Not for some. There is a lot in that book devoted to "foreshadowing" (read: hitting the reader over the head repeatedly with the notion) that people who warg can move their consciousness into their animal companion and so mentally survive even if their physical body dies.

What happens at the end of the last book? Gee, Jon's physical body dies. It would have been a swerve if all those facts we learned in the same book weren't relevant. So honestly, I would have only been surprised if he had stayed dead.

It's so different though. With lots of characters never appearing, and many are dead in the show but alive in the book, or vice versa. And some have drastically different fates, like Sansa who is still in the Eyrie (in the books) while her poor former maid Jeyne Poole was put in place of her, taken to the North, married to a Bolton and raped (repeatedly iirc).

Yes, YRC.

Was waiting for gifs and Yahoo just published a story on yesterday's episode. No, i did not write the text.

Maybe he'll end up like this:

She should've had Robert Strong just rip the guy's dick off and then left him alive.

Entertainment Weekly doesn't seem too interested in protecting the later viewers from spoilers :

To me, Jon Snow is the least compelling POV character in the show. He's a stock fantasy hero in a show the celebrates destroying stock fantasy heroes. Kit Harington is a middling actor and his portrayal of Snow is anodyne. Also, Snow's resurrection ranks as one of the least surprising plot developments in the show's history, ranking below even other developments on the very episode the resurrection happened in. The resurrection was also set up and delivered in the most telegraphed, obvious way possible. In a show of constant spectacle and constant surprises, this whole plot line doesn't rank highly.

Yet, Kit Harington has cute eyes, nice cheekbones and abs so to the cover of EW he goes! I hate this world.

No one would've bought a Ramsay cover.

I wonder what it was about Jon Snow's death that made it seem like he wasn't dead. I didn't buy that he would stay dead for a second after he was killed last season, yet I haven't felt like that about other characters who have been killed in this show -- and there has been no shortage of those. I agree with those that think it would have been more surprising if Snow did stay dead, but if he was going to come back, I'm glad they aren't dragging that out.

He's the viewer's avatar into the show, similar to Luke in Star Wars, Paul in Dune, Neo in Matrix or that guy in, um, Avatar - it's an old trope. He's purposely bland so people can glob themselves onto him as he slowly turns into King Shit of Fuck Mountain.

You know nothing about Jon Snow!

I disagree about watching the show spoiling the books. In fact, I'm enjoying the show more now that it's moved beyond the books.

My wife & I enjoyed the first season immensely. She proceeded to read the first novel, while I went on to Books 2-5. Meanwhile, she continued to watch first & then read.

I can't say that knowing the upcoming events spoiled the show for me, but at times I was disappointed when certain favorite scenes didn't "live up to" expectations. On the other hand, I could enjoy reading Book One after seeing it because there are so many details that couldn't be incorporated into the story (and internal dialogue & viewpoints add a lot). In short, seeing the show didn't spoil the books, but reading first diminished the show a bit.

(I have enjoyed the latter seasons more...with the exception of the Dorne segments...because the producers wisely picked up the pace & eliminated so much of the fluff from Books 4 & 5. In fact, I might have been less disappointed in the last two books if I had watched first).

I was bummed at the thought of the show concluding without Martin's finished work to adapt, but now I'm kind of hoping (and expecting) that he will take the books in entirely different directions (and possibly with an entirely different ending despite giving the blueprint to D&D before the show got running). Some major surprises would increase interest in reading the books long after the show ends (which is when it appears the final book installments would appear unless Martin has a burst of creative energy).

There was too much narrative weight directly attached to his character that was not easily transferrable to another main character. He just wasn't a character that you could permanently kill at that point in the show (or book).

That just means you've been paying attention and the show did a great job of setting this up.

I hate you. Please eff off and never post here again.

damn yo

That, and George R. R. Martin pretty much publicly confirmed he was coming back. When asked why he killed off Jon Snow in A Dance with Dragons, GRRM answered with something to the effect of "What makes you think he's dead?"

Jon Snow lover.

So they show Benjen, Ned and Lyanna the same episode that Jon Snow gets back in the game.

Siskel and Ebert wannabe.

Yes, Brienne definitely knew when they fought. The scene starts with her coming across a young girl playing with a sword. Then Sandor finishes taking a dump and Pod says "That's Sandor Clegane, The Hound". At which point Brienne realizes the girl is Arya.

now you, too, can attempt to raise a dead lord commander:

Zyhys oņoso jehikagon Aeksiot epi, se gis hen syndrorro jemagon.
"We ask the Lord to shine his light, and lead a soul out of darkness."

Zyhys perzys stepagon Aeksio Oņo jorepi, se morghultas lys qelitsos sikagon.
"We beg the Lord to share his fire, and light a candle that has gone out."

Hen syndrorro, oņos. Hen ņuqir, perzys. Hen morghot, glaeson.
"From darkness, light. From ashes, fire. From death, life."

It just missed the best part where the guy shot an arrow at him. Giant turns to him "wtf?" and pull him and then slam him to the wall and toss in front of comrades.

I have friends who don't watch GoT and I showed that GIF. They don't get it and I had to explain the whole thing.

You forgot to say "Please".