Anyone Here Prefer The "Slower" Volumes?

[Vinny]

Just curious.

 

Are there fans who like those less plot-heavy volumes?

If so, why?

And which is your favorite?

 

Um, please don't spoil me, I'm only halfway through EotW!

[francy]

Hmm, no, not me. I like the faster moving books more. The 'slower' ones ok, they do add to the story, but I find them frustrating because I know so much needs to be done and there were only going to be 12 books to cover it (well, as it turns out there will be 13 - to do the story justice!).

 

My concern was that if its a slower book, then the future books were going to be rushed, to get certain things done. Or those 'certain' things wouldn't be covered at all. As it was, in some cases of minor plot points, we'd hear about them third hand. For example, one character telling another character that it happened - even though we've been following that plot from the beginning and waiting for book upon book to follow it through to the end.

 

That happened a couple times - we didn't get to watch the scene unfold, or get all of the details about the event. And its because the previous couple books were just slowly plodding along, with too much time spent recapping the previous books. If that makes sense!

 

But the slower books are still worth reading, I enjoy them - especially book 7. Even though its slow, some major things happen (major for me because I love Nyneave, and even Elayne gets to shine a bit). I hope thats not telling you too much!

[Terez]

I enjoy (not prefer) the slower books, because they build on layers of intrigue and character development, sort of the 'eye before the storm' of the last few books. I suppose that my favorite of them is Winter's Heart (9). You'll know why when you finish it.

[Mrs. Cindy Gill]

 

Are there fans who like those less plot-heavy volumes?

 

no.

[contempt]

 

Are there fans who like those less plot-heavy volumes?

 

no.

That's pretty much your answer in a nutshell.

 

And I agree with francy that I feared the future books might be rushed. My fears were all but confirmed at the very beginning of tGS, when the fate of a certain Shienaran was (IMHO) abruptly resolved. I thought the whole of the last 3 books would be like that, simply resolving everything quickly without much explanation or story, just BS frantically trying to tie up RJ's "mess" as best he could.

 

But that turned out not to be the case. BS (again IMHO) has in many ways proved to be a superior author than RJ. Although I'm certain it would have happened that way had he not split the last book into 3. With the slow pace RJ had set in his previous books, I still to this day have no idea how he could have done it in one book.

[ironisles]

If by slower you mean like PoD,CoT then no I don't prefer the slower books. Nothing happens of any substance in CoT;

I am now re-reading it so perhaps my views on it will change. But Perrin/Faile storyline bores me to death.

[Terez]

And I agree with francy that I feared the future books might be rushed. My fears were all but confirmed at the very beginning of tGS, when the fate of a certain Shienaran was (IMHO) abruptly resolved.

I wouldn't say that was abruptly resolved at all. (Major spoilers under the button.)

 

 

The resolution of the Masema plotline was in KOD - his army was rather purposefully decimated at the Battle of Malden. At that point, it became a little silly to define the 'Perrin goes south' plotline by Masema, because Masema was done for; hardly anyone considered him important after KOD. It became more about Perrin dealing with the Shaido once and for all, and making steps toward a truce with the Seanchan. Faile was just cleaning up the dregs.

 

[contempt]

And I agree with francy that I feared the future books might be rushed. My fears were all but confirmed at the very beginning of tGS, when the fate of a certain Shienaran was (IMHO) abruptly resolved.

I wouldn't say that was abruptly resolved at all. (Major spoilers under the button.)

I agree with everything you said under the button, that isn't what I meant. I was talking about the trepidation I was feeling at the time I started to read tGS, this first book written by an author unknown to me finishing the series I had come to love so much. (Spoilers to follow)

 

 

When the first thing that happened was Faile killing Masema, my immediate thought was, "oh my god, this guy (BS) is just going to start killing people left and right." I thought the whole book would be nothing but him wrapping up loose ends with little or no substance to it. As I read on, I mentally breathed a sigh of relief.

 

Not only do I agree with you that Masema's plot line was resolved in KoD, I think he should have actually died in that book as well. Since BS knew there was nothing more to do with him, he just had Faile whack him offhandedly right in the beginning. Had he already been dead, BS wouldn't have had to do that.

 

Of course, I can hardly blame RJ for dieing before he wrote whatever end he intended for Masema. It just would have been nice.

 

[Terez]

When the first thing that happened was Faile killing Masema, my immediate thought was, "oh my god, this guy (BS) is just going to start killing people left and right." I thought the whole book would be nothing but him wrapping up loose ends with little or no substance to it. As I read on, I mentally breathed a sigh of relief.

 

Not only do I agree with you that Masema's plot line was resolved in KoD, I think he should have actually died in that book as well. Since BS knew there was nothing more to do with him, he just had Faile whack him offhandedly right in the beginning. Had he already been dead, BS wouldn't have had to do that.

 

Of course, I can hardly blame RJ for dieing before he wrote whatever end he intended for Masema. It just would have been nice.

 

Yeah.

 

 

I think he didn't kill him off in KOD because he wanted to leave us with the impression that Perrin's next task would be to haul Masema back to Rand.

 

[contempt]

Yeah.

 

 

I think he didn't kill him off in KOD because he wanted to leave us with the impression that Perrin's next task would be to haul Masema back to Rand.

 

I think you're probably right, although I wasn't at all worried about that. I knew where he would go next, I was just annoyed that other thing was still there.

[vasu619]

I actually do enjoy the slower books such as PoD and CoT. I was definitely frustrated by the pace on my first read, but I really grew to enjoy them on my later re-reads, to the point where I actually wished the rest of the books would be paced similarly! On the other hand, I might not have made it to the later books if all the books had been paced that way LOL. Seriously though, I realise I'm in an overwhelming minority here, but I really do enjoy the slower books.

[Arani Lepenque Aes Sedai]

Not at all. In fact, I prefer them to some other books. I like detail, you see. Try not to overgeneralize, because there are people who liked them better.

[Vinny]

Very interesting, keep 'em coming!

[ironisles]

I actually do enjoy the slower books such as PoD and CoT. I was definitely frustrated by the pace on my first read, but I really grew to enjoy them on my later re-reads, to the point where I actually wished the rest of the books would be paced similarly! On the other hand, I might not have made it to the later books if all the books had been paced that way LOL. Seriously though, I realise I'm in an overwhelming minority here, but I really do enjoy the slower books.

 

 

If all the books were like CoT there would never be an ending because nothing would ever happen except in the last chapter.

[vasu619]

I actually do enjoy the slower books such as PoD and CoT. I was definitely frustrated by the pace on my first read, but I really grew to enjoy them on my later re-reads, to the point where I actually wished the rest of the books would be paced similarly! On the other hand, I might not have made it to the later books if all the books had been paced that way LOL. Seriously though, I realise I'm in an overwhelming minority here, but I really do enjoy the slower books.

 

 

If all the books were like CoT there would never be an ending because nothing would ever happen except in the last chapter.

 

I'm a relatively new reader in the series, I remember I started reading just before CoT came out, and even KoD had come a year after I had good through the series for the first time since I didn't really have access to all the books at one go. Regardless, the point is that I never really had to wait for any book till CoT, and by them, I had gotten used to the slower pacing, and as a result, I wouldn't mind even if the series had taken 18-20 books to complete, since I hadn't put in the sheer amount of waiting time that many here have.

 

In fact, I was actually disappointed at the somewhat rushed pace in book 12. I realise that having a different author complete the series requires that the series be actually completed rather than extended, but I still wish that it could be done differently, no matter how many books it takes.