JKennedy82
New Member
Prolouge
Just Read The Preview On The Tor Website, And I Was Very Impressed, May Buy The Full E-book Now.
Just Read The Preview On The Tor Website, And I Was Very Impressed, May Buy The Full E-book Now.
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Robert Jordan: Wheel of Time
- Thread starter Dawn
- Start date
I used to read Wheel of Time a long time ago. I'm on the seventh book now, but can't seem to sit myself down and read it. Here I am, over a year later, still halfway through the book like I was over a year ago 
.
Maybe someday I'll sit down and get into it again. Unfortunately, the thing with ''someday'' is that even years later, you still use the same excuse.
Anyway, what I did read I liked, except when it came to Mat. I don't exactly like his character much. Still, it's a good read as long as you're patient enough for the pages and pages of long, drawn out descriptions. Go Rand!
. Maybe someday I'll sit down and get into it again. Unfortunately, the thing with ''someday'' is that even years later, you still use the same excuse.
Anyway, what I did read I liked, except when it came to Mat. I don't exactly like his character much. Still, it's a good read as long as you're patient enough for the pages and pages of long, drawn out descriptions. Go Rand!
Idril Silmaure
New Member
For some weird reason I had a dream last night about the Wheel of Time series..there was a shelf and it had all the books on it, and I picked one up at random and it was the 45th book in the series Scary thing is I don't know how exaggerated that may be in a few years..
Scary thing is I don't know how exaggerated that may be in a few years.. 
Idril Silmaure
New Member
It's by Robert Jordan and it's a sort of Lord of the Rings plotline but much longer.
Idril Silmaure said:
Much, much, MUCH longer. However, according to a website I visited today, "Knife of Dreams" (October 2005) is the "second to the last" book in the series. I have to admit I am terrified. He has so much to close up and I have terrible thoughts of these last books being 8000 pages each. We shall see.
JKennedy82
New Member
The Series Is Good, I Would Recommend It Highly But It Does Take A Lot Of Effort.
Idril Silmaure
New Member
Wheel of Time is not a terrible series, and Jordan isn't that bad a writer. I did enjoy it to begin with (though you might not if you are too familiar with Lord of the Rings, to me the first book's plot was way too similar and it was all laid out just like the Fellowship) The problem is that he just takes it too far really..it's a lot of hassle and maybe not worth it for all the time it takes.
Ainulindale
New Member
QUOTE]is it so bad?[/QUOTE]
Yes.
Everyone has their own opinion, It takess a lot of effort not because of any intricate plotline, but due to Jordan's pedestrian talent as a writer. He simply has no diea yet how to write female chaarcters yet features them at many points, while he takes elemetns we have seen in other works (like Dune) and renamed in this long-winded mindless series. Jordan's prose is non-existant, he just keeps on writing without any substance.
Jordan woudl only seem complex to fans of the genre who haven't read that much or have been relegated to reading the more popualr work (like Brooks or Goodkind, Dragonlance, and other such nonesense)
Through it's first 3 books this was a damn good series - hell even groundbreaking unfortuantely it was so successfull Tor and Jordan has allowed this laughable product to extend itself to mediocrity.
If someone wants to read quality, complex, epic fantasy, that characterization actually means somethign I'd recommend George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire (thsu far IMHO the greatests epic fantasy series ever written), or Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen (not as well characterized, and a little choppy at times, but perhasp teh ebst feat of worldbuilding ever, with an incredible magic and deity system and huge cast), or R. Scot Bakker's Prince of Nothing, deep, philosophical, excellent prose, and unforgiving - Bakker has a chance in January to complete the greatest completed epic fanatsy series since the late 70's (Mckillip's RiddleMaster)
Jordan remains IMHO one of the most overated authors in the history of the genre - he simply lsot it after book 3 , had to many ideas that his talent couldn't keep up with. I gvie hi mcredit because he gave the current epic fantasy series greats (Martin, bakker, and Erikson) a blueprint in what not to do.
Good advice
Yes and no. Like Shananra in that he extremely succesful and is just as overated as Brooks, but he much more talented then Brooks (who simply has none). Those 2 along with Goodkind, are probably IMHO th 3 most overated authors in fantasy.
Brooks and Jordan both write epi cfantasy however, Jordan's work is much more complex, and grand in scope then Brooks who is the king of being formulaic and derivative, both of Tolkien and to his own prior works. They both however do write rather elementary work.
To answer your other question, Jordan wrote some Conan books - which if your goign to read Conan you may as well read its from the master, the only real Conan, the legendary Robert E. Howard.
As usual these are only my opinions and I certainly dont take umbrage with anyone who enjoys any authors. It's all subjective.
Yes.
Everyone has their own opinion, It takess a lot of effort not because of any intricate plotline, but due to Jordan's pedestrian talent as a writer. He simply has no diea yet how to write female chaarcters yet features them at many points, while he takes elemetns we have seen in other works (like Dune) and renamed in this long-winded mindless series. Jordan's prose is non-existant, he just keeps on writing without any substance.
Jordan woudl only seem complex to fans of the genre who haven't read that much or have been relegated to reading the more popualr work (like Brooks or Goodkind, Dragonlance, and other such nonesense)
Through it's first 3 books this was a damn good series - hell even groundbreaking unfortuantely it was so successfull Tor and Jordan has allowed this laughable product to extend itself to mediocrity.
If someone wants to read quality, complex, epic fantasy, that characterization actually means somethign I'd recommend George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire (thsu far IMHO the greatests epic fantasy series ever written), or Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen (not as well characterized, and a little choppy at times, but perhasp teh ebst feat of worldbuilding ever, with an incredible magic and deity system and huge cast), or R. Scot Bakker's Prince of Nothing, deep, philosophical, excellent prose, and unforgiving - Bakker has a chance in January to complete the greatest completed epic fanatsy series since the late 70's (Mckillip's RiddleMaster)
Jordan remains IMHO one of the most overated authors in the history of the genre - he simply lsot it after book 3 , had to many ideas that his talent couldn't keep up with. I gvie hi mcredit because he gave the current epic fantasy series greats (Martin, bakker, and Erikson) a blueprint in what not to do.
Good advice
Yes and no. Like Shananra in that he extremely succesful and is just as overated as Brooks, but he much more talented then Brooks (who simply has none). Those 2 along with Goodkind, are probably IMHO th 3 most overated authors in fantasy.
Brooks and Jordan both write epi cfantasy however, Jordan's work is much more complex, and grand in scope then Brooks who is the king of being formulaic and derivative, both of Tolkien and to his own prior works. They both however do write rather elementary work.
To answer your other question, Jordan wrote some Conan books - which if your goign to read Conan you may as well read its from the master, the only real Conan, the legendary Robert E. Howard.
As usual these are only my opinions and I certainly dont take umbrage with anyone who enjoys any authors. It's all subjective.
Bookwyrm
New Member
Here is a list of Robert Jordan's books. Like I said before, I haven't read the Wheel of Time series, but upon cleaning my room, I found a copy of the Wheel of Time computer game. Has anyone played it? If so, someone let me know if it is worth installing or should I just get rid of it.
lenny nero
New Member
I gave up halfway thru #6. The plot had stopped advancing and it just couldn't hold my interest anymore. I swear one of these days I'm gonna go back and start at the beginning and read them all. I always see them in the bargain bin at the local B&N and Books a Million.
Sell Sword
New Member
JKennedy82 said:
Wow! I haven't visited this site in a while, but it's still there:
http://www.wotism.net/
Wow... I knew that people were upset with RJ for his lengthy ramblings and such but I didn't realize you guys hated the series so much. Personally, I love the series. It is without a doubt my favorite books I have ever read and no, I haven't been "relegated to reading the more popular work". I remember when I read the first book I was upset at the similarity to Tolkein but after I challenge anyone to find Tolkein parallels in the subsequent books. Yes, RJ could have wrapped it up in less books than he will but I love having new books to read, especially new books that I don't have to learn new names, objects and places before truly becoming engrossed. I look forward to KoD and my only request is that the series is finished before he dies.
I thought book 1 was ok, then book 2 started with a bang. Halfway through, book 2 got bogged down again and I just barely finished it. I have been unable to start book 3 thus far - for well over a year.
If I'm low on reading material, I'd rather just find some obscure short story collection or something. Every now and then I page through book 3, read a page somewhere in the middle, and then get something else to read.
And yep, everyone says the book doesn't get bad till book 5 or so. I wouldn't say it's all that bad at the end of book 2 - it just isn't good at all.
If I'm low on reading material, I'd rather just find some obscure short story collection or something. Every now and then I page through book 3, read a page somewhere in the middle, and then get something else to read.
And yep, everyone says the book doesn't get bad till book 5 or so. I wouldn't say it's all that bad at the end of book 2 - it just isn't good at all.
GreenMonkey
New Member
I feel the same way about WOT. I got through the first 4-5 but I can barely remember what little happens past about halfway through book 2. Don't get what people see in this.
Then again I like Terry Brooks (particularly the Word & Void and Heritage of Shanarra). He is guilty of regurgitating the same kind of story each time (Shanarra in particular), but a lot of authors are like that. At least he can write.
Jordan rambles on and on with miniscule details, and can't write an action sequence at all (Flying Swan defeats Flowing River or whatever). And he can't seem to advance his plots very far at all...WOT is doing in thousands of pages what most authors do with 3-5 moderate sized books.
He's one of only a few fantasy authors I didn't like. George R.R. Martin - now his stuff was actually worthy of its hype. I didn't read the first book for ages because I figured he was another Robert Jordan. When I finally picked it up I was amazed. Long but things actually happen, and full of excellent characterization!
Kookamoor
New Member
Good grief, I can't believe I'm reading this series. The first book happened to be in the only box of books that I opened, while the rest are still packed away awaiting the purchase of some shelves. I know that if I open one of the others I won't see carpet for a month.
So I started reading the first one again... just to get over my reader's block, you understand. And I was sucked in. Big time. The can't-put-it-down kind of sucked in.
Last time I read this series I got up to book 4 and gave up, wanting to throw the book and Rand with his prissy, why-me attitude far across the room.
But I'm still going strong!
I have a pile of other books of far greater literary worth waiting for my attention. I get frustrated with Jordan's writing - full of repitition of ideas that any reader with half an attention span should recall (if I read one more "Rand wished Perrin were there. He knew how to handle women" I think I'll scream... oh wait, did that already back in Book 2). His characterisations are sloppy, and he relies on cliches to get across the emotions of his characters. Nyneave is constantly tugging at her braid in agitation, for example. Why not describe some other characteristic of her anger?!
And yet for all this... I'm sucked in. I'll let you know how I go. I know RJ is in poor health, and I sincerely wish him all the best, as I would any ill person. How ever I'd be lying if, at this stage, I am not a little afeared that I'm in the process of setting myself up for either disappointment when he dies before the end, or when I again throw the bloody thing across the room in frustration.
Will keep you posted in how I'm going...
So I started reading the first one again... just to get over my reader's block, you understand. And I was sucked in. Big time. The can't-put-it-down kind of sucked in.
Last time I read this series I got up to book 4 and gave up, wanting to throw the book and Rand with his prissy, why-me attitude far across the room.
But I'm still going strong!
I have a pile of other books of far greater literary worth waiting for my attention. I get frustrated with Jordan's writing - full of repitition of ideas that any reader with half an attention span should recall (if I read one more "Rand wished Perrin were there. He knew how to handle women" I think I'll scream... oh wait, did that already back in Book 2). His characterisations are sloppy, and he relies on cliches to get across the emotions of his characters. Nyneave is constantly tugging at her braid in agitation, for example. Why not describe some other characteristic of her anger?!
And yet for all this... I'm sucked in. I'll let you know how I go. I know RJ is in poor health, and I sincerely wish him all the best, as I would any ill person. How ever I'd be lying if, at this stage, I am not a little afeared that I'm in the process of setting myself up for either disappointment when he dies before the end, or when I again throw the bloody thing across the room in frustration.
Will keep you posted in how I'm going...