Renowned fantasy author George R.R. Martin stands by his principle on the importance of writing ‘gratuitous’ food scenes in his Game of Thrones book series. He has received several comments about the abundance of his narratives when it comes to writing about food, and many think his novels would have been a lot less thicker had he spared them the long descriptions.
But for the writer, it is very essential that he puts a premium on these types of scenes. Martin believes the journey matters more than the destination, so he wants the readers to see, feel, and even taste his words when they read them.
George R.R. Martin Explains Why Food Scenes Are Lavishly Written In His Novels
George R.R. Martin wrote the preface on the new The Official Game of Thrones Cookbook, and he explained why he kept writing profusely when it comes to food scenes. Below is an excerpt from the book as shared by Polygon:
“When used in the context of literary criticism, ‘gratuitous’ usually translates to ‘more than I wanted’ or ‘did not advance the plot.’ And you know, often that is true.”
He mentioned some scenes in his novels that required long descriptions to evoke imagery and emotion, and for the author, the food scenes will receive the same treatment.
“Was it necessary for me to mention that the minor knight who just entered the lists bore seven golden hedgehogs on a field of dark green? In that s*x scene, couldn’t I just have tumbled them into bed and cut to ‘the next morning’? And the feasts, oh those feasts, surely the only thing that mattered was what the characters were saying, not the honey-roasted duck they were eating as they said it? Well, no. Not for me.”
He stated that “it’s not the destination that matters to me, it’s the journey.” He recalled growing up as a voracious reader, specifically a fiction reader. This meant that fiction is not about getting from one point to another in the fastest way possible. For Martin, “fiction is about emotion.”
Finally, he tells the readers that he wants them to “live with my story, not just read it. When they sit down at my table, I want them to taste the food.” Now, fans might want to check out Chelsea Monroe-Cassel’s The Official Game of Thrones Cookbook coming to bookstores on May 7th.
George R.R. Martin Gives Disappointing Winds Of Winter Update
Speaking of books, Martin is still working on The Winds of Winter. In his interview on Bangcast, he shared an update:
“I have like 1100 pages written, but I still have hundreds more pages to go. It’s a big mother of a book for whatever reason. Maybe I should’ve started writing smaller books when I began this, but it’s tough. That’s the main thing that dominates most of my working life.”
This most recent update from the author was from November of last year. It seems like fans will have a much longer time to wait before the book gets finished.
Thankfully, the second season of House of the Dragon arrives on HBO this June 16.
