Robert Jordan's Prose

[Emez Vatsetek]

Sort of a criticism/observation, but I also have good things to say...

 

I was wondering, if you ever find Robert Jordan's prose less than graceful? I enjoy the story; however, I get bogged down with the more descriptive passages that make up a significant amount of his writing.

 

I also need to find a better glossary because there is just a huge amount of characters and sometimes it's nice to have a refresher just who is who.

 

I enjoy the parts where stuff is happening the most, and it more than makes up for it.

[Emez Vatsetek]

Like for example (SPOILERS)

 

 

 

at the end of Book 6 (Lord of Chaos), Gawyn sees a bunch of Aiel surrounding the Aes Sedai who captured Rand and one of his scouts die. Then Perrin comes upon them and the Aes Sedai he's with already seem to see 2-300 Aes Sedai channeling lightning and fire and fighting somebody. But, if it were the Shaido who were coming to join them, why would they have started fighting before Perrin and Rand's Aiel and Aes Sedai showed up? It's just kind of confusing there, who started the fight.

 

Is it just because, when it switches back to Perrin's POV, the Aiel have already engaged the Shaido and Aes Sedai? It's just kind of convoluted but a good battle nevertheless. (edit - OK so it was clarified at the beginning of Book 7, that the Shaido decided to attack the Aes Sedai because they and Sevanna wanted Rand for themselves)

 

Another example I recalled was Mat's killing of Couladin in The Fires of Heaven, ch. 45. It is not told of but only recollected after the fact, which is a decent writer's trick to move things along and leave some of it up to the imagination. However, it didn't really say just how Mat fought him, only that Couladin "decided to carve a hole through him to find Rand" and that Couladin was good with a spear whereas Mat was good with a quarterstaff back in the Two Rivers, yet that Couladin's "skill had not availed the man much in the end." But did Mat kill Couladin with a quarterstaff or what? I suppose it leaves it up to the imagination; and Mat must have had that spear of his with him, so I suppose that's what he used. That was the perfect opportunity to describe somewhat of a duel, and it was just kind of evaded in the telling of it. Also, for the leader of tens of thousands of Aiel, Couladin went down easily, and the Shaido still seemed to keep up morale and threaten Rand afterwards, just because he told what happens to clan chiefs in Rhuidean, and how the Aiel originally followed the Way of the Leaf? I hope the Shaido are defeated or join back with the rest of the Aiel soon so Rand can focus on actually fighting evil.