When it ends...?

[Talysia]

When it ends, will you be able to enjoy the series again?


I know that I'm a bit fatigued by reading some of Jordan's books at the moment - I'm probably not alone - but I often wonder whether I'll be able to enjoy them again once the series has ended. After all, it's the conclusion that everyone's looking forward to, and I might be able to appreciate the story as a whole better once it's finished.

Or have you enjoyed the series right from the start, and don't want the end to come?

[Commonmind]

I've found it difficult to get through the books since Lord of Chaos, and I'm hoping that in the final chapter, Jordan goes out with a bang, so to speak. I don't think I would ever reread the series, however, just the few choice books that I enjoyed.

[murphy]

When the last book finally comes out, I will probably reread all the books. I am one of those weird people that have liked even the bad books, although I did get impatient with the Perrin hunt. I hope he will be able to finish within the next year or so. He does seem to be getting better according to his blog on Dragonmount.

[Talysia]

Originally Posted by murphy

I hope he will be able to finish within the next year or so. He does seem to be getting better according to his blog on Dragonmount.

That's good to hear. I wish him well.

Commonmind, I agree. I'd love to see the last book being one of the best. It's something to look forward to.

[Commonmind]

A sprawling 2000 page monster of death and destruction would do quite nicely; at least that would make up for the characterization slogs of the last few books.

It is quite funny, though, that even while I may have disliked the last few books, the Wheel of Time is still, in my humble opinion, one of the most believable epics I've read. In a lot of ways, I consider them speculative historical fiction, and in a sense they are more believable simply for the fact that they are, at times, not fast paced and exploding with dramatic and adventurous scenes throughout, but spend more time putting you into the environment, teaching you of its past and trying to give you insight into the mindset of all its character.

[Talysia]

Originally Posted by Commonmind

It is quite funny, though, that even while I may have disliked the last few books, the Wheel of Time is still, in my humble opinion, one of the most believable epics I've read. In a lot of ways, I consider them speculative historical fiction, and in a sense they are more believable simply for the fact that they are, at times, not fast paced and exploding with dramatic and adventurous scenes throughout, but spend more time putting you into the environment, teaching you of its past and trying to give you insight into the mindset of all its character.

I hadn't thought of it that way. I know that some people can't take all the detail that Jordan puts into his books, but when you want to set up a believable world presumably you can't focus solely on the action. It is a bit long-winded, though. Hopefully there won't be as much spare prose in the last book, rather that every chapter is full of conclusions to the story, in keeping with Jordan's style, of course.

Thanks, Commonmind. It's good to get a fresh perspective.

[Somebloke]

I would really only start somewhere around the fifth book. Before then they come across as a saturday morning cartoon.

[spiralx]

Originally Posted by Commonmind

A sprawling 2000 page monster of death and destruction would do quite nicely; at least that would make up for the characterization slogs of the last few books.

It is quite funny, though, that even while I may have disliked the last few books, the Wheel of Time is still, in my humble opinion, one of the most believable epics I've read. In a lot of ways, I consider them speculative historical fiction, and in a sense they are more believable simply for the fact that they are, at times, not fast paced and exploding with dramatic and adventurous scenes throughout, but spend more time putting you into the environment, teaching you of its past and trying to give you insight into the mindset of all its character.

I agree, you know the characters and the world inside out, or at least you think you do. TWoT and Stephen Erikson's Malazan series are the only books that've given me chills just reading some new revelation or plot twist...

[thinbalion]

I've re-read the first 7 books. The only reason I stopped there is because I don't yet own book 8, its the only one i'm missing (I really need to go on amazon.com one of these days and fix that). I actually found it quite enjoyable. Knowing what would happen proved to be a good motivation to read it with more stamina than the first time, since I had some things to look forward to. At the same time the dense plotting kept it interesting, in that there were a lot of things I had forgotten about since the first time I read the books.

-Thinbalion

[Commonmind]

Originally Posted by spiralx

I agree, you know the characters and the world inside out, or at least you think you do. TWoT and Stephen Erikson's Malazan series are the only books that've given me chills just reading some new revelation or plot twist...

I've never read any of the Malazan books. Someone suggested them to me a long time ago so I tried to hunt them down at my local book stores but never found them. Unfortunately, I'm a bit OCD and will not order online. I don't mind what condition they're in after I've had them, but I can't stomach buying a book with a bent corner, or one of those ugly creases in the binding, as such I can't bring myself to use Amazon or any other online book store.

[Commonmind]

Originally Posted by thinbalion

I've re-read the first 7 books. The only reason I stopped there is because I don't yet own book 8, its the only one i'm missing (I really need to go on amazon.com one of these days and fix that). I actually found it quite enjoyable. Knowing what would happen proved to be a good motivation to read it with more stamina than the first time, since I had some things to look forward to. At the same time the dense plotting kept it interesting, in that there were a lot of things I had forgotten about since the first time I read the books.

-Thinbalion

I agree in a way. The books are so inundated with information that rereading does sometimes stitch the plot together in places because you simply didn't retain everything the first time through.

[MemmoN]

IT WILL NOT END until Jordan dies, even then he supposedely has a 7,000 pager, suprise ending doozy locked away in Antwerp, only to be released upon his croackage. And from the fitnees reports I've received we are in fer a haul fellers!1

[Talysia]

Originally Posted by Commonmind

I agree in a way. The books are so inundated with information that rereading does sometimes stitch the plot together in places because you simply didn't retain everything the first time through.

Very true. I'm re-reading them at the moment, and the story is coming more alive the second time around. It's actually rather strange at how much I did miss the first time through.