I've had to put A Song of Ice and Fire on hold. One cannot simply read the entire series back-to-back, one after another, without driving oneself into a near suicidal depression. Don't worry, I haven't let it come to that, but those books are a complete and utter testament in futility. In short, the message is: War is Hell. There are no 'good' guys, no winners, and even victories are short lived. The books are also an example of the 'state of nature' as told by philosopher, Thomas Hobbes. Life is...solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short. 

Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying the books immensely. R.R is a wonderful wordsmith and, grizzly though it might be, he can really set a scene with vivid and careful attention to detail.

For those of you keeping score at home, I made it about halfway through A Storm of Swords, and no, I didn't set the book down after the infamous Red Wedding. (And yes I know what happens). In truth, what really did me in was what happened to certain members of the Night's Watch, as seen from the perspective of one Samwell Tarly.

Chances are I'll finish reading the 3rd book in a couple months and I'll probably watch the show in the meantime. The Internet and my own curiosity has spoiled a lot of the pivotal moments from the books. I'm not worried about how the show interprets them. Based on how HBO handled the attack on King's Landing, I know that whatever the show has to offer, the writer has written much better. :)