In 1990, I picked up a book by a writer named Robert Jordan, who
was mainly known among fans of fantasy for the Conan novels he
penned, which were among my favorites at the time. I bought it
without a moment's hesitation and loved it. The Eye of the World
followed the classic formula high fantasy had been treading since
Tolkien wrote of hobbits leaving the Shire with Nazgul in pursuit.
Getting to the end of the book and realizing it was the first in
the series was icing on the cake of a thrilling, fast paced fantasy
read. I couldn't wait for what I assumed would be the conclusion,
the third book in the series. After all, nearly all high fantasy
before the 90's were trilogies.
Alas, Book 3 did not wrap up the story, and in a pre-Internet
world, I had no way of knowing that Jordan intended for 12 books.
By the time book 6 came out, I was tired of waiting for closure.
So I got stuck at book seven for several years. Last year, I began
listening to Book 7, sure that I'd be using it to augment my actual
reading of the book. I'm not sure I've picked up a Jordan novel
since. But I am about to begin Book 11. And I'm looking forward to
the posthumous collaboration of Jordan with Brandon Sanderson. So,
to all those who have given up on Jordan, and wished they hadn't,
or to those who are thinking about starting but have heard too many
negative reviews, here's how I recommend reading Robert Jordan's
"Wheel of Time" series.
1. Understand that Jordan loves detail. He describes clothing in so
much detail, that if "Wheel of Time" ever gets optioned for film or
television, the costume designers will be able to go for a lot of
coffee breaks. He is fond of giving elaborately detailed
descriptions of every character, even minor ones.
2. The repetition of previously established plot elements in
subsequent books is for people traveling on planes who pick up book
5 in the airport. It allows them to enter the world enough to get
through the read. It's a device publishing companies use with
bestselling series like this to ensure that the series remain a
bestseller. While I have never started any series mid-way through,
some people apparently do, and these passages are for them.
3. Jordan likes to weave intricate plots with a cast of characters
so large it necessitates a glossary at the end of each book. Many
of the books are entirely character based, and so seem to have "no
action" taking place. This is because many readers want someone to
storm a tower, engage in a climactic battle, or throw a ring into a
fiery pit. Jordan is too busy marrying characters or introducing a
new plot thread to bother with such things. And while he may not
talk about a character for one book, he almost always returns to
them.
4. I started thinking about "Wheel of Time" as a television series.
It's long enough to sustain several seasons, and the cast is
basically the OC meets LOTR. We watch TV one episode at a time. I
began to view the chapters in each book as "episodes" of "Wheel of
Time" as a television series, and each book as a "season." I don't
like every episode of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and there are some
seasons I like better than others. Some of my favorite episodes are
in my least favorite seasons. But I love the characters, and I want
to see what happens to them. I love the characters in Wheel of
Time. I want to see what happens to them. So I keep "tuning
in."
5. I got over the reasons I quit. Simply put, they were my reasons.
I had expectations of Jordan he never intended to fulfill. I
expected him to wrap it up in a trilogy. He didn't. I expected him
to snap Rand out of his sullen funk. He didn't. I expected him to
stop telling me about the embroidery on coats or dresses. He
didn't. I expected him to bring a certain major character back from
the dead. He didn't. And finally, I expected him to finish before
he passed away. And he didn't.
It was that last one that really galvanized me. When I heard he had
terminal cancer (many years after it was a reality), it got me
thinking about the legacy the man would leave on this earth. An
epic bestselling fantasy series. And I realized that, to quote
Elvis and Sinatra, he'd done it his way. I might not like some of
the choices Jordan made, but I love the world he created and the
people walking through it. And I want to know how they fare in the
end.
So that's my journey to Book 11 of "Wheel of Time" and I share it
because I want new readers to know what to expect, but also to let
go of those expectations, and know that the journey is worth
taking. Especially if you want to be there when the final novel is
released next year.
Me? I'll be starting book 1 again this fall and listening to all
the previous "Seasons" of "Wheel of Time," one per month, in
anticipation of the final installment. The Wheel of Time
turns...and I'll be "turning pages" with it.