10.7.12

Allow me to add one to this list of reasons not to binge-watch TV: watching a number of episodes in a row has a tendency to efface whatever problems exist in the series in favor of the most sensationalist parts (this is why there's also such a thing as reading too fast). The aesthetic categories on which such shows are judged also change: cliffhangers and "anyone can die" become more important because sharp plot turns are how watching the next episode can be justified. There's also a tendency to forget those elements which don't work as well. This is the essential problem with the later Game of Thrones books: the plot twists are doing too much work in the narrative, and the quickness of the pace distracts from the problems in the construction of the narrative. If it's actually worth reading (or watching), it's worth doing so slowly.

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