Sorry. Just spewing.

I tried to pick it up again, but found that I need to re-develop the patience I had when I was reading it before. It's incredibly frustrating to read 80 pages about how his choice of chair shows that Rand is "hard" and "cold".

That being said, I don't think I'll be able to abandon the series without finishing it.

I suppose reader demand will keep a writer at it---at least up to a point. I remember some series that seemed endless, plus some others that I wished there were more. (I remember trying to dig up every "John Grimes" story by A. Bertram Chandler...never did think I found them all.)

In my opinion, EACH book should have a major subplot that gets wrapped up, and moves them forward to the final goal. But anyone who can drag a story out for eleven books the size of his, isn't TRYING to come to a conclusion. I think he's merely trying to eek as much money out of the series as he can get.

It was this series that finally made me think, "I could do so much better than this!" -- yet several chapters into my own fantasy novel, I have a lot more respect for Jordan or anyone who tries to attempt to create a whole world for their characters to inhabit.

That said, I can really appreciate the enormity of the task that RJ has set himself (and his readers).

Jordan's story doesn't need to be 11 books long. No story needs to be 11 books long.

I'll finish the stories when Jordan is done writing it (which means never I think).

And his creativity is unquestionable grand.

He can't tell a story.

The last two books ended with less plot progression than I could normally find in a three paragraph short story.

Rand is by far the worst main character ever. We never see anything from the guy in terms of development, but he magically pulls his uber-magic out of his...Well, since the sword battle in the Great Hunt, the character has been flatter than a DVD.

Not once do we ever see a reason why Elaine, Min, Egwene and Aviendha are in love rand. They just are.

He loses track of his character development and can go whole books without mentioning characters that should be active.

Jordan is killing the writers market by 1)publishing ungodly long books. 2)redfining what a series should be. 3)changing expectations of a good story to just be a lot of words with no story instead of a well written tale.

quote:

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perhaps i am curst to somehow to always have to know how a story ends.

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OK. I used to suffer from this affliction. I treated books like vegetables on my dinner plate... I'd keep slogging through til the end, even if I didn't care for them. Cause you just don't leave it unfinished, do you?

Well, when I finally figured out that I simply can't live long enough to read all the GREAT and well-written books I want to read, that gave me freedom! Books are NOT vegetables! They are dessert! And why bother finishing a bad one, when you could be reading a good one??

I now apply this philosophy to movies, too. I once turned a movie off when there was only about 10 minutes left of it, because I decided I had wasted enough of my life with it and it wasn't worth even one second more of my valuable time.

You have my permission to wash your hands of the Wheel of Time series.

(Edited because it's too late and I actually spelled dessert "desert." I think it's time I went to bed and got some sleep.)

The only two book that come to mind in the "never finishing" category are "War and Peace" and "Finnegan's Wake." I attempted both in high school, and failed to finish more than a few pages. I couldn't get past the translation and cultural barrier with "War and Peace," and "Finnegan's Wake" is written in something that's only superficially English.

I've thought of coming back to them, what with their status and high recommendations, and with a vast storehouse of experience and information in my brain than I had as a high schooler...but I haven't yet.

And yes, I did like the series initially. However, I have grown less enthusiastic with every passing book (I started reading when book 6 came out), and now I completely refuse to buy the new one, Knife of dreams, at least until it comes out in paperback, and I'm pissed enough at what I feel is a betrayl of me as a reader that I may not buy it at all.

First, Jordan was the second Author I ever really read and enjoyed, the first being Terry Brooks. I started reading Jordan in the sixth grade when one of my older brothers gave me a falling apart copy of Eye of the World. At first I beleived it to be a stand-alone book. Then I finished it and realized it had to have a sequel. So I found the Great Hunt. I thought that the Great Hunt would be the only sequeal. It wasn't until about the last 50 to a 100 pages did I realize that no way was he going to finish the whole plotline in just two books. So then I found the next one, and the next one, and the next one, all the way till the Fires of Heaven. By this time I was probably thirteen or fourteen. And then I had caught up with the current book. And it has been a waiting game ever since. For going on ten years now I have been waiting for this guy to finish his series. I practically grew up with his characters, not that I didn't have friends, but that Jordan writes his characters so masterfully that you begin to think of them as real people. People you can know better than any other person, because you can't know what a real person is thinking, but with a character in a book you can.

I admit that I was taken in at a young age, and my bias is deep, probably more so than most. I agree that he has had some serious problems with his recent books from Lord of Chaos on. But his latest book Knife of Dreams, actually didn't turn out so bad. He might actually finish with his next book, but I also agree that he should have been done years ago. My writing style is consequently quite a bit like his, and I don't see that as a bad thing, because despite his problems in not wrapping up his overly long story, he still is one of the most widely known authors, and is making more money than anyone who posts on this website. He can't be doing too many things wrong.

I think OSC is actually a better author, but I wouldn't mind having half the talent either of them have.

The biggest complaint I have is the way RJ beats the reader over the head with redundant character development.

The incessant whining of the characters not wanting to be what they are becoming gets old really fast.

Then there's the constant brow beating the three boys get from the various women around them. This isn't say the boys aren't idiots but do we really need every scene to be centered on how stupid men are and how smart women are? I got it in the first 100 pages or so of the first book. I don't need the next 10000(hyperbole) pages telling me the same thing.

Edit forgot the word reader

There have been a couple of spots in a few books that I thought were hard to get through, but it was mostly because I was interested in another plotline, and couldn't wait to get back to it.

I haven't read Crossroads of Twilight (#10) yet, but that's because I'm just coming out of a period where I haven't wanted to read. I read a lot (for me anyway) in the first 3/4ths of last year or so, and have only recently wanted to read again.

I haven't looked into the rumors, but I'd heard he was pressured into extending the series. Perhaps that is why some aren't as interested. Or, maybe he just doesn't know how to end it himself. I do have a feeling the end will be disappointing after that many words though.

Nynaeve still pulls her braid.

The women still sniff, all the time.

And the only character that is interesting is still Matt.