Age of characters vs Age of Readers

[animegirl]

I started reading rhe WOT books at about the age of 17 and I'm now 30, however I have found that characters I liked back when I was 16 were those characters that were around my own age, eg Egwene, Aviendha, Rand.

 

However I have found that as I have gotten older my character preferences have gotten older too. When I was in my mid-20s I liked Nyneave, now I am 30 I am gravitating towards the more mature characters.

 

I often wonder if our preferences for heroric characters are based on what we would aspire to be, however when a character is a teenager and we are older it feels like that time is past and it is something we could never be because we are now too old.

 

Due to the length of the time period that the books have been released over, the characters have barely aged whereas readers have aged (if you started reading from the early 90s) almost two decades.

 

Has anyone else found age to have changed their enjoyment and interpretation of the WoT series?

[Balefire to da face!]

In some characters it has, in others not so much. On my last reread I mentioned this and others agree with me, that Nyneave is very annoying in the first 4 or so books to teenagers because of her bossy nature, but us 20-somethings find her to be one of the better, more sympathetic characters in the series.

 

My dislike of Egwene has grown over time. I used to be mostly neutral about her, but nowadays I find her desire to just run off and leave everyone behind(she never had to like the boys did) rather selfish. And in later books she took annoying and petty amounts of joy in humiliating Nyneave in her quest to get the upper hand on her. Her lust for knowledge is something that I relate to, and would find to be a virtue if she wasn't so eager to throw everything else aside in order to learn that something new.

 

I don't know if this is unusual, but I've found myself lossening up over time as far as rules go. When I was 17 I really related to Galad, and disliked Mat because of his rogueish nature. Over time I've definately come to see what others dislike in Galdad, and I've found myself more amused with Mat, if not totally empathizing with him.

 

Perrin is still my favorite character, and the one I relate the most with. His quiet, calm nature that wars with fits of uncontrollable rage. His devotion and need to have one woman to focus his life on.

 

Overall, I've also found myself becoming more understanding of the secrective nature and general standoff-ishness of characters in the series. When younger it annoyed me that characters didn't talk about things more. While it can still be overdone in the series, I definately understand it a lot more now. I remember reading the series and thinking that the characters would be better served just trying to reason with the Whitecloaks in certain scenes in the first couple of books. Yeah, not gonna happen :D

[Pug]

I've been reading the books since I was about 13 or 14, and when I started I really like Mat because of his cheeky nature, and as he's grown in the series I've liked what he's become and is becoming. To me Mat is one of the best characters to read about beacuse something always happens that leads him into trouble.

 

I've never really liked Egwene I find her a bit know it all in the later books.

 

As it is I've kind of stuck with the same favourite characters though I'm looking forward to what going to happen with Lan, for I haven't read the latest book yet.

 

That's me.

 

 

[sketching sedai]

I only started reading the series about a year ago and I’ve just turned nineteen so I guess my character preference hasn’t had a chance to change with age, but out of the ones that I like now, they’re all a range of ages from Aviendha to Mr Mandragoran.

 

And I’ve got to ask, did you make that video in your sig? 

[animegirl]

I only started reading the series about a year ago and I’ve just turned nineteen so I guess my character preference hasn’t had a chance to change with age, but out of the ones that I like now, they’re all a range of ages from Aviendha to Mr Mandragoran.

 

And I’ve got to ask, did you make that video in your sig?   

 

Yes I did.. just a little fun

[Rolan]

I only started reading the series about a year ago and I’ve just turned nineteen so I guess my character preference hasn’t had a chance to change with age, but out of the ones that I like now, they’re all a range of ages from Aviendha to Mr Mandragoran.

 

And I’ve got to ask, did you make that video in your sig?   

 

You sound just like me :) I started reading a a year and a half ago and I also just turned 19. The characters I relate most to are Rand and Perrin as they're really a lot like me. Same age and leaving their hometown for the first time..

 

I find it scary that people who were my age and read EoTW when it first came out are now near 40 :(

[sketching sedai]

Yes I did.. just a little fun

That’s really awesome man, I really enjoyed it. 

I wanna start doing fan flash; I’ve got a few ideas I’m pushing around but I’m about four weeks into my flash course so it’s going to be a while yet. 

Have you done anymore, and do you work with any other software?

You sound just like me :) I started reading a a year and a half ago and I also just turned 19. The characters I relate most to are Rand and Perrin as they're really a lot like me. Same age and leaving their hometown for the first time

I really like Birgitte, Aviendha and all the maidens. I guess that’s because I’m not really girly...at all.

 

Ps. I’m not a raging feminist......Lan’s hot... ;D   

I find it scary that people who were my age and read EoTW when it first came out are now near 40 :(

I bet you that’s how old we will be by the time George rr martin finishes A.S.O.I.A.F :D

 

 

[ed2funy]

I think I have to say that I am the odd one out....

 

I have read the series 3 times in the two years since I have started it...and I am now 18....

 

But, when I read the books I throw myself completely into it and I like all of the characters....although I tend to like the older characters more....

 

I quite frankly do not know why people hate Egwene or Faile so much....all of the characters are awesome...their faults make them more real...and more likable...

[Sylvia]

Lets see.....I started reading the books when I was a freshman, so about when I was 14? So lets say 6 years. In the begining, I loved Moraine. She was so cool, calm, and collected. I really wanted to be like that. Now, though, I am totally in love with Mat. He's just so full of life. He'd rather be out in a bar, gambling, drinking, flirting. It makes sense, going with my personality now. Im young, and I want to get out and enjoy life.

 

Interesting thoughts though. I don't think I would have actually put any thought into why I liked a character....

[42Bonzo88]

    I started reading the series about 12 years ago and after many rereads I seem to understand things better with age and having things refreshed. Age has never been a factor for me (characters) More the situations. I have always liked Thom, if there was something I wished I could do is travel all over the world telling and hearing stories.

[Obligatory WOT Reference]

I first picked up tEotW when I was 13, so 7 years ago. Wow how time flies!!! But I definitely related to the young males, most of all Mat, during my first readthrough of the series, mostly because I'm a young male as well. And I related to Mat because he was definitely the funnest and most pragmatic of the three. He also was really loyal and doesn't go back on his word. As I've gotten older, even though I still like Mat, I've been relating to Rand more and more as the weight of school and job huting has definitely made me feel more responsibility than when I was 13.

[The Doctor]

Wow I wish I opened this thread before I posted in the how long did it take you to read the series thread, I feel stupid now, the post would have been much better placed here... ahhhh copy and paste will do though...

 

I read Eye of the World when I was 14, I'm now 31... oooh Almost 32, but my B-Day is in Dec and I read Eye of the World in August of that year so I'll stick with 31...  so with the amount of time I've had to wait for The Gathering Storm to be released it's taken me 17 years as well.  Damn, I started this series the summer before I started high school, and it's been 13 years since I graduated, I'm married and have a child...  Well at least these books are being released more rapidly than the Dark Tower series was.

 

When I first started reading Perrin was my favorite and I was neutral on most of the rest, except I couldn't stand the shrewish Nynaeve and had a big problem with all three of the girls when Mat rescued them from the stone.  When I got to be a little older Mat became my favorite character.  Not that I'm in my 30's Mat is still my favorite character, mostly due to envy at my having had to grow up.  And I still can't stand the shrewish Nynaeve.  Not completely true, she's changed a little over the last 2 or 3 books, and is growing on me some, still don't like her earlier characterization, despite my supposed maturing.

[Ragnorok]

I haven't had the time span that most of you guys have had on reading this awesome series. I started reading TWOT:EOTW around when I was 25 if im not mistaken, and I am currently 27. I've always liked Perrin, his ability to handle things has always impressed me, he's like the silent warrior, gentle yet kick butt when he needs to be. Moriane has also been a favorite, she's not as pompus as most of the AS, and she always has a plan, she's calm, and collected.

 

I'd say the person I really don't relate to much is Matt. The first few books he really bothered me, he seemed more of a hinderance to the group more than anything else, and he complained a lot. I like however, that over time he's matured A BIT, but I've always viewed the whole drinking/gambling as immature  :-\  But I suppose that's part of his charm lol.