What do you love about The Wheel of Time?

[Wolfram stout]

The forsaken. Villains with different agendas was not common, made them more interesting.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Dumai’s Wells is my answer.

He wrote like a good composer of music. Builds up to crescendo then unleashes with a fury. First six or seven books in particular.

We don't talk about the great desert that was books seven through ten.

 

[Lidgar]

We don't talk about the great desert that was books seven through ten.

I thought I read that someone had edited those books into a single novel. Or maybe that was a fever dream.

 

[MGibster]

I read Eye of the World when it was first released in 1990. It was a purchase I made for my sister's birthday, but she had no interest in it and I went ahead and bit the bullet. I enjoyed the characters, with Mat being my favorite, the setting, and the general plot of the first book. I really appreciated how Jordan gave us some examples of different cultures with their stereotypes of one another. It was the summer when I read the book, I was looking forward starting my freshman year in the Fall, so there were plenty of things that went over my head. Men having to "master" their power while women submit and the map of Tar Valon looking like, well, uh, let's just say even Georgia O'Keeffe might have arched her eyebrow at that one.

As the books continued being published, I couldn't help but feel as the series began to drag. I forget which book, Crossroad of Twilight maybe, where about the only thing I can remember is Elayne took a bath. Getting through that book was a slog and I nearly swore off the series. But after ten books and 13 years of my life, I was going to finish no matter whether the wheel itself stopped spinning.

I have fond memories of the series and there's always a (faint) chance I'll read it again in the distant future.

 

[Spellslinging Sellsword]

I never read the books but I was really enjoying the TV series and am bummed that they canceled it. My roommate back in college (1990s) was a big fan of the books and I played in a few sessions of an rpg that he created to run the setting.

 

[Blue]

I loved the world-from-history building. Getting glimpses of what once was and puzzling it together to get to the modern world.

BTW, I have to strongly disagree that it's 'not as talked about as much'. I'm in a FB group for Fantasy and Science-Fiction -- which covers quite the gamut of books -- and WoT comes up at least once a week.

 

[gnarlygninja]

the map of Tar Valon looking like, well, uh, let's just say even Georgia O'Keeffe might have arched her eyebrow at that one.

I had not noticed this until reading your post, wow

 

[GreyLord]

If I were to suggest reading the books to someone today I would suggest reading books 1 - 7 (maybe include book 8 if you like getting a tad bored) and then skipping to book 11 and reading the rest of the series. Not enough happens in between that which you can't get caught up in through book 11, and reading through it will make you feel like you've wasted your time.

I started the series because someone got it to me as a gift. I used to look for the thickest and longest books I could in those years. My reading speed was off the chart and I could easily find myself reading 150 to 200 pages each evening before bed. I'd finish a book like in the WoT in a week...max.

I liked the epic stories of good and evil, which sort of rehashed the stories of the Lord of the Rings type scenarios. The original three books really do kind of rehash the Lord of the Rings in a different framing, even having their types of Ring wraiths, hobbits, Gandalf and Aragorn, and other parallels.

If you like that type of epic fantasy, I'd say it's still worthwhile to read it.

 

[A2Z]

If I were to suggest reading the books to someone today I would suggest reading books 1 - 7 (maybe include book 8 if you like getting a tad bored) and then skipping to book 11 and reading the rest of the series. Not enough happens in between that which you can't get caught up in through book 11, and reading through it will make you feel like you've wasted your time.

I started the series because someone got it to me as a gift. I used to look for the thickest and longest books I could in those years. My reading speed was off the chart and I could easily find myself reading 150 to 200 pages each evening before bed. I'd finish a book like in the WoT in a week...max.

I liked the epic stories of good and evil, which sort of rehashed the stories of the Lord of the Rings type scenarios. The original three books really do kind of rehash the Lord of the Rings in a different framing, even having their types of Ring wraiths, hobbits, Gandalf and Aragorn, and other parallels.

If you like that type of epic fantasy, I'd say it's still worthwhile to read it.

How're you gonna skip Winter's Heart!? Like one of the biggest world changing events happens at the climax.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

As the books continued being published, I couldn't help but feel as the series began to drag. I forget which book, Crossroad of Twilight maybe, where about the only thing I can remember is Elayne took a bath. Getting through that book was a slog and I nearly swore off the series. But after ten books and 13 years of my life, I was going to finish no matter whether the wheel itself stopped spinning.

I bailed at book 7. If it hadn't been for Brandon Sanderson, I would have never finished the series.

I mean, of course none of us would have, but knowing that he actually picked the pace up and things happened, gave me reason to return to the series and plow on through the desert to reach civilization at the end. There's a huge psychological difference between hoping the dunes will end some day to knowing exactly where they stop.