Rating: Summary: Don't Buy Any of These Books! Review: This is more a review of the series than of this book, but at this point whether this particular book is any good or not is beside the point. Most fantasy fans will enjoy this book, as well as the the next three or four books in the series. The problem is that the series has becomes a complete drag after that point, and you will find yourself reading these books with no enjoyment just so that you can see how it all ends. If you must read this series, please get it from the library; Jordan is blatantly stringing his readers along in order to improve his profit, to the point where the most recent books or almost completely unreadable. If you are the type of person who has always wanted to know the name and family history of every minor character in the books you read, or the details of every piece of clothing every charater wears, you may enjoy this series as it progresses, but for those of us who like a plot that moves foreward at a reasonable pace, this series has become unbearable. Jordan is desperately in need of a good editor. The number of sub-plots in the series is staggering, and whether they all come together at the end or not, reflect a self-indulgence on Jordan's part that is entirely inexcuseable.
Rating: Summary: An enjoyable book the first and second time through. Review: The first time I read this book I would've given it three stars, but I just finished it for the second time and I now rate it at a well deserving FOUR stars. This book is pretty good. I will explain the added star in a moment, but first I will just rate the book for the book alone.ENVIORNMENT/HISTORY(B): One of the greatest things about Robert Jordan's world is definately the world. It is so rich and in-depth. The map of the entire continent is so detailed and rich. In other fantasy epics, such as Terry Goodkind's "The Sword of Truth," there are worlds that are not as easy to get into, and the maps don't help much at all. The first book in "The Wheel of Time" gets you a brief glimmer of the world outside, but not much else. You really only now about what is going on in the places where the main character's are (however, in the first 100 pages of the second book, you know so much more about the world in it's entirety). But, there are a lot of interesting things about the history you learn in this book, which is only added onto as you read more books. CHARACTERS(B): One problem with the characters that I have problems with is that the women all seem to have similar attitudes and views while the men develop different "attributes" which changes their attitudes from their same gendered aquaintences. However, I love the way the male characters develop and the intereractions they have with random people they run into (Elyas, Master Gill, etc.). BUT, being a male and talking to female readers, they say the opposite of what I've just stated, so, my view should not discourage women from thinking that it is a male dominated series, because the female characters have more power then the men do. And there is some random love developments last minute that seem to be random to the casual reader but I caught onto the second time I read the book. PLOTLINE (C): It is hard to see where the series is going as a whole when reading this book. You don't know what characters are going to be doing later on, and it makes it hard to follow the story sometimes. Especially around the 500 page mark, it gets a little slow. But, push on, it is worth it! DEVELOPMENTS (A): With all sorts of what were only thought rumors to the small town characters becoming reality it is hard to say there is not tons and tons of development. It's so great! When I read the last chapter in book one I could not wait to pick up book 2. So much development and so much forshadowing that I couldn't even handle it. I still can't. CLOSING COMMENTS: The reason I rated it higher this time then I would've the first time through is because after reading all ten books out thus far, going back and rereading was so interesting because of all the characters I had forgotten where and when they were first introduced. I WAS a casual reader, and now I am not, and it makes the series as a whole much more rewarding, especially later in the series when a lot of people think the books get "slow" and "boring." THIS BOOK IS WORTH READING. The following additions to the series are some of the greatest pieces of work I have ever read, and despite a lot of Robert Jordan "fans" out there, I love all of the books, and appreciate the reasons why books 7-10 are a little bit slower than the first few.
Rating: Summary: Beware! Review: If you've been browsing through these reviews, you probably don't need to hear one more die-hard Robert Jordan fan telling you how great he is. What you do need to hear is this: Beware. "The Eye of the World" is excellent. The story builds wonderfully through the second, third, fourth and fifth books ("The Great Hunt", "The Dragon Reborn", "The Shadow Rising", "The Fires of Heaven".) so that by the end of the fifth you are left believing that The Wheel of Time will join Tolkien's works as great fantasy literature. Then the whole damn series falls apart. The problem, I think, is that Jordan, like an overeager Aes Sedai, took on more than he could handle and just plain burned out. So be careful. If you want to read five of the best fantasy books ever written (no joke!) then start here. But be prepared to hate Jordan by the time you slog into "The Crossroads of Twilight".
Rating: Summary: Good the first, even better the second Review: I have been a WoT fan for quite some time now. This book is definitely not the best of Jordan's work, but it is good. To appreciate the book, remember that this is a long term plotline, that has still not concluded after the 10th book. It is a very good starting point though, and shows a glimpse of the world that unfolds throughout the rest of the series. Don't skip this book if you plan on reading the rest of the series, else it is akin to learning History starting after 1800. I certainly do reccommend this book to Fantasy fans. There is a lot of detail to wade through, but heh, that could make the story for you! And don't worry if you're not thrilled with the writing style. Jordan only starts setting a rhythm (sp?) here. His next couple of books sets the mood and tone for his writings, which I find I like even better. Give it a try, I did and didn't regret it.
Rating: Summary: Great for Fantasy lovers Review: The eye of the world is a great book to read. Like all of the books in the series, it is long and might take you a while to read if you don't read too much of it at a time. This series is one of my favorites. It takes a while to understand everything but once you do, you'll love it. It has very deatailed characters and a great plot. The character sometimes seem bad or annoying, but get better as the story continues. The story becomes more detailed as the books go on. If you like fantasy than is a book for you. Overall it is a great book.
Rating: Summary: Wholly responsible for the sorry state of fantasy right now! Review: About five years ago, a friend recommended The Eye of the World to me saying it was "one of the five best fantasy books" he had ever read, even better than The Lord of the Rings. Because this was my first foray into fantasy after Tolkien, I was expecting a lot. Imagine my disappointment. I do not read that many fantasy books, but I can tell that this book is pure crap. Fantasy is supposed to be entertaining; this is a tedious bore. It is completely unoriginal. It is as unimaginative as any book could be. There are no real character or plot developments. The characters, especially the women, are immature and loathsome (does anyone know if Jordan was abused by women as a kid?). There are too much unnecessary details that bog down the story. In short: crap. If this is one of the best, then the other fantasy books out there must be really bad. Right? Not necessarily. I have read good fantasy books since then. But the biggest problem of the fantasy genre is that crappy books like this are hailed by reviewers as "great", "a classic", "the best fantasy book ever", which is definitely not the case. Because of its popularity, even Amazon does not have the guts to review it for what it is. This is one of the worst books I have ever read and I have no idea how anyone could like it. If any fantasy first-timer read this, like I did, he/she will dismiss fantasy readers as idiots (they probably are) and give up fantasy altogether. But there are better fantasy authors out there: Ursula LeGuin, J.R.R Tolkien, Meryn Peake, Gene Wolfe (part science fiction)...whose works needs a bit more effort especially from the Jordan crowd, but have a lot more reward in the end. (George R.R. Martin is not that good either but his works are a hundred times more entertaining than The Wheel of Time, but what book isn't.) In conclusion: Jordan's The Wheel of Time gives 'fantasy' a bad name. If you want the fantasy genre to be respected by the rest of the literary world, do not recommend this book to anyone.
Rating: Summary: The Wheel of Time - Disbelievers Review: To let you all know where I am coming from I have read all nine of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time books multiple times and love them all. The Eye of the World is probably my favorite book in the series. It introduced me into the world, developed characters without confusing any (which by the way was a problem with some of Tolkiens writings), and left me wanting more. While the wisdom is snotty she is still important to the book overall. And while other characters are annoying or stupid or anything else that we don't like, that is okay because it resembles real life. Jordan does a wonderful job of drawing in the readers attention, although I must admit for the casual reader this series may take awhile to read; I read it, all nine books, in about 3 weeks. As long as you have some patience, you know the ability to read Tom Clancy's big long books, you will love this series.
Rating: Summary: pretty awesome! Review: I thought this was a really good book. Robert Jordan wrote a wonderful novel. All the characters are realistic, they are all fairly well-rounded emotionally wise. Jordan created a whole new world and everything fits in place. At first when I was given the book I was told it was a lot like "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy (which are awesome books). I thought I was going to be disspointed with "The Eye of the World," but that is quite the opposite I was thrilled with the book. There are some confusing areas in the book and it's hard to know what's really going on but it all comes together in the end. This book held my interest all the way through the book and waiting to get the next book.
Rating: Summary: Start here...And be surprised... Review: This is a good book indeed...Not the most fantastic book you've ever read, but it's a must, cause it's the beginning of one of the most imaginative series of our time... I'm not going to spoil, so all I can say is: read it and even if you find it a little too long or something, stuck to it, cause the Wheel of Time series got so much to tell you that, when you'll finish this one, you'll be wanting the next one so much... Give it a try, it's worth!!!
Rating: Summary: Bad in some ways, yet it gets the job done Review: I don't really see a need to scare people away from this book... the book is hyped alot, yet most people hate it. Still, I found this book to be alright. The problem for me lies in the action. I have found only one real fight scene in the book, which was at the beggining, all the others are rushed into one page of nothing. Well thats up to about the big battle, which is alright. It really [upset me] that the creator decided to tell us about these whiny characters, instead of throw in the action. I must admit, I can't stand any of the women in this story. They all have the same personality to me, and seem to be [ticked] off over something. Moraine could at least try to be a team player, instead she acts cold and distant. Then there is Lan, a pretty standard bodyguard, who is mysterious, which is alright. The other characters bore me. Mat's antics can get old, but hes alright. Rand is strong, Jordan did a good job of making Rand seem to have alot of inner strength, yet hide it somehow. Rand is alright in my mind. As for the plot, ehhh, I lost sight of it many times, but all in all, the book can be good. At one point I read about 6 chapters in a row, when usually I read about 2. Ehhhh, I have mutual feelings for it. Perhaps if he just gave more action...
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