posted
Hmm maybe we will actually get somewhere with this one. Even though I'm ticked at Jordan I'll read his book because I want to know the end. I guess he's done good in that I'm not so ticked off I refuse to by them anymore. Or maybe it is just OCD to have the complete collection.
posted
This is one of those series I started reading before I realized it wasn't finished yet. I read the first 4 books, which were all that was out at the time. I hate reading open-ended series, so I decided to wait until he was finished. That was about 12 year ago and I've pretty much decided not to bother based on everyone else's reactions.
Posts: 4625 | Registered: Jul 2002
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posted
I'd like to do the same thing with Song of Ice and Fire, but 1)it's too good, and 2)at the rate he's going, I might be dead before he ever finishes.
Posts: 4625 | Registered: Jul 2002
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posted
I am currently rereading Ice and Fire. I will never again waste my time with Jordon and the Wheel of Time. I thought it showed potential, I gave up by book 8 and won't bother finishing.
It's really a shame. It will be the first series ever that I quit in the middle.
posted
My one big problem with book ten was this: Nothing happened! Absolutely nothing, for 700+ pages. Booooooring! I just sat back in fascinated horror as the book unfolded into nothingness. It seems to exist in a different dimension than the rest of us. A dimension in which time has no meaning, and no matter how many conversations people have nothing of interest is actually ever said. The only thing that actually happened in the book was on the last few pages or so, but I can't actually remember what it was.
Jordan is truly a master of his craft. What other author could write a 700 page book, and still manage to add absolutely nothing to the plot. Amazing. What will the next book be? Rand sitting around describing a rock for 300 pages? Get to the point! Posts: 739 | Registered: Dec 2003
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posted
Is this the last book? When someone reads it, and says it is, I will read it. First, I will read a one paragraph synopsis of the last six books, though. That will be about all it will take.
Posts: 10890 | Registered: May 2003
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posted
I agree St. Yogi... holy moly... a whole book about getting in and out of bed, having tea, lots of heaving bossoms and sweaty night-shifts. Ugh.
But... arg! I'm. still. going. to. read. this. stupid. book. Posts: 4953 | Registered: Jan 2004
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posted
I guess I am the eternal optimist (or is that optomotrist ? ) I have hope for this one.
The last one was bad because nothing of consequence happened. About the only thing I enjoyed was Matt's relationship with Tuon. Now that was funny. Come on. You have to admit that. But then, Matt is one of the best characters anyway. But other than that small part (100 pages out of 700) nothing happened.
At the same time, the entire book was setup for the final movement in the series (2 or 3 books, despite RJ's words). It was like setting up all your pieces and your opponant setting up his pieces for one final battle.
posted
I never even bothered reading book 10 because of how lame I heard it was, but I will definately be willing to go back and read 10 if something of import happens in 11. I still would like to believe that RJ can pull this one off and finish in style what started out as the greatest fantasy series ever. Of course, now he has A Song of Ice and Fire to contend with...
Posts: 194 | Registered: Feb 2005
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So I know from reading this and other threads about The Wheel of Time series that the first 4 books or so are the best and that after they go downhill... well, I've tried the first book, and I've gotten halfway through it, and just haven't been interested in going any further. The characters just aren't very interesting, the world isn't very interesting, the plot's not that interesting (oh, look, there goes another one of the teens deciding to hide something from the adults... there goes another teen making an impulsive decision...)
So, does is get better? (At least, before it gets worse?) Is it worth finishing the first book and going on to read the other early books?
Posts: 2911 | Registered: Aug 2001
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posted
I have a "Rant about Robert Jordan" that I'm rather proud of. It was nominated for a Post-of-the-month award. I shall post it here for your edification :
As I was writing an email, I accidentally hit my internal "Rant about Robert Jordan" button. Since I should have been working, I'm going to post the resulting rant here to gain a slightly wider audience for my procrastinating, thereby assuaging my guilt.
Q : How many Robert Jordan characters does it take to change a lightbulb?
A : Only one character, but at least three books. If female, the character will get spanked at least twice in the course of the lightbulb subplot. If male, he will take great care to make his lightbulb-changing efforts look like something completely different, in an attempt to conceal his (totally transparent) inner nature from his female love interest.
When at last the lightbulb is changed, it will turn out that the aristocracy hates it because it brings light to the (shudder) peasants. The Aes Sedai hate it because it smacks of the One Force. The Aiel are indifferent to it because they are Noble Savages Untainted By Civilisation. The Borderlanders snort at Soft Southern Decadence; "How many Trollocs will that kill?" The Seanchan refuse to believe in the lightbulb, because the Empress has no such invention, and no barbarians can possibly be more advanced than their empire. Anyone who still maintains that lightbulbs exist will be put to death in very nasty ways; nevertheless, several lightbulbs will instantly be shipped to the Empress' court. The Whitecloaks denounce it at great length, because the light it brings is not the True Light Of The Spirit, but merely a human imitation. (And besides, Eberyone Knows that Whitecloaks Are Evil, so they can hardly approve of something the reader is likely to regard as harmless.) Nonetheless their torture chambers will soon be lit by the new invention, because it is only fitting that such evil should be put to good use.
The Two Rivers people are impressed by it because they are Simple Rural Folk, but instantly think of three completely new ways to use it in war, any of which should be obvious to a child of five. If it was changed by a man, all the women will laugh at it as an attempt to be subtle; if by a woman, the men will regard it as feminine frippery. Neither attitude will prevent the scoffer from reading by its light, though they will take great care not to be discovered doing so.
At the end of the third book, when every last minor character has at last become aware of the lightbulb, and reacted to it at great length, the Dark One will send his Trollocs to smash the lightbulb. In spite of three books' worth of warning, everyone will be caught by surprise, except Rand al'Thor, who has a Cunning Plan which requires the lightbulb to be smashed. As soon as this is accomplished, he kills all the Trollocs by calling on the One Force, in the process killing a minor character or two, which is greeted by a sigh of relief from the reader and wails of guilt from Rand himself. The resulting endless monologues of "OMG I killed another woman" prevent the Cunning Plan from being realised for another three books or so, at the end of which it is revealed that it was a ploy to get one of his harem to take her pants off. Since they've all been panting for him from book two or so, We Are Not Impressed. Get on with it, Jordan!
Posts: 10645 | Registered: Jul 2004
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posted
People talking about how badly the later books suck often make the remark that the first 4-6 books are better, and then they go downhill. This statement is not accurate.
The first book, The Eye of the World, is actually the WORST book in the series. It is even worse than the Sword of Shannara. It is probably the thinnest-disguised Tolkien ripoff that has ever been published. If I hadn't already received such a glowing recommendation from my brother for the series (it was only at seven books then), I would never have finished that first book, let alone gone on to read any others.
The second picks up considerably. The jump in quality is just huge, although the book didn't have to be really all that good for the difference to stand out. The third is also better.
The fourth book, The Shadow Rising, is the best of the whole bunch, by a large margin. It is, in places, actually very brilliant fantasy, and quite good writing. Those flashes of brilliance are, unfortunately, not matched in any of the other books in the series.
Posts: 1652 | Registered: Aug 2003
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posted
You are right. The first book is pretty different. Magic doesn't even appear to work in the same way in book 1 as in the rest of the books. If you are trying to make sense of the world, you almost have to ignore the entire first book.
But I don't think it's a bigger Tolkien rip-off than Sword of Shanarra. It's a big one, but not that big.
Posts: 751 | Registered: Apr 2005
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posted
The books have different 'movements', if you will.
1-3: Why is the DO interested in Rand and co? Who is the Dragon Reborn? Is he going to accept his role?- Fairly fast and adventurous.
4-5: Rand accepts his role and tries to establish a power base among the Aiel, as well as other lands, to unite mankind against the DO. The Forsaken, working sloppily and against each other as often as not, try to kill/entrap/manipulate the Dragon Reborn in their own schemes.- More complicated, but the plot still moves fast.
6-9: After the abysmal failure of the Forsaken (and the loss of a few), the DO takes direct control of them through a 'new' proxy. The DO is much more subtle and places many traitors next to Rand. Rand continues to try to unite the world. But various factors all contribute to the loss of his control. Chaos is everywhere and there's no telling how the dice will land.- More layered with myriad subplots (some would say too many). The plot is much slower (time has telescoped) and much of what happens is subtle or the importance is not fully seen till later (with the exception of one event in book 9).
8, 10: This would be the CRAP movement of the series. The plots barely moved, though there was a huge amount of setup. There's no excuse for this, really. You can't have a whole book (or two) of just setup without any payoff. It's like going to a movie and just seeing a 2 hr trailer for the real movie. But as with 9, book 11 might deliver in the payoff.
I hope so.
But there are definite changes to the pacing and complexity of the series. Both because the characters have become more worldly and used to intrigue (a farmboy is not going to notice all the eye-brow raising and subtlety that the Dragon Reborn will later employ and be sensitive to) and because RJ has introduced so many subplots and machinations (arguably good or bad depending) in his attempt at realism.
And spare me all the comments on how GRR Martin did all that without sacrificing plot movement and is better at it than RJ. Duh!
Posts: 1346 | Registered: Jun 1999
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posted
Wow…. Such negativity. I know things got a bit slow in the later numbers but they were still good books. Things have been building and stuff has still been happening. The cleansing of the taint was huge. So much is about to happen that this next book is liable to be non stop action.
Posts: 2845 | Registered: Oct 2003
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posted
I have to finish the series now. I actually enjoyed the first 7 books for the most part. Number 9 was good too. The only 2 I hated were 8 and 10. I think he should have finished the series in about 6 books though. He really wastes a lot of words. I really hope he is serious about finishing in 12. I have devoted enough of my reading time to this series.
Posts: 1336 | Registered: Mar 2002
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posted
At least he is taking his time with this book. As I understand it, he is pretty much done (or close to it) and now is going to have the full editorial process done- something he hasn't had done since book 7. And it showed (with the exeption of book 9).
So I have reason for optomism.
Posts: 1346 | Registered: Jun 1999
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) I have hope for this one.
