Which books in the Wheel of Time series should I skip?

[Curry]

I want to start this series but i keep on hearing how bad some books/parts are . do you guys suggest i skip anything or read all of the books.

[Gary]

Each book is unique and key to overall story. Some are better than others, all are good

[Mike]

When I first read these books as they were being released, a few of them really dragged. But when I re-read the series before the last book came out, I enjoyed them all. For me, it was the feeling of nothing being accomplished that made them drag; but taken as a whole without a 2 year wait for the next book made them much more enjoyable. I wouldn't recommend skipping anything.

[Nasar]

They are all great books and each one has its own story. I suggest, that you read them all and start with "New Spring". gl

[Gianluca]

They are all worth reading, in my opinion. It's true that the series slows down considerably in the middle, but even those books are still enjoyable.
I really don't think you should start with New Spring though. It's a prequel, but it's not meant to be an introduction to the world and the story. It doesn't explain who's who and what's what, so you'd be confused about a lot of things. Plus, it kind of spoils certain story elements that were meant to be revealed in later books.
I suggest reading this one after Book 3, at least. I personally read it while waiting for A Memory of Light (the last one) to come out.

[Jordan]

Don't start with New Spring. It is a prequel, but it references things you won't understand until after book 8 or so. Wait until then and you'll appreciate it more and won't spoil anything.

[Paul]

I would personally say if you find any of the books boring, skip chapters til you find a point-of-view that you like. I didn't do this (since I had to wait years between books) but if you are reading them for the first time and are bored, skip sections instead of putting the book down completely.

The only books you (in my opinion) may feel this need are books 7, 8, 10, and portions of 9.

[Kat]

Don't skip anything the first time you read it. Seriously, don't. Otherwise stuff won't make sense and you won't enjoy it anywhere as near as much as you would otherwise.

[Adam]

It does get slow going at points, but it's because everyone has split and he needs to cover a lot of ground, and in my opinion you need to pay attention in the books some describe as boring because there are a lot of hidden information which the later books expand on! I found myself going ah! Quite a lot when I understood why the characters did what they did in the earlier books!

[Frank]

NONE!

[Erika]

I'm currently working my way thru the series, READ THEM ALL. (I'm in book nine at the moment "Winter's Heart.") It is amazing how much Jordan has weaved together. Without giving anything away it is awesome how the little details eventually tie into the big events of the storyline.
I'll be interested to see if Brandon Sanderson is able to keep it up later in the series. I've heard good things about what he's done.

[Kat]

I think Sanderson did a good job, there's a few things here and there that you could tell was a different author, but it doesn't detract from the story IMHO.

[Victor]

Never make such a mistake

[Charles]

All of the books are worth reading, but on my most recent reread of the series I skipped a lot of Elaida and Sevanna chapters.

[Drile]

I listened to the first four and then skipped forward to the books that Brandon Sanderson wrote. I had no trouble figuring out what was going on, and Sanderson's writing is just so easier to read/listen to than Jordan's. I had thought maybe it was the narrators that made the books seem tedious, but the same readers in the last three books were vibrant.
I understand the Jordan devotees worry that you will miss some of the story, but hey, IMHO the amount of actual story is tiny compared to the number of words. Not much relevant actually happens from book to book, and skipping to the climax worked great for me.
The characters are memorable, but I actually could identify with them in the last three books, whereas in the first four I just felt they were idiots.
It won't be a popular opinion, but there it is.

[Kenneth]

Nasar wrote: "They are all great books and each one has its own story. I suggest, that you read them all and start with "New Spring". gl"

I would agree with reading them all, but I wouldn't start with New Spring because it doesn't write in much to explain what is going on it is assumed you understand much of how Randland works i read it after The Dragon Reborn and I think that is a good place to read it.

[Jim]

I would suggest reading all of them. Yes , books 8,9,10 are quite tedious (especially 10) but still they are a good read.
Read The New Spring after book 6 or 7. Or sooner if you are a fan of Moiraine :P

[Weenie]

I'm with the others...don't skip any, keep at it!

[Amita]

Each book is crucial to the plot of the series,so don't skip any of them. You'll enjoy all of them too.

[Mary]

None they all have key events that really make this series. Yes some are hard to get through but they all fit like a puzzle piece. If you had to skip ANY you could skip New Spring

[Victor]

I read New Spring before I read the rest of the series and, despite the fact that mostly I enjoyed NS, as soon as I read TEotW, I regretted reading it because it takes away some of the mystery from two of the characters

[Usinger]

I will admit it took me me 10 years to read them all, but I still recommend you read them all. it's worth it in the end.

[Clay]

You should skip none books