hi all I'm sorry if this has been posted before. I just finished episode 5 of the second season of game of thrones and I really like it. I am having problems following all the story line and remembering their names, but I like it. I was thinking of getting into the books and wanted to ask if it is drastically different storywise from the show and also about the authors writing style. thanks all

I haven't seen the tv show but I've read the first two books, the books are excellent. The books have family groups and references to help keep the people straight if you need it. I haven't had a problem with the books keeping them straight. There are also some online sites that have the info. Here's one wit5h just maps with the house insignias where they belong http://gamesofthrones.com/2011/05/28/5-awesome-game-of-thrones-charts-maps-and-infographics-no-spoilers/

My question is are the tv seasons a reflection of a single book or are they not following a set timeline? I have the tv show downloaded but I don't want to watch anything that I haven't read yet so I've been afraid to start watching it.

from what i understand each season is based on 1 book. while each season is obviously game of thrones, it also will have the book title such as a song of fire & ice. i don't know how closely the season follows the book but i know that it's basically a season dedicated to a book. i also know the writer is writing book 6 & 7 asap because he's trying to finish it before the show catches up to him. at least that's the rumor i don't know for sure how long book/show is going to go.

He's been writing books 6 and 7 for a bazillion years.  Book 5 was a delayed release.  So I will believe he finishes ahead of the tv series when I see it.

           I have read all the books and am current on the tv show.  The first season is the closest I have ever seen a book adapted to TV or a Movie, you could almost watch the first season of the show in place of reading the first book.  Season Two starts to diverge a little, some characters in the book are combined in the show and some minor story lines are not in the show, and the second and third series do not begin and end right at the end of a book.  I have heard they are going to have seven seasons of the show and they are not to the end of the third book by the end of the third season so some future book events will have to be cut.  book four and five also take place simultanously, some characters in book four and different charcters in book five so they will have to combine those two books for the tv show.  I think GRRM will put out book six in time to beat the show but I wonder about book seven being out before the show.

Mike

All the books have long, long lists of all the characters and their relationship, at the very start or very end....it's just pages of lists.

That was super-helpful to me, even though I've read them all twice, I still need to check sometimes to keep straight who's what to who.

I'm in the middle of book 4 and it's quite a diversion from the formula so far so I can see why they would take a lot out. I'm not liking it as much as the others so far, I'm finding the Dornish boring.

Barb spoiler rumor below

I have heard they are goind to cut whole Dornish storyline from the series

Mike

books are cooler

Good Mike, their story isn't going anywhere anyway so far.