Home :: Books :: Science Fiction & Fantasy  

Arts & Photography
Audio CDs
Audiocassettes
Biographies & Memoirs
Business & Investing
Children's Books
Christianity
Comics & Graphic Novels
Computers & Internet
Cooking, Food & Wine
Entertainment
Gay & Lesbian
Health, Mind & Body
History
Home & Garden
Horror
Literature & Fiction
Mystery & Thrillers
Nonfiction
Outdoors & Nature
Parenting & Families
Professional & Technical
Reference
Religion & Spirituality
Romance
Science
Science Fiction & Fantasy

Sports
Teens
Travel
Women's Fiction
The Eye of the World : Book One of 'The Wheel of Time'

The Eye of the World : Book One of 'The Wheel of Time'

List Price: $59.95
Your Price: $37.77
Product Info Reviews

<< 1 .. 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 .. 141 >>

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Definitely not representative of the series.
Review: Unlike some of my fellow readers here, I was warned beforehand that Robert Jordan got better at the epic as the series developed.

I plunged into the series with this book, because I like to tackle things top down, and here's what I thought about the first book in what is a rivetting and additive series.

1. Similar to Tolkiens Hobbit, this book serves the sole purpose of defining the characters. In very broad strokes, Jordan walks you through the life and times of the characters before the start of their saga.

2. Jordan tends to leave large unfinished parts when he is sketching in the characters. What is most annoying is that this occurs over the course of the entire book and as you finish, you realize that you have not gained a good enough understanding into the characters to be able to understand their motivations and actions. However, the prose is tight, Jordan paints beautiful scenes of the characters home town, the battles are well depicted in every detail. The storyline is engaging and imaginative. You'd only wish he had done as good a job on the characters.

3. 7 Weeks later and well into the series, I keep coming across refernces to the characters behavior, their lives in the past, all of which become much clearer as the series develops. If for nothing else, it would be for this understanding that I'd read the book.

4. And finally, all things said and done, Eye of the world is an exteremely interesting book that I spend many wonderful hours reading. If anything, you will not find this book dull or uninteresing.

I think it is time well invested. I do not claim to be a book critic, I just like to read fantasy fiction, and I thought that this book was eminently satisfying. If you decide to buy this book, I hope you'll share my thoughts about it.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: The Final Word on the Eye of the World
Review: If you have ever read any of my other reviews, you'll see I give bad and good signs of the book. If you looking for a my bad views on the book, please scroll down. :) First of all, let me thank Robert Jordan damaging my grades in college. :) The book impressed me so much that I neglected my homework a bit. :( Oh well, at least I enjoyed the book. If you get into high detailed fantasy books, you will absolutely love this book. The series isn't your normal run-of-the-mill fantasy book. I've never seen a plot like this one. The entire world he created in this book is quite different from your average Star Wars, basic good vs. evil type books where you can figure out what happens at the end with ease. The story line had so many twists in it, that what you think will happen, probably won't. The book is detailed in such a way that it seems your in the story yourself. You can feel what they feel, taste what they taste, smell what they smell, etc. In addition, I enjoy the fact that the characters who are to save the world are common village people. It kinda makes you believe that there is hope for us common folk after all. :) However, this book isn't for everyone... The details in the book are so elaborate, that it makes for a very long novel. If you like books that just cut to the chase, you'll love to hate this book within the first 100 pages. If you don't like books with multi-level plots and several characters, this book would drive you nuts. It comes with a glossary in the back so that you can look up the characters and objects that you've forgotten their meaning. Also, if you don't like intense fantasy, then don't read this book. Then again, why would you be reading this review? I can't wait to get book 2. Maybe I'll get it AFTER school gets out. :)

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Better than what I thought it would be...
Review: The story begins in Emond's Field, where Rand A'lthor weorks his daily life as a sheepherder. Little does he know he is going on the biggest adventure of his life with his friends, Mat and Perrin. So big, that there are, so far, 9 books of his adventure. All the women were good (Morriane, Egwene, Nyaneve) and I really liked Thom the gleeman(I would like to hear the songs he played). There were some resemblances to Tolkien, however. There's an Eye of the world, and The Green Man reminds me of the Ents. However, the way Jordan describes the story maakes it unqiue and original. This was a fun story to read, despite its length (782 pages). I hope to have as much fun with the sequel.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great book, I am hooked
Review: I had never previously heard of Robert Jordan or the WOT. I just randomly picked out a book and started reading, who could've known how lucky I would get! This book has action, drama, interesting characters, and a detailied and fascinating world with distinct inhabitants. I have read all the books in this series in the last 5 and a half months and I have loved them all, though the later books (7,8,9) have slowed down a bit, all in all this series is a must-read for any Tolkien fanatics such as myself, and anyone who is interested in fantsy stories on the whole.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The best epic & continuing fantasy series you'll ever find!
Review: This book is absolutely magical in the way it begins and the characters it introduces. In the sleepy part of the world called Two Rivers, Rand Al'Thor and his companions are beseeched by an Aes Sedai to fulfill their part in the Wheel of Time. This book superbly develops its characters into people that the reader comes to know and love. Their trials and tribulations become the readers also, making them all the more real and convincing in the imagination. Robert Jordan has accomplished something that few authors are capable of doing and that's creating a world that is fully realized, even down to the fact that reading in this setting is a rare and precious commodity. There are those that have reviewed this book and its sequels with complaints about its almost neverending story. To be technical, this story could continue forever because that's the basic premise of it. Don't let that bother you nor deter you from reading this series. It's an epic after all and that by definition alone dictates that it be long. Just keep in mind that you'll have something wonderful to read every few years. I recommend.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Very LONG, but the BEST!!
Review: This was the loooonngggeesst set of books I ever read. All the other books on my shelf look puny to The Wheel of Time series. My mother has the entire set. 1 to 9...I read all the way to the 7th one. Of course, it took me a while, making trips to the dictionary alot, but overall, I think it was worth it. I think some of the situations are a little bit over my head...the things Rand does with his many girlfriends and such. That's not exactly apropriate for a 5th grader you know? The first book was very slow. You need to read till at least the fifth one before you completely fall into the book, and get swallowed by it. It's a good read. A must for anybody...ANYBODY. I've got 4 or five of my older friends to read it already. They really enjoy it, and they don't read anything.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: ALL HYPE
Review: I tried several times to finish this book. I only got a little more than half way. There was not one character that you cared for at all. The plot just dragged on and on. You want great fantasy, try DAVID GEMMELL.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great!
Review: This book is thrilling. No other word can describe it. It starts of kinda slow, but don't judge it on that. It's exciting, adventureous, and even a teensy bit of romance! I would recommend this to anyone, young and old.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A very Tolkien-esque beginning..
Review: _The Eye of the World_ owes a lot to _The Lord of the Rings_, but the Tolkien influence is only a plus in this wonderful series. Robert Jordan is an excellent storyteller. Although the first _Wheel of Time_ book is different stylistically from the later ones, it catches interest. There are hundreds of clues dropped that, in hindsight, are so obvious to the later action of the series. At the same time, the aura of mystery in _The Eye of the World_ makes it *very* difficult to understand exactly what's going on. I discovered the glossary at the back when I'd finished the novel, and I really recommend to anyone reading the series for the first time to use either the glossary or a friend who's read the series already. The characters at the beginning, especially the women, are slightly cliched, but they develop throughout _The Eye of the World_ and the rest of the series. While this book lacks the traditional huge battles of fantasy (they're present in others of the series, and to an small extent in this book), it doesn't suffer much from it. I'd say that _The Wheel of Time_ is a love-it-or-hate-it series, and if you like book 1, you're likely to enjoy the rest as well.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: This book didn't work for me
Review: Pacing was too slow and I really disliked the emasculated men and angry women. However, I did plod through it the first time around but couldn't do it the second time around as I tried to figure out why so many people lked it.

My favorite author is George R.R. Martin's A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE series.

I will add that RJ helped rejuvenate the fantasy genre in the early 90s in this first book.

However, for the reasons stated above, as well as just not liking any of the characters or feeling enough emotional resonance . . . RJ cut in to the pacing too much by going off into Historical tangents too often . . . I can't give this a very high score.


<< 1 .. 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 .. 141 >>

© 2004, ReviewFocus or its affiliates