Yeah I finished the first book and put it down and said fuck this shit.
I enjoyed the suspense of wanting to see what would happen but then I realized that the author is a sadist who only wants the readers to suffer and that was enough to end the entire series for me. I got roped into watching the first episode of the first season and I was like oh it's the entire first book in one hour fuck this shit and I've not watched anymore of it.
Martin knows how to write people. He can create the most vile, repulsive, irredeemable characters known to man and then teaches them mercy, honour, and sacrifice by forcing them into situations where they have to question who they are.
He redeems the irredeemable, not only in the text, but also outside of it by merit of the sheer humanism he expresses in his works.
I learned a lot about humanity, mercy, and forgiveness just by reading his books. No other author has come close to reaching me in such ways.
I think it is great that you were able to gain so much from reading his books. I personally did not. That is not to say the values you drew from them are invalid in any way. It's not an assault on you personally. You liked his books, I didn't. Both of those things are ok. So no, I am not joking. While I have read other works that impress me to the level that you describe, Game of Thrones did not do so for me.
"whilst I concur wholeheartedly with the detailed rebuttal you have given, I alas remain uncertain, caged by the incongruous gut feeling that compels me."
I read them all (so far anyway) and they're decent enough.
I don't think he redeems anyone who is irredeemable or has any special insight into humanity. There are some awful people who are complicated and there are his favorites who get away with anything and come back from death multiple times. They all make good decisions and bad decisions and get good consequences and bad consequences and those don't always line up.
I don't want to diminish your experience but I really don't see it.