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DaughterofLaketown
Gondor
Mar 27 2014, 4:20pm
Post #1 of 20
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How old to read Game of Thrones?
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How young is too young? Are the books any more appropriate for younger teens than the show? How explicit are the books in comparison to the show?
(This post was edited by DaughterofLaketown on Mar 27 2014, 4:21pm)
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Elanor of Rohan
Lorien
Mar 27 2014, 6:18pm
Post #2 of 20
(328 views)
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I said 15/16 because the books are far less explicit
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the story ( I have read it all) is very strong, and it treats adult topics but Martin never indulges in prudish descriptions, he either adopts a very matter-of-fact attitude or a historical approach.
For example, incest in House Targaryen (and the subsequent relationship between Cersei and her twin Jaime Lannister) is inspired by incest in the Ptolemaic dynasty of Pharaohs.
Yes, there are bedslaves and prostitutes but to them only a few matter-of-fact lines are dedicated most of the times (seeing a completely naked woman or man on TV is definitely harder to bear and I personally don't like HBO's explicit and indulging approach).
There is a lot of violence, yes it is true, and there are many descriptions of rapes and tortures: but if you read any chronicle of European history in the Middle Ages or in the Renaissance era, you will find countless, and worse, examples (Martin has always declared he has been inspired by the English War of the Roses, among others).
As I am writing this, I am reminded of two horrible examples, of sexual public tortures in the 16th century Realm of Naples and of women in labour sent to the stake in England at the time of Bloody Mary... I read about them when I was a teenager but history chronicles are merciless.
Nothing written by Martin compares to them, by far.
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Elizabeth
Half-elven
Mar 27 2014, 9:39pm
Post #4 of 20
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I don't like books with serious violence, and especially avoid an author prone to kill off favorite characters! Life's too short.
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cats16
Half-elven
Mar 27 2014, 11:49pm
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I don't see the appeal of a series which (at least based off of what I've heard) is so concerned with killing off all of its characters. I mean, they're all going to die sometime, realistically, so why can't we focus on something more interesting?
I think the many reasons why I love Tolkien are the very reasons why I don't want to read Martin's series. I always guessed that Túrin would die at the end of his journey, but it wasn't something I was focusing my attention on while reading. There are many other elements which I find more interesting.
I'm sure I'm not giving Martin enough credit here, but at the moment I'd rather spend my time reading something else. 
(This post was edited by cats16 on Mar 27 2014, 11:51pm)
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Misto
Lorien
Mar 28 2014, 11:42am
Post #6 of 20
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I should say 16 at the very least
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Yes, the books may be less explicit in terms of sexuality but for me (late twenties) the difference book - tv-series was more like: Annoying ("oh really, not again") versus way overboard, won't bother to watch any further. And of course there is quite a bit of violence and death.
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Magpie
Immortal
Mar 28 2014, 1:03pm
Post #7 of 20
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I think it makes a difference...
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whether an adult is asking when they should let a child read something (or suggest it) or whether a child (take this term as 'relational' ... that is, young enough to be in the emotional care of someone) is asking.
I'm not sure it makes the answer any easier but I often think children confront something when they feel ready to.
Now, I do think there are some things that a child might think they're ready for but an adult will decree 'absolutely not'. (I would not let a 6 year old watch a violent horror movie no matter how much they begged.)
But if someone in the grey age range of 'appropriate' is asking to read something (or watch something), then I - as an adult and parent - would listen to them. If I sensed hesitation in their request, I'd try to determine if they were feeling peer pressure to read/watch. If so, and they are truly hesitant, I'd try to give them the support to follow their gut.
If I'm unfamiliar with the content, and the child is pushing, I might screen it and get a better feel for what it contains. Perhaps I can give that child some basic info on 'how bad is it' so they can make a more informed decision. And if need be, I might watch or read along with them - or discuss it with them later (for a movie) or during reading (for a book) to help them process or put events into some kind of context.
If I am morally opposed to the content, I would share those concerns with my child.
But, by the age of 15, I would not deny my child seeing or reading anything. I had smart kids and they made smart choices and if it was truly *their* wish, then tried to respect their right to make the choice. And they made pretty smart choices for themselves. They knew what they didn't want to watch and they felt comfortable setting limits on what they watched.
What I would not do is suggest any questionable content to a child. I worry that they think they need to please us, the adults in their life, in confronting something that they may not be in a good head space or mature enough to confront.
This includes violence, sexual content, and loads of other content that we kind of become immune to as adults but can affect children in unexpected ways.
When my kids were younger - and in some of those 'appropriate - gray' years, for movies I did a lot of screening of movies at a site called Screen It.
It provided good detail on what movies contained broken down into categories that a parent might be worried about: jump scenes, smoking, cursing, sexual activity, blood. Then a parent could decide - knowing their child better than anyone - how well they thought their child could handle it. (And again, if it was unsure to me if they were ready, they had to be asking to see it for me to consider it. I would not suggest anything I thought they weren't ready for.)
I'm not sure if sites like this exist for books but they might allow someone to get some specific info on Game of Thrones that would either rule it out completely or perhaps ease their mind a little. You're trying to do that here but I'm not sure you're tapping into many people. Perhaps if you asked this question in the weekly Tuesday reading thread you'll find more people who have read the books that can give you some specific feedback.
As for what feedback on the books I can personally give - I've only read the first book so I can't speak about the series beyond that.
A lot of the dismissive (and I'm not going to use that term in a snarky way but I think it's an apt term) comments from people who haven't read the book but have 'heard about it' are pretty much how I felt about the series (book and tv show) in general. Life is short. I got stuff I love. Why waste time on stuff that was ______ (fill in the blanks with all you've read).
But I like this general 'genre' of shows so I watched the tv show. I have to close my eyes a lot and I don't love every scene included - but I really like the show. Way way way more than I ever thought I would.
So I read the first book. I can't remember much specifically about it but:
A) I didn't hate it
B) it didn't give me nightmares (The Exorcist did)
C) I can't remember being disgusted (I actually burned a book that disgusted me and I have a fairly open mind on stuff - this was a book I'd picked up from a 'free share room' in my apt bldg in it was basically torture porn)
D) I liked it well enough that when I found a four book set of the books at the thrift store, I picked them up and I intended to read them at some point.
Now, to put this in context - I'm way old. Old enough to have adult children! :-)
And I'm not recommending/suggesting the books to anyone - of any age. The only people who should read these books are people who *want* to read these books. But I feel this way about a lot of literature (including LOTR, for example) and movies for various reasons so don't take that as a negative.
But I think anyone about 15 or older that is wishing to read... or wondering about it... shouldn't be outright denied. I just think they need to be 'ready' and they - and their emotional caretakers (adults/parents) - can take the steps to determine if that's the case. If it's determined that they're not, perhaps someone at a good bookstore or the library can recommend a book similar to it that is less 'adult' for the reader to bide their time with awhile. :-)
another thought that just came to me: sometimes a story isn't so much 'inappropriate' for a child but it might be dealing with issues that a child doesn't yet understand or relate to. I was made to read Ibsen's A Doll House in high school and I got nothing from it. I might have related to it completely differently at 25 or 35 or 45. But I will never read that play again because I have no good feeling associated with it. It was the thing I was *made* to read that I didn't understand and bored me.
I have come to believe that things come to us when they're meant to. It must be that I either am not drawn to things when I'm not in the mood for them or not ready for them or I'm quick to put them down when I do pick up something I'm not ready for.
And so many things have come to me just when I needed them.
Our guts. They're good to listen to. :-)
What does your heart tell you?
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DaughterofLaketown
Gondor
Mar 28 2014, 1:09pm
Post #8 of 20
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Thank you for such an in depth approach.
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My mom has already said that within reason any book I choose I can read, as at my age I am intellectually able to understand and process everything in those books. Also I am very capable of putting down anything I don't feel comfortable with. I have decided to try to read them because they interest me. I feel that the content is not too much for me at this point in my life. Thank you so much for your input.
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Magpie
Immortal
Mar 28 2014, 1:24pm
Post #9 of 20
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I hope you share your reaction in the reading thread
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good bad or indifferent... :-)
I'd be interested in what you think.
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Radagast-Aiwendil
Gondor
Mar 28 2014, 7:41pm
Post #10 of 20
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In my humble opinion, it depends entirely on the individual
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I'm 18 and am currently reading the series, and while I personally think that I appreciate the story more due to being more mature, I think others who do not necessarily go in for fandom or close analysis of text would probably be fine reading it at an earlier age (though I think under 16 would be inappropriate). That said, though the book has plenty of violence and sexual themes, we are living in an age where young people watch 18 rated films well before they are old enough, and they are also much more.....shall we say, aware? So while I think people of a certain age should not read certain things, it isn't anywhere near as much of a defining factor these days.
The book leaves more to the imagination but is still fairly explicit...however when you are reading you don't have to imagine every gruesome detail, whilst in the film/TV medium it is forced upon you. Ultimately, if I had to sum up the franchise in a sentence I would say this: It's like Lord of the Rings, only there is infrequently great emphasis on gore, politics and physical intimacy.
(This post was edited by Radagast-Aiwendil on Mar 28 2014, 7:42pm)
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demnation
Rohan
Mar 29 2014, 7:14am
Post #11 of 20
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If you have the patience for really, really, really long stories
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then I say go for it. Any "objectionable" content in the books is fairly mild compared to the more gratuitous nature of the tv show. The biggest problem I have with this particular series ( and the thing I tend to warn people about) is its rather absurd length. If you get invested, just be prepared to be in it for the long haul!
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Annael
Immortal
Mar 29 2014, 3:25pm
Post #12 of 20
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I read the first three books and that was it for me.
I'd give a 15- or 16-year old "Dune" to read first, if I wanted to hand someone a long, excellent book that would hook them into sci-fi and fantasy (if LOTR & Harry Potter hadn't already done it).
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sevilodorf
Tol Eressea
Mar 29 2014, 3:39pm
Post #13 of 20
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the length and complexity simply overwhelmed.
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DaughterofLaketown
Gondor
Mar 30 2014, 1:10pm
Post #14 of 20
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I am enjoying it. I have only made it through a few chapters and I already see why young children shouldn't read this. But my interest is bearing me along. I am already interested in Bran as a character.
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Sam20
Lorien
Mar 30 2014, 8:48pm
Post #15 of 20
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This is one of the best series I have ever read, truly.
George RR martin is a fantastic writter, not afraid to dare and has constructed a world in which one can really plunge into with clever characters, awesome plots with all the addictive ingredients and more of a medieval fantasy epic story. I just can't get enough.
I would say that many 15-16 are bright and mature enough tu be exposed to the ''crudeness'' of ASOIF. Danearys, Jon Snow, Bran, Arya and Sansa Stark and some characters that teenagers can bound to easily.
It's definitly a series intended for adult. That doesn't mean teenagers cannot read it though. But it can be complex, subtle and crude all at once and some elements may espace one's grasp. Really, the best thing is to give it a try, you may end up getting hooked. It may not be a bad thing for a teen, after all to be hooked at a book!
(This post was edited by sam90 on Mar 30 2014, 8:57pm)
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phij2
Rivendell
Mar 31 2014, 7:39pm
Post #16 of 20
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just started the second book, A Clash of Kings. My advice would be, read the books, if you absolutely love them then be warned that the Tv series is more explicit, partly just because images are more difficult to get out of your head.
not that the tv series is bad exactly, but iy has some subtle changes that really annoy me cos they change the tone of the storylines
but the book are awesome
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macfalk
Valinor
Mar 31 2014, 7:56pm
Post #17 of 20
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With the notion that the tv series is more explicit than the books. In the show, some sequences (violence and sex) can be deemed gratuitous at times for sure, but they're not nearly as detailed as the book descriptions. The show doesn't even come close to some of the sexual descriptions (like the infamous Cersei and Samwell chapters in A Feast for Crows).
I'd say around ages 16-17 + (for both books and show). My younger cousin is 14 years old and he is a show watcher and I'd say that's a couple of years too young, but it's not my place to ban him from watching it!
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Magpie
Immortal
Mar 31 2014, 9:27pm
Post #18 of 20
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*ACK* - spoiler for books (and presumably upcoming shows) in macfalk's post
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... can't unsee.
(This post was edited by Magpie on Mar 31 2014, 9:27pm)
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macfalk
Valinor
Mar 31 2014, 10:37pm
Post #19 of 20
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It wasn't meant to be spoilery (though what I wrote doesn't really spoil anything IMO) but if so I apologize for spoilers slipping past without me giving a heads up about it.
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Magpie
Immortal
Mar 31 2014, 11:37pm
Post #20 of 20
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I guess spoiling is a subjective thing
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I now know something that happens further in the books and tv shows that I've already experienced.
For me, that's spoiling. I try to steer clear of all details before watching tv shows or movies.
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