Reading Wheel of Time for the first time

[Kazaxat]

Still my favorite series. I could still punch Perrin in the face, though.

I'm not quite finished catching up (starting Towers of Midnight now), but I agree with these sentiments wholeheartedly. Once of the greatest series I've had the pleasure of reading, barring nearly all of Perrin's storyline from the time his deviated from the rest.

[chris777]

I read all of the series that Jordan wrote in one fell swoop. I found myself skimming through some of the the later books, finding the parts that I was anxious to see what happened. I finished just as The Gathering Storm was released, and read it in about 12 hours.

Then I started right at the beginning and re-read the series and used the internet as a resource to follow all the characters, and I LOVED all the detail in the later books. I think many of us who've enjoyed all the books find the same thing - with the exception of one interminable plotline- it seems almost universally disliked, but even that almost adds to the epic nature of the series.

Which plotline is universally disliked? I can think of a few
Nynaeve and Lan(or anything involving her)
The bowl of the winds
Perrin and Felesin
EDIT: Wow. Felesin Paran from Malazan? Getting my books confused...it's Faile! Where's the strikethrough tag?

[Rob B]

I read all of the series that Jordan wrote in one fell swoop. I found myself skimming through some of the the later books, finding the parts that I was anxious to see what happened. I finished just as The Gathering Storm was released, and read it in about 12 hours.

Then I started right at the beginning and re-read the series and used the internet as a resource to follow all the characters, and I LOVED all the detail in the later books. I think many of us who've enjoyed all the books find the same thing - with the exception of one interminable plotline- it seems almost universally disliked, but even that almost adds to the epic nature of the series.

Which plotline is universally disliked? I can think of a few
Nynaeve and Lan(or anything involving her)
The bowl of the winds
Perrin and Felesin

I'm guessing Cadsuane is universally disliked? I also tend to gloss over the Elayne stuff.

[nuttz96]

Kinda weird but I actually ran into a guy who dressed up as Ishamael at a halloween party. He was real glad that he actually found someone who knew (although vaguely) what he was dressed up as. He spent the rest of the night trying to convince me to reread the series and to go through with it to the end (I am only up to book 4). He kept promising me that all the issues I had with the earlier books are resolved toward the end and that it gets better and better. I was still pretty skeptical about it, but after reading this thread, it looks about time to give it another shot. I liked Perrin though, does his plot get worse or something?

[EllenS]

Almost everyone likes Perrin, but almost everyone complains about his plotline.

I think Cadsuane is awesome, but I'm in the minority there. I wouldn't say she has her own plotline though.

[chris777]

Yeah, I like Perrin. I am just annoyed by his dynamic with Faile. And the whole wolf thing is slightly annoying, simply because it feels like it's so dragged out.

[fiddler]

Kinda weird but I actually ran into a guy who dressed up as Ishamael at a halloween party. He was real glad that he actually found someone who knew (although vaguely) what he was dressed up as. He spent the rest of the night trying to convince me to reread the series and to go through with it to the end (I am only up to book 4). He kept promising me that all the issues I had with the earlier books are resolved toward the end and that it gets better and better. I was still pretty skeptical about it, but after reading this thread, it looks about time to give it another shot. I liked Perrin though, does his plot get worse or something?

I don't mean any offense, but I just have to ask: How does someone dress up as Ishamael? How did he dress? What did he look like? And how did you recognize him as such?

[azninvasion99]

My least favorite plotline was Perrin's through books 8-11. Just takes WAY too long for progress to be made, and all he does is brood and complain. But he definitely redeemed his storyline in ToM. The Bowl of the Winds storyline was another dislike of mine but better then Perrins.

[hyperchord24]

Okay, I'll jump in. I just started reading The Eye of the World and it is some exceptional writing! One thing I'm not sold on is the fact that this was written AFTER Lord of the Rings AND Sword of Shannarah. So I feel it's even less original. It feels more like a Tolkien retread more than Shannarah.

[Rob B]

It is a well documented fact (and known by a great many readers) that Jordan deliberately modeled the opening on LOTR to give the reader a sense of familiarity.

[Arkeus]

I'm guessing Cadsuane is universally disliked? I also tend to gloss over the Elayne stuff.

Well, Cadsuane doesn't really have whole plotines though. She is more of a character within Rand's plotline.

It's not like Perrin's stuff that goes forever and ever and ever where nothing ever happens. Or, as you said, Elayne's stuff where only slightly more stuff happens, but where we get Jordan's own brand of sexism that makes it hard to like any women he writes(with a possible exception of Brigitte or Egwene).

[Wulfgang]

I love Cadsuane; one of my favorite characters. Perrin's story during the Shaido situation was pretty brutal imo and "dark" Rand that persists for like five books in the late middle of the series is also pretty frustrating. Mat is still the best though.