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Title: The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan, Kate Reading, Michael Kramer ISBN: 1-59397-432-9 Publisher: Audio Renaissance Pub. Date: 01 May, 2004 Format: Audio CD Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $59.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.22 (1400 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Not to be missed
Comment: The Wheel of Time (WOT) saga is something no fan of fantasy can do without. The Eye of the World is the first book in the series and is largely devoted to introducing the main characters in a complex cast, their habitat and their personalities. Unfortunately for Jordan, the WOT saga faces the daunting challenge of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and comes off second best. Tolkien's world view, the flow of his story and most of all the sheer lyricism of his prose, songs, rhymes and the names of places and persons are impossible to beat and Jordan suffers in comparison. It is also true that the WOT series draws heavily from Tolkien as well as other classics of science fiction, particularly the early Dune novels; the similarities between Fremen-Aiel, Arrakis-Waste, Aes Sedai-Bene Gesserit, are certainly not coincidental. In Jordan's defence, it is no easy task to create a world view and a world to go with it, with a creator and classic good and evil patterns, without following broadly in Tolkien's lead, though he needn't have gone to such lengths (like Ents=Ogiers, Orcs=Trollocs, Nazgul=Myrdraal etc.). For all that, The Eye of the World gets the series off to a good start for a reader with the patience to follow the numerous characters and sub-plots. Some hard concentration is needed since after all it is the reader's first look at a different world so be prepared for some hard work. And Jordan offers no help by way of a decent prologue. In fact, it is only mid-way through Book 4 (The Shadow Rising) of the series, that the background to the Forsaken, the attempt to free the Dark Lord, the Aiel, the Wandering and other skeins of the pattern become clear. It would greatly help the reader if Jordan had given at least a bare bones prologue. For that matter, if his prologue is scanty, his glossary at the end is sparse and full of gaps. Worse, the single map of the world that Jordan grudgingly gives is pathetic. Numerous places and rivers mentioned in the text are not to be found in the map and the reader is left vainly switching from text to glossary to map and back again. Hence only 4 stars for not caring for your readers, Mr. Jordan. But hey people, don't let my grumbles deter you. The Eye of the World has its own charm; the innocence of the main characters in the beginning, the depiction of village life, the sense of gathering doom and excellently portrayed as the Emond's Fielders, not quite comprehending what lies ahead of them set off to meet with an inescapable destiny. Once you finish this first in the series, you will be hooked and gasping for the next. And don't judge the series by this one book; wait till you finish at least the first 3.
Rating: 2
Summary: Gaze into the Eye of the World and you'll regret it later...
Comment: Here's the start of something insane. A quiet village is visited by a magician, Moiraine (Gandalf?)with a lost-king-outcast-warrior, Lan (Aragorn?). They drag out Rand, Mat and Perrin (Frodo, Merry and Pippin?) onto a journey to their destinies. And then there's a Dark One (we've all heard this) somewhere in the Pit of Doom (Mount Doom?). Stereotyped, generic, trite.... call it what you want. This is the fantasy genre. What do you expect? This entire series is an insult to the genre though. It goes wrong in so many ways.
The good thing about this book and the next 2 books is the fact that there is action around the corner, when we are hoping for it. The other 7 books on the other hand....are the biggest disasters ever. If only Jordan ended at 3. This book is well written. Which is why I give it a 2. As a stand alone novel, it maybe deserves a 3 or 4. But the whole series is a wreck.
The characters are the worst part of this whole series. Rand, Mat and Perrin always complain about misunderstanding women, when they're all mature and aged enough deal with it (I think they're adolescents, maybe 16 or 17). One complains that the other two would "know what to do" with women. Women misunderstand men just as much and treat them like trash. He praises women too much. It's like a bunch of feminists decided to write their fantasies. All the women decided to become men and the men became women. Not only that, ALL the characters are the same. Immature, unrealistic, boring, and incredibly stupid. Does Jordan even understand people? It shames me to say that I actually read the whole series. Fantasy is about unreal worlds and places, not unreal characters and behavior.
The story had promise. An interesting history. But throughout the whole series, the history of the world is completely disregarded. All cultures of different nations are the same, except the Aiel maybe. Trust me. All the events that happen during the first 3 books, like the Horn of Valere, the Eye of the World and other stuff are COMPLETELY forgotten in the other books.
Get "A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE" by George R.R. Martin. A true epic. The best since Tolkien. The characters are realistic and magic isn't always around to save everyone. They live through a rich but more realistic history and great events happen. He's an award winning author of SHORT STORIES (yet his series is already 3 fat novels with more to come) and he's worked at Hollywood. He's better than Jordan and probably all the Terrys in the genre and even other great authors in fiction. It appeals to those who could care less about fantasy. Forget Wheel of Time.
This book was decent. So read it, if you really want. But you've been warned. When things roll downhill, they go faster. The Wheel of Time rolls downhill, but more slowly with each book. Oh, the irony.
Rating: 5
Summary: Also Try
Comment: Love reading phantasy novels? Do yourself a favor and read Steven Erikson's Malazan series. Gardens of the Moon is now available in the U.S. Or you an order the entire series from Amazon.co.uk
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Title: The Great Hunt (The Wheel of Time, Book 2) by Robert Jordan ISBN: 0812517725 Publisher: Tor Fantasy Pub. Date: 15 October, 1991 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: The Dragon Reborn (The Wheel of Time, Book 3) by Robert Jordan ISBN: 0812513711 Publisher: Tor Fantasy Pub. Date: 15 October, 1992 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: The Shadow Rising (The Wheel of Time, Book 4) by Robert Jordan ISBN: 0812513738 Publisher: Tor Fantasy Pub. Date: 15 October, 1993 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: The Fires of Heaven (The Wheel of Time, Book 5) by Robert Jordan ISBN: 0812550307 Publisher: Tor Fantasy Pub. Date: 15 October, 1994 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: Lord of Chaos (The Wheel of Time, Book 6) by Robert Jordan ISBN: 0812513754 Publisher: Tor Fantasy Pub. Date: 15 November, 1995 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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