What It's Like Reading The Wheel Of Time

What it feels like to read The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan.
Death by details
Twitter: @MikeG_315

[@OverlyAverageBen]

That innkeeper definitely smoothed her skirts, clenched her fist and tugged at her braid simultaneously

[@sacquellovero]

I'm sure she also had an impressive bosom

[@necrotoxic6544]

You forgot picked the lint off of her dress

[@MsAdaCat]

And sniffed! Never forget sniffing 😤

[@insouciantFox]

Crossed her arms under her bosom and then complained about men.

[@matthewcorum7282]

Also never forget the comments about - “Men!” 😭

[@TheDjMoo]

It took me a solid 7 months to finish the series, and I kept at a healthy one book every two weeks, but it was a ride. I dreamed Wheel of Time towards the end.

[@miketravelsnowhere6557]

Wow, that is very impressive!

[@miad3559]

thats insanely fast i listened to the audiobooks and its still took me a full year lmao

[@TheDjMoo]

@@miad3559 I was enjoying them quite a bit, and I read fast as is. Currently listening to the audiobooks while driving 10+ hours a day for Amazon, so you can imagine those go quick.

[@TheYoungkidcash]

I now feel slightly weirded out at how fast I read all 13 of the wheel of time books in within two weeks or so. it did get pretty tiring though. only the thought of another Matrim or Matrim and Tuon passage kept me going. Mat is the one reason I was able to get through it, he's almost a completely different character who somehow stays the same by series end

[@user-K8T]

I did the same. Well, very similar. Started last May and finished this Match. I don't remember anything about the Witcher season 2 because I couldn't frame any fantasy content in a non-WoT way.

[@breezy3392]

There is a hell of a lot of overdescribing and scene setting in these books that requires patience if that's not your preference, but the story is Amazing

[@miketravelsnowhere6557]

Agreed! This series is one of my favorites

[@MUSHIN_888]

I couldn’t finish it because they female characters were so annoying i couldn’t take it

[@rolanddeschain9880]

@@MUSHIN_888 annoying?wot has very interesting female characters My only problem was how nynaeve was always angry

[@cup1966wow]

@@rolanddeschain9880 I am on book 9 now. I would say Egwene, Elayne and Nynaeve are really annoying characters. It took me ages to finish book 7 I had a few egwene chapters in a row and it caused me to stop reading it for months.

[@JJMB27]

@@rolanddeschain9880 they are too childish...infantilized if the world exist in English

[@pyrometheus4277]

One of the selling points i tell most is "every time he introduces a character, its like a fashion cat walk down to the last stitch" this man did a dumb amount of research into medieval habits and clothing for a book set in the future

[@DAusdenmoore]

😂 I love this! I’m actually on my second time through the series and decided to just use audible this time. So I enjoy how descriptive Jordan is now! Makes my drives quite pleasant

[@TheYoungkidcash]

I now feel slightly weirded out at how fast I read all 13 of the wheel of time books in within two weeks or so. it did get pretty tiring though. only the thought of another Matrim or Matrim and Tuon passage kept me going. Mat is the one reason I was able to get through it, he's almost a completely different character who somehow stays the same by series end.

[@paigemagee1030]

Mat was also my motivation to get through some of the more frustrating parts of the story, since while everyone else was being overly emotional and grown up while he was just doing the same thing he always did, having fun. Two weeks is certainly impressive, I read all the books my first time over two years, taking essentially a long break of only reading a page or so per day for about a year. But I guess that's what happens when you try to read something as deep as WOT at age ten.

[@ВладиславВанюшкин-г6б]

2 weeks. You either read a third of all the chapters or didn’t sleep for 2 weeks

[@pixel1302]

On a reread Mat and Tuon are the part I look forward to the most. I would've gladly read a spin-off series about the stuff they get up to after the last battle.

[@JJMB27]

Thats not possible. You may have skipped through the books

[@Dragonsworn864]

For me is rand and mat

[@Schwaaaang]

I legit thought it was going to be around book 174 when Rand finally got a beer

[@miketravelsnowhere6557]

lol

[@TheDaeroner]

I loved every second of it, every detail every excruciating wait for the next book in the series.. I loved it all!!!!! And I'm a black dude from South Africa.

[@koandipiero9092]

The deeper you get into the series, the less you hear about inns. But I’m only on book 10, so maybe I’ll be proven wrong later on.

[@Bgrosz1]

The initial books weren't that bad. They were definitely descriptive, but there was a solid balance between that and stuff actually happening. I noticed long stretches of nothing happening with Lord of Chaos, which was still an excellent book due to the amazing ending, but it then got worse with each subsequent book from RJ. I think his declining health showed in the quality of his writing. No fault of his. Thank you, Brandon Sanderson, for giving us a good finish. It was pretty jarring though to go from RJ's style to what Brandon Sanderson had no other choice to do but knock down one plot thread after another with a laser focus on getting to the finish line. He had an enormously difficult task, and he did it about as well as anyone could.

[@Nick-Calvert]

Descriptions of dresses (and there fabrics), along with Nynaeve tugging at her braid, eventually did for me.

[@miandagny]

And yet somehow the show missed the descriptions

[@kujojotarostandoceanman2641]

My favourite part is still that the princess trys to bang Rand just cause he falls into their garden

[@pipsqeak7104]

but he is a tavaren!!!!! that means that anything can hapen, even if its stupid!!! wait a second...

[@bobsmith7066]

fair, but I will say that all the details make the audiobook versions really come alive.

[@UncensoredScion]

You can read Great Hunt in Shadows Rising, wow that's sort of amazing

[@lubov5208]

The first chapter is always the hardest to get through. In the shadow rising it was 60 pages long of nothing happening

[@namkuske2576]

There is so much detail but it is still my second favourite fantasy series.

[@williamcrow9713]

“Nynaeve crossed her arms under her breasts. ‘You men and your stubbornness!” she huffed, with her arms still crossed under her breasts.”

[@anonperson3972]

I have been known to speed read large sections of the internal monologues

[@Einungbrekke]

I love the books. Read them several times in fact.

[@mallacoda1]

I forced myself through the first 6 (4-6 being a reeeeaaaallll struggle) before rage quitting at the stultifying slowness of book 7.

[@catdude5567]

Here is what it's like: You got this story that is drawn out, waaay longer than it needs to be, to make more money. I know, I read most of them years ago. Oh, another character, and another, and another, and another..... rinse and repeat.

[@shazam2022]

Can you do the pain of being audiobook fan please like getting told it easy to Finish long audio books or like it easy to find physical audiobooks of what you want or when someone put tea on your audiobook leaves a mark or stupid useless cheap audiobook cases that are useless multiple discs or having to wait longer for new audiobook then the new book

[@shazam2022]

Also they are a lot of money

[@miketravelsnowhere6557]

Thanks, that's a good idea!

[@shazam2022]

@@miketravelsnowhere6557 thank you

[@benjaminthompson8359]

The Gathering Storm was the first book I could read without having to reference chapter summaries to keep track of what was going on. Could the series have been as great if it had been a bit leaner?

[@davidbowles7281]

Well that and make the antagonists competent.

[@paulinetaylor4211]

Do you ever try to read multiple books at once?

[@Tadicuslegion78]

Robert Jordan: Amazing world building, atrocious pacing, and desperately needed an editor NOT his wife. And can't write women to save his life. Mr. Jordan inspired me to actively try to write LESS when telling a story ala, instead of taking 5 pages to describe something, do it in 3 sentences.

[@blablah6958]

He doesn't write women, he just writes ONE woman and copypastes this archetype in all his female characters. Oh yes the pacing. 90% description of some minor details, 5% obnoxious dialogue between men and women and 5% epic finale to catch your attention so you buy the next book in the series.

[@kabedondon]

I don't know why, but this never bothered me.

[@jemstar33]

I've never read a fantasy book before, but I'm interested in trying it out and was thinking of reading Mistborn and The stormlight archive. Which one to read first? And do these books have too much description of things and places, like how the wheel of time is?

[@miketravelsnowhere6557]

I would recommend the Mistborn series first since it is a finished series. Brandon Sanderson is not overly descriptive in his books and his writing style is easier to follow so that is a great place to start if you have never read a fantasy book before.

[@Kat-gp6gj]

Highly recommend the Mistborn series! Likable characters, compelling plot, and really great twists! Stormlight is great, too, but it requires a lot more patience and isn't the best place to start if you're new to fantasy.

[@jemstar33]

@@Kat-gp6gj I just finishd the mistborn trilogy. I really enjoyed it. The way of kings will be next. Im just hoping it has the same pacing as Mistborn with great twists. Since each book is over 1000 pages is it overly descriptive?

[@Kat-gp6gj]

@@jemstar33 Glad you enjoyed Mistborn! Stormlight is amazing. The books are not overly descriptive. They are long because they are very character-focused. They go back and forth between several characters as follow their internal struggles and challenges. It makes you really root for them. Plus, there's a LOT of worldbuilding. Sanderson crafted a very unique world full of different places, people, flora, and fauna and the books explore it constantly. There's also a heavy focus on social inequality and mental health. The pacing is a definitely slower than Mistborn, but the plot twists and epic scenes totally make it worth reading, at least in my opinion. (Also, Kaladin is the most amazing, relatable, inspiring character I have ever encountered in any fiction or fantasy book. I love him so much.)

[@nateswan9527]

Reminds me of reading IT, do enjoy it though

[@fagyu7502]

This series took me longest to read by far, and I thought got was long before I started reading this, I finished that in 3 months this series took over twi years, although I did lay it to rest as I stopped with gathering storm around halfway through and read the first 3 dune books, but it was worth finishing the series.

[@miketravelsnowhere6557]

By word count it is one of the largest fantasy series ever written. Right up there with Malazan Book of the Fallen.

[@bygodsgrace86foreverandeve11]

I started reading the books in prison. Every time I picked up the book it took me out of that place. Thank you Robert Jordan for your attention to detail:)

[@clumsybanana6524]

Same I was in CT prison when I started . Thank God for this series

[@JamesSmith-jx4hs]

Same here, Michigan department of corrections. I got to book 10 and found out Robert Jordan had died and left the last books unfinished. Depressing. And now I'm actually reading the 12th book.

[@AJayRisen]

That's really awesome. A family member of mine was in the same position. We were never really close, but I'd mail him these books and he loved them for the same reason.

[@lordtensing6619]

Same for me Florida DOC. I love Robert Jordan. These books got me through some hard times.

[@RedHuntsman]

Without that detail the reader can't escape into the story or as Tolkien refers to it "escapism". Whether you are faced with physical bars or the mental bars of life, these stories allow you to transcend them.

[@pegasus_2137]

The best (or worst) part of reading these books is reading the first seven and realizing that you've just now made it to the halfway point.

[@thelatenightgamer2624]

And then you realise your in the slog

[@Roondawg_Valhalla]

300th like,, I’m on a roll !

[@LouiseXSparrow]

Book 7... Page 100, yes I'm finally getting somewhere! (turns page) Chapter 1

[@lyingcat9022]

Oh god! You’re giving me PTSD just thinking about it

[@emilianosandoval7069]

I just reached that point, but I’m loving the series more and more with each book

[@lyingcat9022]

Oh and don’t forget the… “How may I help you?” Grumbled the Barkeep. “I think I’ll have….” Rand said trailing off. ….4 FULL pages of internal dialogue later… “… an Ale.” Rand finished. “I’m sorry, what?” Called the Barkeep from across the tavern. “You just sort of froze there for 15 minutes… we all thought you were having a stroke or something.”

[@miketravelsnowhere6557]

lol

[@P.HATHCOX]

Hahahaha 😆😆😆

[@antekpatyk9425]

@@davidw2744 I'm reading it right now, but I liked that time he went off on a pretty long monologue and then it's revealed he was talking out loud about one of the biggest plot points in the series.

[@undbiter65]

Lmfao

[@kevincriswell9020]

McConnell moment...

[@connorpinto7095]

Rand thought he saw the inkeeper holding a ter’angreal - Ter’angreal are objects of the One Power that perform specific functions. Some ter'angreal do not require the One Power to be used for their activation. The One Power comes from the True Source, the driving force of creation, the force the Creator made to turn the Wheel of Time. Saidin, the male half of the True Source, and saidar, the female half, work against each other, and at the same time together to provide that force. - but it turned out the inkeeper was just holding a wheel of cheese.

[@jamesdisandro8871]

for real like why does he reexplain every magical concept at the start of every book 😭

[@P.HATHCOX]

The Wheel of Cheese 🤔 Sounds like serious spinoff potential to me

[@P.HATHCOX]

@@jamesdisandro8871 if I had to guess about Robert Jordan's reasons for so many recaps (especially in the earlier books) it's probably because he started publishing this book series around the early 1990's. We had the internet but it was still very new to most of the public. Back then, if there was more than a year between published books there was no quick summary KZbin video or other quick internet references to refresh a reader's memory about certain events and characters. Readers could only reread books again and again to remember events and characters.

[@connorpinto7095]

@@P.HATHCOX the no internet thing is a god point but also, that’s why there’s a glossary.

[@waltwhite8126]

@@P.HATHCOX The only reexplaining he does that I like is the feel of holding saidar and saidin, and he generally explain in different ways too, I love it! Especiall the description of channeling saidin with the taint, it enphatises how horrific it is to channel the tainted male of the source and at the same time it shows how amazing and adictive is the feeling of filling yourself with the one power, that even with the taint you still want to channel.

[@samsthemank]

I watched an interview with Jordan where he said, without a hint of irony, that he struggled to make the books descriptive enough. I laughed at first, but afterwards it really just pissed me off haha. But this series did teach me the art of skimming vs reading.

[@ColombianThunder]

I love the series but my biggest gripe is Jordan 100% never really gives the reader room to breathe. He has to describe everything. Even during conversations there's never just a page of back and forth dialogue but descriptions of thoughts or what a character is doing pretty much after anyone says one sentence. Many times these thoughts or descriptions even happen in the middle of dialogue sentences. It's a lot.

[@TheDjMoo]

You'll know exactly how many stripes X noblewoman's dress has, what colors the stripes are, and in what order they are. You'll know every time an Aes Sedai smooths her skirts, or shifts her shawl. The level of detail is wonderful for full immersion, but a bit too much for any reader not dedicated to the series.

[@Laocoon283]

Sounds like a poorly written book

[@ColombianThunder]

@@Laocoon283 i would disagree. I mean it's not perfect, but for the most part the prose is pretty good and the details add to the immersion/help to remember details that would otherwise be forgotten. With that said they are a tad overwritten.

[@princessthyemis]

Wow. That sounds like too much for me!😅

[@joshshrum2764]

I mean what do you want a manga, or comic book ITS A FUCKING BOOK, I get wanting dialogue, but you have to explain shit especially in a fantasy setting that isn’t done in a visual format.

[@justinhight8880]

The skirt smoothing chronicles is what I call it

[@alstjrqkr689]

mans got a type

[@UdyKumra]

I am like the only person who really enjoys Jordan's heavy description and scene setting and introspection. Like don't get me wrong, it certainly gets a tad dry at times when I want him to pick up the pace. But it means that Randland feels almost as real to me as the real world does.

[@goodisgood153]

You are not alone. It is the reason i loved wheel of time. The details and the world feels alive because of it. So many books get to the point but do not take time giving detail to the world which in turn makes it feel like fake at times

[@free22]

I prefer books where I can use my imagination. I don’t like to be spoon fed everything. The older fantasy books were always incredibly descriptive though. It’s a style of writing that you don’t see anymore. Writers are now told to “show and not tell” even in fiction.

[@Admiralmeriweather]

not the only one

[@falx94]

I feel the same way, and I find myself "overdescribing" quite a bit when I work on the fantasy series I'm in the middle of writing. I know it's because WoT is such a huge influence on me (and I'm also rereading the series right now) and I'm okay with it. It gives a scene a sense of realism, even if in Wheel it can get very heavyhanded at times.

[@gratituderanch9406]

I loved it too.

[@pnptcn]

Rand knuckled his forehead. There was a furious tugging of braids. Many stout woolen skirts were smoothed. Matt thought about cheese and butts.

[@saythealphabet776]

Rand wished he could talk to and understand women as well as Mat and Perrin.

[@dramalexi]

Since it would take me a whole eight months to read all these tombs, I decided to go for the audio books instead.

[@kylerosa4369]

They're actually pretty good. Michael Kramer and Kate Reading are both very distinctive readers with a good voice range between the two of them.

[@vaughnh.150]

I did too but it took me a year and a half

[@Atamastra]

I think you mean 'tomes'.... But considering how many readers die between books 7 thru 10... maybe tombs is more accurate description 🤔

[@dramalexi]

@@Atamastra Yeah, I meant tomes of course :D

[@P.HATHCOX]

@@Atamastra 😆😆ok, that was funny

[@JM-pm3tb]

At the end of the day I felt the story was worth it, but it was a painful slog much of the time. It would have benefitted tremendously from stronger editing, likely cutting 2 or 3 thousand pages of unnecessary description from the overall series length and making many of the characters behavior less...irritating. I managed to complete the series by listening to the audiobooks. This helped me to skip over many of the descriptions and the more obnoxious "character moments" that usually involved the female characters. Really, did Jordan honestly believe that women are that bitchy/condescending??!! What did his wife think (who was also the series editor) when she read this? "Uhhh, honey, is there something we need to talk about?"

[@neilstinston1457]

I agree. I LOVE the character arcs and in the end who the characters ended up to be; although many of them were insufferable up until the halfway point. In the end it was definitely worth it but it did not need to be that painful.

[@ben.tanner]

Ironically I heard him in an interview explaining that all of the women in the book had some characteristics of his wife.

[@dirkbsilver9260]

The supposed over descriptions is one of the things that made me fall in love with the books. It immersed me in the world far better than any other series out there as a kid when I first read Eye of the World. Still makes me see the world clearer than any other series I have read aswell, now as a crusty older man.

[@notyourdad]

I don't think there's enough detail in the description of this crusty old man - far too plain and to the point.

[@nightmarishcompositions4536]

Most classic fantasy did vivid descriptions that made the world feel more alive much better than a lot of modern fantasy does imo.

[@Th1sUsernameIsNotTaken]

I enjoyed it, but I also found myself skimming at times, because he'd also do it during extremely unimportant moments. I think his biggest "flaw" was finding balance between when to do it and when not to. In the moments it really worked (which was most of the time), you were completely sucked into it. In the moments it wasn't, it was a slog (And no, I'm not referring to what most people refer to as 'the slog'!) that made you want to put down the book.

[@wariodude128]

...and all that was likely on just one page. Started with New Spring, continued with Eye of the World and am now on The Great Hunt. I'd say this is pretty accurate.

[@matthewcorum7282]

The Great Hunt has so far been my favorite WOT book. I am on Fires of Heaven (book 5)

[@wariodude128]

@@Nickdeaugustine Small text.

[@ColombianThunder]

@@Nickdeaugustine the comment was clearly a joke. With that said, average reader probably takes like 4 to 5 minutes on a single page for this series since it's very descriptive and the prose is semi-archaic, not to a large degree, but enough so that the language doesn't feel anachronistic to the fantasy setting.

[@cooperemmerton2692]

Great hunt was so good finished it in like 2 weeks I loved it so much

[@Emilywilson10222]

@@matthewcorum7282 same!! You’re the first person I’ve seen who agrees the great hunt is the best! Most people say the shadow rising…

[@Uppernorwood976]

If this is what WoT was like it would be okay. It’s actually more like: Female character walked down the street furious that other female character was making her do chores. If she could she would take the switch to her so hard! She saw another female character approaching who likes to switch people who looked at her funny, so she ducked into a side alley. “I would love to humiliate her sometime to teach her a lesson!” She thought angrily. On exiting the alley she bumped into a large man singing loudly. She gave him a furious stare and he shrank away. “Men! What they need is a good switching!”. She hurried on, if she was late the other female character would give her the switch for sure.

[@bendevin3012]

You forgot to describe the neckline of every woman you meet

[@ShiroHimex]

@@bendevin3012 And the bottom and bosom. Can't forget that, no.

[@_Lumiere_]

That's precisely what makes it so good lmaoo, dude's got a certain "proclivity"

[@politereminder6284]

THIS!

[@RangerDanger99]

@@bendevin3012 Yes, exactly! I was just thinking of this, too. Glad to know I'm not the only one.

[@adamtideman4953]

You forgot the part were the inkeeper pulls his mustache while tugging his braid and smoothing his skirts before he folds his arms beneath his manboobs. Did you even read the books man!?

[@miketravelsnowhere6557]

lol

[@meshachfoster749]

I experienced the series exclusively through audiobooks and the thick layer of dersciptive language transported me to the world of WOT and had me feeling like and unseen observer of an unfolding masterpiece. It goes without saying. I loved it😁

[@hollywoodguy70]

That's the way I'm doing my second run through of the series. By the halfway point, I gave up on reading the books for the health of my eyes. LOL In any case, the descriptive language is a large part of the fandom being so upset over the way Amazon is adapting the story. Every detail is laid out for set designers and casting

[@stationery-and-stories]

I’ve recently switched to listening to the audiobooks and the descriptions are way less distracting and far more immersive in audio format, at least for me! Interesting to think about, especially considering the culture of storytelling/gleemen in the books themselves… (disclaimer: I’m on book 3 so my opinion could change as I get into later books, haha)

[@politereminder6284]

The audiobooks are well done. The advantage with physical reading though is that you can choose to skip over tedium. With audiobooks, you can't do that. The first three or four books are pretty good. Enjoy!

[@stationery-and-stories]

@@politereminder6284 true!

[@davidtaylor142]

Yeah the audio books are a really easy way to get through books 7-10 or so

[@Kaylaut]

I'd be interested in an update - what you think about the audiobooks when you're finished!

[@marissashea5103]

@@Kaylaut I'm on book 11 and I absolutely recommend them for people who want to tune out the tedium of what color slashed skirt Nynaeve has and how many times she subconsciously smoothed her skirts and tugged her braid.. your brain kind of just takes it in without storing it away so the descriptions seem to go by quickly. The only gripe I have about the audio books is that they constantly change pronunciation for things. Jordan himself had the same complaint saying they constantly checked in with him about proper pronunciation in the beginning and just stopped contacting him and stopped pronouncing things properly at some point so you'll get used to a city or person's name and then all the sudden it's a totally different pronunciation and you have to pause the reader and connect the dots. My biggest peeve is how they will say Brigitte name through out, from Burgeetah, to Brigittuh, to (my personal favorite) BEER-git-Ah, BUR-GEET-AYE. It's a bit of a mess lol but besides the way they say certain words/names, I highly recommend the audio books

[@ghenkel0225]

imo i love the over descriptiveness of wot

[@miketravelsnowhere6557]

Absolutely! Plus that means subsequent reads are much faster

[@callnight1441]

I started the wheel of time two years ago. I was nearly 300 pages into the first book when i said "i dont have the patience for 14 × 500+ pages of this". Havent picked ot up since

[@miketravelsnowhere6557]

It is a big commitment

[@duanebetz9270]

Quitter 😂

[@mygad]

And it's what makes Robert Jordan worth reading and rereading over and over again. Things you missed, descriptions that seemed less important in hindsight and in the rereading become all the more important.

[@patricialcarpenter4090]

Totally agree.

[@darkarchonisme]

like people meme about the skirt smoothing thing, but the vast majority of times it is described, it id described for a Purpose! a nervous gesture, or one containing emotions the character cannot say directly so they hold them in and distract their hands for a moment, etc. Social Maneuvers kinda things.

[@mygad]

@@darkarchonisme Well articulated. I agree completely.

[@medi6892]

@@darkarchonismeof course it’s used for a reason. Doesn’t change the fact that the amount of times its used is borderline absurd

[@nikosbookreviews]

Lol, I'm a huge fan of WoT but this is great!

[@Merlinstergandaldore]

The intrepid internet user sat in front of the glow of his discount computer monitor, cracked his middle-aged knuckles, and set his fingers to type. He paused. What would he say? These comments on the Tube of You often get ignored, so what pithy words could he type with his worn out keyboard, covered in a layer of dust from semi-neglect coupled with a lack of desire to clean regularly, to draw people in? He pondered, shifted his weight on to the left arm rest of his swivel chair. He'd have shifted right, but years of doing so had weakened the supports and it was on its last legs. The left arm rest creaked, distracting the typer from his task momentarily as he wondered if that was a sign that the time had come to possibly replace the chair. He clicked over to Amazon instinctively, but then thought better of it as he'd developed a healthy hatred of the company in the past year or so, and used his optical mouse to slide the cursor back to the Tube of You and get back to composing his brief comment. The pattering of rain outside prompted him to gaze out the window, the smell of water in the air was pleasant and reminded him of his youth, and simpler times before the internet, where one would simply pick up a phone and call a friend to discuss their thoughts on someone else's thoughts on someone else's book. The chilly air was making his feet cold and he refocused, stretching his fingers then clenching them so has to wake them up before finally typing his message into the comments section.... "Yeah, it's pretty ridiculous - I hate when writers overdo it!"

[@miketravelsnowhere6557]

Haha I love this! :)

[@citizensguard3433]

You gotta respect the atmosphere man lol. Read Sanderson if you want the snapshot. Read Jordan if you want the full mural. ...and I guess also the room the mural is in. And the attire of the guy who pained it... and the smell of the paint... and the qualities of the lighting.... and the--

[@suneilgoel3144]

epic comment

[@IFalling_CHERRY_BOY]

I never eaten freshly baked honeycakes by mistress alvire on the The Winespring Inn in the early morning after just waking up. But goddamn, I somehow feel like I did.

[@osonhouston]

I've only experienced the books in audiobook form to me it doesn't feel like it's that bad but it could be Michael Kramer's and Kate Redding's wonderful work.

[@bethbradshaw9626]

Same for me. I think I had to read Eye of the World because it wasn't on audio, but the performances in the audio books are fantastic. It really flows well.

[@mdsmith1019]

I read all of the books up until Jordan died and then during the "break" while the series was being finished I just lost interest. Burned out. I had no more patience for entire books that basically just set up other books. So I gave up on the series because I had no more time to read thousands of pages about nothing. However, I just listened to the audio book of The Eye Of The World and I may be back on board since I can do other things while I'm listening. It might just allow me to finish the series finally lol.

[@osonhouston]

@@mdsmith1019 well worth it. I think fantasy books are more flowery than most genres. It's that long-winded nature that makes it right for audiobook. Modern-day campfire stories for those with too much to do and too few hours in the day.

[@bimalgarg95]

Can't understand Kramer's mumblings. Tried like 4 times. Then I found the Rosamund Pike's version and finished the book.

[@christopherperdue3334]

I started reading the series somewhere about the time book 4 or 5 came out. And every time the next book came out, I would start again from book 1 and read it all again. I am currently reading through it again. It is by far my favorite fantasy series.

[@addy7464]

How do you read so much?

[@christopherperdue3334]

@@addy7464 I love to read ... In 8th grade, during the school year, I read over 100 books. And that is the only year I took any school sports. :)

[@addy7464]

@@christopherperdue3334 i havent read 100 books in my entire life.... It is quite fascinating that some people could read this much.

[@ilikecomicstoareallyproble8617]

I always feel like I under-describe things in my writing, but then I remember that Robert Jordan exists.

[@sivzzz3008]

I kind of like overdescribing if it's done right. There are a few repetitive things Robert Jordan does when describing specific characters which can be annoying to some, but I personally really enjoyed the constant scene setting, it really put me into the world, and it especially shines in action scenes.

[@thegreatwizard11]

It’s what make the book feel like a real world we’re visiting and not just a set of meaningless names that have a cardboard depth that a lot of newer fantasy books feature.

[@jacksonhorrocks4281]

This is a series where I can look at characters and think of them as actual people

[@mariosanchezpolidore1089]

The CONSTANT "Men are all wool-headed fools" narrative is what will make me stop this series. You're reminded every couple of paragraphs by most of the women(especially Nynaeve) I've started to skim past the chapters with her just to get through. Let's see if I can finish book 6 🤞🏽

[@MrjinZin0902]

Nynaeve become one of the best character later. WOT is about man vs woman, about yang vs yin. I think "Men are all wool-headed fools" is good setup although I hated it first.

[@brendenbarlett9451]

Over describing was part of why Jordan’s Wheel of Time was in my opinion perfect within its imperfection.. when I first started the series God it was longgg but as I kept reading I got used to it and came to enjoy it, and when the end was close I just wished the story would keep going

[@I3uzzKillinton]

i hated it with tolkien but i love it in the wheel of time. its weird

[@brendenbarlett9451]

@@I3uzzKillinton tbh I think it’s because Tolkien described trees😭 Jordan described people and armors and weapons

[@wylanvallotton4462]

I like a good amount of description and set up. It is one of the things that make a book a book. However I have definitely felt this, where there's so much set up, preamble, description and such, to the point you feel like you're doing research for an essay.

[@MRJTD99]

Honestly, I think George is the worst at over-description. Its one thing to set the scene and offer subtle characterizations through description like Jordan does, that's good writing. Its another to take a paragraph describing every specific dish in a feast, dishes you know have no goddamn effect or meaning on anything, as well as constant "LANNISTERS LIKE LIONS AND RUBIES, SO EVERYTHING THEY HAVE OR WEAR HAS LIONS AND RUBIES ON THEM, EVERYTHING. DID YOU FORGET? LET ME REMIND YOU..."

[@wylanvallotton4462]

@@MRJTD99 I've never actually read and goerge r.r. but I have heard that. It sounds almost funny, in a frustrating way.

[@rikremmerswaal2756]

People refusing to properly communicate, corperal punishment for every thing, annoying woman tugging her braid. Ladies and gentlemen : The Wheel of Time.

[@marianm8174]

As a person with Aphantasia I find those details one of the main drawing points of the series.

[@lonebattledroid4474]

It's kind of the same for Tolkien as well. "Gandalf and friends walked along the path. The path was long. There were trees, Gandalf will now explain the vast complex lore of the trees. (20 minutes later...) And thus, the fellowship arrived at their location." End of Chapter

[@miketravelsnowhere6557]

lol

[@isawamoose]

Yeah it's definitely not, actually.

[@reaper411b]

Meanwhile, big epic fight scenes take literally one paragraph or are skipped over entirely

[@reaper411b]

@@isawamoose it 100% is. Off the top of the dome, the exodus from Moria, when Gandalf’s just sacrificed himself and everybody supposedly tortured and broken up about it and orcs are pursuing them and they gotta hurry up and get to lorien-and then gimli drags frodo aside and spends five full paragraphs talking about some random fucking pool, painfully detailing its eons-long history-because that makes sense, is appropriate right now, and is relevant to the story, clearly. Tolkien was a bad fucking writer.

[@holyrolypoly]

@@reaper411b I don't know how you could call him a bad writer when his works are literally the foundation of all modern high fantasy!

[@G12ad]

No joke, that's the reason why I stopped reading the first book.

[@saldanamoreno]

it's so funny to me because Shadow Rising is where I quit too. I just didn't care about the characters. =(

[@CorwinFound]

It's a style of writing. Some people love it, some don't. Young fantasy readers are hating on Tolkien because of the extremely formal writing style. Some older readers find the use of modern jargon grating. To each their own.

[@NCHaskew]

As much as I appreciate Lord of the Rings, Tolkien really did open the door for (less talented) writers to make every piece of flavor text an entire college dissertation.

[@ryanratchford2530]

The woman crossed her arms underneath her breasts, pushing up her breasts, which were themselves breasts that were resting on top of her crossed arms. “Idiot Men!” She said, “ You need to explain everything to them twice and they’ll still forget half of it!!” “Dam women!” A man said, “they say one thing but mean another.” Both the man and woman were unaware that they were in love.

[@davidg.8031]

You forgot to mention the clothing descriptions and the crossing of arms beneath breasts. But otherwise, accurate

[@dmanlip]

As an audiobook reader, my brain got to the point where I was able to zone out through the descriptions, and be able to tune in when story was happening. I don't know if this skill is a good thing or not.

[@AIMLESS-NAMELESS]

Honestly that’s up to you, no one should care how you enjoy things I’m just glad we both like wheel of time :)

[@JM-pm3tb]

Another audiobook listener here. I found myself zoning out whenever a female character went into "bitchy mode". Sometimes this involved skipping entire chapters where a female character was acting as the voice of the novel. I skipped many chapters this way. Luckily it had no affect on the overall plot...which had me asking, if those chapters didn't contribute the the story why were they not edited tighter or removed all together?

[@oliviako2000]

Couldn't agree more.. I started to read the wheel of time just because Daniel Henney played Lan. And I strongly believe that I'm in much worse situation than you guys. Because English is not my first language!!! and the books aren't translated in my first language officially(which is Korean).... It's just.. sooo painful... but at same time, It's amazingly fascinating😂 I can't stop torturing myslef...

[@jodie3950]

I haven't read the Wheel of Time but this made me laugh!😂 I know the feeling of drowning in overdescriptions when all you want is action and for things to move forward. Please make more

[@innovativeatavist159]

I got a good ways into this series and realized "Oh...I HATE this dude's writing style and constant "men are this, women are this". There's no cure for that. So I put it down, read a summary of the plot, and that's probably all I'll do.

[@tonym2784]

I got to crossroads of twilight … and just threw in the towel… it took me 3 years to get to that book… I stopped and reread Stephen Kings The Dark Tower series for the 4th time … and finished it in 4 months… The Dark Tower is just great writing and a fun story I never get tired of . Wheel of Time … Jordan is just too Descriptive… and his characters never really go anywhere…but I still want to read the series… Well it’s been nearly a year but I just finished the entire Wheel of Time series … and I got to say I am more appreciative of Jordan’s style … it’s a great series

[@miketravelsnowhere6557]

I still need to read The Dark Tower series. I always hear really good things about it

[@tonym2784]

@@miketravelsnowhere6557 ohhh brother … you are missing out… it’s truly incredible

[@Fuskox2]

I'm on a re-read right now and just finished Crossroads. It's almost universally considered the worst and slowest book in the series but I highly recommend pushing through it. The next book (Knife of Dreams) is one of the best and the final 3 Sanderson novels are crazy good. It's just too long to get that far and not finish the story!

[@harmonicarchipelgo9351]

Audio books make the series so much better. When you let the narrator do all the work, the expansive description actually feels like a blessing. Still takes a solid 4-5 months to finish the series though.....

[@samsaalfeld4273]

I just started the Fires of Heaven a few days ago, and it is still accurate.

[@matthewcorum7282]

Same. Becoming more so....

[@adib3011]

I learned how to fly over these parts, take in just the story. Jordan really should have been careful of the pacing. He's lucky he wrote such an awesome story, or people would never complete it.

[@luciferparker5063]

No disrespect to Jordan or his fans but the descriptions take me out of the book instead of being immersive. Less is more and Jordan doesn't let the setting speak for itself. It feels dry. And unrealistic tbh. No one noticed every tiny stain and shade of wood. No one thinks through paragraphs of monologue between dialog. That said I still liked the series, especially when Sanderson took over and the plot actually felt like it was moving.

[@JM-pm3tb]

Thank goodness for Sanderson.

[@cilibrasi1040]

I want to love this series so much. I did not mind the crazy details in Eye of the World and actually think I enjoyed reading through that book the most (I am up to book 12 on a first time read), as I really felt truly immersed in the world. But it got old really fast. When it gets to the point that you are literally contemplating skipping books, you can't deny there's a real issue there somewhere. I am looking forward to seeing how Brandon closes it out. I'll be honest, I can imagine how a reread would highlight some cool things along the way, but for those tiny moments, i'm not sure I would really have the interest to take on the whole series again. Hoping the end is mindblowing enough to keep me hooked.

[@reaper411b]

What I’ll tell you is Brandon thankfully manages to hardcore stick the landing, so at least the seventeen encyclopedias of pain result in something.

[@Jagar_Tharn]

The series is so long you forget like 95% of it by the time you're done, so rereads are actually kinda like first reads.

[@AIMLESS-NAMELESS]

You are in a slump, it gets so fucking good after that. I could probably guess what chapter your on lol

[@Aluminatihusker]

It just goes to show you that you can love something while simultaneously making fun of it. Haha! Kind of like some of my friends. I make fun of them, but I love them to death. Definitely, how I feel about TWOT lol!

[@Eloweh]

I’m on book 6 now, I’ve read 1-5 plus New Spring, i love this book series. I listen to it on audiobook and have a copy of the book, it’s the best way for me to actually pay attention and remember stuff. I don’t think his long windedness a bad thing but more of a thing to get used to. It really does have a way of taking you out of your surroundings and into a new place

[@Eloweh]

I’m on book 12 now and just found this series, in my opinion there wasn’t really a “slog” I’d call it book 10 was slow. Book 7 is my second favorite, books 8-9 are underrated. 11 is great

[@Leevi17]

Short opinion on Wheel of Time. 1st three books : good story, characters are ok and are doing interesting things. 4th and 5th books : starts to feel a little slow and women seem to be quite poorly written, but surely in book 6... 6th - 8th books : story slowly crawls through lots of politics, even more forgettable characters with similar names, and even more (repetitive) description of every sip of tea said characters make. 9th book : finally, things are happening ! pace is better and dramatic tension increases ! hopes are high for the 10th book (Crossroads of Twilight, what a name !) 10th book : just like 6th to 8th but much worse. Didn't read the last books because Jordan lost my reader's confidence. Don't regret it because I don't like Sanderson's style either.

[@ianrobertpountain8621]

Harry Potter does details too, but it makes them amusing and interesting. My favourite detail in Harry Potter is when the Weasley twins enchant snowballs to hit Quirrell' turban on the back of the head in book one. They know he was Voldemort because they have the Marauder's Map. It's perfect.

[@MRJTD99]

Honestly, I think George is the worst at over-description. Its one thing to set the scene and offer subtle characterizations through description like Jordan does, that's good writing. Its another to take a paragraph describing every specific dish in a feast, dishes you know have no goddamn effect or meaning on anything, as well as constant "LANNISTERS LIKE LIONS AND RUBIES, SO EVERYTHING THEY HAVE OR WEAR HAS LIONS AND RUBIES ON THEM, EVERYTHING. DID YOU FORGET? LET ME REMIND YOU..."

[@grigturcescu6190]

The overdescriptions are a tool the writer uses. It gets you used with setting a slow pace and when you expect the least a troloc appears and wreaks havoc or a character gets put into a big basket and kidnapped. If he would not do that then you would see from miles away. But the way it's written it's alway surprising you. I remember the first time the Troloc appeared at Rand and Tam's farm, I had to reread the passage. I was like "wait, what? they were just making stew"

[@Sam-vk8xd]

So true. It’s weird though, I both love and hate how over descriptive it is. Such a great series though.

[@isacat666]

Imagine reading 10 of these books, and you're finally at the point where you know something big is about to happen. The author is obese and older and you're constantly worried that he's going to die before finishing the series. Finally a few years later book 11 comes out... and it's a fucking prequel about a side character.

[@DrewIsFail]

I think it's natural to be a goal oriented reader, so hearing how the inn keeper is dressed might seem tedious if you don't think it moves the plot forward. At the same time though, it's ironic to be reading escapism and still be consumed by some fantasy target. Maybe you would be happier if you slowed down and enjoyed the fire, or took a moment to examine the room, those things can tell you just as much as the innkeeper if you listen.

[@aaronembry9692]

The over-describing was bad, but what really made me drop the series is the terribly developed female characters. I was 3 and a half books in and couldn't take it anymore. I shouldn't have to wait 6 or 9 or whatever amount of books for character development.

[@HoodedMenace]

This is so true but I love this series dearly. My struggles often came from some of the inner thoughts that were pages long and flanked by a sentence of character dialogue. It’s like “what did he say initially again?”

[@seannyhan2254]

I enjoyed the series, but... damn! Your portrayal was painfully accurate. Makes me wonder would could have been if Jordan had an editor with a spine.

[@hashkangaroo]

Not when the editor was _his wife,_ for crying out loud! In that light, everything makes sense. forum.malazanempire.com/topic/21832-hateful-wheel-of-time-review/

[@joshshrum2764]

Okay I’ve never red the Wheel Of Time, books, but man I’d honestly like to hear you narrate all the books like that I’d legit put it on the background since you have a great voice, and definitely could put me to sleep in the best way possible you wouldn’t want a movie, or show actor to do that, but when it comes to someone reading you a book it’s a big compliment it can help you drift off. Now in terms of the funniness of this while I’m definitely into massive description since i do roleplaying for a hobbit, and well I don’t put that much into explaining details, but a comfortable amount, but it’s really funny that it took that long for Rand, to speak to the innkeeper, also holy balls the books are extremely bloated in thickness holy.

[@miketravelsnowhere6557]

Thanks!

[@joshshrum2764]

@@miketravelsnowhere6557 My pleasure, i just hope my comment gets likes.

[@harmonicajay91]

Did Robert Jordan go into exquisite detail on how going to the bathroom was like, including taking 3 pages to describe the bathroom before taking a dump?

[@vajs6312]

The story itself is great, when Jordan gets around to it 😅 another great thing I’m looking forward to is that other fantasy series from this point on will seem much more fluid in pacing and descriptions, than if I haven’t read The Wheel of Time. ^^ (currently on book 10)

[@anushkapande2085]

you're about to reach the books brandon sanderson wrote! he may have butchered some of the characters (especially mat) but they definitely pick up the pace and become far more engaging

[@starmorpheus]

Read Sanderson novels then haha. Robert Jordan's imagination with less time spent on super flowery lines and descriptions. People critique him for it, but it makes reading his books a breeze.

[@anushkapande2085]

@@starmorpheus exactly! love how you make the same point haha im reading the mistborn series currently and i kid you not, more happens in a single page that it did in a whole chapter of robert's books. but mad respect for robert, always.

[@davidbowles7281]

Is it though?

[@Edselsmellswell]

I got all 14 books and struggled to finish book 3. Got to halfway of book 4 and was in complete boredom lol unfortunately I sold all the books without finishing the fourth book lol

[@sage7149]

I love this series so much. I get it’s not for everybody though. Also this video is hilarious and pretty accurate. Still love the books but yea he is wordy. Sad to see some people being upset in the comments though. But hey I know the series isn’t going to be liked by everyone. I still love it. I’ve almost finished my first read through I’m a bit into book 12 now. Super happy with it.

[@drummertp12]

i thought the series was one of the best i have ever read. finished the last book last month an i loved it. but i get that when you are a slow reader the overdescriptions of clothing and architecture can put some people of. I thought it added depth to the world and showed how each character sees and experienced the world. i dont know if im gonna read them a second time tho its quite a commitment lol. The last 3 books are one of my favourites, so have fun

[@sage7149]

@@drummertp12 I’m a fast reader so maybe that’s why I’m chill with it? Also totally agree. It’s awesome seeing the world as the characters do.

[@drummertp12]

@@sage7149 yeah also i think people need to set their expectations right. it is 14 books, its gonna be a long journey, there are a lot of characters and a lot will happen. It helps that the books are great but you kinda need to know your in for the long haul

[@sage7149]

@@drummertp12 very true. Good stories take time. And it is one of the best so it takes a lot of time.

[@valhatan3907]

I know this feeling (even tho im not his reader), when you acknowledge the flaws in your favorite work, yet still like it anyway.

[@naturalone6529]

I almost got turned off of the first book when I listened to it on audio. Two entire chapters, a dozen pages each, solely focused on the Two Rivers and every resident and their dog.

[@johnbailey2933]

I discovered WOT via the Amazon Prime release. After disliking the characters in that series, I tried the books and read the first five volumes before declaring a DNF for that series. Jordan's binary 'Men are from Mars, Women from Venus' approach to the characters maybe them thoroughly unlikeable as you're forced to share hundreds of pages of their 'snail crawl adventures'.

[@dkropelnicki9819]

I made it halfway through book 7. Listened to the last half on audiobook. Cant go on anymore. Comparing it to other series I've read (ASOIAF, Dark Tower, Harry Potter) it's a 1/5 enjoyment factor, not worth my time anymore.

[@sage7149]

Hmmm In my opinion I loved the characters. But then again when I read I don’t care too much if I like the person, so long as I understand the character and they have depth. I’ll agree that the characters can be obnoxious and rude and them not understanding the other gender can make you sigh. But the characters seemed real and consistent to me so I like them. You are welcome to your opinion though. Just sharing mine.

[@johnbailey2933]

@@sage7149 I appreciate your thoughts. I liked the first five books, but at the end I realized I had enough of this world. I agree with your opinion that it's not necessary to 'like' the characters. I contrast this series to Joe Abercrombie's grimdark characters in the First Law book(s) and thoroughly enjoyed the read and portrayal of the world and its protagonists. Sanderson's Cosmere shares a similar tone with WOT and is IMHO a better series. I've been tempted to jump ahead to the WOT vols that he wrote. Thanks for your comment. I recognize that WOT has a legion of fans.

[@blazebi47]

Yup,.couldn't get halfway through the first book...the overscribing and the attitude of the women was a red flag for me that it was only going to get worse and even though it bugs me to no end when I have to put a book down, this one brings nothing but relief