Active Users:1112 Time:22/11/2024 09:10:39 PM
My actual introduction to the series was A Crown of Swords Larry Send a noteboard - 19/04/2010 09:26:19 PM
My introduction to Robert Jordan was in my freshman year of college and I hated The Eye of the World. It was too derivative, especially the part that was directly derivative of Tolkien (which was the entire first half of the novel). I found the writing style to be a bit simplistic and I couldn't stand the failed attempt at copying Tolkien's linguistic efforts.


I think how I initially read the books (7, then 1-6) might have given a more positive take to the first book, since I was obviously reading it then as more of a "flashback" than anything else. Strange reading experience then, to say the least.

And yes, it is derivative, but yet despite that, the way the story as a whole flowed seemed well-done for the most part. Wouldn't surprise me if I were to find EotW to have the best narrative flow out of the books. But yes, the writing was pedestrian at best there (and here, as well).

I wasn't going to read any more Jordan books. He was going to be one of those authors, like Terry Brooks, whose books actually went into a garbage bin (something I hardly ever do). My friends, who had recommended Jordan to me, begged me to try the next book.


I had tried Brooks' first trilogy just before this and my thought was much the same as yours - trash.

The FIRST time I read The Great Hunt, as a result, I thought it was moderately better than The Eye of the World because it was less derivative. Fain taking over the group of Trollocs, Dark Prophecy, the Seanchan and a whole host of other things that were a bit less formulaic, made me say, "I guess it's not such a bad story." I still wasn't thrilled with the writing style but it was fun. It was because of The Great Hunt being a bit more innovative that I went on to read The Dragon Reborn. It was after reading THAT book that I was committed to the series.


Hrmm...I guess the maladroit infodumping distracted me a bit more (again, because I had knowledge of "future" events from having read CoS first), as while I would agree that the scenes you mention were not quite as formulaic as those in EotW, I think the way in which those scenes were spread out left much to be desired.

It was after TDR before I began to see what I saw in CoS. Good thing I had bought all of those volumes together at once with my remaining grad loans.
Illusions fall like the husk of a fruit, one after another, and the fruit is experience. - Narrator, Sylvie

Je suis méchant.
Reply to message
Re-reading WoT Ten Years Later - 16/04/2010 06:07:40 AM 2863 Views
The Eye of the World (1997-2000, 2010 reads) - 16/04/2010 06:08:54 AM 1327 Views
Ah, jumping on Roberts' bandwagon... - 16/04/2010 09:17:08 AM 1068 Views
- 16/04/2010 03:32:41 PM 995 Views
Re: The Eye of the World (1997-2000, 2010 reads) - 16/04/2010 06:29:53 PM 1053 Views
I think you misrepresent me - 16/04/2010 11:15:34 PM 952 Views
Re: I think you misrepresent me - 17/04/2010 02:56:53 PM 976 Views
Re: I think you misrepresent me - 17/04/2010 09:45:25 PM 922 Views
Re: I think you misrepresent me - 17/04/2010 10:59:20 PM 1079 Views
MA in History? Is there a more useless degree? - 16/04/2010 09:56:36 PM 914 Views
PhD or MA in Classics - 16/04/2010 10:15:51 PM 865 Views
Yes, whatever degree you have/are studying for - 16/04/2010 11:12:55 PM 910 Views
MBA. Sorry - 17/04/2010 04:38:03 AM 928 Views
There's lots of jokes about MBAs, unfortunately - 17/04/2010 09:46:28 PM 927 Views
Interestingly, I disliked EotW because of its 'youth appeal' - 17/04/2010 12:33:55 AM 1032 Views
Funny how takes can change, huh? - 17/04/2010 12:55:05 AM 1031 Views
Funny, I started my own first-ever reread not long ago. - 17/04/2010 02:16:35 AM 1003 Views
Must be something in the water, no? - 17/04/2010 02:28:23 AM 1018 Views
Gah! - 18/04/2010 12:30:17 PM 904 Views
I thought you meant it! - 18/04/2010 05:29:55 PM 1017 Views
Pfft! - 18/04/2010 08:11:36 PM 915 Views
I'm glad I didn't start with EotW - 19/04/2010 04:16:03 PM 880 Views
Seems Tor is now tweeting about this commentary - 19/04/2010 06:31:39 PM 1091 Views
Re: Re-reading WoT Ten Years Later - 16/04/2010 06:26:51 PM 1014 Views
It'll be interesting to see if I hit a "wall" - 16/04/2010 11:13:55 PM 924 Views
Aww... - 16/04/2010 07:58:27 PM 1016 Views
That's next month or June - 16/04/2010 11:12:02 PM 880 Views
Be sure to send me a noteboard then . - 17/04/2010 03:45:46 AM 902 Views
Oh, I'd post it at this site as well, perhaps - 17/04/2010 03:51:19 AM 855 Views
Yeah, but I only lurk in the OF when I'm interested in getting new books... - 17/04/2010 04:00:14 AM 870 Views
Ah - 17/04/2010 09:47:37 PM 874 Views
Malazan 9 is out? - 17/04/2010 09:58:23 PM 744 Views
Been out for several months - 17/04/2010 10:24:15 PM 847 Views
Can anybody please explain to me - 17/04/2010 08:45:18 PM 1064 Views
It's hard to explain - 17/04/2010 09:42:16 PM 1106 Views
was thinking the same thing *NM* - 18/04/2010 03:59:36 PM 601 Views
Re: Can anybody please explain to me - 19/04/2010 04:17:39 PM 755 Views
The more posts from this larry guy I read, the more I think......... - 18/04/2010 08:56:34 AM 1042 Views
Interesting metatextual analysis there - 18/04/2010 09:47:43 AM 1069 Views
Nice, but in the future... - 18/04/2010 04:04:07 PM 946 Views
I know... - 18/04/2010 08:11:18 PM 900 Views
If you don't like WoT....Don't read it - 19/04/2010 12:36:06 AM 867 Views
Aren't you being a bit presumptuous there? - 19/04/2010 12:53:00 AM 1281 Views
... - 19/04/2010 12:59:33 AM 1040 Views
Re: ... - 21/04/2010 03:41:08 AM 1008 Views
Re: The more posts from this larry guy I read, the more I think......... - 18/04/2010 10:26:12 AM 1053 Views
I am disappoint - 19/04/2010 01:17:20 AM 1042 Views
- 19/04/2010 01:24:29 AM 908 Views
Who the hell are you? What the hell are you doing here? - 19/04/2010 06:48:56 PM 1035 Views
Oh crap, a troll! - 02/05/2010 08:53:36 PM 876 Views
The Great Hunt (1997-2000, 2010 reads) - 19/04/2010 09:22:40 AM 1029 Views
I guess I'm just weird. - 19/04/2010 06:44:59 PM 1111 Views
If anything, I suspect my reaction is the minority one - 19/04/2010 09:20:25 PM 1050 Views
It's interesting you thought this about The Great Hunt. - 19/04/2010 07:06:57 PM 852 Views
Yeah, I almost gave up this series after The Eye of the World too. *NM* - 19/04/2010 08:38:25 PM 536 Views
My actual introduction to the series was A Crown of Swords - 19/04/2010 09:26:19 PM 987 Views
By the way... - 19/04/2010 09:44:59 PM 784 Views
Ah, that. - 19/04/2010 09:53:02 PM 869 Views
My experience has been different: - 19/04/2010 09:04:27 PM 972 Views
That may indeed be the case - 19/04/2010 09:27:36 PM 1160 Views
The Dragon Reborn (1997-2000 reads; 2010 re-read) - 22/04/2010 08:49:23 AM 1119 Views
The Shadow Rising (1997-2000 initial reads; 2010 re-read) - 25/04/2010 06:41:08 AM 977 Views
The Fires of Heaven (1997-2000 initial reads; 2010 re-read) - 28/04/2010 08:47:14 AM 932 Views
Lord of Chaos (1997-2000 initial reads; 2010 re-read) - 30/04/2010 01:33:37 PM 1146 Views
A Crown of Swords (1997-2000 initial reads; 2010 re-read) - 02/05/2010 03:30:39 PM 999 Views
The Path of Daggers (1998-2000 reads; 2010 re-read) - 04/05/2010 03:20:12 PM 828 Views
Winter's Heart (2000 initial read; 2010 re-read) - 07/05/2010 01:35:13 PM 819 Views
Re: Winter's Heart (2000 initial read; 2010 re-read) - 08/05/2010 09:43:31 AM 931 Views
But I must - 08/05/2010 09:59:42 AM 754 Views
Re: But I must - 08/05/2010 02:57:03 PM 849 Views
I just think of bath porn - 08/05/2010 03:12:29 PM 1023 Views
Crossroads of Twilight (2006 initial read; 2010 re-read) - 10/05/2010 02:00:06 PM 924 Views
Knife of Dreams (2009 initial read; 2010 re-read) - 13/05/2010 03:27:53 PM 1072 Views
New Spring (1997 read (novella); 2010 read (novel)) - 14/05/2010 07:39:40 AM 1002 Views

Reply to Message