WOT and How to Read It

[Sendark]

Hello everyone,

 

I'm having serious trouble reading WoT, and I was just curious if some of you have encountered the same issue as me, and, if yes, know of a way around it.

 

Basically, the enormity of the series and the multitude of sub-plots make it very difficult for me to keep up with who's doing what, what they look like, etc. By the end of Book 11, we've been introduced to over a thousand secondary characters, often with no way of telling at the moment of introduction whether they will be important later on in the books. The Wise Ones and the Aes Sedai are particularly problematic in this regard - Robert Jordan has this unfortunate tendency of simply firing off the descriptions of six new Aes Sedai and/or Wise Ones, not mentioning them again for about a hundred pages and then all of a sudden assigning them a relatively prominent secondary role to play.

 

The same goes for subplots - while I am sure they are amazing and exciting, it is very difficult to piece things together, especially when you have plots originating in Book 2 and coming to completion in Book 11 (for instance, Suroth).

 

The first few books are fine, as in them Robert Jordan retains at least some restrain over the number of secondary characters that he introduces. But it's later on that he really lets himself loose, and the Aes Sedai and the Wise Ones begin to proliferate.

 

So, how do you keep track of all the sublots and characters in the series? Have you ever had the same problem as me? If yes, how have you worked around it?

 

Cheers,

Sendark

[Luckers]

Frequent re-reading taught me pretty much all the characters and subplots, but this being the internet there is an easier way. http://www.encyclopaedia-wot.org/ has in it a character database, and chapter summeries for each book. http://www.steelypips.org/wotfaq/0_admin/0.01_intro.html Has an excellent rundown of the plots and theories going through the wheel of time.

[Jonn]

I've always enjoyed some characters more than others when it comes to subplots and the vast cast of secondary players.

 

Some I don't enjoy usually: Whitecloaks, nobles

 

Types I love: Aes Sedai, Aiel

 

I usually read the types of characters I do like very intently savoring the details. Those I do not like so much, I try to shoot through it and pick up the pertinent details.

 

That's one way to deal; Pick a set of characters that you like and concentrate on them. Chances are they will have ineraction with sets that you don't really like and that will force you to invest time in knowing a bit more about those groups.

 

Another way to deal is to visit sites on the internet as Luckers suggested. Try to go to chapter discussions so that once you finish a chapter you can reference back and see if there were points of interest you missed first time reading. Get into discussions about chapters and details. You'll find that there are all sorts of people who like all sorts of different types of characters and obsess over the small details. This kind of enthusiasm can get pretty contagious. I've often found myself re-reading whole sections of the books just to pick out details that were pointed out so interstingly by other fans on the internet.

 

The best advice I can give is to not think of the story by the number of volumes there are. You can't think of it that way. You have to be more in the NOW of what you are reading. Don't think about the next four novels you have to read. Think of the next four paragraphs and what goodies and little details they have within them. It's not a homework assignment. You don't have to study and memorize every single name and place, and detail to get into the story. Just read naturally. There are going to be parts you like and pay attention to closely, and naturally parts you don't like. Don't obsess about what you don't like. Jordan is usually good about reminding you what you should know up until the point that these characters do something important. If you don't remember, it really doesn't matter. There's a name to the character and they are doing something at that point. Pay attention to the important bits. Don't go into it thinking about how you have to remember every little thing. You don't. If there's somethin you're not getting, then you can go back and look it up, or use the internet.

 

Basically, just enjoy it.

 

I really don't think about the story being so huge. I just think about the moments that stay with me. I don't fret over how many pages there are in the book.

[Graendals favourite]

The same here pretty much. My approach is that in the first read I'm not going to notice much except what happens, so other things will go down to the rereads. The character database is great. The same with the various nobles, Cairhienin and Tairen at least, they are mentioned in different books, but hard to remember. Like, I think in WH Bertome and Weiramon were seen in close discussion, when they'd had that discussion in PoD, and later Bertome stumbled on Weiramon and that DF Asha'man's discussion, where he might have heard too much. I have no idea if that subplot has continued. I suppose with the database it will be easier, but I'm going to try a reread first=).

[Hoop Snake]

I never had a problem following it all, but admittedly on a re-read I will always pick up new things.

[Kadere]

Go to encyclopaedia-wot.org or any site like it (there are quite a few, but I think it's the best) also have all the books at hand so you can flip back through them to find stuff. It can be daunting the first time around, but rereads help.

[thegreatbabu]

read, re-read, re-read again.. i've read each of the books in the series at the very least five times, and every time i've read them, i pick up new details.

[Guest Chaldkydri]

.... I take notes...

And i re-read. Every 3 months or so i re-read and take notes.. I've been doing this for 3 years..

[Inara]

i tried that, when i bought book 8 i decided i would be taking notes so i could contribute to forums and theories. but really, i just read for fun, re-reads help with the details and the nitty-gritty, but like John said...chill out and enjoy it, i have always found that the more i enjoy something,the more information i absorb

[merlinspetrock]

I started reading WOT in 1994. At that time the only books out were the 1st four and FoH was coming out when I got to the end of 4. I have done a reread of the entire series every time a new one came out. If not for that I would probably be in the same boat as you. I think most of the people here have done numerous rereads. In fact alot of the people here caught stuff I didnt even after i read the last book. It is different for everyone. When you are done with KoD start from the begining again. Either that or I suggest finding the audiobooks somewhere (bittorrent is your friend here) and listen to those. The readers are great and it opens up a whole new view of the story. The only problems with the audiobooks are the pronuciation and accent differences between the two readers.

[susie]

I certainly have to agree with Inara. When I was back in school, I couldn't figure out how come I couldn't remember anything I read when I remembered a lot more information when I read for fun.

 

I will never admit to remembering everything about all of the characters, subplots - and sometimes even the plot. I have been contemplating the re-read myself. I can tell you one thing with certainty... I remember a lot more about Wheel of Time because I was reading for pleasure than I do about Circuits, or Physics, or Chemistry.

 

So much for my Engineering degree, which cost a lot more than this series did (even if I would have bought the hardback).

[kbundy]

Notes? I just read the books. Like merlinspetrock, I started reading this series in the early 90's.

 

1)I'm not sure I would contemplate trying to start a series this large and try to absorb it all at once. I have read the series all the way through 10 or 12 times, but only because I am a little obsessive. Anyway, I read a book and think about it for a few days, then start on another one.

 

2)I don't try to figure it all out. I leave that for those who have nothing else to do, then read the theories once or twice a year. Most I don't care about. That is what the anticipation about the next book means.

 

I have enough to do to keep up with my two kids' school reading lists. Try reading 8 books for sophomore english and 6 for 6th grade english. Besides I have my own homework. :?

[mike]

i started early and i wish "a new spring" was the first one because it makes so much more sense.

 

hint....

 

reading them more than once let's you get into their character and you can laugh and cry with them.

that's rj's gift...the detail to lead you into every aspect of the character.

[joeybsmash]

are there really 1000 charactors?

[Kadere]

There are 1880 characters

[wtfv]

Well, one advice I can give is: read it very slowly.

 

I realized that when I read a book in a fast way, few weeks later many details are lost. And reading it slowly helps you to keep in touch with the series a longer period. In that way you keep the line of events unbroken. Periods without reading WoT (waiting for the next book, for example) are the greatest enemies of the memory.. When i got KoD on my hands, i had some trouble in remenbering some past details, especially with those nobles, who was to be where and that sort of thing, a really mess.

 

I found that reading something like a chapter/day is a good speed. But it requires a great effort, especially on the most exciting parts...

[mike]

kbundy

I have read the series all the way through 10 or 12 times, but only because I am a little obsessive.

 

:shock:

you must be very intimate with most of the characters of the tale. theories would have no use for you if you have retained all of that data.