Wheel of Time REREAD

I got an email today telling me that the last book in the Wheel of Time series is coming out in January. I can't tell you how excited I am by this. I have been on the incredible journey through Robert Jordan's world for my entire adult life. I read the first book in the series back in 1992 when I was twelve. This amazing story is told through fourteen books and nearly four million words. The scope and detail of the series is truly breath taking. It is one of the major influences on my own writing.

I have decided to do a reread of the entire series (excluding the prequel) before reading the final book. As I read I plan on posting my thoughts about the series here. Expect to see them over the next few months, these posts will be filled with spoilers, just to give you fair warning. So here is the first post on book one The Eye of the World.

 

I am ten chapters into the Eye of the World. I have to say I still love the way Jordan introduces the characters. It has been twenty years since my first reading of the books and my tastes have changed quite a bit, but now I can really appreciate the introductory chapters in a way I didn't before. Jordan does a great job of showing the character's "normal world" before tearing it apart around them. I still felt the nervous tension with the Trolloc attack and the injury to Rand's father. I knew that his father would be okay, but it still really struck home with me in a way it hadn’t in my original reading. I am guessing it might have something to do with losing my own father since my first reading.

It is interesting how different scenes are resonating with me. My own life experience has changed why I like the book, but I am still enjoying it just as much. One thing I like just as much now as I did back then is the story of Manetheren. The first time I read the book, I read that little scene about a dozen times in a row. I usually don't go for characters in a story telling a story but it really works here. It adds a sense of wonder to the story, something I think is lacking in my own writing. In my works in the planning stages I am really trying to figure out how to imbue them with a sense of wonder, because it is one of the reasons I love to read fantasy.

Lastly I found myself annoyed with Mat and Perrin for leaving home to travel half-way across the world and saying goodbye to their parents with a note. Their parents are going to be worried sick, it didn't bother me when I was twelve, but now I think it makes Mat and Perrin look a little inconsiderate.

So there's the first 148 pages of the 11,000 page story. These posts will not always be regular and I think most are going to cover more chapters, I just wanted to get a good start on my reread project. Until next time: May you always find water and shade...