[Mordor]

I have the first book (but it has a misprint and is missing about 40 pages). Is it worth reading? Is it as good a fantasy as Lord of the Rings?

[ChrisW]

umm yes and yes.

Take the book back get one with all the pages then read it. You should be able to tell from the first book if the others are worth reading.

[phil_geo]

I definitely think Cal gave good advice - read the first book yourself and decide. The first book is definitely good enough to spend your time reading - Jordan is a good writer and story teller, and the plot is plenty deep.

For myself, I don't think I will be reading any past the second book - the plot moves too slowly for me. A massive epic that foreshadows events that are several thousand pages away is frustrating for me. I concede that Jordan fills his books with plenty of intrigue and action, but I found myself very impatient to move on to what I already knew was going to happen. Even a very interesting chapter had me skimming ahead to get to the next part.

But that's just my opinion - I cheer on the people who are disciplined enough to let themselves enjoy the books as they were meant to be. You have to read it for yourself and see if they are the kind of book for you.

[snake0024]

Quite a few people think that the Wheel of Time is good until the 7th book where the story begins to slow down, so if you enjoy the first book, then I would advise getting them up to the 6th, and if you still enjoy it, then read the rest.

And to answer your last question, I enjoy reading WoT, but I found LotR better

[milamber_reborn]

Beware that the pacing slows down in the last few books.

I have enjoyed every book in this series so far and am glad that it'll weigh in at about 13 books. IMO, it's better than LOTR.

Give Jordan a try and get hold of a decent copy.

[Bond]

Is the Wheel of Time a good read?
Are you kidding? Of course it is! But I guess it mainly depends on what kind of fantasy you like to read.

As far as I'm concerned it is the best fantasy soap opera series out there bar none from what I have read. The clueless guys, nattering girls, and overly wordy yet still banal descriptions at times were a minor price to pay for the rivetting edge-of-your-seat suspense filled plot and grand world building.

LotR is for people who like ornately crafted words and revel in grim seriousness. WoT is for people who like convoluted plots and mysteries and who can appreciate attempts at a little whacky levity in the midst of an epic. Where LotR is aloof, WoT is familiar. LotR is not WoT. Thank goodness! I like WoT a whole lot more.

BTW, my opinion on WoT book one: it was mediocre. Books 2 to 5, however, are a different story altogether. From about page 150 of The Great Hunt on, I was hooked like with no other series.

That this question still needs to be asked I think means it's time I resurrected an older thread I started to address this very question.

Read this: Robert Jordan General Discussion (http://www.sffworld.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2196)

[Zeratul]

BTW, my opinion on WoT book one: it was mediocre. Books 2 to 5, however, are a different story altogether. From about page 150 of The Great Hunt on, I was hooked like with no other series.
I completely agree, books 2-5 are much better than book 1, which is tto slow and predictable.
And it's a much better series than Lotr IMO.

[Iskaral Pust]

All I can say is there is plenty of worse and better stuff out there. IMO, WOT is better than LotR, but I don't have a high opinion of LotR. If you consider LotR to be the best fantasy out there, the basemark for judging others, then you propably won't suddenly convert to Jordan. If you have nothing excellent pressing and can borrow or hire the books (the price does build up with 10 in the series) then read it. You won't be able to form your own opinion and argue in these threads until you've read them. WoT is one of the most controvesial amoung fantasy fans. I suggest reading it so you can have your own opinion if for nothing else. And no harm done if you don't like them.

[Loras Tyrell]

Robert Jordan is easy-to-understand, slow-paced young adult fantasy. If you've read little books and are relatively young, there's a good chance you'll like it. Personally, I don't think it measures up to LoTR in any respect (and that is bearing in mind that, arguably, any work of fantasy, and this work in particular, is standing on the shoulders of LoTR and Tolkien's other work).

I used to love the series, and I have read all the books once and eight twice and three thrice, I think. But reading it now, it's so riddled with clichés, repetitions and truisms that it is practically unbearable to read. I can still remember not noticing this at all, and even defending it from "attacks" such as this, but now I cannot fathom how or why.

To Jordan's credit, it should be said that his world is pretty diverse, complex (in sheer scope) and well thought out (although much is borrowed and copied from our world, more or less disguised) (and it all pales in comparison with Tolkien's world), and the pace of the first few books is good, in my opinion.

But it's not great literature, by any means. But then, not much fantasy is (unfortunately).

Just thought a little counterweight (or a more nuanced view, all depending on where you stand) was in order.

Greetings
Artaxiad

[Ouroboros]

Originally posted by Loras Tyrell
. But reading it now, it's so riddled with clichés, repetitions and truisms that it is practically unbearable to read. I can still remember not noticing this at all, and even defending it from "attacks" such as this, but now I cannot fathom how or why.


I don't quite think of Jordan as being as bad as all that, but I can certainly identify with the feelings you're talking about above. I felt much the same thing re-reading David Eddings and indeed Hickman & Weiss. Loved them as a kid, but not so much now. :D

Jordan, for all his condsiderable flaws, isn't a bad way to pass your time. The majority of the series is workmanlike and enjoyably soap-opera-ish in tone. If you last it out to the more recent novels then you'll probably be hooked enough to overlook their poor quality just to get rid of nagging curiosity.

As far as how it compares to LOTR ... Clearly a matter of personal taste. Can't say they're even remotely comparable, from my own perspective.