Have you stopped reading Wheel of Time?

[Shoegaze99]

Originally Posted by I, Brian

Has anyone ehre actually decided to stop reading Wheel of Time and given up on the series?

I bailed on Jordan’s “Wheel of Time” series after “Path of Daggers,” which was a slow, meandering installment that failed to really push the narrative forward. It left me wholly empty after reading it. The repetitious (and often annoying) characterizations finally began to wear thin on me and I began to get the strong feeling that Jordan was losing control of his beast of a story. It was during “A Crown of Swords” that I started wondering is Jordan wasn’t slipping off the rails; “Path of Daggers” convinced me.

I feel as if I jumped ship at the right time, as the reviews for the next two books got steadily worse, with the last installment simply savaged by all but the most devoted Jordan followers – and even many of them were questioning their loyalty, or making half-hearted excuses about the last two books being the “necessary” calm before the storm, or indicating that they were giving him only one more chance.

And then for Jordan to launch into a prequel mid-series? And not just a prequel, but a prequel trilogy? Ugh. I really feel that that move was a disservice to his longtime fans, as well as another glaring indication that he doesn’t know where he is going with the series any longer.

It’s a shame because the series started very strongly. I breezed through the first five tomes in no time at all and remained interested enough to keep going through Crown (which was the most recent book at the time of my reading), reading to there straight through. I loved the characters and the world Jordan had created, and I was really interested in the constant unraveling of the plot. Its twists and turns, its constant surprises, and the slow but steady building of tension and drama, and the promise of events of epic proportions. The hints at something larger. All of it.

What happened?

I’ve been asked about the series in my circle of friends, and my recommendation usually goes like this: Read the first three books and bail out after the third. If you MUST keep going, don’t let yourself get past the fourth or fifth book. And maybe consider not starting the series at all.

I went from someone who recommended it wholeheartedly to someone who steers others away.

It’s pretty likely that I will never finish this series, which I devoted some 10,000 pages of reading to. One day, if it is ever finished, I may buy some used paperbacks just to see how it wraps up ... but to be perfectly frank, I barely even care how it wraps up and may not even do that.

[morelin]

stop reading!!! are you kidding.??? i am so wrapped up in this series that i believe i will be taken with a severe depression when it finally ends. i will find myself left wanting. on another topic, has anybody considered the foretelling of elaidas.
Andor is the key to victory in the last battle. perhaps it is one or both of elaynes and rands children that will be the key.
if so how many more books????

[Neon]

Hi and welcome to Chroncles morelin. I too didn't like the "middle books" but am completely taken up by the series and will definitely finish it. And I believe he's slated for 13 books.

[morelin]

thank you for the welcome and excited to be here. i get to read a lot so i really have plowed through the whole series. i can understand some peoples complaint of the occasional slow advancement but without the inner dynamic of all the character
relationships i think a lot would be lost. sometimes the characters really have to just make yoou laugh. mind you sometimes agood shake wouldn't hurt.

[Old Nick]

I think Jordan is pretty sure it will be 12 books. At least that's the latest at http://www.dragonmount.com/main.php

[rune]

I started The Eye of the World, but since got two books I ordered from my Library so put it to one side for now. My first initial reaction to the book after reading a couple of chapters is slow paced I just hope it picks up.

[Shoegaze99]

Originally Posted by rune

My first initial reaction to the book after reading a couple of chapters is slow paced I just hope it picks up.

If you thought Eye of the World was slow-paced, I can't imagine what your reaction will be to the later books.

[Neon]

While I really enjoyed the Eye of the World ..... if you don't enjoy it or can barely get through it, I would definitely advise not to continue the series. But again, I did like it and the whole series (nearly).

[rune]

I've been side stepped from the first book currently, but I do intend to go back to it.

I know I can be a twine when it comes to detailed, slow paced books. But you all must understand, I'm half way through my life and there are so many books I want to buy, and so little time to get them and that doesnt include the authors I've not discovered yet

[Lacedaemonian]

I must get back to this series at some point. I read the first four books before stopping midway through the fifth due to depression (nothing to do with the books I hasten to add). I plan to start from the begining again.

[Lord of Winterfell]

Path of Daggers was it for me. Couldn't even make it through the prologue of Winter's Heart. I think it was the discovery of much better works of epic fantasy that put the nail in the coffin of The Wheel of Time for me.

[morelin]

i totally agree that books 7-9 are slow probably with to many minor plot twists and not enough advancement on the major plots but book ten could pull you back in.

i can not wait for book 11. there has to be some major battles cming up mainly the one for tar valon. oh and i want to see that power hungry prat Elaida go down. go egwene go!!

[Shoegaze99]

Originally Posted by morelin

but book ten could pull you back in.

Not if one doesn't read it, it can't.

But in all seriousness, an honest question: After three straight disappointing 1,000-page books, why would somebody want to get pulled back in?

(Obviously the question does not apply to those of you who continue to have an interest in the series).

Despite my short-lived love affair with the series, I cannot imagine a desire to make a return trip to Jordan's cumbersome tale.

[Mulgrave]

Havent stopped no, read them all, but there is no fun reading them any more. Mr. Jordan has really lost the treads, there are too many storys hes tryin to follow. It simply dosnt hold up! Comparing him to J.R.R Tolkien is like swearing in church! But I will continue reading the searies, some day it has to end!

[WizardOne]

I read book 1 through 5 back in the mid 90's then bought Lord of Chaos in HB and had to wait a year or so for each book there after. The long delay from Winters Heart in '00 until Crossroads of Twilight in '03 caused me to lose where the story was. I tried to reread Winters Heart again to refresh my memory but failed terribly, there was no way to jump back in the middle. I put it off until January and decided to reread the whole thing again in one pass. Wow, a little over 7000 pages just to get back where I was. I picked up many things that did not stick before, now that I could relate them to my recollection of what I read 5 to 10 years ago. I am now 260 pages into Crossroads of Twilight and am just getting to the end of the day where we ended in Winters Heart. That is a bit slow but I have liked the development of the story so far that I can put up with it I think. What gets me is that if there is another long delay between books, I do not think I could read it all again. I hope October gets here soon!