Weirdo subject line, but my whole subject wouldn’t fit. Here it is -
In preparation for the final two books of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series, I’m going to read the “Cliff’s Notes” versions on the WOT websites instead of actually re-reading the entire series, since I’ve read the majority of the series three or four times now, and I have a life and a million other books that I want to read for the first time. Still, it’s been years since I’ve read the books, and I’d like to re-read certain segments of each of the books, to the point where I’ll probably read a whole book’s worth of WOT just by reading these little parts.
What parts of the WOT series should be re-read as part of a refresher course? Make your suggestions; it can be a particular episode or event, or even an entire chapter.
For example, I’ll definitely re-read the general beginning of “The Eye of the World” - just the whole part where Moiraine, Lan, and Padan Fain come to the Two Rivers. I’d like to re-read the general “first appearances” of each major character and so on, and some “firsts” - that first trip through the ways, first time on a stedding, etc. I also want to cover pivotal events - that showdown at the eye of the world, the amazing battle at the stone of tear, that great part where Rand and Mat go into Rhuidean in “The Fires of Heaven” and Rand sees the whole history of the Aiel, etc.
So, lay it on me. What would you re-read? What needs to be covered?
eh, I always re-read all of them. Even after so many readings, I find that there are things that I missed the first time through. For example I didn’t make the connection to Rand Channeling, and a lot of the events that happened in the first book, until the second or third time through. With so many characters and sub-plots running, I find that it’s just easier to re-read them all, than have to try and remember who is who, and what they are doing.
We have a winner! I like to start re-reading approximately 4-5 months before the newest one comes out. That way I have about 10-14 days to read each one. I may need to exted that though, since now that I’m pregnant, I go straight to sleep each night instead of reading at all. When is the next one scheduled to come out?
Ahhhh…you mean besides the one coming out in 12 days, right?
If so, then history tells us that it will be at least 3 years before the next and hopefully last book comes out.
Well, I don’t, hence the OP. I currently have a stack of 35+ books that I really want to read in addition to the five that I’m currently reading, so re-reading the entire series for the umpteenth time wouldn’t really be rewarding.
I’m not trying to be argumentative, but the books really are not that deep. I caught on to “Rand is channeling and he just doesn’t realize it” the first time I read The Eye of the World, and I was 14 then! Like I said in the OP, I’ve re-read the series several times in the past already.
Fine, then read what you want, but don’t be ticked off when you don’t remember a character that was mentioned once in book 7, that suddenly has an important role. shrug RJ likes to drop small bits here and there that will become more important in later books. Since he always knew that this would be a huge multi-volume series, he could do that without worry.
And perhaps you should work on your reading skills along with your manners. I said:
Not that they were deep, rather that there are so many plot points now that trying to anticipate which ones will become important in this next book is difficult. So it’s easier to just re-read everything. Which is my answer to the OP. The sections that you listed as examples of what you’ll be re-reading aren’t really pivotal points. They’re exciting, and are the climactic points in some instances, but not pivotal. A point that you could have picked up a clue about Rand going through the redstone doorway for example could have been picked up several chapters before he did it if you caught the titles to the books that were described as being in his room. Those are the events that I’m talking about when I say that it’s easy to miss a small clue here or there in this massive series.
If you’re ever stuck wondering if you’ve heard a certain Aes Sedai’s name before (or anyone else for that matter), this is the reference site I use. Has some good links too.
Some people are good at picking things like that up, some people aren’t. I’m not a dumb guy, but I just NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER realize things that are being hinted at until they’re explicitly spelled out.