Namely the injustice of fandom. Rand and Perrin love the book. They are huge fans and read it enthusiastically, and IIRC, even are seen pulling a re-read at various times in the series. Rand names his horse after a horse in the books. That's wierd. I am reading SM Stirling's "Emberverse" series right now, where American characters find themselves in a world where technology no longer works, and a couple of characters who insist on naming all sorts of stuff after Tolkien's books are presented as cute and eccentric, but actually come across as obnoxious and creepy. So while it might be fun to name a recreational animal Shadowfax or what have you, naming a horse you seriously use as your primary transportation is just wierd. But Rand does it. That's just how big a fanboy he is. So, Rand and Perrin are huge Farstrider fans, but their best friend Mat is barely literate, can never get into the book despite recalling how his friends would go on and on about it, and doesn't give a crap. So which one gets to not only meet Jain Farstrider, but go on a legendary adventure with him?

Put yourself in Rand's or Perrin's shoes - you can imagine that ALL too easily, can't you? You all know someone who just can't bring himself to bother with WoT, but somehow, you just know he is the most likely person of your acquaintance to run into Harriet Rigney near a dumpster where she is disposing of her late husband's knife collection or something.

And of course there is also Egwene, in another all-too-typical (for her) incident relating to the book - from her non-reaction to Rand's horse's name, she has obviously not only NOT read tToJF, but has lied to Rand about it! She's the girlfriend who pretends to like the stuff you're into but is only humoring you! Like when Lois on Family Guy pretended to be a KISS fan, but when Gene Simmons puts a microphone in her face, she is exposed as not even knowing the chorus to "Rock & Roll All Night". That's Egwene.