Should I read Robert Jordan's books?

[Errant Bard]

The were a ton of writers writing fantasy long before Tolkien. The genre of fantasy is as old as literature.

Uh, yes, and?

[Darth Richard]

Ya. I can't think of a single book from a major author, or best selling series that has used Jordan as 'inspiration'.

Yeah me either. >.>

[Sansa_Stark]

Eragon?

But then again he gets "inspired" from everything.

[Darth Richard]

I was being sarcastic.

[Suttree]

Aside from that... constantly cribbed? By who? LOTR got cribbed by Jordan, so was Dune, so were the Arthurian legends, the Norse myths, and a lot of other things, it's even a plot point somehow, I can see a lot of books having the same inspiration (like, say, Shannara), but a series cribbing WoT? Hah!

*Cough* Goodkind *Cough*

[peterbound]

*Cough* Goodkind *Cough*

Holy fuck, did someone just use the Yeard in a good way?

If there was one fucking argument you could have made to dissuade someone to /not/ read those books, you just made it.

Fuck goodkind. If anything he took everything that was bad about RJ (which was legion) and made it worse.

That man is the most hated author around these parts. You'll get no traction invoking his name.

[Suttree]

Holy fuck, did someone just use the Yeard in a good way?

If there was one fucking argument you could have made to dissuade someone to /not/ read those books, you just made it.

Fuck goodkind. If anything he took everything that was bad about RJ (which was legion) and made it worse.

That man is the most hated author around these parts. You'll get no traction invoking his name.

Are you being purposely obtuse? I know you come in with unhinged rants every time the WoT comes up but I didn't imply in the slightest that there is anything positive about Goodkind, merely that he ripped off RJ.

[peterbound]

Are you being purposely obtuse? I know you come in with unhinged rants every time the WoT comes up but I didn't imply in the slightest that there is anything positive about Goodkind, merely that he ripped off RJ.

Ha, I love it when you try so hard.

Welcome to the internet.

[Suttree]

Ermm what are you on about? You've gone from misinterpreting a post to just coming across as oddly defensive. You certainly are a strange one pb.

[Errant Bard]

*Cough* Goodkind *Cough*

Holy mother of goats, I had forgotten that one. He is only one guy, but I suppose he does actually "constantly crib" Jordan, at that, since his series is still ongoing (or is it?)

Not that it matters to the OP, it seems he only wants controversy, not answers (he already has the answers anyway)

[WrathOfTinyKittens]

There was also The Unremembered which IIRC some reviewers said was basically just a rehash of WOT.

[Reposado]

That's your perception. A ton of people going "try it for yourself" were WOT fans. They are just alot less forceful about it then the detractors. Mostly because they have a less extreme view of the series. Everyone saying "try it" was like "It's got good points, but also some negatives".

That doesn't make any sense. He's not asking to be convinced he's asking for opinions from people who have read it. You know, the whole reason people read reviews.

But hey, yeah, anyone who needs to read a review for a book obviously shouldn't read the book, am I right?

so you are saying the opinions ranged from no to mixed? definitely required another thread to suss that one out

[Former Lord of Winterfell]

I haven't heard anything bad about Robert Jordan except that the story is too long. Or rather, that's the main criticism.

I don't think that's accurate. Martin's books are denser, and I'd imagine that the first 5 books of ASOIAF have at least as many words as 7 or so WoT books. But you don't here nearly as much about length in the former as you did about length after 7 or so WoT books.

The primary criticism is the existence of filler, which would be annoying regardless of length. Excessive focus placed on detail that has nothing to do with the story -- repeatedly describing the embroidery on every new outfit, for example. After a time, it seems like very little substance.

For me, the primary issue wasn't filler or length. I can skim over filler. The primary problem was the excessive focus on (to me) extremely juvenile male/female relationships. I'm not sure if the concept of "shipping" existed prior to WoT, but that's the first context in which I ever heard it. I often felt like I was listening in on lunch room conversations between eighth graders, and it made me actively dislike the characters. It even infected Jordan's analog to Aragorn -- Lan, who inexplicable fell in love with one of those annoying characters. Who, by the way, was probably said to have "tugged her braid" at least 100 times in the damn series.

I'd also say that most of the female characters came across as quite annoying. Lecturning, condescending....seems to me that RJ may not have had the highest opinion of women.

But honestly, I'd read it, if only to know what the fuss is about. If you like it, great. If not, then stop reading, and join the bitch sessions.

[Shryke]

so you are saying the opinions ranged from no to mixed? definitely required another thread to suss that one out

No, I'm saying the people who really like the series will still admit it has problems whereas the people who really don't like it won't generally bring up or admit anything they like about the series.

It ain't complicated when you aren't trying to miss the point.

[Errant Bard]

I'm not sure if the concept of "shipping" existed prior to WoT, but that's the first context in which I ever heard it.

It already existed in the 19th century. (Little Women is famous for the author being so fed up with the ship letter that she wrote a sequel to shut up the fangirls)

[lynxx]

No

Second that.

[leafs43]

If you're looking for grim dark and grittiness, Robert Jordan isn't for you.

If you want a story of good vs evil with an author that has probably the best world building talent, then you should go ahead and read Robert Jordan.

Wheel of time books 8-11 are a real slog fest, filled with little action but a lot of character development and a lot of details that ends up paying dividends in the final 3 books done by Sanderson.

[Serious Callers Only]

:bang:

'best world building talent'? Are you crazy?

[leafs43]

:bang:

'best world building talent'? Are you crazy?

.

For 1 person to have built Randland and have it being a living breathing and huge world that it is pretty much the pinnacle of world building.

Jordan didn't have a team of writers writing lore for him 20 years before undertaking his detailed landscape. Nor did he just copy the real world and just put it in a fantasy setting. Randland was built from scratch and to date the world building in WoT keeps people glued to at least the first five books alone.

[baxus]

should you read jordan's books?

only if you have way too much time on your hands and no better way of spending it.

i've managed to get to book 3 or 4 and gave up on it.

too long a story with not enough going on, with a touch of cliche and "he eye of the world" is as clear a LOTR copy as "was the sword of shannara".