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A review by georgierosereads
The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
5.0
I have never written a review for a book before. I simply have never closed a book and felt compelled to write about it. That it is The Eye of the World that I am starting with, feels vaguely comedic. Powerhouses in the reading community have already said everything which needs to be said. Yet the fact that I feel compelled for the first time makes me feel as if I need to do so. This book took me on an adventure, and reminded me of what I loved about epic fantasy in the first place.
My journey to finding the Wheel of Time series started roughly ten years ago. I was an awkward teenager, taking advantage of my newfound freedom of being allowed to take a bus into town with my friends with some spending money. As a child I always loved to read, and so I would enter my local bookstore and gaze in awe at all of the different bookshelves, categorized in so many different ways. As a young woman who had grown up on an overzealous diet of Harry Potter, the fantasy section interested me deeply. Yet, it unnerved me a little bit too. I was never quite sure of what I would be capable of digesting to tell the truth. I remember spotting the Wheel of Time and being completely overwhelmed with how big the books were, and how much of it there seemed to be. I told myself that one day I would read those big books, and then picked up a copy of The Lord of The Rings because at least I had enjoyed the films and felt that would help me to keep up with the story a little (which it did, to be fair).
Fast forward 10 years and life is a little different. I guess you could say that my palate has improved. Spurred on by my success in completing Lord of the Rings, I had done my best (between endless examinations, coursework and university papers) to try and keep up with reading. I greedily stuffed myself on A Song of Ice and Fire series after depriving myself for so long. It wasn’t until I landed my first fully time job that it fully sunk in that I had the time to read fiction, guilt free, for the first time in years. I went to that same bookstore with my partner, and resolved to walk out with a fresh new fantasy book that I could pore over and adore. I pointed out the Wheel of Time books excitedly, ready to finally feast on this epic fantasy giant.
“15 books?” he said incredulously, clearly a nonreader. “I don’t think you should buy that one, you won’t make it through that many books.” Now that was a challenge, and I love proving him wrong.
I didn’t walk out with Eye of the World that day, but I regretted it almost instantly. Then a few weeks later I remember walking in to work and seeing a copy just standing there on our communal bookshelves, as though it had been placed there just for me. The pull was too strong, and fate had made the decision for me. Just over a week later I finished, gasping for breath and boy did I have a lot of feelings. (I have kept this review spoiler free).
1. PLOT/TROPES.
I have heard several people comment on the fact that Robert Jordan is heavily influenced by Tolkein. However, I would deign to suggest that it is nigh impossible not to be so influenced by Tolkein when writing the epic fantasy story that Jordan wanted to tell. Tropes are tropes for a reason – when they work, they work. The trope was hardly exhausted by the time that Jordan was writing this, and has helped to pave the way for more modern fantasy where tropes are turned on their heads. The Eye of the World is a story which has been done several times before. However, it is also how these types of stories should be told. If you want to take a character on a journey, then you have to give them something worth fighting for. If you want your characters to grow, then they have to start off innocent and naïve. Yes Emond’s Field is similar in feel to the Shire, but it serves the story well. I don’t think that the existence of tropes means that a story has to be cast as bad, or unoriginal. Robert Jordan takes a classic hero’s journey of epic fantasy, while still managing to add his own mark to the genre. For that, he should be applauded.
2. PACING.
I should probably clarify that before reading Wheel of Time, I read Steven Erikson’s Gardens of the Moon. No two fantasy books could be so dissimilar. Gardens of the Moon focuses on a quick plot, with events escalating at a fast pace, with little time spent on explaining the world and the complex magic system. Things happen so fast that when complex elements of the story start to come together, you wonder how it all happened. If Erickson shoves you in head deep, Robert Jordan tries to gently guide you on how to swim. Robert Jordan sets up action packed scenes, and then slows down the pace to focus on developing characters, and the relationships between characters. We see people’s mindset’s transform over time. This can mean that some parts of the book are slower than others, but in my opinion I think that good character work is necessary to make those emotional moments truly count. It’s all down to a case of personal taste. If you like fast paced action sequences, then Erikson’s your guy. If you want to see characters grow and change and connect, then maybe Robert Jordan is more your cup of tea. I enjoyed both books in their own ways, but I thought it interesting to pick up on the contrast.
3. THE WORLD.
The magic system, the other worldly creatures, the descriptions, everything to me felt exactly what a book should feel like. It felt like art dripping off the page. We are introduced to other cultures with different customs and ways of life, and every character feels real and authentic. Each character has their own wants and motivations, even if it is a lack thereof. Watching relationships between characters develop and evolve was one of the best parts of this book.
No book is ever perfect. Even for me the pacing felt a little bit slow on some occasions, and often events happening felt a little bit repetitive even if it made logical sense. There are only so many things that you can do when you are travelling from one place to another, after all. But, in my opinion, Eye of the World would be good enough to be a stand-alone fantasy masterpiece. When I finished the last page, I was excited to see what was in store for each character, despite how many I was introduced to throughout the book. The wheel weaves as the wheel weaves, and Wheel of Time has definitely become a part of my pattern. My only regret is not picking it up the first time.
My journey to finding the Wheel of Time series started roughly ten years ago. I was an awkward teenager, taking advantage of my newfound freedom of being allowed to take a bus into town with my friends with some spending money. As a child I always loved to read, and so I would enter my local bookstore and gaze in awe at all of the different bookshelves, categorized in so many different ways. As a young woman who had grown up on an overzealous diet of Harry Potter, the fantasy section interested me deeply. Yet, it unnerved me a little bit too. I was never quite sure of what I would be capable of digesting to tell the truth. I remember spotting the Wheel of Time and being completely overwhelmed with how big the books were, and how much of it there seemed to be. I told myself that one day I would read those big books, and then picked up a copy of The Lord of The Rings because at least I had enjoyed the films and felt that would help me to keep up with the story a little (which it did, to be fair).
Fast forward 10 years and life is a little different. I guess you could say that my palate has improved. Spurred on by my success in completing Lord of the Rings, I had done my best (between endless examinations, coursework and university papers) to try and keep up with reading. I greedily stuffed myself on A Song of Ice and Fire series after depriving myself for so long. It wasn’t until I landed my first fully time job that it fully sunk in that I had the time to read fiction, guilt free, for the first time in years. I went to that same bookstore with my partner, and resolved to walk out with a fresh new fantasy book that I could pore over and adore. I pointed out the Wheel of Time books excitedly, ready to finally feast on this epic fantasy giant.
“15 books?” he said incredulously, clearly a nonreader. “I don’t think you should buy that one, you won’t make it through that many books.” Now that was a challenge, and I love proving him wrong.
I didn’t walk out with Eye of the World that day, but I regretted it almost instantly. Then a few weeks later I remember walking in to work and seeing a copy just standing there on our communal bookshelves, as though it had been placed there just for me. The pull was too strong, and fate had made the decision for me. Just over a week later I finished, gasping for breath and boy did I have a lot of feelings. (I have kept this review spoiler free).
1. PLOT/TROPES.
I have heard several people comment on the fact that Robert Jordan is heavily influenced by Tolkein. However, I would deign to suggest that it is nigh impossible not to be so influenced by Tolkein when writing the epic fantasy story that Jordan wanted to tell. Tropes are tropes for a reason – when they work, they work. The trope was hardly exhausted by the time that Jordan was writing this, and has helped to pave the way for more modern fantasy where tropes are turned on their heads. The Eye of the World is a story which has been done several times before. However, it is also how these types of stories should be told. If you want to take a character on a journey, then you have to give them something worth fighting for. If you want your characters to grow, then they have to start off innocent and naïve. Yes Emond’s Field is similar in feel to the Shire, but it serves the story well. I don’t think that the existence of tropes means that a story has to be cast as bad, or unoriginal. Robert Jordan takes a classic hero’s journey of epic fantasy, while still managing to add his own mark to the genre. For that, he should be applauded.
2. PACING.
I should probably clarify that before reading Wheel of Time, I read Steven Erikson’s Gardens of the Moon. No two fantasy books could be so dissimilar. Gardens of the Moon focuses on a quick plot, with events escalating at a fast pace, with little time spent on explaining the world and the complex magic system. Things happen so fast that when complex elements of the story start to come together, you wonder how it all happened. If Erickson shoves you in head deep, Robert Jordan tries to gently guide you on how to swim. Robert Jordan sets up action packed scenes, and then slows down the pace to focus on developing characters, and the relationships between characters. We see people’s mindset’s transform over time. This can mean that some parts of the book are slower than others, but in my opinion I think that good character work is necessary to make those emotional moments truly count. It’s all down to a case of personal taste. If you like fast paced action sequences, then Erikson’s your guy. If you want to see characters grow and change and connect, then maybe Robert Jordan is more your cup of tea. I enjoyed both books in their own ways, but I thought it interesting to pick up on the contrast.
3. THE WORLD.
The magic system, the other worldly creatures, the descriptions, everything to me felt exactly what a book should feel like. It felt like art dripping off the page. We are introduced to other cultures with different customs and ways of life, and every character feels real and authentic. Each character has their own wants and motivations, even if it is a lack thereof. Watching relationships between characters develop and evolve was one of the best parts of this book.
No book is ever perfect. Even for me the pacing felt a little bit slow on some occasions, and often events happening felt a little bit repetitive even if it made logical sense. There are only so many things that you can do when you are travelling from one place to another, after all. But, in my opinion, Eye of the World would be good enough to be a stand-alone fantasy masterpiece. When I finished the last page, I was excited to see what was in store for each character, despite how many I was introduced to throughout the book. The wheel weaves as the wheel weaves, and Wheel of Time has definitely become a part of my pattern. My only regret is not picking it up the first time.