Nobody's perfect, Even RJ has some mistakes.

[KtpSkiFree]

I'm currently re-reading the books in light of semi-recent events.

I'm also taking more care into the whole underlying currents, tying everything together, etc.

In simple terms, watching for things I didn't notice the first time.

In doing this I've noticed that RJ isn't always perfect in his writing, and his simple errors may help some of us realize he wasn't perfect ;).

 

For example, in Book Two; The Great Hunt, Page 507, line 25 (Paragraph 6),

"Nervously, he sought the void, and it came. And the distant thought floated outside it that it was only the void. The glow of saidar was not there."

This is Rand he's speaking of, and he's in a stedding however, of course he's not going to notice saidar...

[BrainFireBob]

My favorite is from tGH.

 

In the original, published version Thom chastises Rand for not keeping his harp in tune.

 

Keeping it constantly in tune without playing would ruin the harp strings.

 

So much fan correction mail was received, later printings have it "At least you weren't feel enough to try keeping it in tune."

[wvlr]

Quote:  Nobody's perfect, Even RJ has some mistakes.

 

That is surely true, but it still amazes me that considering how big the serise is, he made so few such errors.

 

I don't want to start the argument all over here, but I still feel that the Taim / Demanderad thing was one of those few errors because of a miscalculation in his writing of the Cleansing.    But that is only my long standing opinion.

[CUBAREY]

Quote

 

Nervously, he sought the void, and it came. And the distant thought floated outside it that it was only the void. The glow of saidar was not there."

This is Rand he's speaking of, and he's in a stedding however, of course he's not going to notice saidar...

 

 

This is not a mistake its a POV from an untrained Rand. He was relived that he did not feel saidar. Now, if Rand made the same statement in KOD then we could argue whether RJ had made a mistake but not in the second book.  The fact that rand could not have felt Saider in a stedding would have been pretty obvious to the "reader" not necessarily to Rand at the time.

[Kadere]

Well Rand wouldn't have felt saidar anyway since he's not a woman. It's Saidin that he's suppose to have lost touch with. Thus the mistake.

[CUBAREY]

Touche, although thats a mistake that a proof reader (Editor) showed catch.

[JenLenaMom]

I don't know that I would define those things as mistakes from RJ.  More along the line of typo's.  Also, I'm not up on current printing techiques but the process of typesetting has been known to cause errors in some editions of books over the years.

[RobertAlexWillis]

Here, this is easier.

 

http://encyclopaedia-wot.org:8008/main/errata.html

[Vambram]

Here, this is easier.

 

http://encyclopaedia-wot.org:8008/main/errata.html

 

And excellent, Link. Thank you.

[Lune]

There're some other mistakes I think... Like... Rand adds Dailin to the list of women who died for him. But he's never met Dailin.

[Paviel]

I'm not sure if this is a mistake or what, but on page 777 of LoC, Mat describes Halima as "the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life." I think there are four possibilities:

 

1. Halima really was more beautiful than Selene.

2. Mat couldn't remember his meeting with Selene in Tar Valon.

3. It was an exaggeration.

4. It was a mistake.

 

Seeing as it was the Shadar Logoth dagger that had cut those holes in Mat's memory, and the Aes Sedai had already severed the connection by the time Mat encountered Selene, I very much doubt that 2 is true. Nor have I spotted any evidence for 1...

[Tyrell]

IIRC Lanfear as Lanfear is more beautiful than Lanfear as Selene.

[RobertAlexWillis]

Um ... or it could just be that what Mat is seeing at the moment made a bigger impression on him than a somewhat faded memory.

 

I know lots of guys who have seen "the most beautiful woman I've ever seen" several times in one night ...

[Harmless Bandit]

IIRC Lanfear as Lanfear is more beautiful than Lanfear as Selene.

 

True, but Lanfear as Selene is still more beautiful than pretty much every other woman in the books [going by the reactions of the characters, for instance that soldier Rand travelled with to Cairhien (sp) in TGH , Egwene's, Min's, Berelain's (I think that says something...), not to mention Rand himself].

 

As I understand it, Graendal is a beautiful woman, but she looks ''plumply pretty'' besides Lanfear [as Lanfear], that from someone in the books, a Forsaken if I am not wrong.

 

Unless my memory fails me, I don't remember Halima producing such effect.

 

Um ... or it could just be that what Mat is seeing at the moment made a bigger impression on him than a somewhat faded memory.

 

You would think a man such as Mat--get what I mean?--would not be one to forget a beautiful woman--much less a very beautiful one--when he sees one...

 

Unless, of course,

 

I know lots of guys who have seen "the most beautiful woman I've ever seen" several times in one night ...

 

Was he drinking at the time? I can't remember.

[trakand_01]

I agree with RAW, if any of you have spent any time around teenagers, every new male pin up is "the most gorgeous guy EVER", for about a fortnight, until the next one.

 

Also I think its an instinctive statement - how many times have you eaten a new food, to exclaim "oh this is the best thing I've ever eaten!"?

[Harmless Bandit]

 

Also I think its an instinctive statement - how many times have you eaten a new food, to exclaim "oh this is the best thing I've ever eaten!"?

 

Ah, but Mat is a seasoned cook, perhaps even a chef, thus why I don't see him proclaiming that this or that is the ''best'' food he has tasted every time he comes across something new, or tastier for that matter.

[DemandredFO]

Well when Mat saw Lanfear in the Tower he was still suffering the aftereffects of the dagger healing.  Shortly after that he had his Luck run amuk experience that ate his memory, so, the Lanfear memory may have gotten lost in the shuffle.

On the subject of the thread, the only "real" mistakes on RJ's part take place in the first three books, the travelling method being the one I can most remember.  This series has consumed thousands of pages, how few real mistakes there are, I think, is amazing.  None of RJ's mistakes affect the story but you look at Tolkien.  I have the audio versions of The Hobbit, Lotr and the Silmarillion.  I have listened to all of them and in my opinion some of those mistakes do affect the story.  Unless you've the History of Middleearth and know what Tolkien meant.

[the dude]

yeah, but he's also prone to hyperbole, which i think is the more likely culprit here.

 

most of these errors (when they are errors) should more fittingly be pinned on proofreaders, honestly, just like cubarey said.  i mean, in the sheer volume of writing in the series, absent-minded typo's will sneak in once in a while.  it's the proofreader's job to fix that stuff.

[animus]

Somebody read the Silmarillion past page 3? I feel sorry for anybody that did. I find better reads in my cherrios.

[RobertAlexWillis]

Yes.  I'm sure your "cherrios" interest you greatly.

[trakand_01]

Isnt there some sort of quote from ... sorry I forget which way round they are ... from Dashiva (Aginor?) when he and Balthamel (Halima) are waiting around for Shaidar Haran, about how beautiful Halima was? I remember Balthamel was furious at being placed in a woman's body, but he comments how good a body it is...

 

When we read that Lanfear was the most beautiful woman alive, Halima wasnt around, I'm not even sure Balthamel was dead by then was he? Surely its possible that the DO surpassed himself (or surpassed Lanfear) when he created Halima?

[Harmless Bandit]

Isnt there some sort of quote from ... sorry I forget which way round they are ... from Dashiva (Aginor?) when he and Balthamel (Halima) are waiting around for Shaidar Haran, about how beautiful Halima was? I remember Balthamel was furious at being placed in a woman's body, but he comments how good a body it is...

 

Lanfear makes people's mouths go dry. Mat, if I remember well, forgot to breathe when he laid his eyes on Lanfear [as Selene] such was his shock. I don't have the exact wording, but check out Berelain's reaction at the end of the DR. Egwene has been in the presence of both Halima and Lanfear, can anyone verify whether she reacts to Halima the same way she did to Lanfear? Though arguably that would not prove much. That's Lanfear as Selene. If she as herself is even more beautiful, then I am afraid by brain is not advanced enough to grasp that concept.

 

Women--strong women, might add--who usually might not harbour such thoughts seem honestly stunned by Lanfear's beauty. I might understand such thoughts from a guy, but when women start to think like guys, then there is something there. Or it's just because I'm a guy and don't get women. Anyway, I can't remember Halima producing such reactions.

 

When we read that Lanfear was the most beautiful woman alive, Halima wasnt around, I'm not even sure Balthamel was dead by then was he? Surely its possible that the DO surpassed himself (or surpassed Lanfear) when he created Halima?

 

The Dark One created Halima? I thought he just put Balthamel (sp) 's soul in that body?

 

On the other hand though, all the events that happened to Mat after the DR could be enough to dim his memory.

[trakand_01]

Women--strong women, might add--who usually might not harbour such thoughts seem honestly stunned by Lanfear's beauty. I might understand such thoughts from a guy, but when women start to think like guys, then there is something there.

 

We try to keep it secret, but actually every woman (and I mean EVERY woman, no matter if they deny it) considers another woman to be the most beautiful person she has ever seen, regardless of sexual orientation.

 

Personally if Angelina Jolie knocked on my door and asked me to run off with her, I doubt i'd even shout upstairs to tell my fella I was going!!

 

But no, point taken - Lanfear is stunning.  ;)

[Harmless Bandit]

Women--strong women, might add--who usually might not harbour such thoughts seem honestly stunned by Lanfear's beauty. I might understand such thoughts from a guy, but when women start to think like guys, then there is something there.

 

We try to keep it secret, but actually every woman (and I mean EVERY woman, no matter if they deny it) considers another woman to be the most beautiful person she has ever seen, regardless of sexual orientation.

 

Personally if Angelina Jolie knocked on my door and asked me to run off with her, I doubt i'd even shout upstairs to tell my fella I was going!!

 

But no, point taken - Lanfear is stunning.  ;)

 

Great. Now not only do I have to worry about fending throngs of adoring fans (guys) off my lady (if and when I get one) but I also have to worry about competition from other women. Life is hard.

::)

[RobertAlexWillis]

Look ... its pretty clear that Lanfear is hotter than Halima.  I wasn't contending that she isn't.

 

What I am saying is that Mat, in full on guy mode, is going to see the gorgeous Halima and say to himself "Thats the most beautiful woman I've ever seen!", not because he went through all the women he's ever seen in his mind, rated them, and put her at the top of the list, but because he's a guy, and she's right there.

 

If you put them next to each other, Mat would probably say "Oh yeah ... Lanfear definitely."  But when Halima's the only one around, she is tops.  As they say; location, location, location.

 

And no, you're right, the Dark One did not create Halima.