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Post by philster on May 12, 2005 22:38:03 GMT
Anybody read Jordan's Wheel of Times series here? If applicable, then answer the next question: How many times does it make you want to shoot yourself in the head? Is Jordan NOT the most long-winded writer you have ever read? He sort of seems to steal a lot of stuff from Tolkein's books, too... like the spy birds, the Ogier vs. the Ents, the Myrddraal vs. the Nazgul, and so on. So why DO I keep reading his series? Why do I prolong the agony when there is no apparent end to the series in sight? Granted, his last couple of books have just kept getting better and better. But still... gah. By the way, the eleventh book in the series has been named Knife of Dreams. Pretty intriguing title. It's due to come out October 11. And yes, I probably will get it. The way I figure it, I've gotten this far, might as well go all the way.
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Post by Gray Lensman on May 12, 2005 22:50:45 GMT
The best answer I can offer, Phil, is "sheer masochism". ;D I thought I had a lot of patience to stomach Jordan through roughly 8 books or so. It's a well-developed world, but the story is so slow and long-winded that it's beyond belief. After a while, I finally stopped caring and gave up. I have literally skipped entire chapters, sometimes several chapters, and still felt like I missed absolutely nothing. Jordan wastes tons of time and space on scenes that are completely pointless and go nowhere. Not that Jordan is all bad. I actually do rather like the world and the mythology, and some of the characters. But after a while, the series just wore down my interest. Hope you'll let us know how it is when you get it, though.
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Post by philster on May 12, 2005 23:05:07 GMT
I will. I'm planning to go all the way. To Eternity and Beyond!
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Post by Gray Lensman on May 12, 2005 23:07:54 GMT
At the rate Jordan writes, Phil, my bet is on "Eternity". ;D
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Post by Shan on May 13, 2005 2:34:51 GMT
If Jordan is as bad as you two make him sound like, I vote for Eternity to win. ;D I haven't read any of his books, but I do know that if he is that bad I would never have made it through his first book. I have skipped pages like that in other books just to get past description. Even though I enjoyed The Lord of the Rings I found myself skipping pages to get past some of the long detail. Shan
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Post by Gray Lensman on May 13, 2005 2:53:03 GMT
Robert Jordan makes Tolkien look like light reading. Light reading such as "See Spot Run." ;D Looking back on it now, I don't know how I made it as long as I did. Absolutely nothing happens for roughly 100 pages into the first book. The next few hundred pages are a lot of slow travel and setup. And some of the tedious conversations Jordan fills his pages with... ugh. Pages upon pages of men telling each other how they don't understand women, followed by another scene with pages of women telling each other how they don't understand men. And we need Jordan to tell us this? If ever a series was aptly name, it's "Wheel Of Time". The story goes on and on without end and doesn't go anywhere. ;D
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Post by philster on May 13, 2005 3:53:57 GMT
It also baffles me how I ever got through the first book too. I had to pick it up and put it down about two times before finally reading it from front to back.
I think the series really got going in the second book.
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Post by Shan on May 13, 2005 21:29:05 GMT
Sorry Phil, but I think Grey has just told me that it would be useless for me to even try to read Jordan. I would never make it through all the detail especially if he is worse than Tolkien. Are the others as detailed as the first one? Also if you skip one are you lost in the next one? Shan
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Post by philster on May 14, 2005 5:15:10 GMT
OH, lord have mercy, Shantara, I'm not trying to convince you to pick it up! Far from it! Stay away from it. Only one of us should suffer this agony... I was pretty just much responding to Steve's post. lol.
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Post by Shan on May 15, 2005 18:05:00 GMT
I will, I will, I will, Phil. Just as far away from them as I can get. ;D You are welcome to go through the agony all alone. I will sit back and have sympathy on you for being willing to suffer through them. Warning read, heard, and computed. ;D Shan
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Post by Dark Phoenix Rising on May 18, 2005 8:34:53 GMT
I think the trick with the first book was that when I first read it the story and descriptions flowed well together so I didn't notice that that's really all it was. It managed to keep me going and introduced the characters very well. The second book picked up the pace somewhat, which kept up until about the 7th or 8th book where it slowed down again. It seems to have picked up the pace again in the 10th book, but the story progression is very slow throughout the whole series. Probably because after about the 4th or 5th book the main group splits off and kinda goes their seperate ways, so everything gets covered (on top of that a couple more characters get added to the mix, and their story is followed as well).
All in all I would say it is a very good series and I would highly recommend it, once it is finished.
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Post by philster on May 18, 2005 9:10:42 GMT
I think it was the 9th book when the pace picked up again. It was nice to see Rand getting somewhere (not trying to spoil anything, but...)
Anyway the overall concept of the series is something I really like, and I also love its world, but Robert Jordan has the worst writing style of any fantasy book writer I've encountered. It's not that he's BAD at writing, but he's more like your professor in class who speaks with a monotone voice all the time. (Though I wouldn't know, since I'm deaf, but I think it's a good analogy anyway.)
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Post by philster on May 18, 2005 9:12:25 GMT
But I'm hooked anyway, because I'm a sucker for good fantasy, so I guess he must not be all that bad a writer.
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Post by Tsel on May 18, 2005 11:31:28 GMT
The best answer I can offer, Phil, is "sheer masochism". ;D Don't we all fall prey to that beast from time to time. Tsel ;D
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