Game Of Thrones: 5 Reasons You Should Read The Books Ahead Of Season 4

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2. To Be Emotionally Prepared For Any Further Devastating Events

3 seasons of Game of Thrones have clearly shown that no one is safe. The rug is often pulled from under us, leaving us shell-shocked for a time. I watched season 1 without having read the books. Ned€™s beheading hit me like a tonne of bricks. Talk about breaking the rules. How many sagas kill off a major character that early in the storytelling process? I realized that this show took no prisoners and resolved to read the books so as to be spared from any more unpleasant surprises.

Imagine my shock when I got to the Red Wedding in book 3. I took a break from reading for a while as I processed the sheer horror of what took place. Experiencing these events by reading the books before watching them unfold on television is the better way to approach a show as unpredictable as this. It's certainly lot less emotionally taxing.