I also like to read stand-alone novels or shorter series. My point is that if the plot, the characters & the world interest me, I'm not scared of reading such a monster series, even if one has to deal with some slower parts, has to keep lots of plot-lines, characters, etc., in mind, and be rather patient for the resolutions.
I don't think "scared" would be the applicable word in talking about what he and perhaps others feel toward the series. Length is not a virtue, nor is it necessarily a vice. But making something lengthy just to cram in more elements of one's devised setting might appear to be quite pointless.
On the other hand, I would argue that simply the length of a series like WoT is wearing Roberts down, especially if he normally reads shorter works with less details, perhaps has a shorter attention span and might be easily bored (as you said, he e.g. probably didn't even realize what the damn point of the plot in TFoH is). This is supported by Roberts' "reviews", which in my view become more and more sketchy, mediocre and contain mistakes, probably because he is only able to read the books very superficially. If he would devote just a bit more time to really read the books, he might eventually see some worth in WoT (and e.g. maybe even get why the 5th book is called "The Fires of Heaven"..). Of course, Roberts actually doesn't want to give WoT this chance, so his "reviews" might be mildly amusing in some parts, but overall they are pointless.
Or maybe it's just that he's become bored with it all? And that the boredom has little to do with not grasping the main events but rather thinking that they are ultimately trivial? And it's ironic that you use "pointless" to describe his point of view (presumed), as "pointless" has been lobbed by many toward those überfans that spend so much time on the minutiae of the WoT series that others begin to wonder just what the point is in obsessing over trivial details of plot and character.
Illusions fall like the husk of a fruit, one after another, and the fruit is experience. - Narrator, Sylvie
Je suis méchant.
Je suis méchant.
Author Adam Roberts tackled the WoT.
- 19/03/2010 09:30:25 PM
13669 Views
Heh, While I agree with him about it being derivative, I still encourage people to read it.
- 20/03/2010 02:36:47 AM
2880 Views
My problem with the reviews:
- 20/03/2010 06:29:08 AM
3575 Views
Hear Hear !!!
.......................
=
........................ *NM*
- 20/03/2010 06:37:11 AM
1690 Views
.......................
=
........................ *NM*
- 20/03/2010 06:37:11 AM
1690 Views
well I agree and disagree
- 20/03/2010 06:51:29 AM
3193 Views
Re: well I agree and disagree
- 20/03/2010 02:12:43 PM
2746 Views
I'm amused by some of the responses
- 20/03/2010 07:20:03 PM
3197 Views
Are you suggesting that we are unqualified to disagree with him ?
- 20/03/2010 11:21:44 PM
2909 Views
No, I said rather that it's ridiculous to make such disparaging comments about his takes
- 20/03/2010 11:37:56 PM
2921 Views
I will reply to myself: What's the problem McFly , chicken ?
- 21/03/2010 12:29:36 AM
2782 Views
My sister called me chicken once
- 10/04/2010 01:18:31 AM
2803 Views
Re: I'm amused by some of the responses
- 23/03/2010 04:50:42 PM
2807 Views
And I'm even more amused by this response
- 24/03/2010 01:11:50 AM
2752 Views
- 24/03/2010 01:11:50 AM
2752 Views
On a completely unrelated note...
- 24/03/2010 06:15:25 AM
2668 Views
Ha!
- 24/03/2010 06:34:48 AM
2629 Views
- 24/03/2010 06:34:48 AM
2629 Views
My congratulations then
. *NM*
- 24/03/2010 06:36:11 AM
2562 Views
. *NM*
- 24/03/2010 06:36:11 AM
2562 Views
Wow, you guys have completely missed the point of the Wheel of Time series
- 22/03/2010 05:28:07 PM
2787 Views
- 22/03/2010 05:28:07 PM
2787 Views
There's a point to it?
- 22/03/2010 06:47:12 PM
2766 Views
- 22/03/2010 06:47:12 PM
2766 Views
Yes, RJ has explained it at least a few times and the main sequence of each book invokes his message *NM*
- 24/03/2010 02:09:01 AM
1635 Views
You're not taking me seriously now, are you?
- 24/03/2010 02:54:37 AM
2691 Views
- 24/03/2010 02:54:37 AM
2691 Views
I meant the reason why RJ wrote WoT in the first place
- 24/03/2010 06:39:47 AM
2681 Views
And which, arguably, could be viewed as being done in a hackneyed way
- 24/03/2010 07:15:55 AM
2731 Views
I thought the point was to write about a bunch of stuff happening?
- 09/04/2010 03:42:49 PM
2781 Views
pfft wth-ever
- 26/03/2010 12:35:53 AM
2565 Views
Dude's been up for more awards for his writing than RJ ever was
- 26/03/2010 12:28:19 PM
2806 Views
bla bla bla
- 29/03/2010 06:17:07 AM
2716 Views
Wow. That post was more entertaining than Mr. Roberts' review. Thank you
*NM*
- 29/03/2010 08:23:41 AM
1805 Views
*NM*
- 29/03/2010 08:23:41 AM
1805 Views
You must have low standards for entertainment
- 29/03/2010 08:54:03 AM
2662 Views
Re: You must have low standards for entertainment
- 29/03/2010 09:13:44 AM
2751 Views
I know you were, thus the
at the least of my comment
- 29/03/2010 09:19:30 AM
2571 Views
at the least of my comment
- 29/03/2010 09:19:30 AM
2571 Views
Unimpressed
- 29/03/2010 10:50:07 PM
3074 Views
Isn't that a bit uncharitable, Dom, considering how much you approved of what I did with CoT?
- 30/03/2010 12:03:48 AM
3071 Views
Re: Dude's been up for more awards for his writing than RJ ever was
- 29/03/2010 04:32:23 PM
2788 Views
Might want to re-read their Wikis again.
- 29/03/2010 07:07:11 PM
2596 Views
Awards
- 29/03/2010 07:42:03 PM
2564 Views
That link is out of date
- 29/03/2010 07:54:56 PM
2542 Views
Re: That link is out of date
- 29/03/2010 08:22:03 PM
2741 Views
This is a battle of win/lose?
- 29/03/2010 08:47:54 PM
2588 Views
Re: This is a battle of win/lose?
- 29/03/2010 09:03:07 PM
2607 Views
*considers employing the Chewbacca defense*
- 29/03/2010 09:28:06 PM
2648 Views
Re: *considers employing the Chewbacca defense*
- 29/03/2010 09:44:58 PM
2813 Views
The final point explains the "defense"
- 30/03/2010 12:24:56 AM
2553 Views
Re: The final point explains the "defense"
- 30/03/2010 01:33:04 PM
2491 Views
No, no, no
- 30/03/2010 06:38:41 PM
2539 Views
Re: No, no, no
- 30/03/2010 07:51:34 PM
2645 Views
Still continuing, huh?
- 31/03/2010 02:10:13 AM
2600 Views
Re: Still continuing, huh?
- 31/03/2010 03:56:57 PM
2600 Views
He's now reviewed the third book
- 26/03/2010 12:27:16 PM
2815 Views
Well, this time I must disagree with him
.
- 29/03/2010 07:31:40 AM
2526 Views
.
- 29/03/2010 07:31:40 AM
2526 Views
I don't think he was claiming that RJ was alone in doing that
- 29/03/2010 07:44:07 AM
2544 Views
Hah!
- 29/03/2010 06:07:28 PM
2529 Views
Well...
- 29/03/2010 06:52:10 PM
2453 Views
Differing perspectives, I guess.
- 29/03/2010 07:58:13 PM
2626 Views
I suppose
- 29/03/2010 08:50:43 PM
2541 Views
Re: I suppose
- 30/03/2010 12:18:30 AM
2717 Views
Hey, DomA, do you know why the Shienarans randomly speak in the Old Tongue?
- 30/03/2010 12:52:01 AM
2536 Views
Re: Hey, DomA, do you know why the Shienarans randomly speak in the Old Tongue?
- 30/03/2010 07:45:08 AM
2741 Views
But why only them?
- 30/03/2010 08:07:00 AM
2616 Views
The Shadow Rising review
- 02/04/2010 09:42:53 AM
2848 Views
I wonder if this borders on trolling
- 02/04/2010 02:29:58 PM
11356 Views
That would be a mistake
- 02/04/2010 09:16:25 PM
2829 Views
Re: That would be a mistake
- 02/04/2010 10:28:56 PM
2573 Views
I agree, Roberts is more and more coming across to me as just bitter
- 10/04/2010 01:24:52 AM
2677 Views
Little late to this one as well
- 10/04/2010 11:12:04 AM
2717 Views
Perhaps you should have led with this bit
- 10/04/2010 02:52:23 PM
2799 Views
I guess I just presumed that people would read the header to his blog
- 12/04/2010 03:54:10 AM
2616 Views
- 12/04/2010 03:54:10 AM
2616 Views
What review? I couldn't find one...
- 02/04/2010 08:00:45 PM
2774 Views
Re: What review? I couldn't find one...
- 02/04/2010 09:22:13 PM
2783 Views
See my comment below
- 02/04/2010 09:32:54 PM
2851 Views
Re: See my comment below
- 03/04/2010 09:31:22 AM
3186 Views
Sorry I'm late in responding, but I've been quite busy this week
- 07/04/2010 09:45:48 PM
3032 Views
Speaking of irritation
- 02/04/2010 10:50:04 PM
2729 Views
To be fair, even among the RaFOers there have been tons of posts that missed certain events
- 09/04/2010 03:47:30 PM
2649 Views
Commentary, then?
- 02/04/2010 09:27:18 PM
2633 Views
- 02/04/2010 09:27:18 PM
2633 Views
Here's the thing...
- 02/04/2010 10:11:18 PM
2567 Views
Re: Here's the thing...
- 02/04/2010 10:31:56 PM
2430 Views
Re: Commentary, then?
- 05/04/2010 03:44:07 PM
2508 Views
- 05/04/2010 03:44:07 PM
2508 Views
for a man that bitterly complains about an author who is padding his work
- 08/04/2010 09:41:07 PM
2752 Views
1400 words is long-winded?
- 09/04/2010 10:07:41 AM
2794 Views
- 09/04/2010 10:07:41 AM
2794 Views
since you can sum up those 1400 words in about 25 yes that's longwinded
- 09/04/2010 01:36:16 PM
2672 Views
Except I didn't really sum it up, as I left out quite a bit
- 10/04/2010 11:15:42 AM
2698 Views
You are very defensive over this
- 10/04/2010 01:54:15 PM
2487 Views
Nah, more of a devil's advocate than anything else
- 12/04/2010 03:57:12 AM
2551 Views
Well Larry I have started reading Gradsil by Adam Roberts
- 07/04/2010 08:59:28 PM
2719 Views
I demand a paragraph by paragraph review, with footnotes!
- 07/04/2010 09:50:39 PM
2598 Views
Re: I demand a paragraph by paragraph review, with footnotes!
- 08/04/2010 01:06:20 PM
2506 Views
Which Invisible Man?
- 09/04/2010 09:58:44 AM
2668 Views
He brings up some interesting points, if in an unnecessarily rude manner
- 08/04/2010 12:42:25 PM
2595 Views
To be honest, I doubt most readers of the series obsess over it that much
- 09/04/2010 10:05:49 AM
2618 Views
- 09/04/2010 10:05:49 AM
2618 Views
Re: To be honest, I doubt most readers of the series obsess over it that much
- 09/04/2010 01:28:17 PM
3162 Views
- 09/04/2010 01:28:17 PM
3162 Views
Re: To be honest, I doubt most readers of the series obsess over it that much
- 10/04/2010 11:40:22 AM
2638 Views
- 10/04/2010 11:40:22 AM
2638 Views
why are you so bothered by people being unimpressed with Roberts?
- 10/04/2010 02:19:08 PM
2641 Views
Not bothered as much as I am bemused by the ad hominems, to be honest
- 12/04/2010 04:11:12 AM
2949 Views
And in vol. 5, Roberts discovers the horrors of the circus
- 09/04/2010 09:57:03 AM
2611 Views
Basically he just states the "nothing happens"-argument...
- 09/04/2010 03:26:02 PM
2511 Views
Well, what was really resolved here?
- 10/04/2010 11:25:25 AM
2588 Views
Well...
- 12/04/2010 05:05:20 PM
2694 Views
So very little was resolved and much was set into motion, then?
- 12/04/2010 06:55:45 PM
2656 Views
Yes...
- 12/04/2010 10:51:08 PM
2401 Views
Ever read Umberto Eco's How To Travel with a Salmon?
- 12/04/2010 11:07:19 PM
2753 Views
I guess...
- 13/04/2010 10:03:03 AM
2733 Views
Sounds like you value prolixity for the sake of prolixity, to be honest
- 13/04/2010 04:41:07 PM
3853 Views
Nah...
- 13/04/2010 05:29:34 PM
2399 Views
He's read and enjoyed Proust, among others
- 13/04/2010 07:37:39 PM
2559 Views
Ah, well...
- 13/04/2010 09:45:45 PM
2449 Views
Dismissive, much?
- 13/04/2010 10:52:30 PM
2649 Views
- 13/04/2010 10:52:30 PM
2649 Views
About that bifurcation...
- 14/04/2010 02:02:15 AM
2625 Views
Sorry that I was busy yesterday and didn't have a chance to reply until now
- 15/04/2010 01:46:54 PM
2749 Views
I'm sorry, but he's totally right. "The Circus" made me put down this series for 5 YEARS.
- 09/04/2010 03:38:16 PM
2613 Views
Lord of Chaos commentary
- 16/04/2010 03:39:39 PM
2584 Views
No no. It was Lord of Heaven!
- 16/04/2010 05:51:11 PM
2474 Views
Yeah, I noticed that
- 16/04/2010 11:16:26 PM
2389 Views
- 16/04/2010 11:16:26 PM
2389 Views
I would love the see him review Goodkind...
- 16/04/2010 11:51:07 PM
2610 Views
I don't wish that on anyone who doesn't have copious amounts of alcohol
- 16/04/2010 11:57:41 PM
2542 Views
A Crown of Swords - or is it deco-porn?
- 23/04/2010 08:36:17 AM
2660 Views
Re: A Crown of Swords - or is it deco-porn?
- 29/04/2010 06:02:28 PM
2580 Views
I disagree
- 29/04/2010 09:34:49 PM
2408 Views
The Path of Daggers commentary
- 07/05/2010 10:39:03 AM
2728 Views
Winter's Heart
- 21/05/2010 12:46:14 PM
2740 Views
I think WH was my least favorite of the WoT novels I re-read
- 21/05/2010 04:49:31 PM
2581 Views
Re: I think WH was my least favorite of the WoT novels I re-read
- 25/05/2010 05:05:09 PM
2723 Views
WH was my least favorite novel in the series, and that is saying a lot.
- 28/05/2010 03:15:13 PM
2556 Views
I completely agree with his KoD post. Here is my favorite quote:
- 28/05/2010 03:08:31 PM
2887 Views
Roberts reflects back on WoT 1-11, with answers to questions asked of him
- 25/06/2010 12:51:29 PM
2707 Views
This guy should be burned at the stake
- 25/06/2010 03:22:34 PM
10195 Views
Are you done making a fool out of yourself, Mark?
- 26/06/2010 06:53:37 PM
2644 Views
Oh come on...
- 26/06/2010 09:06:01 PM
2677 Views
Well, the burning at the stake was a bit much...
- 26/06/2010 10:19:40 PM
2688 Views
Well, really! You brought the comment to his notice...
- 26/06/2010 11:34:08 PM
2702 Views
And your point is...?
- 27/06/2010 12:37:00 AM
2721 Views
Well...
- 27/06/2010 05:38:12 AM
2653 Views
Indeed... I think it's rather clear that Larry's goal has been to cause trouble
- 27/06/2010 10:57:36 AM
2824 Views
It's not about honour being beschmirched. It's about poor quality arguments. *NM*
- 30/03/2011 04:09:23 PM
1502 Views
One year later...
- 27/03/2011 03:40:29 AM
2509 Views
Re: One year later...
- 28/03/2011 05:03:32 PM
2788 Views
I see you subconsciously support critical takes.
- 28/03/2011 11:41:48 PM
2742 Views
No I conciously support telling you and him that you are pathetic, arrogent, & jelous. *NM*
- 30/03/2011 01:40:36 PM
1540 Views
Jealous?
- 30/03/2011 05:20:32 PM
2552 Views
You both are jelous of Jordan's tremendous succes.
- 30/03/2011 10:27:36 PM
2540 Views
Please learn how to spell the word "jealous" before tossing it about in the cavalier fashion you do
- 30/03/2011 10:54:36 PM
2588 Views
The fact that you teach is supposed to be a surprise?
- 31/03/2011 01:23:45 PM
2496 Views
After reading the standard-issue checklist of generic, tossabout pejoratives...
- 01/04/2011 03:06:18 PM
2649 Views
I agree, I didn't even notice it was an old post, definitely did not deserve to be revived. *NM*
- 30/03/2011 02:41:12 PM
1447 Views
Now I notice as well that this is a year old. You're very silly, Larry, very silly. *NM*
- 30/03/2011 04:13:38 PM
1571 Views
Yep!
- 30/03/2011 05:16:38 PM
2462 Views
- 30/03/2011 05:16:38 PM
2462 Views
He's not an "author", he's just a stupid troll, do not feed him *NM*
- 30/03/2011 02:39:19 PM
1465 Views

