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If anything, I suspect my reaction is the minority one Larry Send a noteboard - 19/04/2010 09:20:25 PM
Because I really liked TGH over EotW. Sure there were more of the same problems as in the first installation - but I liked the originality of this book. I liked the 'creepy' scenes that RJ put in, like the moment in the house when Rand has an experience with the flies. I liked Hurin, the sniffer. I liked Black Ajah, and I liked the Seanchan, and I liked the mirror worlds. I liked how Rand became a 'Lord', and I liked that Moraine wasn't around . My experience with this novel was so much better than the first, it gave me a lot of momentum to continue the series. There were enough good plot elements that I tended to forgive the negative parts.


OK, in hindsight, that fly scene was particularly well-done. The mirror world bit seems to be more of a plot device than anything that's fully integrated with the whole series, although doubtless that is a potential debate point there. Oh, and samurai-lite cultures don't interest me as much, so that could have been a contributing factor.

Some of it was still annoying though. Like you mentioned, repetition has been an issue for me throughout the series. WOT does cater to an audience that likes a feeling of depth and reality, and delving into these elements helps this out. However, a good portion of the descriptions are repetitive and unnecessary. Clothing and attitudes are two points that get under my skin at times. Readers like to know what their character looks like. It is good for the imagination. But let the reader have some room to insert their own images - too much detail isn't always a good thing. It would be far more beneficial if that space was spent describing some new element of the WOT universe. Readers often don't really care how embroidered a dress is. And the numerous reinforcements of character attitudes is sometimes over the top. Rand is angsty, Mat is whiny, Perrin is slow, Nyneave is bitchy, Moraine manipulative, and Egwene selfish. I was aware of this trend by the second book. RJ just described them in the same way too much, too often. At times, it flows smoothly, and RJ can incorporate these characteristics into their actions without being over-the-top. I felt like there were a lot of times in TGH where he was able to nicely tie in both his character's attributes as well as the plot.


Good points about the characters. That is something I worry about the further I progress in the re-reads. It'll be Wednesday or Thursday at best before I have a commentary on The Dragon Reborn up.
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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Re-reading WoT Ten Years Later - 16/04/2010 06:07:40 AM 3368 Views
The Eye of the World (1997-2000, 2010 reads) - 16/04/2010 06:08:54 AM 1918 Views
Ah, jumping on Roberts' bandwagon... - 16/04/2010 09:17:08 AM 1502 Views
- 16/04/2010 03:32:41 PM 1403 Views
Re: The Eye of the World (1997-2000, 2010 reads) - 16/04/2010 06:29:53 PM 1473 Views
I think you misrepresent me - 16/04/2010 11:15:34 PM 1409 Views
Re: I think you misrepresent me - 17/04/2010 02:56:53 PM 1415 Views
Re: I think you misrepresent me - 17/04/2010 09:45:25 PM 1376 Views
Re: I think you misrepresent me - 17/04/2010 10:59:20 PM 1535 Views
MA in History? Is there a more useless degree? - 16/04/2010 09:56:36 PM 1436 Views
PhD or MA in Classics - 16/04/2010 10:15:51 PM 1414 Views
Yes, whatever degree you have/are studying for - 16/04/2010 11:12:55 PM 1406 Views
MBA. Sorry - 17/04/2010 04:38:03 AM 1496 Views
There's lots of jokes about MBAs, unfortunately - 17/04/2010 09:46:28 PM 1407 Views
Interestingly, I disliked EotW because of its 'youth appeal' - 17/04/2010 12:33:55 AM 1490 Views
Funny how takes can change, huh? - 17/04/2010 12:55:05 AM 1515 Views
Funny, I started my own first-ever reread not long ago. - 17/04/2010 02:16:35 AM 1425 Views
Must be something in the water, no? - 17/04/2010 02:28:23 AM 1596 Views
Gah! - 18/04/2010 12:30:17 PM 1354 Views
I thought you meant it! - 18/04/2010 05:29:55 PM 1436 Views
Pfft! - 18/04/2010 08:11:36 PM 1351 Views
I'm glad I didn't start with EotW - 19/04/2010 04:16:03 PM 1361 Views
Seems Tor is now tweeting about this commentary - 19/04/2010 06:31:39 PM 1548 Views
Re: Re-reading WoT Ten Years Later - 16/04/2010 06:26:51 PM 1455 Views
It'll be interesting to see if I hit a "wall" - 16/04/2010 11:13:55 PM 1346 Views
Aww... - 16/04/2010 07:58:27 PM 1445 Views
That's next month or June - 16/04/2010 11:12:02 PM 1345 Views
Be sure to send me a noteboard then . - 17/04/2010 03:45:46 AM 1321 Views
Oh, I'd post it at this site as well, perhaps - 17/04/2010 03:51:19 AM 1313 Views
Yeah, but I only lurk in the OF when I'm interested in getting new books... - 17/04/2010 04:00:14 AM 1301 Views
Ah - 17/04/2010 09:47:37 PM 1317 Views
Malazan 9 is out? - 17/04/2010 09:58:23 PM 1173 Views
Been out for several months - 17/04/2010 10:24:15 PM 1294 Views
Can anybody please explain to me - 17/04/2010 08:45:18 PM 1595 Views
It's hard to explain - 17/04/2010 09:42:16 PM 1562 Views
was thinking the same thing *NM* - 18/04/2010 03:59:36 PM 848 Views
Re: Can anybody please explain to me - 19/04/2010 04:17:39 PM 1200 Views
The more posts from this larry guy I read, the more I think......... - 18/04/2010 08:56:34 AM 1481 Views
Interesting metatextual analysis there - 18/04/2010 09:47:43 AM 1575 Views
Nice, but in the future... - 18/04/2010 04:04:07 PM 1394 Views
I know... - 18/04/2010 08:11:18 PM 1294 Views
If you don't like WoT....Don't read it - 19/04/2010 12:36:06 AM 1298 Views
Aren't you being a bit presumptuous there? - 19/04/2010 12:53:00 AM 1707 Views
... - 19/04/2010 12:59:33 AM 1483 Views
Re: ... - 21/04/2010 03:41:08 AM 1468 Views
Re: The more posts from this larry guy I read, the more I think......... - 18/04/2010 10:26:12 AM 1540 Views
I am disappoint - 19/04/2010 01:17:20 AM 1519 Views
- 19/04/2010 01:24:29 AM 1332 Views
Who the hell are you? What the hell are you doing here? - 19/04/2010 06:48:56 PM 1543 Views
Oh crap, a troll! - 02/05/2010 08:53:36 PM 1342 Views
The Great Hunt (1997-2000, 2010 reads) - 19/04/2010 09:22:40 AM 1598 Views
I guess I'm just weird. - 19/04/2010 06:44:59 PM 1722 Views
If anything, I suspect my reaction is the minority one - 19/04/2010 09:20:25 PM 1528 Views
It's interesting you thought this about The Great Hunt. - 19/04/2010 07:06:57 PM 1305 Views
Yeah, I almost gave up this series after The Eye of the World too. *NM* - 19/04/2010 08:38:25 PM 786 Views
My actual introduction to the series was A Crown of Swords - 19/04/2010 09:26:19 PM 1486 Views
By the way... - 19/04/2010 09:44:59 PM 1222 Views
Ah, that. - 19/04/2010 09:53:02 PM 1307 Views
My experience has been different: - 19/04/2010 09:04:27 PM 1450 Views
That may indeed be the case - 19/04/2010 09:27:36 PM 1633 Views
The Dragon Reborn (1997-2000 reads; 2010 re-read) - 22/04/2010 08:49:23 AM 1705 Views
The Shadow Rising (1997-2000 initial reads; 2010 re-read) - 25/04/2010 06:41:08 AM 1521 Views
The Fires of Heaven (1997-2000 initial reads; 2010 re-read) - 28/04/2010 08:47:14 AM 1398 Views
Lord of Chaos (1997-2000 initial reads; 2010 re-read) - 30/04/2010 01:33:37 PM 1752 Views
A Crown of Swords (1997-2000 initial reads; 2010 re-read) - 02/05/2010 03:30:39 PM 1554 Views
The Path of Daggers (1998-2000 reads; 2010 re-read) - 04/05/2010 03:20:12 PM 1350 Views
Winter's Heart (2000 initial read; 2010 re-read) - 07/05/2010 01:35:13 PM 1301 Views
Re: Winter's Heart (2000 initial read; 2010 re-read) - 08/05/2010 09:43:31 AM 1404 Views
But I must - 08/05/2010 09:59:42 AM 1208 Views
Re: But I must - 08/05/2010 02:57:03 PM 1280 Views
I just think of bath porn - 08/05/2010 03:12:29 PM 1480 Views
Crossroads of Twilight (2006 initial read; 2010 re-read) - 10/05/2010 02:00:06 PM 1499 Views
Knife of Dreams (2009 initial read; 2010 re-read) - 13/05/2010 03:27:53 PM 1735 Views
New Spring (1997 read (novella); 2010 read (novel)) - 14/05/2010 07:39:40 AM 1464 Views

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