# The Wheel of Time is done **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 4, 2012, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wheel-of-time-is-done/630361 "2012-08-04T00:25:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wheel-of-time-is-done/630361/41 "2012-08-07T21:03:30Z")
> [@Kiros](#): > > **jayjay** : Yes > > It was really quite a way to end the book, which made the fact that the 10th book was by far the worst and most painful to read of all of them that much more of a letdown. Tell me about it. I was so psyched to see how that played out, but all I was getting was the other characters going about their business, then pausing to look at the horizon and say, “What’s that? Oh, it must be Rand doing something epic.” Then they go back to whatever it was they were doing. The [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com) reviews of book 10 didn’t exactly fill me with confidence, either. “Nynaeve continues to…” “Perrin continues to…” “Elayne continues to…” “Mat continues to…” Just get on with the damn story already! I can’t skip the book because I’m anal retentive like that, but I really hope the audiobook makes it a bit more palatable. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wheel-of-time-is-done/630361/42 "2012-08-07T21:08:06Z")
I was crushed when Moiraine fell through the ter’angreal. I read a few more (ok, five) in case she fell out again but my heart just wasn’t in it anymore and the first time I had to wait for a book to come out, I moved on and by the time it was released, I couldn’t remember the various plot threads. I don’t really have anything to say, I just wanted to pout again. ---
**Author:** ![MHaye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bbe5ce/32.png) [@MHaye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MHaye)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wheel-of-time-is-done/630361/43 "2012-08-07T21:18:02Z")
> [@NAF1138](#): > > So…are we saying I should read book 9 too? I plan on only getting them from the library so it’s not like I am investing anything other than my time. I think your best bet is to read each book as it comes, personally. When you find them frustrating, put them aside and read chapter summaries, then come back to what sound interesting chapters in the book. It’s worth remembering that the action is faster-paced in the early books because they cover longer spans of time. [ul][li]Books 1 and 2 cover about one year; book 1 starts at what should be early Spring, book 2 ends in the late autumn of the same year.[/li][li]Books 3 to 6 cover about a year, starting in winter and ending early the next year.[/li][li]Books 7 to 14 inclusive cover less than half a year.[/ul]If you don’t like The Eye of the World don’t bother with the rest.[/li] My big problem with the mid-period books is that he lets the insanity of two of the lead men drag on too long; they weren’t resolved until after RJ died and Brandon Sanderson took over. Then, hardly anything happens in Book 10; although it has some payoff later it’s too long. There’s a distinct lack of editorial oversight in the middle books. On top of that, there’s the unsanity of Nynaeve. (Anyone who can go from “maybe I was wrong to insist on going overland” to “I knew we should have gone by boat” in the space of less than a day (iirc) has serious mental problems.) ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2012, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wheel-of-time-is-done/630361/44 "2012-08-07T22:14:43Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > I was crushed when Moiraine fell through the ter’angreal. I read a few more (ok, five) in case she fell out again but my heart just wasn’t in it anymore and the first time I had to wait for a book to come out, I moved on and by the time it was released, I couldn’t remember the various plot threads. I don’t really have anything to say, I just wanted to pout again. Spoilers about what you were spoilering about (spoilers for book 12 or 13…don’t remember precisely which)… Moiraine does get rescued from the Aelfinn by Mat and Thom and Jain Farstrider. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wheel-of-time-is-done/630361/45 "2012-08-08T19:24:30Z")
YMMV, but I liked the Mat sections even in some of the boring books. He actual DOES stuff- at least compared to the other characters. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wheel-of-time-is-done/630361/46 "2012-08-08T19:33:42Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Spoilers about what you were spoilering about (spoilers for book 12 or 13…don’t remember precisely which)… Of course. Somethings happens the book after I give up. Story of my life, my friends, story of my life. ---
**Author:** ![Morelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Morelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morelin)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wheel-of-time-is-done/630361/47 "2012-08-08T20:32:03Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wheel-of-time-is-done/630361/48 "2012-08-09T02:25:38Z")
I just spent a couple of hours on TVTropes getting distracted from looking for my favorite post-Jordan quote, from _The Gathering Storm_: > [@](#): > > **Mat** : I’m not giving up gambling. Or drinking. > **Talmanes** : So I believe you’ve told me. Three or four times so far. I half believe that if I were to peek into your tent at night, I’d find you mumbling about it in your sleep. “I’m going to keep bloody gambling! Bloody, bloody gambling and drinking! Where’s my bloody drink? Anyone want to gamble for it?” ---
**Author:** ![Kylede](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a6a055/32.png) [@Kylede](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kylede)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2012, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wheel-of-time-is-done/630361/49 "2012-08-09T05:07:18Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > I would do the following: > > Read books 1-5 > > Read internet summaries of books 6-10 > > Read books 11-14 (one written by RJ, 3 by Brandon Sanderson) (Book 14 not yet out, coming out in January). Max, good idea, but there are certain chapters in books 6 - 10 that should be read, not jusy the summaries…like someone mentioned..the last 2 chapters of book 9. Maybe it should be “Reed the prologue, first 2 chapters, last 2 chapters and epilogue along with the internet summaries”. Or even better then the summaries, the TOR website has their “re-reads” of all the books and that give a 1-2 paragraph summary of each chapter. use them to decide what chapter to read of books 6-10 ---
**Author:** ![MHaye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bbe5ce/32.png) [@MHaye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MHaye)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wheel-of-time-is-done/630361/50 "2012-08-10T22:25:10Z")
[The Encyclopedia WoT](http://www.encyclopaedia-wot.org/) has chapter summaries, notes on who’s who and so on, for those who want to play catch-up. ---
**Author:** ![inedible\_knapsack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/49beb7/32.png) [@inedible\_knapsack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/inedible_knapsack)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wheel-of-time-is-done/630361/51 "2012-08-13T14:44:07Z")
> [@NAF1138](#): > > So…are we saying I should read book 9 too? I plan on only getting them from the library so it’s not like I am investing anything other than my time. Just to muddy the waters a bit, NAF, I actually enjoyed books 6 - 10. Yes, they could have been edited down–quite a lot, actually–and there are scenes that seem useless, but these books did move the plot forward, and they revealed insights into character motivations that Jordan clearly thought were important to the story. I’m not going to say that reading these books is completely necessary to the experience–if you need something fast-paced and tight (like Sanderson’s Mistborn series, for example), just read the the good ones and read summaries of the rest, like everyone said above. The series is worth a read, however you go about it. IMHO, though, the middle tomes have been maligned somewhat unfairly because the first books are so great, and the next few are so not, that expectations were too high. Also, it’s always fashionable to jump on the hatin’ bandwagon once everyone starts the grumbling. Again, just my opinion. Fact is, I can read just about anything and get something useful out of it, so I’m probably not the best person to be giving advice. 😛 Also, I’m STOKED about the last book. Can’t wait to see how it all plays out. Here’s to hoping Jordan doesn’t just rehash Christian mythos for the umpteen-millionth time. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wheel-of-time-is-done/630361/52 "2012-08-13T19:14:50Z")
I re-“read” the whole series via audiobook back before the first Sanderson volume was published, and was surprised by how much I enjoyed them all, including the “bad” ones toward the end. I think part of the disappointment is caused by the fact that we were waiting for YEARS for the next one to emerge, only to find that none of the events for which we were breathlessly awaiting happened. Again. Going through them all at once, without the anticipation and raised expectations, made them much more enjoyable. YMMV, of course. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-wheel-of-time-is-done/630361.md?page=2)