Active Users:164 Time:19/03/2024 02:50:54 AM
Dismissive, much? Larry Send a noteboard - 13/04/2010 10:52:30 PM
Truth be told, it's anyway not that important. Roberts will certainly post his little comments on the next WoT books. While you might be thrilled by his brilliant humor and unchallenged shrewdness, I will probably just consider it pretty pathetic that he forces himself to read all this apparently boring, pointless and trivial crap, just to ridicule it afterwards in an even more unoriginal way. But we will see.. ;)


I actually find his comments to be more nuanced and generous in some regards than you and some others are willing to give him credit. I don't agree with everything, but I think he's being forthright in what he's saying (and again, if you haven't read the book commentaries he's put on his personal blog for years, like I have, there are certain things that will be missed). I think a recent response of his inside the latest commentary is intriguing:

Rajashekar: "What do you think contributes to the commercial success of this series? "

Now that is an interesting question. You're quite right, there's no denying the books' enormous, and continuing, success. And I very much take the force of your (diplomatically restrained, but spot-on) imputation too: that I'm missing something significant here.

There's something or things about this series has resulted not just in many people reading them, but a good number falling in love with them too. Not me, or not so far at any rate, but I probably need to be more open to whatever this 'thing' or 'things' is/are. Part of me thinks it must have to do with the series sheer length; which by a sort of textual brute force can replicate the immersiveness a more skillful writer achieves through style, worldbuilding or character. The shift (as in Star Wars) into increasingly obviously sexualised territory can't have hurt either: I can imagine readers growing up reading the series.

Or, thinking a little more about this (and picking up on Larry's perceptive comment): by 'length' I suppose I mean more than just bulk of pages. I mean the immense accumulation of and attention to trivial details.

Put it this way: there's an interesting bifurcation in the 'market' (horrid term) for SF and Fantasy: on the one hand the texts themselves (as it might be: Lord of the Rings, Star Wars) which provide one sort of pleasure, and on the other immensely detailed and elongated fan encyclopedia-style anatomies and extensions of those texts: all the Star Wars novelisations, all the books of ships specs and timelines and whatnot. This latter body of writing appeals to a subset of broader fandom, those SFF fans who want to know every atom of the imagined world.

Now what's happening with WoT, it seems to me, is that after a conventional opening, the series is increasingly turning into a man-and-fly-in-the-matter-transporter-together mutant melding of these two modes of text. Each installment devotes a certain amount of energy to moving the story on, and much more to encyclopedically anatomizing world and character.


It's that part about the bifurcation that intrigues me and I think may explain why some love the series and why others come to loathe it.
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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Author Adam Roberts tackled the WoT. - 19/03/2010 09:30:25 PM 11927 Views
A question for Larry - 19/03/2010 09:40:37 PM 2696 Views
Roberto Bolaño - 19/03/2010 11:09:57 PM 2477 Views
I completely agree with his review. - 19/03/2010 11:11:17 PM 2666 Views
Ouch! Somebody pull that guy off RJ! *NM* - 20/03/2010 03:47:07 AM 1295 Views
Can't say that I really disagree. - 20/03/2010 05:19:26 AM 1975 Views
My problem with the reviews: - 20/03/2010 06:29:08 AM 2616 Views
Hear Hear !!! ....................... = ........................ *NM* - 20/03/2010 06:37:11 AM 1248 Views
I agree - 20/03/2010 11:19:29 AM 2072 Views
You know what else I'm finding annoying? - 07/04/2010 07:29:37 AM 2002 Views
Fully Agree *NM* - 21/06/2010 12:41:05 AM 1127 Views
well I agree and disagree - 20/03/2010 06:51:29 AM 2376 Views
Re: well I agree and disagree - 20/03/2010 02:12:43 PM 1904 Views
I'd say just The Eye of the World - 20/03/2010 05:26:19 PM 1902 Views
Indeed - 21/03/2010 12:34:19 AM 1880 Views
These reviews are pathetic - 20/03/2010 12:52:22 PM 1890 Views
I'm amused by some of the responses - 20/03/2010 07:20:03 PM 2295 Views
+1 *NM* - 20/03/2010 10:48:14 PM 1463 Views
Are you suggesting that we are unqualified to disagree with him ? - 20/03/2010 11:21:44 PM 2065 Views
No, I said rather that it's ridiculous to make such disparaging comments about his takes - 20/03/2010 11:37:56 PM 2068 Views
I considered doing so - 21/03/2010 12:27:27 AM 1890 Views
I will reply to myself: What's the problem McFly , chicken ? - 21/03/2010 12:29:36 AM 1850 Views
My sister called me chicken once - 10/04/2010 01:18:31 AM 1899 Views
what's wrong runt... are you yellah? *NM* - 10/04/2010 10:40:16 AM 1206 Views
NICE! *NM* - 10/04/2010 02:19:44 PM 1080 Views
Re: I'm amused by some of the responses - 23/03/2010 04:50:42 PM 1949 Views
And I'm even more amused by this response - 24/03/2010 01:11:50 AM 1893 Views
Re: And I'm even more amused by this response - 24/03/2010 03:03:28 AM 1759 Views
Nah, TGS was the only serious review of the series I've done - 24/03/2010 04:31:28 AM 1834 Views
On a completely unrelated note... - 24/03/2010 06:15:25 AM 1730 Views
Ha! - 24/03/2010 06:34:48 AM 1799 Views
My congratulations then . *NM* - 24/03/2010 06:36:11 AM 1694 Views
You say it as if I had been condemned to hell! - 24/03/2010 07:13:45 AM 1622 Views
No. Well, maybe. - 24/03/2010 06:52:28 PM 1746 Views
! - 24/03/2010 06:54:34 PM 1755 Views
Re: Author Adam Roberts tackled the WoT. - 22/03/2010 02:47:23 PM 1916 Views
Re: Author Adam Roberts tackled the WoT. - 23/03/2010 01:53:16 PM 1859 Views
Wow, you guys have completely missed the point of the Wheel of Time series - 22/03/2010 05:28:07 PM 1921 Views
There's a point to it? - 22/03/2010 06:47:12 PM 1905 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 1218 Views
You're not taking me seriously now, are you? - 24/03/2010 02:54:37 AM 1861 Views
I meant the reason why RJ wrote WoT in the first place - 24/03/2010 06:39:47 AM 1808 Views
I thought the point was to write about a bunch of stuff happening? - 09/04/2010 03:42:49 PM 1887 Views
Re: Author Adam Roberts tackled the WoT. - 23/03/2010 04:54:38 PM 1855 Views
pfft wth-ever - 26/03/2010 12:35:53 AM 1708 Views
Dude's been up for more awards for his writing than RJ ever was - 26/03/2010 12:28:19 PM 1954 Views
bla bla bla - 29/03/2010 06:17:07 AM 1826 Views
Usually, it's spelled "blah" - 29/03/2010 07:03:51 AM 1787 Views
Wow. That post was more entertaining than Mr. Roberts' review. Thank you *NM* - 29/03/2010 08:23:41 AM 1387 Views
You must have low standards for entertainment - 29/03/2010 08:54:03 AM 1758 Views
Re: You must have low standards for entertainment - 29/03/2010 09:13:44 AM 1871 Views
I know you were, thus the at the least of my comment - 29/03/2010 09:19:30 AM 1728 Views
Unimpressed - 29/03/2010 10:50:07 PM 2147 Views
Thank you - 30/03/2010 12:35:39 AM 1654 Views
*Standing ovation for DomA* - 30/03/2010 07:36:59 AM 1875 Views
Yes. Also, Roberts is a wanker. *NM* - 05/04/2010 09:28:57 PM 1235 Views
Re: Dude's been up for more awards for his writing than RJ ever was - 29/03/2010 04:32:23 PM 1864 Views
Might want to re-read their Wikis again. - 29/03/2010 07:07:11 PM 1764 Views
Awards - 29/03/2010 07:42:03 PM 1709 Views
That link is out of date - 29/03/2010 07:54:56 PM 1702 Views
Re: That link is out of date - 29/03/2010 08:22:03 PM 1831 Views
This is a battle of win/lose? - 29/03/2010 08:47:54 PM 1740 Views
Re: This is a battle of win/lose? - 29/03/2010 09:03:07 PM 1781 Views
*considers employing the Chewbacca defense* - 29/03/2010 09:28:06 PM 1770 Views
Re: *considers employing the Chewbacca defense* - 29/03/2010 09:44:58 PM 1931 Views
The final point explains the "defense" - 30/03/2010 12:24:56 AM 1657 Views
Re: The final point explains the "defense" - 30/03/2010 01:33:04 PM 1649 Views
No, no, no - 30/03/2010 06:38:41 PM 1717 Views
Re: No, no, no - 30/03/2010 07:51:34 PM 1808 Views
Still continuing, huh? - 31/03/2010 02:10:13 AM 1768 Views
Re: Still continuing, huh? - 31/03/2010 03:56:57 PM 1726 Views
Those were polls - 31/03/2010 08:46:07 PM 1735 Views
Re: Those were polls - 05/04/2010 03:22:13 PM 1718 Views
Does it gives him right to insult me? - 13/04/2011 02:10:32 PM 1726 Views
I wouldn't know. Was he speaking directly to you? - 14/04/2011 11:28:16 PM 1852 Views
He's now reviewed the third book - 26/03/2010 12:27:16 PM 1966 Views
Well, this time I must disagree with him . - 29/03/2010 07:31:40 AM 1721 Views
I don't think he was claiming that RJ was alone in doing that - 29/03/2010 07:44:07 AM 1686 Views
Hah! - 29/03/2010 06:07:28 PM 1736 Views
Well... - 29/03/2010 06:52:10 PM 1648 Views
Differing perspectives, I guess. - 29/03/2010 07:58:13 PM 1770 Views
I suppose - 29/03/2010 08:50:43 PM 1698 Views
Re: I suppose - 30/03/2010 12:18:30 AM 1869 Views
True - 30/03/2010 12:23:28 AM 1699 Views
Hey, DomA, do you know why the Shienarans randomly speak in the Old Tongue? - 30/03/2010 12:52:01 AM 1628 Views
Re: Hey, DomA, do you know why the Shienarans randomly speak in the Old Tongue? - 30/03/2010 07:45:08 AM 1844 Views
But why only them? - 30/03/2010 08:07:00 AM 1746 Views
Re: But why only them? - 30/03/2010 03:56:54 PM 1716 Views
Re: But why only them? - 30/03/2010 08:29:37 PM 1816 Views
I really liked a lot of the minor characters in The Great Hunt. - 30/03/2010 12:49:03 AM 1736 Views
I barely thought twice about those, to be honest - 30/03/2010 06:39:55 PM 1760 Views
I can't wait what he's going to try to do with TFoH and beyond - 28/03/2010 08:18:59 PM 1838 Views
Glad you enjoyed it - 29/03/2010 09:33:43 PM 1639 Views
The Shadow Rising review - 02/04/2010 09:42:53 AM 1933 Views
I wonder if this borders on trolling - 02/04/2010 02:29:58 PM 10502 Views
You want complaining? You got it... - 02/04/2010 06:38:09 PM 1821 Views
That would be a mistake - 02/04/2010 09:16:25 PM 1979 Views
Re: That would be a mistake - 02/04/2010 10:28:56 PM 1701 Views
I agree, Roberts is more and more coming across to me as just bitter - 10/04/2010 01:24:52 AM 1829 Views
Little late to this one as well - 10/04/2010 11:12:04 AM 1862 Views
Perhaps you should have led with this bit - 10/04/2010 02:52:23 PM 1919 Views
Re: I wonder if this borders on trolling - 04/04/2010 09:16:22 AM 1791 Views
What review? I couldn't find one... - 02/04/2010 08:00:45 PM 1928 Views
Re: What review? I couldn't find one... - 02/04/2010 09:22:13 PM 1906 Views
See my comment below - 02/04/2010 09:32:54 PM 1984 Views
Re: See my comment below - 03/04/2010 09:31:22 AM 2327 Views
Sorry I'm late in responding, but I've been quite busy this week - 07/04/2010 09:45:48 PM 2142 Views
Yes, I can probably agree with what you say here. - 08/04/2010 12:29:16 AM 1615 Views
- 08/04/2010 12:32:53 AM 1729 Views
I agree completely. *NM* - 02/04/2010 09:53:44 PM 1101 Views
Speaking of irritation - 02/04/2010 10:50:04 PM 1916 Views
Commentary, then? - 02/04/2010 09:27:18 PM 1730 Views
Here's the thing... - 02/04/2010 10:11:18 PM 1723 Views
Re: Here's the thing... - 02/04/2010 10:31:56 PM 1585 Views
Re: Here's the thing... - 03/04/2010 01:34:05 AM 1636 Views
I somehow overlooked this last week, it seems - 10/04/2010 11:01:17 AM 1932 Views
Indeed - 02/04/2010 10:34:00 PM 1604 Views
Re: Commentary, then? - 05/04/2010 03:44:07 PM 1709 Views
for a man that bitterly complains about an author who is padding his work - 08/04/2010 09:41:07 PM 1891 Views
1400 words is long-winded? - 09/04/2010 10:07:41 AM 1911 Views
since you can sum up those 1400 words in about 25 yes that's longwinded - 09/04/2010 01:36:16 PM 1778 Views
Except I didn't really sum it up, as I left out quite a bit - 10/04/2010 11:15:42 AM 1851 Views
You are very defensive over this - 10/04/2010 01:54:15 PM 1605 Views
Nah, more of a devil's advocate than anything else - 12/04/2010 03:57:12 AM 1714 Views
Re: Nah, more of a devil's advocate than anything else - 12/04/2010 05:30:53 PM 1625 Views
You sound like a Goodkind webmaster from a couple of years ago - 12/04/2010 06:58:42 PM 1703 Views
You don't come across as a devil's advocate - 30/03/2011 03:07:32 PM 1702 Views
Well Larry I have started reading Gradsil by Adam Roberts - 07/04/2010 08:59:28 PM 1836 Views
I demand a paragraph by paragraph review, with footnotes! - 07/04/2010 09:50:39 PM 1716 Views
Re: I demand a paragraph by paragraph review, with footnotes! - 08/04/2010 01:06:20 PM 1593 Views
Which Invisible Man? - 09/04/2010 09:58:44 AM 1814 Views
Re: Which Invisible Man? - 09/04/2010 01:26:42 PM 1735 Views
I have a very different take on that book - 10/04/2010 11:17:13 AM 1673 Views
Re: I demand a paragraph by paragraph review, with footnotes! - 09/04/2010 01:45:44 PM 1730 Views
Hrmm... - 10/04/2010 11:19:01 AM 1569 Views
Re: Well Larry I have started reading Gradsil by Adam Roberts - 12/04/2010 05:37:36 PM 1808 Views
He brings up some interesting points, if in an unnecessarily rude manner - 08/04/2010 12:42:25 PM 1769 Views
To be honest, I doubt most readers of the series obsess over it that much - 09/04/2010 10:05:49 AM 1774 Views
Re: To be honest, I doubt most readers of the series obsess over it that much - 09/04/2010 01:28:17 PM 2332 Views
Re: To be honest, I doubt most readers of the series obsess over it that much - 10/04/2010 11:40:22 AM 1747 Views
why are you so bothered by people being unimpressed with Roberts? - 10/04/2010 02:19:08 PM 1782 Views
I don't understand it either - 11/04/2010 12:44:25 PM 1742 Views
right? - 11/04/2010 02:13:00 PM 1785 Views
Nah - 12/04/2010 04:13:44 AM 1578 Views
And in vol. 5, Roberts discovers the horrors of the circus - 09/04/2010 09:57:03 AM 1721 Views
5 reviews without saying more than "I hate the series" - 09/04/2010 01:31:13 PM 1617 Views
Basically he just states the "nothing happens"-argument... - 09/04/2010 03:26:02 PM 1649 Views
Well, what was really resolved here? - 10/04/2010 11:25:25 AM 1703 Views
Well... - 12/04/2010 05:05:20 PM 1820 Views
well exactly - 12/04/2010 05:33:11 PM 1858 Views
So very little was resolved and much was set into motion, then? - 12/04/2010 06:55:45 PM 1844 Views
Yes... - 12/04/2010 10:51:08 PM 1560 Views
Ever read Umberto Eco's How To Travel with a Salmon? - 12/04/2010 11:07:19 PM 1830 Views
I guess... - 13/04/2010 10:03:03 AM 1852 Views
Sounds like you value prolixity for the sake of prolixity, to be honest - 13/04/2010 04:41:07 PM 2981 Views
Nah... - 13/04/2010 05:29:34 PM 1580 Views
He's read and enjoyed Proust, among others - 13/04/2010 07:37:39 PM 1652 Views
Ah, well... - 13/04/2010 09:45:45 PM 1612 Views
Dismissive, much? - 13/04/2010 10:52:30 PM 1757 Views
About that bifurcation... - 14/04/2010 02:02:15 AM 1715 Views
I'm rather moderate - 14/04/2010 10:11:30 AM 1636 Views
I'm just a liberation theologist at heart - 15/04/2010 01:51:16 PM 2561 Views
So, if you don't mind... - 13/04/2010 05:51:06 AM 1732 Views
That's fine with me - 13/04/2010 06:31:41 AM 1703 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 1718 Views
I didn't find it quite that bad, but... - 11/04/2010 08:27:52 AM 1738 Views
LoC represented a sharp drop in quality!!? - 19/05/2010 03:27:21 PM 1745 Views
And ignores everything else... - 09/04/2010 05:10:00 PM 1783 Views
Inchoatus went offline a couple of years ago - 10/04/2010 11:42:26 AM 2705 Views
This guy is going to get what he deserves... - 09/04/2010 10:26:14 PM 1722 Views
I'm waiting with bated breath for his CoT review *NM* - 10/04/2010 01:00:59 PM 1196 Views
Just wanted to point out that he is not reviewing the series. - 16/04/2010 04:04:49 PM 1681 Views
Lord of Chaos commentary - 16/04/2010 03:39:39 PM 1701 Views
He has reached - The Hump. - 16/04/2010 03:55:51 PM 1661 Views
Re: He has reached - The Hump. - 18/04/2010 08:08:59 AM 2109 Views
No no. It was Lord of Heaven! - 16/04/2010 05:51:11 PM 1625 Views
Yeah, I noticed that - 16/04/2010 11:16:26 PM 1552 Views
I would love the see him review Goodkind... - 16/04/2010 11:51:07 PM 1737 Views
Finally re-read that post - 20/04/2010 09:35:45 PM 1734 Views
The magic items are mostly irrelevant... - 21/04/2010 03:37:36 AM 1732 Views
A Crown of Swords - or is it deco-porn? - 23/04/2010 08:36:17 AM 1835 Views
Re: A Crown of Swords - or is it deco-porn? - 29/04/2010 06:02:28 PM 1776 Views
I disagree - 29/04/2010 09:34:49 PM 1585 Views
I agree. - 29/04/2010 09:45:29 PM 1774 Views
Took me a moment to realize with whom you were agreeing - 29/04/2010 10:19:05 PM 1662 Views
Well, I did mention the necklines get overdone... - 06/05/2010 06:17:46 PM 2026 Views
Well, there's now also the tea to comment about - 07/05/2010 11:29:03 AM 1787 Views
A bit of a stumble this week - 30/04/2010 01:53:31 PM 1819 Views
The Path of Daggers commentary - 07/05/2010 10:39:03 AM 1851 Views
You'd think a Brit would like the tea... *NM* - 11/05/2010 04:05:42 PM 1059 Views
Maybe he's just a contrarian? - 11/05/2010 07:55:43 PM 1637 Views
Winter's Heart - 21/05/2010 12:46:14 PM 1857 Views
To be fair - 21/05/2010 01:56:49 PM 1985 Views
I think WH was my least favorite of the WoT novels I re-read - 21/05/2010 04:49:31 PM 1704 Views
Re: I think WH was my least favorite of the WoT novels I re-read - 25/05/2010 05:05:09 PM 1881 Views
WH was my least favorite novel in the series, and that is saying a lot. - 28/05/2010 03:15:13 PM 1776 Views
I completely agree with his KoD post. Here is my favorite quote: - 28/05/2010 03:08:31 PM 2031 Views
CoT, you mean (link to actual post included) - 28/05/2010 04:56:10 PM 1875 Views
Yep, I meant COT. *NM* - 28/05/2010 07:02:48 PM 1055 Views
Knife of Dreams - 18/06/2010 09:07:27 AM 1749 Views
Re: Knife of Dreams - 19/06/2010 05:49:38 AM 1814 Views
Agree... - 19/06/2010 05:08:44 PM 1784 Views
Roberts reflects back on WoT 1-11, with answers to questions asked of him - 25/06/2010 12:51:29 PM 1829 Views
This guy should be burned at the stake - 25/06/2010 03:22:34 PM 9234 Views
Are you done making a fool out of yourself, Mark? - 26/06/2010 06:53:37 PM 1749 Views
Oh come on... - 26/06/2010 09:06:01 PM 1832 Views
Well, the burning at the stake was a bit much... - 26/06/2010 10:19:40 PM 1857 Views
Well, really! You brought the comment to his notice... - 26/06/2010 11:34:08 PM 1865 Views
And your point is...? - 27/06/2010 12:37:00 AM 1894 Views
Well... - 27/06/2010 05:38:12 AM 1848 Views
Indeed... I think it's rather clear that Larry's goal has been to cause trouble - 27/06/2010 10:57:36 AM 1984 Views
There is no "borderline" about it. - 28/03/2011 05:17:15 PM 1692 Views
Ridiculous - 27/06/2010 06:38:46 AM 1728 Views
I like his FAQ and his overall musings on its' popularity. - 29/06/2010 06:35:10 PM 1795 Views
One year later... - 27/03/2011 03:40:29 AM 1723 Views
Re: One year later... - 28/03/2011 05:03:32 PM 1897 Views
I see you subconsciously support critical takes. - 28/03/2011 11:41:48 PM 1928 Views
No I conciously support telling you and him that you are pathetic, arrogent, & jelous. *NM* - 30/03/2011 01:40:36 PM 1122 Views
Jealous? - 30/03/2011 05:20:32 PM 1704 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 1050 Views
Seconded. - 30/03/2011 04:04:36 PM 1646 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 1177 Views
Yep! - 30/03/2011 05:16:38 PM 1636 Views
Jeez Larry, you're starting to sound like a GRRM detractor. - 31/03/2011 03:01:38 PM 1789 Views
Nah, no detractor - 01/04/2011 03:00:41 PM 1805 Views
Could a thread be locked? - 31/03/2011 07:48:26 PM 1667 Views
Re: One year later... - 01/04/2011 02:55:02 AM 2003 Views
Yep - 01/04/2011 02:57:52 PM 1792 Views
He's not an "author", he's just a stupid troll, do not feed him *NM* - 30/03/2011 02:39:19 PM 1059 Views

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