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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 3274 Views
The Eye of the World (1997-2000, 2010 reads) - 16/04/2010 06:08:54 AM 1794 Views
Ah, jumping on Roberts' bandwagon... - 16/04/2010 09:17:08 AM 1418 Views
- 16/04/2010 03:32:41 PM 1327 Views
Re: The Eye of the World (1997-2000, 2010 reads) - 16/04/2010 06:29:53 PM 1395 Views
I think you misrepresent me - 16/04/2010 11:15:34 PM 1305 Views
Re: I think you misrepresent me - 17/04/2010 02:56:53 PM 1330 Views
Re: I think you misrepresent me - 17/04/2010 09:45:25 PM 1280 Views
Re: I think you misrepresent me - 17/04/2010 10:59:20 PM 1413 Views
MA in History? Is there a more useless degree? - 16/04/2010 09:56:36 PM 1337 Views
PhD or MA in Classics - 16/04/2010 10:15:51 PM 1292 Views
Yes, whatever degree you have/are studying for - 16/04/2010 11:12:55 PM 1319 Views
MBA. Sorry - 17/04/2010 04:38:03 AM 1392 Views
There's lots of jokes about MBAs, unfortunately - 17/04/2010 09:46:28 PM 1324 Views
Interestingly, I disliked EotW because of its 'youth appeal' - 17/04/2010 12:33:55 AM 1399 Views
Funny how takes can change, huh? - 17/04/2010 12:55:05 AM 1407 Views
Funny, I started my own first-ever reread not long ago. - 17/04/2010 02:16:35 AM 1332 Views
Must be something in the water, no? - 17/04/2010 02:28:23 AM 1505 Views
Gah! - 18/04/2010 12:30:17 PM 1263 Views
I thought you meant it! - 18/04/2010 05:29:55 PM 1352 Views
Pfft! - 18/04/2010 08:11:36 PM 1263 Views
I'm glad I didn't start with EotW - 19/04/2010 04:16:03 PM 1265 Views
Seems Tor is now tweeting about this commentary - 19/04/2010 06:31:39 PM 1463 Views
Re: Re-reading WoT Ten Years Later - 16/04/2010 06:26:51 PM 1374 Views
It'll be interesting to see if I hit a "wall" - 16/04/2010 11:13:55 PM 1262 Views
Aww... - 16/04/2010 07:58:27 PM 1354 Views
That's next month or June - 16/04/2010 11:12:02 PM 1263 Views
Be sure to send me a noteboard then . - 17/04/2010 03:45:46 AM 1238 Views
Oh, I'd post it at this site as well, perhaps - 17/04/2010 03:51:19 AM 1223 Views
Yeah, but I only lurk in the OF when I'm interested in getting new books... - 17/04/2010 04:00:14 AM 1216 Views
Ah - 17/04/2010 09:47:37 PM 1233 Views
Malazan 9 is out? - 17/04/2010 09:58:23 PM 1087 Views
Been out for several months - 17/04/2010 10:24:15 PM 1189 Views
Can anybody please explain to me - 17/04/2010 08:45:18 PM 1508 Views
It's hard to explain - 17/04/2010 09:42:16 PM 1467 Views
was thinking the same thing *NM* - 18/04/2010 03:59:36 PM 795 Views
Re: Can anybody please explain to me - 19/04/2010 04:17:39 PM 1111 Views
The more posts from this larry guy I read, the more I think......... - 18/04/2010 08:56:34 AM 1407 Views
Interesting metatextual analysis there - 18/04/2010 09:47:43 AM 1473 Views
Nice, but in the future... - 18/04/2010 04:04:07 PM 1307 Views
I know... - 18/04/2010 08:11:18 PM 1216 Views
If you don't like WoT....Don't read it - 19/04/2010 12:36:06 AM 1207 Views
Aren't you being a bit presumptuous there? - 19/04/2010 12:53:00 AM 1625 Views
... - 19/04/2010 12:59:33 AM 1396 Views
Re: ... - 21/04/2010 03:41:08 AM 1375 Views
Re: The more posts from this larry guy I read, the more I think......... - 18/04/2010 10:26:12 AM 1449 Views
I am disappoint - 19/04/2010 01:17:20 AM 1431 Views
- 19/04/2010 01:24:29 AM 1252 Views
Who the hell are you? What the hell are you doing here? - 19/04/2010 06:48:56 PM 1429 Views
Oh crap, a troll! - 02/05/2010 08:53:36 PM 1255 Views
The Great Hunt (1997-2000, 2010 reads) - 19/04/2010 09:22:40 AM 1440 Views
I guess I'm just weird. - 19/04/2010 06:44:59 PM 1597 Views
If anything, I suspect my reaction is the minority one - 19/04/2010 09:20:25 PM 1424 Views
It's interesting you thought this about The Great Hunt. - 19/04/2010 07:06:57 PM 1217 Views
Yeah, I almost gave up this series after The Eye of the World too. *NM* - 19/04/2010 08:38:25 PM 722 Views
My actual introduction to the series was A Crown of Swords - 19/04/2010 09:26:19 PM 1381 Views
By the way... - 19/04/2010 09:44:59 PM 1143 Views
Ah, that. - 19/04/2010 09:53:02 PM 1217 Views
My experience has been different: - 19/04/2010 09:04:27 PM 1367 Views
That may indeed be the case - 19/04/2010 09:27:36 PM 1541 Views
The Dragon Reborn (1997-2000 reads; 2010 re-read) - 22/04/2010 08:49:23 AM 1601 Views
The Shadow Rising (1997-2000 initial reads; 2010 re-read) - 25/04/2010 06:41:08 AM 1379 Views
The Fires of Heaven (1997-2000 initial reads; 2010 re-read) - 28/04/2010 08:47:14 AM 1306 Views
Lord of Chaos (1997-2000 initial reads; 2010 re-read) - 30/04/2010 01:33:37 PM 1629 Views
A Crown of Swords (1997-2000 initial reads; 2010 re-read) - 02/05/2010 03:30:39 PM 1465 Views
The Path of Daggers (1998-2000 reads; 2010 re-read) - 04/05/2010 03:20:12 PM 1220 Views
Winter's Heart (2000 initial read; 2010 re-read) - 07/05/2010 01:35:13 PM 1211 Views
Re: Winter's Heart (2000 initial read; 2010 re-read) - 08/05/2010 09:43:31 AM 1296 Views
But I must - 08/05/2010 09:59:42 AM 1125 Views
Re: But I must - 08/05/2010 02:57:03 PM 1193 Views
I just think of bath porn - 08/05/2010 03:12:29 PM 1395 Views
Crossroads of Twilight (2006 initial read; 2010 re-read) - 10/05/2010 02:00:06 PM 1374 Views
Knife of Dreams (2009 initial read; 2010 re-read) - 13/05/2010 03:27:53 PM 1492 Views
New Spring (1997 read (novella); 2010 read (novel)) - 14/05/2010 07:39:40 AM 1369 Views

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