A Game of Thrones

Complexity and cacophony (an NYU word for sure) is throughout this one… A Game of Thrones by George Martin.  Yes, another recommendation from the former RA and alum Janie Chlebowski (but not her favorite!).  This is an epic-sized book with multiple stories (three storylines at once – though they converge at times) of the games played by the monarch and their families, their friends and their rivals.  Power is the goal and anyone who stands in the way of the power will be killed for the power.  Enter The House of Stark, the rulers of the North!, this for me was the most interesting of the various storylines, following King Robert Baratheon and his crazy family member’s plan to take the throne, but he makes his wisest move by appointing the honest and loyal Lord Eddard Stark (Ned).  Ned has a feeling that the King’s wife Queen Cersei is not as she portrays herself… and guess what?  She’s not.  Ned finds out that the King’s offspring are really illegitimate; the Queen has had some “extra-curricular” activity outside of the home.  When Ned is about to tell the King the truth, the King is in a hunting accident and faces death but asks Ned to “carry on” as his replacement until his son reaches the age to rule.  Ned will do as he is told, but after more power struggles, gets imprisoned by the Queen!  But as news spreads of the change, a civil war, the War of the Five Kings, breaks out over the entire region. Epic battles occur with much death, destruction, and secrets being revealed.  Dwarfs, princesses, and lords fight over rule and money.  If you have a handy family tree, you will do much better than I did listening to this one on tape.  Rewind, rewind, who was that again?  Confusion, right?   Who doesn't like a battle for the ages during the great days of kings and kingdoms?  Well… Gladys, my wife, is a huge fan of this type of epic story, for me, give me 1960-2000 realism.  While it is hugely popular today, I have little interest in the battles, the family ruling class, etc.  Long book with endless battles to the end.  I’ll pass!