The Eye of the World (The Wheel of Time, Book 1)

Rating:
Summary: I'm hooked for life!
Review: Oh my God! This book is so immersing.It is the best fantasy I have ever read!The world Jordan creates is more than a reality that exists only when you read the book.His carachetrs stay with you all the time. They become like old friends. And what a plot!It is so envolving!At the begining it moves a little slowly,but by page 68 it is never boring again,not for the whole 7 books. And it is constantly original.Jordan is a true genius!Read it!

Rating:
Summary: Highly Overrated.
Review: I should start by saying that I have read all seven books (each of the first six twice) and intend to continue reading them until the series ends. The books are passably written and are certainly a cut above the standard fantasy drivel of David Eddings and Terry Brooks. This, of course , has all been said before, and rightly so. I write this, however, to say that many of the reviews on this page seem to me to be far too extreme. I personally found the depth and quality of J.R.R. Tolkien's works far superior to those of Robert Jordan. The Lord Of the Rings captivates the reader entirely, granting him a glimpse of a world as rich and enthralling as any ever created in fantasy. The sense of loss contained in LotR was so great that I cried when I finished it, which is something that I do not expect to ever say about The Wheel of Time. Tastes differ, however, and I am entirely able to accept that there may be those who prefer the many facets and characters (as well as important female characters, what a concept in a fantasy novel) of The Wheel of Time to the tearstained beauty of Tolkien's world. A few reviewers on this page, however, have said that Jordan exceeds Shakespeare for literary merit. I question the sanity and taste of these people. I find it hard to believe, in fact, that these reviewers have read Shakespeare or, better yet, seen his plays in performance. Shakespeare's works, although written entirely in dialogue and (with the exceptions of those plays in which he uses a chorus) without the benefit of narration (let's see Mr. Jordan do that!), still captivate readers with their exceptionally realistic characters, marvelously scripted comic scenes, and heartrending tragedies. Even four hundred years after they were written, Shakespeare's plays are as enjoyable and vivid as when they were first performed in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. His tales transcend the ages and will (hopefully) be remembered and loved far into the future. Next to the towering monuments of Shakespeare's plays, Robert Jordan's series is like rich candy: pleasant to experience, swift to digest, and forgotten just as quickly. Where Shakespeare's works are the stuff of the ages, Mr. Jordan's assays into the field of fantasy are mere pulp. Enjoyable pulp that I will buy in hardcover because I will not want to wait for the paperback edition, but pulp just the same. I think (and fervently hope) that Mr. Jordan would be highly embarassed at being favorably compared to Shakespeare. Altough this review is quite long, I think that what I have put forth needed to be said. (By the way, I have no complaints about Mr. Jordan's long-windedness, since it keeps alive the enjoyable experience of reading his books. I also, as is obvious from this review, suffer from the same malady.)

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Summary: The Best I've Ever Read!!!!!!!!
Review: My brother, for reasons unknown to me, gave me this book for Christmas. Lately the only author I've been reading is Anne McCaffrey, so I was a little dissapointed at his selection. When I started reading it ,however, I soon forgot Anne McCaffrey. This is by far the best book I've ever read (No, I haven't read The Lord of the Rings series yet). It was incredible right from the start. I'm a fast reader, but in three weeks I went from page 1 in The Eye of the World to page 880 in A Crown of Swords (book seven). After doing all that, and enjoying every second of it, I started reading The Eye of the World again. Now that I know what happens, I pick up all sorts of events that foreshadow what happens in the later books, things that didn't connect when I read it before. One of the things that really stood out to me was the strong resemblence to Frank Herbert's Dune series. The two main likenesses were the Aes Sedai, much like the Bene Gesserit, a group of women who have special powers, keep secrets, and plot; and the Dragon Reborn, a man who wields a forbidden power and fulfills prophecies, like the Kwisatz Haderach in Dune. Good as Dune was, though, it barely compares to The Eye of the World.

Rating:
Summary: Don't miss this!
Review: I decided that I would submit a review of The Eye of the World only, instead of spending the next 6 months or more trying to explain why I love this series. Simply put, it is the most amazing thing I have ever read. Yes, this first book is a little slow. I have always cautioned people to make yourself get through it, and by the time you are two thirds of the way through, you're hooked. The best thing about this series is that each book gets better by a factor of at least 10! The characters in this story have become my dear friends and my mortal enemies. I have read and re-read them all so many times I've lost count. Please believe me when I tell you that all of the seemingly useless information that Mr Jordan includes in the first volume is CRUCIAL to the storyline. Never think that just because a character goes out of the picture that they will stay gone. I have spent the last 7 years trying to figure out all the twists and turns that the author has thrown into the plot. If you love mysteries, read this book. If you love adventures, read this book. If you love romances, read this book. If you love storytelling at it's best, OWN this book. Trust me, you will re-live it over and over again.

Rating:
Summary: A truly wonderful achievement
Review: Wow. A remarkable book. When I started reading it, I almost didn't get past the first 150 pages. It seemed too much like a Tolkien hack. But, I kept reading, thinking, "I'll give this book another 200 pages to shape up". I'm glad I did. (Later, I found out that Jordan deliberately wrote the first 150 pages as a homage to Tolkein) Anyhow, the main characters are nicely developed, as is the world, history, good, evil, supporting cast--everything works great. Everybody and everything is distictly unique and interesting. Plus a climax that was truly awesome. Great dialogue also. What's supposed to be exciting is exciting and what's supposed to be amusing is amusing. Everything about this is good. Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best novels of all time!
Review: As anyone can see from the multiple raves entered here, Jordan's Wheel of Time series is one of the best things to happen in the fantasy genre (or in fiction in general) in a long time. The books are engrossing and fascinating, and if you can stop reading when it's bedtime, then you have much more self-discipline than I do. These books also trigger wonderful dreams when you're asleep!

Rating:
Summary: Literature or not this is a wonderful book!!!!
Review: I am a widely read person, everything from Tolstoy to Lord Tenneson to Michael Crichton, and I rate this as one of my top ten favorite books of all time. For those people who have written that you can not enjoy this book if you are well read, your to high brow for your own good. I see so much symbolism and human drama in these books, so if you love modern fiction like Cormac McCarthy or classic novels like Les Miserables and can not find the vital content in The Eye of the World your looking to hard for deep depressing meaning. The meaning behind these books is not a huge thesis that slaps you in the face, but it is an obvious human drama about people and how they react to situations. I love this book and my other favorites are To Kill a Mocking Bird, and Dorothy Dunnet's the Lymond Chronicles, and in my opinion this book is one of literatures at it's finest!

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Summary: Robert Jordan has given due cause for me to read for fun.
Review: I read The Eye of The World some time ago. I never was a big fantasy fan but I bought it any-how. I've never enjoyed a book enough to read it twice but this book I've read three times. Not only have I read this book but the other books in the series. Robert Jordan painted such a vivid picture of the characters and the world in which they live that there is no way I can do it just. The back cover compared Robert Jordan to J.R.R. Tolkien but in my opinnion no authour ever has or will write something even half as good as The Eye Of The World. If any book has deserved to win any prize this book deserves to win them all. The evil antagonists have a certain look that you would think they have come from a child's book, but they are described so vividly that they couldn't be from any child's story book. In conclusion this is the best book I have ever read. It was so good that I'm afraid once I'm done the series (I'm on the last book now) I won't be able to enjoy reading as much as I do now. Adam Markoff, [e-mail], Ontario Canada.

Rating:
Summary: One Big Step to Start a Great Journey
Review: The Eye of the World is the remarkable start of a prodigious work of fantasy. In a medieval setting rich with pomp, oral traditions and complex politics, we look into the lives of some young country people whose world is about to be turned upside down. The spooky opening presages the eruption on the scene of nightmarish legendary monsters intent on harming some of the youngsters. Under hot pursuit our young heroes and heroines flee across the land. They find themselves introduced jointly and severally into the beginnings of a new world war - this time to the end - among the many and varied forces of good and evil. And somehow, Rand al'Thor, our engaging protagonist and his numerous and interesting friends, are key players who will determine the outcome. This is good stuff, and it gets better. Enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: A truly incredible tale
Review: An incredible introduction to a truly awesome series. Initially this book was difficult to get into, with all the "foreign" terms and language, but once I got into it, I haven't been able to put down any book in the series. Jordan does an adequate job in describing battle scenes, although are relatively far apart. Jordan's mastery, like Hickman/Weiss epic Death's Gate Cycle, lies in his ability to weave a tremendous story line, with multiple heroes, lots of enemies, each out for their own. The Forsaken are probably the most ingenious and intriguing anatagonists I've ever encountered. Excellent work.