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General Manga writer discussions / Re: So I read 7/14 books from "The Wheel of Time" in 3 weeks...
« on: November 09, 2020, 09:01:25 AM »
1. Robert Jordan is a master world builder.
I have never read a series (other than Lord of the Rings but more on that in a moment) where the fantasy world feels as real and as lived in as with The Wheel of Time. The timeline through the ages is laid out through quotes from books, prophecies, memories in bloodlines, and word of mouth. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings have the Silmarilian to complete the lore and legends about Tolkien’s World - although much is presented in the books themselves. But to me, Robert Jordan, greatly inspired by Tolkien for sure, takes this to another level. In the Wheel of Time, you journey through the different nations and locations within. You learn of the multitude of cultures and attitudes of the people everywhere you go. You admire their food, their clothing and their architecture. You learn of their deep rooted traditions and societal norms and their prejudices. From backwater farm to royal palace to mage tower you will be taught the ways of the people that live there, and understand the how and the why of it all as well as the what. This is what makes this series so special - many authors will show you societies and cultures, but usually it is like a 2D backdrop in a theatre production, meant to set the scene a bit while the story plays out in the foreground - Robert Jordan manages to properly and fully immerse readers in this world through the story he tells, by making it feel as if the story itself has to dip and weave through the many obstacles that a living, breathing, uncaring world would throw at it.
2. Immersing readers fully in a world like this is a slow reading experience
As a result of the story itself having the illusion of dodging through the veritable minefield of a living world, thus giving the illusion as if it is barely contrived at all (which is somewhat ironic - more on that later), these stories do not move quickly... I often found myself skim reading through the copious descriptions of inn common rooms and of what dinner was, or of the perspective character describing someone’s calves... just to get back to the motion in the plot. This instilled bad habits as I had to retread pages several times because I had glossed over a character description that would help me later on. In large part this is my own fault for being inpatient and rushing my reading, but also I think that most modern readers will struggle similarly after so many years of being conditioned with faster paced novels and trilogies as opposed to 14 book long epics… I think that there is some happy medium to be struck, where the reader can still be immersed in the world, but with some aspects prioritised over others to actually delve deeply into so as not to disrupt the plot so much.
3. Colourful prose is interesting and captivating... when used sparingly
Robert Jordan proves himself to have deft control over language and pulls from a vast pool of really interesting vocabulary throughout the books. And, because this continues through the narration provided from the character’s perspective, it really feels like Robert Jordan has carved his out his own unique voice in his writing, adding consistency even throughout each perspective (That's not to say that characters do not have their own individual voices as well). However, sometimes it comes across as if he is trying to say something in the most complex way possible and deliberately trying to double the number of words needed to say it... I expected it from Tolkien as LOTR was really just a linguistic exercise for him, but I think that modern authors have learned to be engaging with their use of language in a much more concise way now. In particular, and something that I am very glad authors seem to have moved past now, Robert Jordan’s frequent use of double negatives really grated on me whenever they featured - I do not find it enjoyable to have to untangle convoluted, jumbled wording to get to a mundane meaning. Masterful control of the English Language does not necessitate showing off the most technical writing possible in your work; straightforward language is often the most effective form of communication, and it can still be equally rich and beautifully written.
4. Robert Jordan is a master of multiple perspectives
The Wheel of Time series is not just a story of one plotline. It is, at minimum at any given time, five plotlines woven together into a grand narrative. However, these plotlines have been told through the perspectives of at least 8 main characters, with side threads or antagonist plots woven in through the perspectives of many, many more. What is more impressive however, is that you never miss a perspective change, and each perspective character has their own individual voice. I do wonder why he chose not to give each perspective swap a new chapter… but maybe I’ve read too many novellas where chapters can be as little as one paragraph… Jordan also manages to make following the chronology of events easy for readers, even though on paper it shouldn’t sound like it; when he has to deal with so many events occurring simultaneously all over the map. He has jumped back in time a few notable times to tell the same events from an alternate perspectives, and I always knew which event was being referred to and where the perspective was situated differently in the scene, even if it was two or so chapters on from the initial event (these are long chapters - about 25 minutes solid reading each). Moreover, he uses flashbacks very tastefully and in line with the narrative to great effect - sometimes a character’s present commentary on a past event is the best way to feed the reader that information if narratively there is no good opportunity to show readers that firsthand experience as the story plays out. They can also be used to more naturally hide something from the reader, as the perspective character can be written to dwell on only specific parts of a past situation. Anyways, it is to Robert Jordan’s credit that, in a story of this scale and a world so sprawling, I did not feel lost once in seven books.
Spoiler
I have never read a series (other than Lord of the Rings but more on that in a moment) where the fantasy world feels as real and as lived in as with The Wheel of Time. The timeline through the ages is laid out through quotes from books, prophecies, memories in bloodlines, and word of mouth. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings have the Silmarilian to complete the lore and legends about Tolkien’s World - although much is presented in the books themselves. But to me, Robert Jordan, greatly inspired by Tolkien for sure, takes this to another level. In the Wheel of Time, you journey through the different nations and locations within. You learn of the multitude of cultures and attitudes of the people everywhere you go. You admire their food, their clothing and their architecture. You learn of their deep rooted traditions and societal norms and their prejudices. From backwater farm to royal palace to mage tower you will be taught the ways of the people that live there, and understand the how and the why of it all as well as the what. This is what makes this series so special - many authors will show you societies and cultures, but usually it is like a 2D backdrop in a theatre production, meant to set the scene a bit while the story plays out in the foreground - Robert Jordan manages to properly and fully immerse readers in this world through the story he tells, by making it feel as if the story itself has to dip and weave through the many obstacles that a living, breathing, uncaring world would throw at it.
2. Immersing readers fully in a world like this is a slow reading experience
Spoiler
As a result of the story itself having the illusion of dodging through the veritable minefield of a living world, thus giving the illusion as if it is barely contrived at all (which is somewhat ironic - more on that later), these stories do not move quickly... I often found myself skim reading through the copious descriptions of inn common rooms and of what dinner was, or of the perspective character describing someone’s calves... just to get back to the motion in the plot. This instilled bad habits as I had to retread pages several times because I had glossed over a character description that would help me later on. In large part this is my own fault for being inpatient and rushing my reading, but also I think that most modern readers will struggle similarly after so many years of being conditioned with faster paced novels and trilogies as opposed to 14 book long epics… I think that there is some happy medium to be struck, where the reader can still be immersed in the world, but with some aspects prioritised over others to actually delve deeply into so as not to disrupt the plot so much.
3. Colourful prose is interesting and captivating... when used sparingly
Spoiler
Robert Jordan proves himself to have deft control over language and pulls from a vast pool of really interesting vocabulary throughout the books. And, because this continues through the narration provided from the character’s perspective, it really feels like Robert Jordan has carved his out his own unique voice in his writing, adding consistency even throughout each perspective (That's not to say that characters do not have their own individual voices as well). However, sometimes it comes across as if he is trying to say something in the most complex way possible and deliberately trying to double the number of words needed to say it... I expected it from Tolkien as LOTR was really just a linguistic exercise for him, but I think that modern authors have learned to be engaging with their use of language in a much more concise way now. In particular, and something that I am very glad authors seem to have moved past now, Robert Jordan’s frequent use of double negatives really grated on me whenever they featured - I do not find it enjoyable to have to untangle convoluted, jumbled wording to get to a mundane meaning. Masterful control of the English Language does not necessitate showing off the most technical writing possible in your work; straightforward language is often the most effective form of communication, and it can still be equally rich and beautifully written.
4. Robert Jordan is a master of multiple perspectives
Spoiler
The Wheel of Time series is not just a story of one plotline. It is, at minimum at any given time, five plotlines woven together into a grand narrative. However, these plotlines have been told through the perspectives of at least 8 main characters, with side threads or antagonist plots woven in through the perspectives of many, many more. What is more impressive however, is that you never miss a perspective change, and each perspective character has their own individual voice. I do wonder why he chose not to give each perspective swap a new chapter… but maybe I’ve read too many novellas where chapters can be as little as one paragraph… Jordan also manages to make following the chronology of events easy for readers, even though on paper it shouldn’t sound like it; when he has to deal with so many events occurring simultaneously all over the map. He has jumped back in time a few notable times to tell the same events from an alternate perspectives, and I always knew which event was being referred to and where the perspective was situated differently in the scene, even if it was two or so chapters on from the initial event (these are long chapters - about 25 minutes solid reading each). Moreover, he uses flashbacks very tastefully and in line with the narrative to great effect - sometimes a character’s present commentary on a past event is the best way to feed the reader that information if narratively there is no good opportunity to show readers that firsthand experience as the story plays out. They can also be used to more naturally hide something from the reader, as the perspective character can be written to dwell on only specific parts of a past situation. Anyways, it is to Robert Jordan’s credit that, in a story of this scale and a world so sprawling, I did not feel lost once in seven books.
