I recently finished reading Dance, and after a short romp through The Walking Dead comic book series I find myself itching to re-enter the world from the beginning and read the story again. I think knowing the basic narrative would allow me to enjoy the story the second time around because I would be able to notice those minor details that I missed the first time.

So, who has read the series more than once, and did you enjoy subsequent read throughs more than the first and why?

ps: my first read through was entirely on my kindle/iphone and part of the reason i want to read it again is because i want to experience it in hardcover. seems a bit odd i know, but there is something romantic about getting sucking into westeros while huddled under a blanket by candlelight (my power goes out a lot).

dcdennis said:

I came to the series with the release of Clash of Kings. I've reread the already-published books as each new one has come out (GRRM doesn't pad his books with a lot of reminders to the reader of earlier events, so having it fresh in my mind helps). And, after finishing DwD, I reread the whole thing again. So… twice for the entire run, more times for the early books.

There's definitely an extra layer of enjoyment in perusing them knowing the story already and picking up on little details you might have missed the first time around. Also, having an idea of a character's future story arc does change how you see their actions early on. Jaime and Arya in particular, for me.

I've read A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings 4 times. I've read A Storm of Swords 3 times.

I've read Feast For Crows and A Dance With Dragons only once. I'm now reading both of those for the second time, two chapters at a time from each since they're really just one novel.

My subsequent reads have been just as astonishing as the first time. I think I missed so much in A Dance With Dragons that I need to read it a second time just to figure out everything that has happened.

You nailed it, Amuk. The tendency of some authors to pad their new novels with reminders of what has come before is annoying as hell. Martin doesn't do that and I'm very happy about that.

3 full reads, and I've enjoyed each one more than the previous read. I love catching little things that I didn't pick up the first (or second) time around.

Ya I think on my upcoming second read through I will read the parallel books in the order as suggested here: http://boiledleather.com/post/24543217702/a-proposed-a-feast-for-crows-a-dance-with-dragons.

probably 4 times give or take but a firend of mine gave me a word file with all the Jon chapters one right after each other and since that ive been reading straight through peopels stories so far ive done jon, arya, theon, Jamie, and i gotta start Tyrion and Daernys, it helps having the nook app on my phone makes easy reading while killing time instead of just surfing reddit

The first trilogy: three times. Martin's foreshadowing i skillful - and even more resonant when it is explicit and not implied like in teh Hosue fo Warlocks section in Clash. I haven't re-read Feast and Dance yet, and it will be hard to bring myself to re-read Feast - ever. I like that book less and less and time goes by.