THE GREAT AMERICAN READ | George R. R. Martin Discusses "The Lord of the Rings" | PBS 

It's the most popular books in the world he doesn't need to

You honestly think he needs to promote Game of Thrones books at this point?

@@mahasohona966 do you think Mc.donalds needs to run ads still? Itis the most popular restaurant on THE PLANET.Yet, ads are still required to keep them relevent. It has been studied ENDLESSLY. To keep something popular, you must keep promoting it in new and fun ways. One day, GoT will fall off the face of the earth, in great part from the disaster of the show and his lack of finishing the story. THIS VERY VIDEO is an ad for LotR, even if its just from another fantasy author. Thus, it is an ad for GoT. It doesn't matter what you think; THIS IS A FACT.

It’s literally a PBS series in which this segment is about LOTR.

can give me the link of his blog plz ? I wanna talk to him so bad.

His old blog (for which he sometimes still makes comments): grrm.livejournal.com/

thnks bro.

@@ccchhhrrriiisss100 was curious and wanted to reas George's comments but commenting is disabled and none is shown

Chris M that's really nice! 🙂

What's your point?

Okay, you're right. That has literally nothing to do with what I was talking about. In this video, he talks about how Gandalf's death completely rocked his world and changed his whole perspective on what storytelling could be. Reading Ned Stark's death for the first time did the exact same thing for me.

That was exactly the implied point. He learned that from Tolkien. It's not funny (coincidental) , its intended.

Exactly...nothing like a tough loss to forge the sweet desire for revenge! & Jon Snow would be a closer mirror of Gandalf...the loss of both hurt deeply and both were brought back

@Dark Wizard ?

To me LOTR and ASOIAF are equal. Both are gargantuans that have a huge fanbase

No

@@martinlopez2816 LOTR is just better.

The fact that George wrote it like an actual story, with the characters’ actual emotions pouring onto the page, is what makes it so special. Even Fire & Blood, which is his history book, is so much more fascinating and fun to read.

@@markymarkzero two words: The Silmarillion if you’re reading LOTR like a modern fantasy novel and expecting the same things, you’re doing it wrong. i thought it was pretty clear LOTR should be treated similarly to something like Homer’s Odyssey. as one of my friends puts it: middle-earth is the main character of sorts. LOTR is but one of many tales of the long and tumultuous history of middle-earth itself.

@@dunadan7136 It's the same thing with the world of ice and fire . Westeros , Essos, Sothoryos and that's just the world the maesters know of. If you look at the geography we truly only have the northern hemisphere . As far as that goes the history that happens before the first book even begins is what drives the story . They are similar in the fact that the world they inhabit is arguably the most important thing. I think that his world containing multiple characters being so realistic , grounded and multi facted with human emotion and flaws only make the world they inhabit feel that much more real and lived in . Tolkien and Martin's work really only share the big world and medieval setting. Other than that I find it quite odd they always get compared honestly. They're not much alike other than in their large scale . I love both surely but for me I always connected more with the characters in ASOIAF and in turn that made me care more about the world . I understand a story having the opposite effect though where the world takes the precedent . I truly admire and appreciate both styles and both worlds in their own way .

@@travisrose9716 No, Dunadan is right, you cant say that Martins history book is lie Homers odyssey, Tolkiens silmarillion dives deep into biblical and ancient European folklore and mythology. Martins history book is closer to that of modern normal history school books and contain a few stories, yet they dont have the same "personality" then Tolkiens work. Tolkiens world was meant to be a place for his languages, a English epos written by a man that put in so much effort for a world that is even filled with more beauty then ours. Read Tolkien again, not in the sense as a modern fantasy, but a FANTASY. for it is the truest and the first to the actual genre.

@@langskeppet9887 it doesn't matter which came first . I've read both and the unreleased tales of middle earth . I personally enjoy the world and characters of A Song of Ice and Fire much more . I enjoy The Lord of the Rings Trilogy , The Hobbit,The Fall of Numenor and The Fall of Gondolin . But I simply enjoy the A Song of Ice and Fire books more and really don't get why they get compared so much. Is it the "R.R"? Or is it just because they're both large scale and medieval?

Right!? That was one sloppy voiceover.

I guess the dwarf got the short stick again. No love for Gimli son of Gloin

yeah they basically did no research into lord of the rings, they looked at a movie poster and saw it was about humans and elves and had to gall to say that.

the producer is probably one of those six people

Gimli : IF I BE A JOKE TO YOU LET ME SHOW YOU MY AXE!

Hobbit racist

Maiar racist Sure you could argue hobbits are a type of human, but there's only one Elf in this party.

The lord of the rings were the best books ever to be created

@@dexplays3298 no

@@cesarkarim3352 yes

@@dexplays3298 no

@@cesarkarim3352 yes

Bro Gandalf dying was traumatic

He did not read lord of the rings 2 the two towers

It's funny cuz to many Ned's death was so traumatic, and yet it was even more traumatic for GRRM when Gandalf fell in the Mines of Moria. Lol

And the 4 Hobbits 😂

mmarlaire Start with The Hobbit.

Khalil Fakhri oh that's actually a great idea. Thanks man. I'll do that

have you read it?

mmarlaire So, have you read them both yet?

LOTR is waiting on your shelf? What are you waiting for?!?! All of modern fantasy is a desperate attempt to capture the magic of LOTR. Come on!

Got is far more complex tho, thats why i like it better

@Jared Dowty agreed

@Dark Lord Sauron hehe, i Love sauron probably My third best villain, not the hobbit One tho, but sauron really wouldnt stand a chance against the Night king, the Night king would annahilate saurons army with farily ease

You don't have physical form of enough power. Frodo has the ring is taking it to mount doom.

*or

Enormous Gimli disrespect

I started reading it at 13 got through the two towers, but I put them down for some reason. I picked it up and started over again .

Don't you dare forget about JK Rowling! The greatest fantasy writers ever. There will be no one else! 😎👊

@@martinlopez2816 as much as I love HP, like one of my all time favourites, idk how many people will respect Rowling these days... the books are amazing but with the controversy... let's see how things are like a decade or two...

@@Bobby14 art should never be judged by the artist personality/opinions. If that was the case we couldn't read anything.

@martinlopez2816 If you believe it impossible for someone else to come along and write an equally compelling story as them then I would have to disagree - everything is an inspiration from something before it. Narnia inspired Harry Potter. LoTR inspired Narnia. Without works before them we wouldn't have the works we have today. It is only a matter of time for someone else to come along and write a new story from another view point that was inspired by these works and captivate future generations in ways that haven't been captured yet. Creativity is not dead, you just have to tune into it.

Song of Ice and Fire belongs to a very modern genre. I hope it isn't the best of its genre. It has too much of a soap opera vibe. The stories have so much backstabbing that someone not backstabbing someone feels like backstabbing. While this vibe is historically accurate, GRRM's way of presenting it is wrong. He should have presented it like history.

@@adorp I know what you are saying, on the other side it is meant to entice readers with drama.

@@hakdavid-s4e don't we have enough drama in life? Art is meant to take us away.

I understand what you are saying, but some people have different tastes. Someone likes drama, some about exploration and so on.

I like him more for that.

Same i also like miyazaki although not a writer a game designer rip miura

Fukk. I haven't read the books or watched the movies. Really looking forward to it. And then I got spoilers... think I'm going to watch the movies after at least 5 years haha

Daniel Huang same here man... till then I'm gonna read Assassin's Apprentice

Bruh the novel is like 70 years old and the movies are like 15 years old. The plot point "spoilers" are fair game now

@@Ola-ws4jg Just because its been out for a while doesn't mean everyone has seen it

@@suspicioususer It is the 3rd most read novel in the English-speaking world. It's fair game lol

He looks older than I expected for some reason. I'm really worried now :(

Elwin I think he looks good, not older than the last time he was in an interview.

Marat yeah. Seeing him like this is kinda hard for me. I don't even care about the books anymore. I just want him to live longer and be happy

Bruh, I was just thinking the same thing lol.

Give us updates.

@@Thelaretus still haven't read or ordered. Lol.

@LH 🥵 nice...

@@theunknown4570 I recommend reading a song of ice and fire over the LOTR especially if you're not in tune with older styles of writing . Tolkien takes a while to get used to. It is very artfully done but I feel it takes a while before you start truly enjoying it in a way. ASOIAF is more modern in its storytelling while still harkening back to some of the older forms . You cant go wrong with either one . But for me it is always easier to reread ASOIAF than to reread LOTR I very much enjoy both though .

You will not be disappointed, the books transform but don't be too disappointed in the movies afterwards. They are close but still different from the books

They also didn’t mention a dwarf

But that would be a differrent story alltogether and a much differrent world. Without gandalf the white and the infamous you shall not pass

He has only killed 2 Starks so far. And Jon Snow is not a Targaryen on the books. You didn't read them, did you?

@@notjohncena6492You "cannot' pass.

@@stigkenobi7525I've read the books. I don't think you understood what I commented though.

within the context of LotR Eru Iluvitar is irrelevant and it is very clear using the ring equals becoming an unstoppable force. It says "one ring to rule them all" for a reason.

@@Apfelmelonenmann The only one who would become an unstoppable force if he had the ring was Sauron. The story makes it clear that the ring gives power according to the existing power of its wearer. Sauron or Galdalf would be terrible with the one ring. Aragorn with the ring would be a force who could, perhaps, defeat a depowered Sauron. Regular men? Hobbits? They become invisible and nothing else. Frodo certainly wasn't an unstoppable force with the ring on -- it made him more vulnerable to the wraiths, not less.

Lol seasons 7 & 8 would like to have a word with you

That's not his fault you got hater😂.

@@soldierfuckinboy Correctly reading comments is not your strong suit is it? 🤣

King? lol. Hope you're not comparing him to Tolkien.

@@aaaaaa8656 I never compared any of the three, I just consider these 3 my favorite. Tolkien was, is and will be the GOAT of fantasy writing. King, Lewis and Martin themselves agree with this too.

You definitely should! I’ve fallen in love with the depth of the stories Tolkien mansged to tell. If you’re finished you might also want to read the later publishings by his son christopher.

@@definitelynotteun update: i watched all three movies and loved it. definitley a trilogy is wanna watch over and over and read the books aswell. but this is my opinion but i prefer a song of ice and fire cause i just find it more complex and shocking and great.

@@juun9401 Great that you enjoyed it! I grew up with the movies, so they hold a special place in my heart. The books are also really great.

Guess he lied here.....

is george rr martin xD

+Steven Aarhus How did he lie ? He said he appreciated Gandalf's death. That's the truth. He just wishes it had been permanent.

Source?

I believe Jon Snow is Azor Ahai so bringing him back makes sense thematically. Lady Stoneheart is an actual example of bringing someone back in the finished books. GRRM often doesn't play by his own rules and that's totally fine as long as the story is still good.

TheRamsesII. Yeah, was glaringly obvious when she said “led by a wizard named Gandalf and a hobbit named Frodo”. Frodo was in no way shape or form leading the party. It was more of a partnership between Gandalf and Aragorn, with Gandalf ultimately deciding the path they took but he wasn’t the leader. It was a FELLOWSHIP, almost like it’s in the title of the book or something. And then when the fellowship broke, sure Frodo led a party then.. of three.

@@miancu3 frodo was in my opinion the anchor to the group, they all joined out of respect for his courage and all continued because of him "for frodo" is the best example of this

yeah i much prefer the 2 page long descriptions of what high lords are eating

Okha me to i prefer martins dark fantasy writing more than tolkiens happy dappy lets hold hands around the fire and sind kumbai ah

someone a bit offended by an opinion. Even speaking factually Tolkein's story drags with unnecessary songs every 4 pages and every single tree being detailed. Although Asoiaf does as well except plot wise and not over detail wise. You can choose was you value more in a story that's an opinion. But the fact remains that Lotr focuses more on the world and less of an intricate plot that keeps the reader guessing. And uses a deus ex machina. Where on the other end of the spectrum George gets the reader to not only be interested in the world (maybe not as much as lotr) but the actual plot itself. Once again its up to you to choose what you value more in a story but those are the facts.

I prefer a finished story.

are you sure you want a finished story? Season 7 taught me that's not always the best thing. Looking at you Littlefinger.

Kushal Rijal Lol he says they have done great. But you must be right.

Jeff Bachman he did liked the show till season 4. But DD refused to bring Lady Stoneheart. Apparently Stoneheart was the inseperable factor for later books and seasons. DD removed stoneheart and things went downhill from there. We can see how absurd season 7 was. and 5 & 6 were nowhere close to earlier seasons.

Kushal Rijal as a reader of the books spoiler Stone heart so far hasn’t done jack shit except kill a couple of Frey’s and force Brienne to get Jaime She’s just another pointless character in a very convoluted story that in no way can wrap up in 2 books

devonte jefferson publisher confirmed that she is the heart and soul for next books. Why would have Martin begged show runners to include stoneheart? He was okay with chopping Dorne as well as Iron island. But he wanted Stoneheart. Do some research. Publisher has said she will play very major role in WOW. Martin himself has showed displeasure in not including her. Do some research man... I also have read books. She is gonna turn on Jaime, Brieanne and brotherhood storyline by involvement of freys. Doesnt that sound a big plot direction to you??

Kushal Rijal in the grand scheme of things not really Stoneheart is just a rage filled zombie that can’t even speak right the farthest I see Stoneheart story going is and I hope mass murder of the Frey’s finding Sansa and killing Littlefinger pretty much Arya’s show plot I can sort of understand chopping Dorne even though it one of the best new characters Arianna Martell. But you still have to add that stupid Jon cliffhanger from the last book(yes it was stupid shock value) and what happens there,Aryas story which doesn’t seem to be going anywhere,the Northern conspiracy story,Stannis(who’s arguably one of the best characters)Sams arc,Cersei arc,Sansa who’s still in the Vale about to be married off again and she’s still stuck with little finger,Theon, Blue haired Aegon, and of course the Others assuming they’re gonna play a big part( which I doubt because we’ve seen so so little of them in the books) and of course EVERYTHINGELSE in Essos. I know isn’t perfect but I can’t blame D&D for its collapse mostly because they were given an unfinished plot and there’s so going on to wrap up in 2 books he would be rushing and I don’t want that Feast of crows was terrible setting up plots that had nothing to do with main storyline or it’s characters Dance of dragons was meh you can see he’s starting to not care I’ll still read them of course but I can see of these will lead to nowhere he’ll we don’t even if he’s halfway finished or not with WOW and we still have his final one Dream of spring the finale