alobear | All you need is rage! :o)

When I do my full programme at the gym, it normally takes about 45 minutes and (on a good day) leaves me feeling energised and pleased with myself. Somehow, when I do the same programme while listening to Linkin Park, it leaves me drenched in sweat and barely able to stand - but also very calm.

Anyway, yesterday was a great day for entertainment! I finished reading A Game of Thrones, which is just as good at the TV series, and highly enjoyable despite me knowing what was going to happen on practically every page. Since the TV series had ten episodes and the book is about 800 pages long, each episode only had to cover 80 pages, so it's unsurprising that it was an incredibly faithful adaptation. The only major difference was in the age of a lot of the characters - most of them, particularly the children, are considerably younger in the book - but this was good, as it meant I couldn't imagine the actors in the roles, so I could envisage the characters as befit their presentation in the book, rather than being influenced by the casting choices of the series. There were, however, some other minor differences in scene inclusion and alteration of events, all of which I found very interesting, as they were presumably approved by George R R Martin, and did change how some of the characters would be viewed. I also found the book easier to follow than the TV series, probably mostly because I was already familiar with all the characters, but also because the book only focuses on eight (those whose POV is chosen for the different chapters), which made it easier to keep the various strands and interconnections in my head. I was originally planning on waiting until the next TV series comes out and watching that before reading the next book, but I highly doubt I'll be able to wait that long to find out what happens next!

Yesterday, I also went to see Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead for the fourth, and sadly final, time. Despite differences in perspective from sitting in different parts of the theatre, and issues surrounding malfunctioning props, my previous three viewings were almost exactly the same. This time, there were quite a few subtle differences, which made the whole thing even more enjoyable. I was initially disconcerted by the fact that the two main actors had both had haircuts since I'd seen them last, but soon got back into the swing of the play. Several of the cast members made different choices in intonation, and there were lots of instances of extra gestures or additional background acting, which added extra nuance and interest. My companion also enjoyed the play more than anyone else I've been to see it with (or at least laughed more often and more loudly!), which added another dimension. The whole thing was wonderful from start to finish - my all-time favourite play, performed to an extremely high standard, and I felt very sad at the end that I won't be seeing it again.

Corone - if you get the chance, please pass on to anyone relevant just how much I've enjoyed the run - and thanks again for providing so many tickets!!