The Eye of the World
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Start reading "The Wheel of Time" series, yes or no?
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Ethic
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Aug 09, 2012 06:45AM
I have never read "The Wheel of Time" series but found about half of the books at Goodwill the other day. Worth reading? Looks to be a big time investment.
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It is a big time investment yes, but this is actually a good time to start reading since the last book is due out in January. You won't have to wait years between book to find out what happens. =PJordan is very descriptive and some of the later books can drag a little plot-wise, but overall I would consider it a good read. If you're not sure, you can always pick up the first book and see how you like it.
Ethic wrote: "I have never read "The Wheel of Time" series but found about half of the books at Goodwill the other day. Worth reading? Looks to be a big time investment."Absolutely worth reading, i personally loved the series and i cannot wait until the final book is released in January.
Be warned though some of the books are slower paced and will have you questioning whether or not to finish. Just persevere and continue it will be worth it in the end.
I am really enjoying the series. I am currently reading book 8. I am, however, one of those people who isn't phased by a long build up and a long walk to the conclusion. People say that some of the books are slower paced, and they are, but each of them are just manoeuvring pawns into place for the final conclusion.Some people can't deal with that, and some people can't deal with some of the characters, or the gap between the books (which isn't an issue to you because the last book is due out shortly). I'm sure some people just get burnt out.
My advice is to read the first three (the third is apparently a great place to stop if you need to) and if you want to, then carry on. However, I would also advise reading a different book in between, or only reading one of these books a month, so that you don't overdo it. I've found that has worked really well for me :)
Enjoy!
Ethic wrote: "I have never read "The Wheel of Time" series but found about half of the books at Goodwill the other day. Worth reading? Looks to be a big time investment."Do you like epic fantasies? Then yes. This series is one of the classics IMO
I am also a huge fan of George RR Martin and Terry Goodkind if that tells you where my preferences lie. :-)
I think it is a great series. Definitely worth reading. There are an obscene amount of characters though so if you get a little lost I advise using this website. It has character profiles and back story for almost everyone but be careful not to scroll past what you've already read in the timeline. It has a lot of spoilers.
http://www.encyclopaedia-wot.org/
I've only read up to book 10 (Crossroads of Twilight), and I do plan on re-reading the series so I can remember what happens up to then so I can finish it, but I'll warn you now: the problem is not that some of the books are "slow-paced"... the problem is that nothing happens in some of them.There's also the glaring issue that some characters get completely lost for large chunks of time. When they do reappear, you find yourself scratching your head and wondering "Who the hell is (s)he, and where the hell were they?"
Finally, at some point, the cool monsters (like the Trollocs) kind of disappear, and you're left with not much action and a lot (and I mean a LOT) of political maneuvering and such.
I have read all of the books that are out. I love the series, but there are some major issues with it.For one: the first 4 books are fabulous... around book 5, I think Jordan started either a) struggling with how to end the story, b) had too many characters and kept adding new ones and couldn't figure out how to contain the story (sort of like Doc. Oc and his energy thing in the second Spiderman movie), or c) realized he had a good thing going and drew out the series on purpose.
Books 5-9 are a major effort to get through as Jordan became really wordy and (minor spoiler) (view spoiler)
However, books 10-13 have been much better, and I think Sanderson's touch on books 12-13 have greatly improved the telling and style of the story, making it more manageable.
I'm not trying to discourage you from reading them, but these are things you should know before you pick up the series and devote that much time to the books.
Yes, and I must echo the sentiment of those above. Also, the series picks up in a real big way once Brandon Sanderson has taken over. Both The Gathering Storm and Towers of Midnight are bursting with plot, and have rejuvenated my interest in and hope for the series.
I have to agree with Jenelle. Like another said, if you like high fantasy, it's a good one to get.
You should defiantly read these books!I love them, every time a new book came out I would start the whole series over again.
Also, the story has not suffered with the death of Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson has done a wonderful job on the last few books.
I can’t wait for the next one.
I'm struggling to finish the 4th book right now. I did enjoy the first three quite a bit, but the realization of how many more there are and how hard it's been for me to stay in the fantasy genre, I don't know if I'll ever get around to finishing the series. The great thing is that it's easy it is to find these books at second hand stores.
Chrissy wrote: "I'm struggling to finish the 4th book right now. I did enjoy the first three quite a bit, but the realization of how many more there are and how hard it's been for me to stay in the fantasy genre, ..."If I may make a suggestion, try reading something else between each book.
I find that if I try to digest a series in one gulp, I get to a point where I get thoroughly sick of reading about the characters. If I read something (or several somethings) completely unrelated between novels, however, the series goes down much smoother.
It will be trickier with The Wheel Of Time, simply because of the sheer number of characters that populate the series, but it will likely keep you interested in the books.
Only if you're interested in counting how many times a certain wise woman yanks her braid.....i couldnt take it anymore. The ones you found were probably mine.
I only read the first three and then gave up. I found they really dragged.
Brenda wrote: "Only if you're interested in counting how many times a certain wise woman yanks her braid.....i couldnt take it anymore. The ones you found were probably mine."That is true and i also found it particularly overused and frustrating. In reply to Phil's comment, you are right mate the middle of the series does slow down but it does pick up again. I'd strongly recommend that you stick with it.
I would definitely recommend reading the books. I'm planning on starting again from the beginning when the last book comes out. It is a huge time investment, but IMO worth it. I would follow the advice of the others to not read all of them back to back.
Bill wrote: "If I may make a suggestion, try reading something else between each book."
I think that was my biggest mistake. I started reading other books and now the idea of getting back into the series and remembering everything that's happened seems more stressful. I may grab the audiobooks. But now it almost feels like I'm trying to force myself to finish them.
Brenda wrote: "Only if you're interested in counting how many times a certain wise woman yanks her braid.....i couldnt take it anymore. The ones you found were probably mine."I would agree with this comment. There are a number of similar phrases that are entirely overused and which make the books unreadable in my opinion. Given the sheer size and scale of the series, there are many many other books that you could read in the same time that I'd argue would give you more pleasure.
I enjoyed the first book, but got tired of the repetition after the 2nd. Maybe start with the first and see how you get on?
I enjoyed the first 5 or 6 books. Felt a little frustrated with 7 and 8 and endured 9 and 10. With Knife Of Dreams the plot actually gets moving again and Sanderson's books I absolutely devoured. Great return to form.It's definitely a huge investment and yes you'll notice quite a few annoyances (pretty much all the men act stubborn and all the women act all haughty and have to sniff and scoff at everything). I found there was enough outside the annoyances to keep me going and hopefully the payoff will be worth it once A Memory Of Light comes out. Considering how solid the last two books have been I'm fairly optimistic that my investment will be a good one.
I've only read the first book of the series, and while it was alright, I found it derivative and unimaginative. I've heard people rave about these books, but I can't agree that it's worth the time. I was frustrated with the pace of the book and just kept thinking "Oh, this is like the part in Lord of the Rings where they fight the Orcs" or "This is like LotR where Aragorn goes on his quest under the mountain" ... ad nauseum.
I gave up with the series after about book 6. It's just to much of a bloody time sink with not enough pay off. There's not much there that you can't find in other fantasy novels done better.
I have read books one and two and really struggled to finish the second one, I think it is daunting knowing there are still so many for me to read. But also the story line does seem to drag on a little and I didnt find myself wanting to pick up the book and finish it. I will read the rest of the series at some point, but instead am thoroughly enjoying the Game of Thrones series at the moment.
Ethic wrote: "I have never read "The Wheel of Time" series but found about half of the books at Goodwill the other day. Worth reading? Looks to be a big time investment."Yes, read it! This series changed me, made think about my life views. Yes it is long, but it is worth it by tenfold. I was skeptical about reading it at first, but now I love it so completely, I feel as if I had never really loved a series before. I admit the middle books are a drag to read as nothing seems to be happening, but all of it is needed. The character arcs are amazing. You will read book thirteen and will be dying for the final book to come out as I am.
Oh yes! Definitely read this! Best high fantasy series of ALL TIME in my humble opinion. I give several shout outs to Robert Jordan and his epic series on my blog Musings on Fantasia if you want more details, but this series is definitely worth it! Now is the best time to start it as well because the final book will be out in January, which means you won't have to wait for future installments! Lucky you! (BELIEVE me!) :D
It's worth reading but feel free to skip whole chapters and skim some descriptions. The books start introducing many, many character but honestly they aren't that important.
Leonora wrote: "I would definitely recommend reading the books. I'm planning on starting again from the beginning when the last book comes out."Same here! It's odd how I started reading it when I was 11 or 12 - more or less ten years ago. I only picked it up because it was the only fantasy book at the time that I could afford (with my grandmother waiting impatiently outside the bookstore)! I was like, meh, this will have to do. AND MY LOVE FOR READING FANTASY BEGAN. Jordan borrowed heavily from Tolkien, and it's not as "cerebral" so most people would deem that inferior, but I just... Love it. Odd that it's finally ending. I grew up on this =(.
I really don't want to say this but... I'm on book eleven now and I would say don't read this series. Why? Simple. It's too dang long. There's waaaay too many characters and the plots never lead to anything with most of them.
I guess it should be made clear why I even made it to book eleven. I started this series in 10th grade (4 years ago), back then I wasn't really interested in reading anything else except epic-fantasy. I instantly liked the first two books. With nothing else to read I slugged out one book a month. Until around book 7 did it start to take it's toll. By this time it would take me 5 months to finish one. I would let it collect dust while I read other books.
I joined the Navy, grew up a little bit (oh boy); my tastes changed, and this series doesn't satisfy me anymore. I'll finish the series just because I made it this far it would be a shame to not see how they end. However, I'm never planning on picking them up again for sure.
I can't recommend this series to anyone just browsing for a quick read. I will admit it's better than the Game of Thrones series. If you want something that will bog you down for two years (depending on how fast you read) do it. If you have other books in mind to read this side of life, besides leviathan series like the Wheel of Time, then don't do it.
No doubt about it. Its a must read for all Tolkien fans. Infact, all fans of harry potter, eragon, trudi canavan, mari v snyder................. this is a must must read series.I have read and re-read the entire set 3 times and cant wait for the last book to be out.
I envy the ppl who are going to begin this as they have so many yummy books to read......
Jesse wrote: "I really don't want to say this but... I'm on book eleven now and I would say don't read this series. Why? Simple. It's too dang long. There's waaaay too many characters and the plots never lead ..."
It picks up when Brandon Sanderson takes over the series though ;-)
Mummi wrote: "Jesse wrote: "I really don't want to say this but... I'm on book eleven now and I would say don't read this series. Why? Simple. It's too dang long. There's waaaay too many characters and the plo..."
If I have to read through 11 books of tedious and uninteresting plot that goes no where, for it to pick up, something is very very wrong.
Difficult to answer. I started the series in my teens. I liked the books then, but they have become monsters...near impossible hurdles to overcome as you get past the 5th or 6th book.If you have already started it, then I'd say...trudge on to the end.
For a new reader, I really do not know if I would recommend it, knowing what I know now. It's time consuming. That is for sure.
Since the last book is due out I say yes!!! This is one of several series that made me make the rule to not start a series of books that isn't finished. Warning, the last book as had the release date changed twice.All that said, I LOVE these books!! My only complaint with them was waiting for the next one to come out. And once I got to the middle books having one book be mostly about 1 or 2 of the main characters, then the next book barely mention them as we caught up on others! But I love them all! I've read most of the series about 5 times, and parts many more times than that. But I am the kind of person who loves detail. So I never found the books to bog down.
If you do choose to buy them, the first thing you need to do is tape the spines! My one complaint about these books is they were poorly bound. I've never had books fall apart as easily as these did. (and before anyone points out these have obviously had a lot of use and they are thick books, all of my books get a lot of use, I reread often as does my husband, and many of our books are this long) Both paperback and hardcover we have had issues with needing to be replaced.
R wrote: If I have to read through 11 books of tedious and uninteresting plot that goes no where, for it to pick up, something is very very wrong. ."
I wouldn't go so far as calling the plot uninteresting... It's just slow moving (and in some places slow become VERY slow)...
I still enjoy the series though, while I can see why not everybody feel the way I do about it.
It's a ginormous series (14 books about 750 words apiece), but it is good. I'm anxious to see how it all concludes.
I just read the first one, and against expectations, I thought it was pretty good. Enough to move on to the second, soon, which must be an endorsement.
Myssi wrote: "Since the last book is due out I say yes!!! This is one of several series that made me make the rule to not start a series of books that isn't finished. Warning, the last book as had the release d..."I'm with you, I've read most of them about 5 times, but it's not just because I enjoyed them, it's also because by the time the next one comes out I've forgotten what happened in the last few books. I can't wait to see what happens in the last one.
I would wait until after the last book really shows up. I have enjoyed the books. I don't think I noticed them dragging. Since I read them only as they came out I had the breaks between the new issues to read other books. They are very complex when it comes to characters and motivations.I have been sorely disappointed waiting on the last book -- which was supposed to be last year, but they had to split it into 2 books because it was so long and it still isn't out.
I started this series with the first edition of book 1 (1990). I have spent many years waiting for the next ones to come out, and some of the books were a bit of space filler, but the series is one of the greatest overall I have ever read. With the last book due out, now would be a great time to read these. I would space them out and read one at a time before going to the next one though. It is a bit of a long haul to try and read them all at once.
Scott (Ozziespur) wrote: "That is true and i also found it particularly overused and frustrating. "What I found overused and frustrating is how EVERY SINGLE WOMAN behaved in exactly the same way: shrews. And since there were lots of women in these books, I could only sit and sigh every time one of them gets into a huff over a tiny slight for no sane reason whatsoever.
But other than that, the books have lots of rich details.
If you're an avid fantasy reader, I suppose I would recommend it, but only if I thought you can really stick with it to the end.
If you're new to the fantasy genre and aren't used to epic doorstopper books, I would not recommend it.
Pamela wrote: "Scott (Ozziespur) wrote: "That is true and i also found it particularly overused and frustrating. "What I found overused and frustrating is how EVERY SINGLE WOMAN behaved in exactly the same way:..."
Not all the women were shrews, Min wasn't a shrew, Flaile wasn't a shrew. Yes they are both tough women but neither are bitter.
Fair enough. Perhaps shrew wasn't the most apt term for all the female characters. :)Don't get me wrong. What I like is that most of the women are very strong personalities who don't need to be rescued every few pages. They can pretty much hold their own for the most part. But...
Ok. Specifically, the Aes Sedai are a group of clones who all deal with issues the same way. "What?" I hear you say. YES, CLONES I TELL YOU!
Their personalities just did not seem very varied for the kind of group they are. They seem to all have almost the same view and not a single one tries to do something differently. When they want something done, they are manipulative about it and it's always a one-upmanship among the women. Sigh.
The Aes Sedai isn't a small dinky group of women in a close-knit community. They are a far reaching network of women all over nations. Yet...clones!
...Ok. taking a deep breath. I could argue about this all month long. ;)
It's not beyond redemption or anything. I found the world of WOT fascinating. The lack of variety in the women is a niggling matter that is far outweighed by the richness of the stories.
when i started reading the W.O.T., at first i felt boredom. however, as i continue reading it i was amazed at the scenes. i wish i could be one of these characters. truly a good book to read
These books are 'epic' fantasy -- emphasis on the word 'epic' especially in terms of length -- so if you like to read and enjoy fantasy as a genre, you will likely have a good experience with this series, more so if you are a fast reader.A few comments about the slowness of the story (or that it lags in some of the middle books) are correct. It might seem a little slow unless you are one of those people who devours hundreds of pages in a sitting. If it seems slow at times, keep pushing or (as one commenter suggested) perhaps skim/speedread some of the descriptions if need be -- the character interactions and the major events are worth it.
Whatever the case, Jordan's (and now Sanderson's -- finishing it off for Jordan who died, sadly) work is considered by many to be one of the great fantasy epics in the vein of Tolkein, Eddings et al. and definitely worth reading.
Enjoy.
As I had bought the first 11, I persevered. I found it very derivative at the start, and took about 200 pages to get into it. I thought I would pace myself when I started reading them in March 2011, so I could get the rest before I finished. Finished that lot in September, got 12 and 13 last November; knocked them over in a month. After 4 and a half million words (conservatively) I REALLY need to know how it finishes. I've invested too much time not to know. And I reckon it's a pretty good series. Not as good as LOTR or the Belgariad, but still up there.
It's a personal choice. The first 3 are probably as good as it gets then the series goes downhill. I endured till the middle of the 7th book and stopped reading. It is the only series that I have started that I have never finished and I'm not sorry I stopped. I've heard they get better but there are just too many great books out there to have to endure books 7,8,9 and 10 (I heard they get better at book 11). I say it's a personal choice because I personally don't want to sift through 3-4,000 pages of crap just to enjoy the last 2000 pages.
Pamela Su wrote: "Fair enough. Perhaps shrew wasn't the most apt term for all the female characters. :)Don't get me wrong. What I like is that most of the women are very strong personalities who don't need to be r..."
Yes, the Aes Sedai are, as a whole, not very likable. The strong personalities in this group are not very pleasant. And manipulation is their tool of choice for getting things done. However, the other groups of women are different -- the Ocean group and the Desert group (their group names escape me right now). They are much more direct in how they deal with their power. But their view is pretty much the same, "I know what's good for all of us and you better do as I say."
Teressa wrote: "Pamela Su wrote: "Fair enough. Perhaps shrew wasn't the most apt term for all the female characters. :)Don't get me wrong. What I like is that most of the women are very strong personalities who ..."
Atha'an Miere and the Aiel. I find that their personalities are the same as the Aes Sedai, just that they come across in different ways. But the one who annoys me the most is Nynaeve. She's still annoying me in book 9!
She's still annoying in Book 13.
Peter wrote: "She's still annoying in Book 13."Well, that IS something to look forward to! :P
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