How Can I Get People To Read It?

[Spider Spence]

My wife was never a big fantasy reader, but since we got an Audible membership, she's been dipping more into fantasy. She read my favorite fantasy book, Octavia Butler's Wild Seed, and loved it. She read the first three volumes of A Song of Ice & Fire, all of Joe Abercrombie's new series (which we jokingly call Half A--) and the Lies of Locke Lamora. 

 

Since we started dating fourteen years ago, she's had zero interest in the Wheel of Time. Probably because she's watched me agonize over the Wheel of Time, swear off it, go back to it, yell at Brandon Sanderson for his flat line-level prose and yell at Robert Jordan for his meandering plotlines and obvious spanking fetish--basically, she knows all the flaws of the series. Some of this is my fault--tEotW is already spoiled, since I explained the taint, the Dragon, the Dark One and said the main character is the Dragon Reborn. Of course, I think just about everyone who picks up tEotW figures out that Rand is the Dragon Reborn, so eh. I was really excited to get her the audiobooks because I figured they would be abridged or condensed--and every single one of the audiobooks is unabridged! She says she doesn't even want to try the Eye of the World because she doesn't want to have fourteen books to read to get the ending. I really want to talk to her about the ending, especially the [spoilerS] Sharans and the reason why Lews Therin's original prison weakened. [spoilerS]

 

I wish so badly that there was an abridged version of the series, cutting it down to around nine books, cutting most of the Bowl of the Winds, Faile's kidnapping, Tylin & Mat, and a lot of the other extraneous stuff. I've told her that she can skip the middle books and just read Leigh Butler's summaries on Tor.com, but the summaries aren't on audio. She is a graphic designer and mom working from home, so she loves audiobooks because she can read while she works and while she cleans up after our kids.

 

Have any of you had any luck getting people hooked who swore not to read the series?

[Alena]

Nobody I've tried to get to read it has either, though none of them have sworn not to.

My sister likes some fantasy (ASoIaF) and she says she'll read it one day, but I don't think she ever will. I think the length puts people off. One of my friends won't read anything longer than a trilogy, and says he's read mixed reviews on amazon that make him think it won't be good. He also now thinks it's sexist since I explained that women can use magic but men will go insane if they use it.

I think I'm going to try reading a passage to my sister to show her how good it is. I'm thinking the trolloc attack on the farm or one of Rand's dream visits with Ishy would be good, spoiler free, examples. Maybe you could try getting your wife to read a couple of paragraphs or a chapter to see if she likes the writing style?

[mb]

I generally let people decide whether or not they read what I read; I do not attempt to persuade them at all.

and I generally do not give specifics when describing a book I read.

 

I would guess that people would generally read (or listen to) a book if the book somehow relates to what they are interested in.

[Mrs. Cindy Gill]

I agree with mb. Let people read what they want. I don't like being pushed to read something. I'll get to it if it interests me. It sounds like it might not be her cup of tea.

[Ryrin]

I recommend it to everyone.  After that, it's their choice.

[mb]

I would guess that people would generally read (or listen to) a book if the book somehow relates to what they are interested in.

one other possibility for reading/listening might be if the book is required reading (work, school, club, etc); but there may be ways to get out of that kind of reading.

[Manel Rochaid]

I managed to get my wife to read the Eye of the World, on the condition I read a Twilight book. To my credit, I hated every second of it. On the other hand, she ended up reading the first four WoT books, before losing interest. This I feel is a common problem, to the casual reader four books in a series is probably the limit, any more and it feels like a chore. Added to that, you throw in the prologue and the companion/encyclopedia etc....

[Mrs. Cindy Gill]

I don't know anyone except from DM that made it past book 6. They can read long series, but this one is difficult. 1-6 is a great series. Even 1-4 is good but more gets resolved by 6 and you start to realize some things won't ever get resolved well.

[Manel Rochaid]

I don't know anyone except from DM that made it past book 6. They can read long series, but this one is difficult. 1-6 is a great series. Even 1-4 is good but more gets resolved by 6 and you start to realize some things won't ever get resolved well.

 

My favourite book in the series is actually book 6 (fortunately, that's the one I'm up to on my reread!), but I can completely understand anyone who doesn't get that far. My first time around, I didn't think much of it, but now I'm excitedly waiting for Logain to be Healed, for Rand to be kidnapped and the Asha'man to come to the rescue*

 

*I have to confess, on my first read through I thought Taim would turn out to be a good guy

[mb]

I know a few non-Dragonmount people that read past book 6.

-a nephew

-a niece's husband

-at least 1 church friend

last I have been told, those first 2 have read through book 13; and the 3rd one , the whole series.

[szilard]

since we got an Audible membership

 

Listening is not reading. And one cannot force anybody to read or like (certain) books.

 

BUT!/ON

 

Tell her two things: 

 

1. (Be honest.) Look, the first book is pretty weak/rushed, the second one is better, the third one is even better; there are only eleven books in the series :) 

 

2. Insert her name, it's cuddling time! I will read the books aloud!  We will dedicate an hour/day to WOT! (Ofc, you will give her an option after every chapter: should I go on?)

 

 

 

yell at Brandon Sanderson

I like you. ;)

 

[Occams whiskey bottle]

I always felt that they should have  an abbreviated version of the series. Now that it's finished editors could remove large chunks of storylines that didn't add much to the series. The entire Perin/Faile storyline where she was in captivity could be removed or greatly reduced. People could always go back for a deeper more complete read of the story. Fourteen huge novels are a large commitment for any busy person or family member.

[mb]

if an abbreviated version of this series gets made, it would probably be fan fiction; doubtful of there being an official abbreviated version.

there might be a number of different opinions about each scene/storyline/etc.

what gets into any published book/series I think should be between the author/authors & the editor/editors & the publisher/publishers; no one else.

[Occams whiskey bottle]

Robert Jordan kind of began an abbreviated series, when he split Eye of the World for YA. I realize why people wouldn't want them to do it, but I still think it would be good for the series as a whole...

[mb]

the Starscape books?  I do not count them as abbreviated; all the words of the "regular" equivalents are in them.

[Mrs. Cindy Gill]

This is a job for readers digest but honestly it's easier to just skim the parts you don't like