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A Wheel of Time

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Comments

  • #152
    Tenger
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 10,133 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tenger


    YellowFeather wrote: »
    ......approximately .....2,200 characters to keep track of.....

    No wonder it took me the guts of 20 years to read the full series.....


  • #153
    keane2097
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 17,829 ✭✭✭✭keane2097


    YellowFeather wrote: »
    ... but the books are amazingly written...

    Oh god no, fair enough if you like them or whatever but like most fantasy books the standard of writing in them is woeful.

    I imagine people who say things like this being left catatonic with shocked delight after reading three pages of Dostoevsky or something.


  • #154
    ixoy
    Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 18,050 Mod ✭✭✭✭ixoy


    keane2097 wrote: »
    Oh god no, fair enough if you like them or whatever but like most fantasy books the standard of writing in them is woeful.
    I'm not disagreeing with you, but what fantasy would you consider well written? Certainly I find the language China Miéville uses to be far more worth lingering over than nearly any other author I've encountered in the genre.


  • #155
    YellowFeather
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,294 ✭✭✭YellowFeather


    keane2097 wrote: »
    Oh god no, fair enough if you like them or whatever but like most fantasy books the standard of writing in them is woeful.

    I imagine people who say things like this being left catatonic with shocked delight after reading three pages of Dostoevsky or something.

    I wouldn't say the standard of writing is woeful at all, but I suppose this is a subjective thing. I don't just read fantasy (indeed, I read very little of it), and I fully appreciate different styles. I have read and enjoyed Dostoevsky, but I (philistine as I may be) wouldn't rank him in my top ten. Steinbeck, Irving and John Murray are probably my favourite authors (I'd highly recommend Skippy Dies by Murray - may never be considered a classic, but I've actually stopped and read out passages to a long suffering friend - extremely cleverly descriptive writing). Perhaps I should have said "In my view" the books are amazingly written, but I'd definitely stand by that view.


  • #156
    sea_monkey
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 755 ✭✭✭sea_monkey


    I thought they were good books until i read the Malazan books.


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  • #157
    Kiith
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators Posts: 23,481 Mod ✭✭✭✭Kiith


    Ahh the Malazan books...still haven't finished that either, though i'm dying for a full re-read of the series. The new book (prequel) is supposed to be excellent as well.

    And i'll definitely finish this series though. I started reading it back when i was in secondary school, and absolutely love the first few books. Definitely want to see what happens to some of the characters. Others, not so much :P


  • #158
    Sleepy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 24,612 ✭✭✭✭Sleepy


    I'm enjoying the series but tbh, it's in spite of the quality of a lot of the prose rather than because of it. For those who love good prose, I couldn't recommend Douglas Coupland highly enough and, although he's never written fantasy, quite a few of his novels have sci-fi elements in them.

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  • #159
    youcancallmeal
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,143 ✭✭✭youcancallmeal


    I'm on the look out for something new to listen to now that I'm nearly finished The Dark Tower series? I'm thinking I might try and listen to the WoT in tandem with the Malazan series, perhaps alternating after each book? I definitely want to read both of them at some stage either way!?


  • #160
    keane2097
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 17,829 ✭✭✭✭keane2097


    Malazan is nearly one you need to take on its own IMO, it's tough enough.


  • #161
    youcancallmeal
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,143 ✭✭✭youcancallmeal


    keane2097 wrote: »
    Malazan is nearly one you need to take on its own IMO, it's tough enough.

    Yeah maybe I'll just start with WoT and when I feel like a break switch to Malazan. I don't think all the Malazan books are released on audio yet so might work out well for me?


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  • #162
    Krusader
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,057 ✭✭✭Krusader


    Since I started this thread I've only gotten to read the 1st book last summer. I did enjoy it but found it slow going. My reading has been hampered by work and study. I do have book 2 and 3 ready and waiting. So hoping to get stuck into them this year


  • #163
    Tristram
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,592 ✭✭✭Tristram


    youcancallmeal wrote: »
    Yeah maybe I'll just start with WoT and when I feel like a break switch to Malazan. I don't think all the Malazan books are released on audio yet so might work out well for me?

    God, fair play to you if you can manage switching like that. I can't imagine switching between the two and retaining any notion of what's happened when switching back!

    I didn't know Malazan was available on audio. That might be a great way for me to re-visit one of my favorites! Anyone who can say how it is on audio?


  • #164
    beauf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 22,461 ✭✭✭✭beauf


    Nody wrote: »
    Not really; the spark is gone and you're really only reading them for the sake of completing the story (I hate not completing stories). I don't think many, if anyone excluding the most dedicated zealots, will ever read through the whole series twice for example.

    The first time I got to 10 I think and gave up. Was a long time ago though, maybe 20yrs or more. Re-reading it again and I'm just to start 9. I'm happy to skim sections this time. A skill I've picked up in work,only stopping where there something of interest.


  • #165
    keane2097
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 17,829 ✭✭✭✭keane2097


    Tristram wrote: »
    God, fair play to you if you can manage switching like that. I can't imagine switching between the two and retaining any notion of what's happened when switching back!

    I didn't know Malazan was available on audio. That might be a great way for me to re-visit one of my favorites! Anyone who can say how it is on audio?

    The Audible.com version is pretty acceptable. Some of the voices will annoy you by not being a good fit for the characters (e.g. Kalam sounding like a 19th century London dock rat) but it's fine besides that.


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