Length of aMoL

[RAND AL THOR]

If I may add to the discussion.....

Numerical calculations at this point may not prove very conclusive. BS is already stating that he is not confident how long the book may be. He is only 20% through and is already changing the word count prediction so I would guess that there will be many more predictions yet to come.

There is a LOT to finish.

 

Personally, I would really desire the glossary. After finishing AMOL, the glossary is going to really help. I loved to read the appendices in LOTR which were incredibly long but I loved them all the same.

[benr]

BS's recent blog has raised the possibility of this being so long that TOR may HAVE to do it in two books; not a certainty, but a possibility.  Wouldn't bother me all that much, if there wasn't a long delay in the releases.  Thoughts?

[bjclinton]

I was just thinking about what ToR's take on this would be and I can't help but think that if they are able to pull off  2 volumes, (let's say for the sake of conversation at 800 pages each) they automatically double their profits on the last book of the WoT series.....

 

Not good motivation for them to squeeze it into one very large book. Not very good at all...

 

one book selling at $24.95 or two books selling at $24.95

 

i don't like the math  :o

[CUBAREY]

Added to Luckers reasoning is the fact that booksellers will probably (as BS indicated) argue for two books because of space (on the shelves) considerations. If the book is about 1400 or more pages (including maps, glossary, title pages, dedication pages, content pages, etc.) their will be a great weight in favor of two books. Considering that BS already brought up the possibility I think its going to happen. Hopefully BS and Harriet will at least be able to insist that the second book comes out soon (BS hoped for one month) after the first. Also note that it would mean more money for BS and RJ's estate (Harriet).  Moreover, while we have all read of RJ's wish that there be one last book Harriet would be in the best place to judge whether it would serve RJ's legacy best to have one last book (which might have to be heavily edited to bring it to under 1200 pages) or two books (which would allow BS to tie up all the elements that RJ wanted inculded).

 

 

The biggest problem then is to have a logical breaking point between the two books. This might be very difficult as RJ had stated that there would be no natural breaking point in the last installment. 

 

We must also remember that TOR's publisher was a close friend of RJ's. Between Harriet, BS and the publisher I trust that they will come up with the best solution. Frankly, as long as the actual manuscript is totally finished and something comes out by the end of 2009 I will be happy.

[Isabel]

If it will be two books it needs to come out at the same time otherwise you have riots and the book will not be that good.

We are talking about just cutting a book in half, it won't have a beginning, middle, ending.... It will be part of the characters or part of a storyline and than it will be cut off.....

A George Martin as Jordan phrased it. Jordan said he didn't want that to happen. I would also find it disrespectfull to him, if Tor pulled a stunt like that.

 

Jordan wouldn't want the book split and than the fans also have to wait for the last book.... I am sorry, but if they do that there will be riots and I will be on the forefronts.

 

If the book is 1500 pages and cannot be in one hardcover, ok, but than publish the two books at the same time! So you read the story as it was meant to be read. If the book is about 1000 pages than it should be published as one normal hardcover.

 

(The thought makes me so furious)

[Bob T Dwarf]

You GO, girl! ;)

[Isabel]

You GO, girl! ;)

 

Am I than the only one who feels that way about 2 books and 2 books not at the same time?

[Bob T Dwarf]

Not at all.  I'm with you 100%

[billoumm7]

one book's fine... with jordan dead WoT needs to be finished, not continued... and besides, i dont think i could stand waiting a year and a half for after aMoL...

[benr]

"A Memory of A Memory of Light"

[CUBAREY]

[b"A Memory of A Memory of Light"][/b]

 

"A Myth of Light".  :P

[Mr Ares]

"A Memory of A Memory of Light"

 

"A Myth of Light".  :P

But even myth should have been forgotten before someone started writing the series again. Obviously no-one told Terry Goodkind.

[johnnysd]

I think what we are seeing with AMOL is a micocosm of what happened to WOT in general.

 

It takes much longer to get from point to point in the story that is anticipated. I am sure Jordan's notes highlight the main plotting elements...Mat will be here do this, and after this battle he goes here. Just a simple transition but fleshing it out in an interesting way might take much longer than you thought.

 

In addition there may not be a smooth transition from one major point in the story to another so BS has to create several sub-points to move the story along.

 

He is only 25% of the way through and it will undoubtedly balloon again. While he is now saying over 500K words I would not be surprised at all to see it ballon by another 25% to 40% which means in the end it could be 700K words or more.

 

Also remember that Jordan was specifically going to leave some loose ends. I am not so sure that the losse ends will happen now, it is more of a complete wrap up of the WOT universe. Had Jordan lived 20 more years, he likely would have returned to the WOT universe (and had even though of the storyline) just as J.K. Rowling will eventually find another story to write in the HP world.

 

The negative is that I think outside of a "special edition" AMOL will be broken up into at least 2 parts.

[TheRedSon]

I think they should print two volumes, but sale it as a boxed set.  That way it all comes out together and both volumes are more manageable for the reader (it's hard to hold a four inch thick hardback you know) and more sound in the binding.  Maybe that way they'll survive my tenth reread.

[maximuswynn]

He is currently at 25% completion of MoL.