels because they were coming out too slow, too! GRRM makes me go grrrrrr! <flips him the double bird>
Yes, but I won’t be in a rush. It’s a good series and despite the bloating Martin’s a decent writer (shown clearly by the hash the show made after they ran out of material to adapt). I don’t expect them to be fantastic, but even book 5 held my attention okay. I’m generally a completest and the plots had already diverged enough I’m curious where Martin’s vision might wander.
But I’m in no particular rush. If they came out tomorrow I’d wait for reviews and weigh my interest against them. Might hit them now, might get around to them some time after I retire. They’re no longer in the ‘must read now pile’, though honestly less and less is these days.
The only way I’d bother is if one of the people I trust who read such things came to me and spoke of it like it was the Bible circa 35AD. If it’s just telling me the story the show had, then I’m out. Yada Yada, Tyrion and Varys now stupid, Danys now mental, WHAT A SURPRISE JON’S ALIVE!
I’m an early adopter of ASOIAF, reading all of the books when they came out. Count me as another one who’ll wait until the series is finished before reading another volume.
