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It also has Faulknerian allusions Larry Send a noteboard - 09/10/2012 07:04:55 PM
Sorry, it was too easy to quote Shakespeare in the subject line.


I just found myself imagining WoT as written by Faulkner. Amusing.

Wheel of Time is entertainment fiction and any attempts at analysis would be a waste of time. Although at one point Jordan made the statement, "It'll be like War and Peace," it's unclear whether he was filled with baseless hubris or just referring to the perceived length (though I would posit that La Comédie Humaine would be a more apt metaphor for length, albeit one that most of his fans would not recognize).


Ha. I imagine a few might get the Balzac reference. Sadly, a few of those might make a Balzac joke afterwards ;)

My criticisms of Wheel of Time only started when the series began to drag and the entertainment value dropped precipitously. I am only going to judge Jordan (and Sanderson writing for Jordan) on his own terms. I am not going to compare him to Dickens or Tolstoy or Mann, because he never set out to write significant literature, nor did he seek to write aesthetic literature or any other form of artistic or belletristic expression.


I'd agree for the most part, but I do think it's fair to assess him at the level of someone who sought to write something more complex than a D&D adventure. Within the strictures of the apparent narrative intent, I think it would be fair to critique WoT along the lines of a burdened world hero-to-be/possible destroyer and how effectively that main theme was explored. Needless to say, it wouldn't rate very highly from many critics ;)

Even on its own terms, I think the series collapsed under its own weight. Jordan was unable or unwilling to edit out the unnecessary, and the series "got away" from him, so to speak. He became unclear where the series should go and struggled to get pieces together in the middle books. This was doubly fatal to the series as the time wasted also ultimately robbed fans of the author himself. Time was not on his side, and by losing sight of his goal he never had the chance to reach it.


Agreed.

There will be an ending, but I think only the most diehard fans will really be satisfied with it. Everyone else will likely breathe a deep sigh, say, "Well, it's over," and move on to other things.


Like waiting for ASOIAF to end? :P Luckily for me, epic fantasies aren't main courses.
Illusions fall like the husk of a fruit, one after another, and the fruit is experience. - Narrator, Sylvie

Je suis méchant.
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So when the book/series ends, what will it have all meant? Larry - 08/10/2012 09:47:49 PM 2147 Views
Years of enjoyment. What else do you expect from fiction? Marshall - 08/10/2012 10:17:30 PM 1103 Views
I expect a lot from fiction, to be honest Larry - 09/10/2012 02:43:59 AM 1163 Views
HAHAHA! darius_sedai - 08/10/2012 10:17:58 PM 1146 Views
Yeah, the use of my time does matter Larry - 09/10/2012 02:45:15 AM 1070 Views
Not sure I'd call it mindless darius_sedai - 09/10/2012 02:53:00 AM 1024 Views
Well, it is a bit more complex than a D&D novel Larry - 09/10/2012 02:55:40 AM 1051 Views
I'm not really a huge fiction reader to begin with darius_sedai - 09/10/2012 11:25:34 PM 953 Views
I've noticed that quite a few here/wotmania have not been big fiction (fantasy) readers Larry - 11/10/2012 05:48:02 AM 1047 Views
Re: I've noticed that quite a few here/wotmania have not been big fiction (fantasy) readers RugbyPlayingAshaman - 12/10/2012 05:11:20 PM 973 Views
I like the TV series ... It's gritty darius_sedai - 13/10/2012 11:44:06 PM 918 Views
Well... it's a bit late in the game... DomA - 09/10/2012 02:04:16 AM 1251 Views
True, but it's never too late to ask people such questions Larry - 09/10/2012 02:49:28 AM 955 Views
I'm not sure... DomA - 09/10/2012 06:03:08 AM 971 Views
Well, we may be in closer agreement then Larry - 09/10/2012 06:43:50 PM 1015 Views
Re: Well, we may be in closer agreement then DomA - 09/10/2012 11:08:49 PM 1138 Views
Re: Well, we may be in closer agreement then Larry - 11/10/2012 06:14:27 AM 935 Views
Re: I'm not sure... echooff - 11/10/2012 06:15:26 PM 936 Views
There's a reason for this... fionwe1987 - 09/10/2012 02:11:21 AM 1068 Views
True Larry - 09/10/2012 02:54:12 AM 1099 Views
Re: True DomA - 09/10/2012 06:19:42 AM 979 Views
I am now visualizing WoT as a telenovela adaptation Larry - 09/10/2012 06:59:11 PM 932 Views
everything about Lanfear screams TeleNovela! darius_sedai - 11/10/2012 04:38:03 AM 861 Views
Por ella, soy Luisa Therin? Larry - 11/10/2012 05:44:32 AM 952 Views
All of the names would have to be longer and more pompous Tom - 11/10/2012 03:54:30 PM 807 Views
Not in this particular telenovela adaptation Larry - 11/10/2012 05:48:06 PM 1206 Views
It is a tale, told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. Tom - 09/10/2012 02:21:20 PM 1030 Views
It also has Faulknerian allusions Larry - 09/10/2012 07:04:55 PM 1014 Views
BTW, did you see the Folio Society's color-coded The Sound and the Fury? Tom - 10/10/2012 08:06:18 PM 1245 Views
Re: BTW, did you see the Folio Society's color-coded The Sound and the Fury? DomA - 10/10/2012 09:39:56 PM 980 Views
The One Power doesn't seem that unique or innovative to me. Tom - 11/10/2012 04:05:06 PM 897 Views
No, but I'll keep it in mind for the future when I have more money to spare Larry - 11/10/2012 05:49:52 AM 834 Views
It sold out fast. They might reprint it, though. Tom - 11/10/2012 03:45:20 PM 833 Views
Hopefully, that or it won't be more than $200 when I do have the money to spare Larry - 11/10/2012 05:53:20 PM 1098 Views
Re: So when the book/series ends, what will it have all meant? nigelgoboom - 11/10/2012 10:52:01 AM 937 Views
Ah, where would we be without such bright lights like you around? Larry - 11/10/2012 05:59:48 PM 1178 Views
It will have meant.. . MightyYT - 11/10/2012 06:59:43 PM 1001 Views
So... Larry - 11/10/2012 07:05:41 PM 1035 Views
For me, yes. Macharius - 11/10/2012 07:45:25 PM 837 Views
I would think for most the money spent wasn't too bad Larry - 11/10/2012 08:07:49 PM 1189 Views
I got my money's worth, oh yes. MightyYT - 12/10/2012 07:59:58 PM 984 Views
I'm not sure it means anything. RugbyPlayingAshaman - 11/10/2012 08:10:45 PM 1044 Views
I'm not sure there is too much meaning ajsr1982 - 15/10/2012 05:57:57 PM 1036 Views
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