Unlikeable characters - Wheel of Time

[melkah]

I am in half of book two of wheel of time and I have never read a series where SO MANY characters as annoying as s***t. They are so unlikeable and idiotic - Nynaeve, Rand, Mat - Egwene is the only one of the two river fork who doesn't consistently act like a moron.  Do they ever evolve out their idiotic sheep wool heads? Love the magic system but I am not sure i can tolerate the super annoying characters. Is there hope?

[HeavyHalfMoonBlade]

The characters evolve a lot. Mat of the first two books is just torn up and replaced by someone completely different. Nynaeve remains special, but does have some really likeable traits, and has some awesome moments coming. And as you go through the books the main characters become less important even as they go through major changes as there are something like 2700 named characters in the story. 

But I do get your point that they are meant to be twenty but act twelve. They grow out of that pretty quickly, as they all grow into important roles in the world. 

[Elgee]

Some do no ever grow up 😁

[DojoToad]

I was annoyed by some of the characters as well, but I plowed ahead because the books were great (for me).  Maybe that is why the books were great?

[Elgee]

I agree, DojoToad.

I've started some books where I disliked the characters so much, or actually just couldn't give a flying bat whether they lived or died, that I just stopped reading them.

But some of the WoT characters are just annoying enough that I wanted to keep reading to see what happened to them!

[Lightfriendsocialmistress]

I agree with you. I think that’s why I like the books…the characters are simply human and I can relate to that! I’m flawed and annoying as s**t to myself as well lol 

[melkah]

On 12/6/2023 at 1:40 AM, Elgee said:

I agree, DojoToad.

I've started some books where I disliked the characters so much, or actually just couldn't give a flying bat whether they lived or died, that I just stopped reading them.

But some of the WoT characters are just annoying enough that I wanted to keep reading to see what happened to them!

Indeed, that is the space where I am. Every time Nynaeve opens her whiny mouth I want to put the books down. The story is good enough despite Nyn’sunreasonable behavior. Oh pour me a river. Stop blaming the messenger and your savior. Moraine showed up and saved her life, the life of her village, and is the only one that can protect them, and yet still she blames her just because things stared when she showed up. Talk about judgy small minded person. Her logic is laughable.  She is in the running for the most disliked and close minded character I have ever read. Almost done with book two. 

[Figs and Mice]

Haha ... stick with it , melkah  :  I was of a similar view re Nynaeve in those early books ; but by the end of the whole thing she had become very much my favourite female character. One of the strengths of Jordan's writing is the way his characters don't fall into easily defined pigeonholes - and they really do develop and change throughout .

 

Except for Bela , of course . She is always perfect 🙂

[WheelofJuke]

On 12/4/2023 at 11:27 AM, melkah said:

I am in half of book two of wheel of time and I have never read a series where SO MANY characters as annoying as s***t. They are so unlikeable and idiotic - Nynaeve, Rand, Mat - Egwene is the only one of the two river fork who doesn't consistently act like a moron.  Do they ever evolve out their idiotic sheep wool heads? Love the magic system but I am not sure i can tolerate the super annoying characters. Is there hope?

I disliked the characters of Nynaeve and Egwene so much I almost didn't finish the series. Now, after a couple read throughs (and reading the earlier books many times over), I can confidently say they are my favorite characters, definitely out of the leads from Emond's Field, and Egwene's story arch is by far the most satisfying in the book (for me, at least). 

So, yes, there is growth and change. 

Edited December 12, 2023 by WheelofJuke