Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
Setting
It's hard to summarize the setting of A Game of Thrones, in part because it's a totally imaginary world with a lot of detail, and also because the action of the novel takes place all over this worl...
Narrator Point of View
Talk about technique. George R.R. Martin definitely thought this one through. Our author uses a limited omniscient view for each chapter, which means that we see everything through one person's poi...
Genre
We've never met anyone who wanted to argue that A Game of Thrones isn't fantasy. It takes place on an imaginary world, it includes dragons and direwolves, and the seasons last for years. So, yeah:...
What's Up With the Title?
A Game of Thrones is one of those titles that appears in the book over and over… and over. After all, "When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground." (46 Eddar...
What's Up With the Ending?
The ending of this book punches you in the gut and then asks you if you want some more. We get really happy victories for some characters: yay, Robb Stark captured Jaime Lannister and the Lannister...