I love the wheel of time but I think we can all agree an ending would be good some time in the near future. I'm a huge fan of fantasy epic's and this series is that and more, but it's coming to a point where more and more fans will be alienated by the snail's pace of forward progression. Jordan has ruined me when it comes to patience. I get so frustrated with any fantasy series that takes too long to go somewhere. George R. R. Martin's books are a great example. I like Martin's story its really good but am I paranoid when I wonder if George R. R. Martin is a pseudonym for Robert Jordan or vice versa? Because a Song of Ice and Fire is well on its way to taking forever to end. 3 books in 8 years! Come on at least Jordan wrote the first 6 books in 5 years. <And don't even get me started on Goodkind. Hey I like a serial novel as much as the next guy but he has taken it to the extreme. When his novels end they only lack that "dun dun dun" sound from the old radio shows and mystery programs!> Jordan really needs to do a bang up job on the next one so I can get rid of the sour aftertaste Crossroads left me with. Frustration aside, I still plan on doing the same thing I always do once I know the street date for Jordan's next book. Get a part time job at B&N so I can read the book before its released.
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Re: Is the end in sight?
Thu, July 8, 2004 - 8:33 PMI hope the end is in sight. It might give me the steam to finish book 10 and try my hand in the prequel. I have been attempting to finish book 10 since I bought it the day it was released. I get around halfway and then I feel like watching the grass grow might be more exciting. If Stephen King can finish Dark Tower which has spanned most of his career, Jordan can start tying up some loose ends and pulling this series back together.
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Re: Is the end in sight?
Tue, July 13, 2004 - 4:44 PMFrom what I've heard, he's definitely going to write the last two books, and then write two more prequels to follow the first prequel. -
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Re: Is the end in sight?
Thu, July 29, 2004 - 2:05 PMThe prequel was actually good... short and sweet... I really enjoyed it... Crossroads was book nine retold only SLOWER... ugh... NOTHING happened in Crossroads... -
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Re: Is the end in sight?
Tue, November 9, 2004 - 5:57 AMI think the problem with a series like this is....the books are so well written that we place such high expectations on every one of them. I had no problem at all with Crossroads...it was obvious to me that it was a filler book...leading up to the next one. -
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Re: Is the end in sight?
Tue, November 9, 2004 - 8:03 AMExcept, I don't think they're that well-written. I think the story is a good one, and the ideas are exceptional, but I think the writing is not that great.
Feel free to disagree, but that's just how I feel. -
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Re: Is the end in sight?
Fri, December 10, 2004 - 2:05 PMI'm with you, Jess. Jordan has demonstrated himself to be a brilliant storyteller and an overly creative maker of characters, but, as to the writing, he has also proven himself long-winded, repetitive, and antigrammatical. There is no real beauty to his prose. It is the story that keeps me transfixed. -
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Re: Is the end in sight?
Fri, December 10, 2004 - 2:50 PMI definitely agree with you both on that one. Great tales, but the style is so-so. Even the plotting, like where the climax happens in each book, isn't always fun. His descriptions, while detailed and often useful to *see* the setting is a bit ham-fisted.
I am slogging through book 8 right now. I hadn't realized what a chore it had become until I picked up another book, something with truly lovely prose, and found I just breezed right through it. But I want to know what happens!! The storyline does fascinate me. I want to finish what has been written so far before I forget who the characters are and what's going on.
I find the minor characters are worse than a Russian novel though, I keep having to jot down who is who on a post it or I can even mix up the good guys & bad guys. Normally my comprehension & recall is far superior to that...but my mind just tends to wander when the story isn't moving forward well.
Scott, I totally agree on the repetitiveness. As the politics become more key than the "action" and there is more recent history to repeat in case someone's forgotten we have to read through so many synopses it gets frustrating!
But I still can't wait to see how it ends. Of course I have some general ideas, but even as frustrated as I am with his writing, I still want to read where it goes.
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Unsu...
Re: Is the end in sight?
Tue, July 26, 2005 - 1:27 PMWith so many detailed characters, so many people have their favorites as well, keeping the details of each one makes for slow going with many books to follow.
Some places I think he could be more detailed and others, when he repeats after 10 books, is unnecessary. Anyone that has not figured out some basic things and history of character x, shoouldn't read book 9 ahead of book 2.
Just my half a cent worth.
October is a longggggg way aways.
