The Wheel of Time

[Rebecca Sue]

I will start from book one. Thank you both! Now I know its worth the time. Blessings!

 

[SquareC]

I will start from book one. Thank you both! Now I know its worth the time. Blessings!

I'm glad you're going to do that. Otherwise, it's like only watching the last fifteen minutes of a three hour movie! It is well worth the time it will take, just be prepared for the length of time involved! That will vary depending on how fast you read, but it's still going to take a while no matter what. I am almost halfway done with A Memory of Light and I can hardly put it down! I was up until after 4 am last night and had no idea what time it was, I was too wrapped up in the book! I'm going to go to bed now, but I'll have my nose right back in it tomorrow, you can bet on it!

 

[Hishandmaiden]

I enjoy the story. I like the length of it. I am currently reading the last book in the series.

 

[SquareC]

I enjoy the story. I like the length of it. I am currently reading the last book in the series.

From my perspective, as a bibliophile who reads very fast (practice may not make perfect but it certainly improves ability and I started reading adult books at 9, 34 years ago) there is very little that gives me the same excitement as seeing a good, long book, much less 14 of them! I've probably read the first several books a dozen times!

I hope you are enjoying the last book just a much as I am. I can't remember the last time I've felt this good about a new book, it's been such a joy to me to read. The anticipation was overwhelming and the experience in this case is even better. I think I'll enjoy rereading them from start to finish next year almost as much. The one benefit of the "Fibro Fog" is that since I suffer from such a degree of memory loss that at least the last half of the books are almost new to me, even though the first aren't. I've read them so many times that I can't forget them, even with the memory loss!

 

[Rebecca Price]

I loved this story, and read all of them.

 

[keith99]

I will start from book one. Thank you both! Now I know its worth the time. Blessings!

You might want to check the comments on this thread:

http://www.christianforums.com/t7738546/

I really can't make detailed comments on WOT because I read the first few and remember absolutely none of it (which if you know me speaks volumes).

Still if you are going to read this (or pretty much any other) series it is best to start from the beginning.

 

[SquareC]

Still if you are going to read this (or pretty much any other) series it is best to start from the beginning.

I couldn't agree more. If you don't start from book 1, there will inevitably be things you miss, that might be very significant, although you may not realize their importance.

That goes for WOT in a vital way, but it's true for almost any series I have ever read to some degree.

Keith99, was there some particular reason you stopped reading after the first few and what is the significance of your not remembering anything in them? And how long ago did you read them?

 

[keith99]

I couldn't agree more. If you don't start from book 1, there will inevitably be things you miss, that might be very significant, although you may not realize their importance.

That goes for WOT in a vital way, but it's true for almost any series I have ever read to some degree.

Keith99, was there some particular reason you stopped reading after the first few and what is the significance of your not remembering anything in them? And how long ago did you read them?

I read them long ago. All I remember is each and every book there seemed to be the build up for the end then pffft, nothing.

The significance of me remembering nothing is that it means there was nothing memorable. I'm not saying I remember everything but I do remember something from most decent works. Pick a work by Heinlein, any work save his last few meganovels and I can likely give a complete plot synopsis. And the few I cannot I still likely remember something. I have not touched the foundation trilogy by Asimov in over 20 years, yet I still can give the basic idea and the one major plot twist. (Hint but not quite a spoiler, think twice on the name of one character). I have not touched 'The Mote in God's Eye, but I still know where the title comes from and who Crazy Eddy is.

When Starship Troopers came out I had not touched the book in a decade, in fact I could not find my copy, but I remembered the ethnicity of Johnny Rico and how it is made perfectly clear near the end. I also remembered who Roger Young was and could come pretty close to giving the blurb regarding his Medal of Honor award.

I can come up with similar things for Le'Guin, Dickson, Pournelle and Niven.

 

[SquareC]

Ah, Heinlein! Wonderful author, I cried when he died. His books are timeless and I love to read his books. I remember general things and people from his books, like Lazarus Long. Who could forget Lazarus Long?

The WOT books get more memorable with each succeeding book. The story becomes very involved and the characters grow, learn and change with the experiences and trials they go through. The first few books are by far the most simple and I can't say they are even close to capable of standing on their own merits without the continuation of the storyline. The further into the series you go, the more enthralling they become.

Le'Guin, Dickson, Pournelle and Niven are all excellent authors and I've enjoyed reading many of their books. I think the only positive effect of losing my memory is that when I reread books by such classic authors is that it is like reading them for the first time in many cases. The longer ago I've read them, the less I remember, and therefore the more it is like I've never read them before.

It may not be the silver lining I always look for, but it's at least a pewter one. There has to be something to make up for the pain of not being able to remember the name of friends, things someone told me 15 minutes before and other things along those lines. The greatest joy in my life (besides my daughter) is reading. It is my addiction, I cannot live without books. So I suppose being able to go back and read books that I read years ago and now they are new again, that must be considered something to make up for all I've lost. I hope so, at least.

 

[Rebecca Sue]

I looked up Heinlein last night and thought one of his books would be nice to try as well. SquareC Ive struggled with memory issues due to autoimmune challenges myself and have to say I appreciate your outlook. We have to make the best of what we are dealt. Soon Ill be off to the library to see if they have the first WOT on audio. Thanks to all here!

 

[SquareC]

I looked up Heinlein last night and thought one of his books would be nice to try as well. SquareC Ive struggled with memory issues due to autoimmune challenges myself and have to say I appreciate your outlook. We have to make the best of what we are dealt. Soon Ill be off to the library to see if they have the first WOT on audio. Thanks to all here!

Mine is advanced stage, early onset Fibromyalgia. It's a neurological condition, it starts with the nerves in the muscles and connective tissues misfiring, but as it advances, the neurons misfire increasingly which means both short and long term memory loss. So I get to live in pain 24/7 and lose my mind.

If I didn't have a positive outlook, I would lose my mind and lay around being bitter about it as well. I can't do that to my daughter or myself. Once it got too bad to work any longer, I decided that it just meant more time for Heather and reading! My biggest disappointment lately is that my local library got rid of many of their science fiction and fantasy novels, leaving a bare fraction of the previous totals, and it's difficult to get them through sending off from other libraries unless they're stand alone books. You never get them in order and by the time you get the first one in, the second one is overdue! I may have to get to the downtown library. Then I just have to remember when to turn them in!

 

[keith99]

I looked up Heinlein last night and thought one of his books would be nice to try as well. SquareC Ive struggled with memory issues due to autoimmune challenges myself and have to say I appreciate your outlook. We have to make the best of what we are dealt. Soon Ill be off to the library to see if they have the first WOT on audio. Thanks to all here!

My suggestions for starting Heinlein are:

Stranger in a Strange Land. Mainly because it is the best known. It is to Heinlein as the Tour de France is to cycling. The best known by so far that those who can not name one other work by Heinlein have read this one.

The Past Through Tomorrow. A huge compilation, but no novel length stories. All set in a common future.

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. Why not! Now you'll have to read it to figure that out, really it is meaningful and obscure. It has so many threads involved. The one I'll mention is that it is a totally different take on a self aware computer.

If you want more thoughts on Heinlein start a thread. If you can give a bit more about what you like I can give more ideas.

Guess I should mention that Stranger has been called a Bible for the Hippie movement. So it is not suitable for a super prig when it comes to sex. It is not graphic, but sex happens.

 

[SquareC]

Guess I should mention that Stranger has been called a Bible for the Hippie movement. So it is not suitable for a super prig when it comes to sex. It is not graphic, but sex happens.

That is true, but it seems to me that it's only a true-to-life amount of sex. Definitely not suitable reading for the close minded either. Heinlein definitely had what have been (and would still be) called radical ideas in many areas, including politics, social responsibility and personal freedoms. Having started reading his novels at a very young age, I have to admit that a great many of my ideals come out of his "handbook." I do need to start a thread about Heinlein, I'll do that now.

 

[CelticRose]

Heinlein I read & liked but WOT bored me to tears. I read super fast [lit major] but I found this series lacked serious depth. I much prefer Le Guin ~ or Guy Gavriel Kay. Their writing is dense & compacted & far more beautiful to read ~ & there is mythological depth as well. I found WOT repetitive. Dull. And I think badly written. JMO