I’m convinced that Season 2, Episode 3 of “House Of The Dragon” will be the closest we’ll get to reading one of GRRM’s ASOIAF books.

A scene in House of the Dragon Season 2, Episode 3, reminded me distinctly of George RR Martin’s novels in a subtle way that neither television series has managed to achieve so far. House of the Dragon and the associated broadcast, game of Thronesbased on Martin’s The Song of Ice and Fire Books that are among the most productive works of the fantasy genre. Martin constructs his world with immense detail and establishes entire cultures, languages ​​and histories to a degree that readers like me can really dive in and analyze. But the little things are important too.

One aspect of House of the Dragon second season that I have appreciated so far is their attention to the small houses and castles that make up Westeros. This was an area that I found game of Thronesespecially in the later seasons, was greatly overlooked. Despite House of the Dragon Book changes, I find that the show takes up its source material in a way game of Thrones never had time for that, as the focus was obviously on subtle details like military strategy and, in one scene, food.

The Harrenhal scenes in “House of the Dragon” remind me of GRRM’s food descriptions

Simon Strong’s introduction includes a discussion of Harrenhals venison and peas

In Season 2, Episode 3, Daemon conquers the cursed castle of Harrenhal and we are introduced to Ser Simon Strong, played wonderfully by the great Sir Simon Russell Beale. He welcomes Daemon to his table and invites him to eat, talking of his venison, the cook’s peas and the lack of redcurrants. It is a charming scene and it reminded me of George RR Martin’s long, detailed food descriptions in the The Song of Ice and Fire series.

I find Martin’s writing style to be compact and easy to read, with an emphasis on sharp dialogue. As much as I admire fantasy authors like JRR Tolkien or Robert Jordan, I am a fan of ASOIAF because I spend most of my reading examining conversations rather than writing long descriptive texts to build the world. But if there are two things that Martin will He spends a lot of words describing sex and food in detail. His descriptions of feasts are mouth-watering and serve a purpose in his writing.

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Why the food scenes in A Song of Ice and Fire are important

Food is crucial to character and world design in ASOIAF

Eating in The Song of Ice and Fire is crucial for building the world and the characters. In Westeros there is a clear line between the haves and the have-nots, with Food that often demonstrates the gluttony and ignorance of the noblesPassages in A game of thrones show Lord Commander Jeor Mormont complaining about having to eat the same dish of venison for days on end, highlighting the plight of the Night’s Watch. Meanwhile, King Robert Baratheon is racking up debts for feasts, parties, and tournaments.

Food is an expression of a leader’s lifestyle. During a siege, Stannis Baratheon and his men eat horses, dogs and rats to survive, while King Joffrey Baratheon hosts feasts while the people of King’s Landing starve to death. It will be fascinating to observe this dynamic change even more in winter The Winds of Winter when food becomes even scarcer. House of the Dragon The subtle details in Simon Strong illustrate this aspect of the novels and it makes me appreciate the show all the more.

House of the Dragon

About 172 years before the events of game of Thrones, House of the Dragon tells the story of the rise of the Targaryens, the only family of dragon lords to survive the fall of Valyria. The popular HBO spin-off series initially starred Milly Alcock and Emily Carey as Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower, before being replaced by Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke, who play the older versions of the characters. Also starring in the series are Matt Smith (Prince Daemon Targaryen) and Paddy Considine as Rhaenyra’s father, King Viserys Targaryen.

Pour

Jefferson Hall, Paddy Considine, Fabien Frankel, Ryan Corr, Eve Best, Gavin Spokes, Graham McTavish, Steve Toussaint, Olivia Cooke, Sonoya Mizuno, Bill Paterson, Matthew Needham, Emma D’Arcy, Matt Smith, Rhys Ifans, David Horovitch

Release date

21 August 2022

Seasons

2

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