Nah, it just did not 'hook' him. I am a believer in the school of thought that a book or a movie has to grab one and make a person want to continue to read (or watch) pretty early on. I have tried to read some of the classics only to be left cold after 50 pages and had to abandon the books because of it. I simply did not care about the characters or the plot by that point.
And we all have to remember, 'Moby Dick' was a literary failure that quite literally ruined Melville's career as a writer. It was not until long after he was dead that the book again caught interest on the 100th anniversary of his birth, and then only by accident. Today it is a cornerstone in American literature, some claiming it is THE beginning of American literature but during the author's life, it was a proverbial anchor around his neck.
I have watched the entire series of GOT but honestly, it was Sean Bean and family (in the series) that caught my attention; had he not been in the first season, or had I caught, say, the third season as my entry point, I too would have abandoned the series I think.
A long time ago I read that the key to a TV series popularity was the question: would you invite this group of people into your home, week after week? And that is really it I think- to watch a series, a person has to want to know how the key players are progressing and be interested in their 'lives', so to speak.
Brian
You are definitely the exception. Maybe need more scotch?