I blame all y'all on this thread
Actually I really REALLY like seasons 2 and 3. Wasn't a big fan of season 1.... now watching season 2 with commentaries.
I decided to read the books after the show's over... seems like there are lots of things that are different between the books and the show and I was thinking it'd be better to just enjoy the show for now and pick up the books later.
How many of you have read the books or are reading it simultaneously while the show is on? How is it when you come across discrepancies between the 2?
I went away and read the books after the end of the first season. There are some differences but for the most part, I think the show is just trimming the fat from the books. This is not to say that the extra details and greater scope of the books are superfluous, but that it would be near impossible to introduce it all to the viewers of the show without causing mass confusion.
It's a testament to the success of the show in a way that even now with them introducing a bunch of important characters every season, the viewers are sticking with them.