My thoughts after finishing the books for the first time.

[darniil]

That's right. It's February of 2007, and I've only just now finished reading the WoT books despite having been introduced to them by friends back in '93 or so. Though intimidation over page-count back then kept me from reading, I eventually picked up a copy of EotW in '05 and was instantly hooked, once I was able to get myself past the Prologue.

 

Over a year later of (almost) constant, paced reading - I'm sorry, but some of those books were just plain boring - and KoD is back in its dust cover, my bookmark that got me through these twelve books patiently waiting for the final installment. And after spending about a year and a half reading The Wheel of Time, what were my first spoken words upon closing Book 11?

 

"Now what?"

 

Now I guess I'll read things online that I tried to refrain from reading, things that might have spoiled my first time through the books. I might also pick up Phantom - I was so disappointed by Chainfire that I refused to read one word of Phantom until I was done with all of the published WoT books - but I might put that off a bit longer. I might even try my hand at some personal projects I've thought of while reading, like trying to match up the WoT calendar with the Gregorian calendar, assuming the WoT planet revolves on its axis and around its star at roughly the same speeds as Earth does. (Yeah, someone's probably already beaten me to this, but I want to do it myself. Where's the fun in looking at someone else's calculations when I can do it myself?)

 

I also thought of something else, an idea prompted by the comments of a friend of mine. He'd mentioned that A Memory of Light would be required to be at least 2,000 pages in order to get everything finished to the satisfaction of readers, and I have to concur. Myself, I'm also hoping that half of those two-thousand pages are epilogue, akin to Tolkien's summation of events after the fall of Sauron. (After reading all of these pages that I have, I need to be walked around a bit to rest myself and get my breath back; no sudden stops, please.) And as to my thoughts that developed from my friend's comments, I expect AMoL to be jam-packed with action, since I now see the series as a whole as a mimic of individual books.

 

To elaborate: In most of the books that I can remember, there is a pattern of events. Things happen in the beginning of the book to set events in motion, the vast majority of the middle of the book is filled with words that describe what happens without ever actually showing stuff happening, and then the last chapter or two are filled with lots of stuff happening all at once. (Though I can't remember which book this happened in, the book with Rand's abduction and Dumai's Wells seems a perfect piece of evidence for this pattern of events.) Now, after all these years and all these books, with the series coming to a close, I see the same pattern of events happening to the series as a whole: In the beginning, many things happened to set events in motion. In the middle books, a lot of words were written to describe stuff that was happening, but most of that stuff wasn't really all that entertaining. Now, at the end, a lot of stuff is happening to tie off loose threads and bring about an entertaining conclusion. My only hope is that AMoL continues and concludes this pattern, as I do not want The Wheel of Time to have happen to it what happened with Dune.

 

Well, I think I've written enough. Now I need to find something to do. Maybe I'll go pick EotW back up and re-read that again. If you've read this far, thanks. And post a reply, so I can see what others think about my thoughts; it might help me get a better view of the WoT books, the WoT world, or other things.

[Hannah Banana]

I've been re-reading the series since, probably, December or November, and I've got about a third to go in KoD (which is the first time I've read that book--even though I pretty effectively spoilered myself).

 

I agree with you wish about a really long epilogue. Oh how I love good epilogues. But it seems unlikely we'll get something so satisfying. :cry:

 

Oddly, int his read through, I was not bored by the series at all. People always complain about WH and TPoD or whatever, but I didn't notice it at all. I can see how, when you're waiting for two years to get a book, you get it, and there's no resolution at all, just more complications, that that would be frustrating. But until I get to the end of this book, I haven't had any of that.

 

I'm finding myself very pessisimistic about AMoL, though. I just can't picture RJ jumping directly into TG, as he would almost have to in order for a satisfying (to me) resolution.

[Slinx]

Hopefully Jordan's epilogue isn't as bad as Tolkien's.

 

Don't think we need a bookmark for every event after; like Samwise's Mayor run.

[isk]

yeah, I agree with you about the pattern in the books. when I first read the series I stopped somewhere before Winter's Heart and didn't read another word for a year. I was just bored out of my mind, but I'm glad I picked it back up. all the prologue can seem daunting but it's so worth it once you read how everything ends up. and if anything it made me appreciate the sheer amount of material and planning involved instead of just writing it off as self-indulgent filler.

 

when I finished KoD I had a similar feeling. I wanted book 12 right then and there.

[demeroe]

Who did you think had killed Asmodean when you first read it?

[Trib4l]

Oh boy - I knew someone would ask that question...

[PrinceOfRavens]

lets not go there.... lol it might get out of hand :lol:

[SBoydW]

that's the first thing that almost everyone asks.. :lol:

[Verbal32]

Who did you think had killed Asmodean when you first read it?

 

Eh, just answer Bela. Actually, Bela should be the answer to every unknown in WoT.

 

Who killed Asmodean? Bela.

Who is controlling Taim? Bela.

Where is Demandred? Bela knows.

Will Rand die at TG? Who cares...Bela will be there.

Will there be more books? If so, Bela will write them.

[frozen Turkey]

Just a question....at the end of KoD, where was Bella? Was she still with Siuan?

[Ninjasdrinkcoke]

...isn't Bella rands horse???...

[Ninjasdrinkcoke]

sry for the double post, but i just had to ask.

Anyway... the only time i got bored during the books was when the girls got into the tower, and it talked about them for about 150 pages, then went to everyone else for about 30 pages, then went back to the girls for anouther 100 pages. other then that i loved the books and remember staying up late with a book in hand for weeks on end.

[RobertAlexWillis]

...isn't Bella rands horse???...

 

Yes, originally Bela belonged to Tam and Rand. Egwene began riding her when the original group left Emond's Field. She has essentially become Egwene's, and was on loan to Siuan because of her placid nature.

 

Just a question....at the end of KoD, where was Bella? Was she still with Siuan?

 

Bela was last seen when Egwene rode her to the banks of the Erinin, before crossing to turn the Northharbor chain into cuendillar. She was left in the care of men working for the Salidar Aes Sedai, and has probably been returned to the camp for Siuan's use by now.