Random Monday topic

[he who comes with a bong]

Ok so i read AMOL 2 times. All the other books except for the Gatherign storm at least 50 a piece (over 20 year period). Does any one else who used to pick the books up and read them all and then once you set the last one down pick the first one right back up again. Do you feel the need to read the books any more, or are you like me who packed them away probally not to be read again for a long long time.

 

Like a whole turning of the wheel.

 

 

thoughts on this from you all would be great.

[Suttree]

I most likely will not be doing re-reads. There is quite simply too much good fantasy being written these days and the last three books do not hold up well to close scrutiny. Plot gratification only takes one so far and the problems become too glaring afer a few times through. I will read certain sections at times again and again. The WoT will always have those classic moments that never get old.

[Zanarky]

Since I just finished reading the entire series for the first time, I am not likely to pick it right back up anytime soon. There are tons of other great books out there. I will re-read it a few years down the road perhaps, when I feel like I have the time, and the burning interest to do so. For now, it's still too fresh.

[Elgee]

Ok so i read AMOL 2 times. All the other books except for the Gatherign storm at least 50 a piece (over 20 year period). Does any one else who used to pick the books up and read them all and then once you set the last one down pick the first one right back up again. Do you feel the need to read the books any more, or are you like me who packed them away probally not to be read again for a long long time.

 

Like a whole turning of the wheel.

 

 

thoughts on this from you all would be great.

 

Same here, except that I've not bothered to read AMOL for even a 2nd time. I might read the others again, but I doubt I'll read AMOL ever again. I was one of the most vocal supporters of having someone else finish the series, but I'm bitterly regretting that now.

[Rhienne]

I started doing a reread immediately after finishing AMoL.  I probably will do another reread at some point in the future, but not too soon - as others have said, there are so many good fantasy series to read!  I'm quite happy with how things have worked out as I've read my favourite books (books 1-9) a lot more than I've read books 10-14.

[ratswot]

I am not sure I'll be re-reading the series any time soon but I really enjoyed the last three books. Of all the books in TWOT TOM is my favourite. I honestly find it baffling how people can say the last three books were no good. This has me scratching my head. Sure one can argue they were not as good as the first few in the series but I can't see how anyone can say they were not better than ACOS -> KOD. ACOS -> KOD killed TWOT for me.

[Suttree]

I am not sure I'll be re-reading the series any time soon but I really enjoyed the last three books. Of all the books in TWOT TOM is my favourite. I honestly find it baffling how people can say the last three books were no good.

 

Simple. They don't hold up to any close scrutiny. There are mistakes, timeline issues, structural problems and unpolished prose which makes them far too uneven. In fact after ToM, Team Jordan admitted how bad things had become and changed Brandon's writing process in trying to address the problems because they had to get AMoL "right". They then pushed back the release in order to try and further fix the problems. Plot gratification only carries one so far, after that you have what you have. If you enjoy blunt, hack-n-slash fantasy and finding out how the series ends I'm sure you can enjoy the work. If how badly BS botched even main characters like Mat doesn't put you off then the cardboard cut outs, side characters became certainly won't matter much.  If the fact that the nature of the last battle was fundamentally changed because the author simply droppped entire groups of channelers from the story is ok or Demandred becoming a cartoon villain twirling his mustache and fighting 20 duels is what you like I can see why the last three didn't bother you. Bottom line though, hack-n-slash has never been what the WoT was about. These books with RJ, despite some flaws had a level of writing quality that set them above much of the fantasy genre.

[ratswot]

 

Simple. They don't hold up to any close scrutiny. There are mistakes, timeline issues, structural problems and unpolished prose. In fact after ToM, Team Jordan admitted how bad things had become and changed Brandon's writing process in trying to address the problems because they had to get AMoL "right". They then pushed back the release in order to try and further fix the problems. Plot gratification only carries one so far, after that you have what you have. If you enjoy blunt, hack-n-fantasy and finding out how the series ends I'm sure you can enjoy the work. If how badly BS botched even main characters like Mat doesn't put you off then the cardboard cut outs side characters became certainly won't matter much.  If the fact that the nature of the last battle was fundamentally changed because the author simply droppped entire groups of channelers from the story is ok or Demandred becoming a cartoon villain twirling his mustache and fighting 20 duels is what you like I can see why the last three didn't bother you. Bottom line though, hack-n-slash has never been what the WoT was about. These books despite some flaws had a level of writing quality that set them above much of the fantasy genre.

 

 

Just my final say on this topic of RJ vs Sanderson as I don't want admins getting upset but the damage had already been done by RJ. Sanderson made the best of a very bad situation.

[Suttree]

See you say this and yet never back up your point with examples from the text as others do. When people offer rebuttals you seem to just ignore their points and move the goal posts or restate subjective opinion. The admins are fine with the discussing the topic but as Barid already said once:

 

All opinions are welcome from all angles of debate, and everyone should feel free to have their say. All opinions are respected whether they are shared by many or few. However, to sustain a discussion references and examples are necessary. Otherwise, it is just opinion v opinion, which will not go anywhere. If you are going to dispute something, have "proof" or examples of why, otherwise, to avoid unnecessary and pointless conflict just agree to disagree. 

 

Claiming the damage had been done doesn't address the problems raised as to why the last three books were not good from a quality perspective. Saying BS made the best of a very bad situation makes no sense in the context of the discussion. You seem to be a huge fan of Brandon's that just wants to plug his ears and close his eyes every time the very real issues are brought up. It's important to just take a realistic look at what we actualy have. As the admins said if you don't agree cite references and examples as others have done. The best place for that would be the "Quality" thread or "RJ v. BS".

[Cybertrolloc]

So BS had full creative control and was solely responsible for the ending trilogy according to you. Why then would he repeat the same mistakes the lesser author made 15 years ago in ToM? (And this is someone that's been saying the last thing you read WoT for is its plot for years.)

[clutzyninja]

I usually don't read many books more than once.  For WoT I stopped at 8 and reread those once AMoL was given a release date.  But for the most part I'd rather read something new than something I already read.  I enjoy many genres (fantasy, horror, classics, biographies, sci-fi) so I never run out of new things to discover.  If anything my kindle library is expanding way faster than I can read, so I don't see needing to reread ANYTHING anytime soon.

[Elynde]

If it is a beloved series, like WoT is for me, I will rehash the series every few years.  Otherwise, I drift through books rather quickly and flitter on to the next one in line.