(no subject)
Aug. 5th, 2004 12:36 pmIn a recent post about book recommendations, my brother Ben (aka ![[profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
rilt) recommended a lot of things, and I was about to respond to one of his suggestions, but I thought I might put it up as its own post.
Steffan's Wheel of Time Cliff Notes
I've read the Wheel of Time for as far as it has gone. I must say that the Wheel of Time in general is good. Character development is superb, and the characters act according to motivations that fall into their well established or evolving personalties. They do things that are not the best thing for the story, but are definitely the best thing for them at the moment. Some fantasy series really fail on the character development/character motivation front. For an egregious example, check out Moorcock's "Elrick" series. Elrick is an unconvincing and flat as they come. Anyhow, for all of its excellent work with Characters, plotwise with the Wheel of Time, I feel like I'm being played for a sucker. The plot always goes:
1) Resolution of prior cliffhanger
2) Hero attempts to obtain Objective N, ponderous inching towards objective is initiated, things are hampered by the weather, politics, and an attempt to find out what exactly a "hauberd" is. Along the way, Objective N becomes Objective N1, ... , Objective Ni
3) Huge setback, hero is betrayed by one of several thousand shady minor characters and must be rescued by friends. This takes an entire book's worth of trench digging, siege engine construction, oil boiling, and codpiece adjusting. No ground is made on the hauberd front. Lan thinks it may be a type of battle axe, but Perrin is convinced it is a piece of armor. Matt decides to get drunk.
4) Hero is rescued, on to Objective N1, ... , Objective Ni which is achieved with minor difficulties.
5) Previously Dead Villain is resurrected, and/or previously living Villain is killed (possibly by previously Dead Villain.) Various minor friends become shady, shady minor friends are shown to be trustworthy.
6) Objective N1, ... , Objective Ni revealed to be a clever subterfuge masking Objective WTF?
7) Much gearing up, political discussion, advancement of love plotlines occurs. Plans are made to begin Operation "achieve/diffuse/destroy/alphabetize Objective WTF?" but before this can occur the plot dead ends in a cliffhanger because of a freak hauberd explosion.
8) Steffan begins the four year wait for Book 27, The Thousandfold Path of Firey Shadow's Doomlike Unchecked Western Expansion.
But don't get me wrong, I'm totally hooked.
rilt) recommended a lot of things, and I was about to respond to one of his suggestions, but I thought I might put it up as its own post.Steffan's Wheel of Time Cliff Notes
I've read the Wheel of Time for as far as it has gone. I must say that the Wheel of Time in general is good. Character development is superb, and the characters act according to motivations that fall into their well established or evolving personalties. They do things that are not the best thing for the story, but are definitely the best thing for them at the moment. Some fantasy series really fail on the character development/character motivation front. For an egregious example, check out Moorcock's "Elrick" series. Elrick is an unconvincing and flat as they come. Anyhow, for all of its excellent work with Characters, plotwise with the Wheel of Time, I feel like I'm being played for a sucker. The plot always goes:
1) Resolution of prior cliffhanger
2) Hero attempts to obtain Objective N, ponderous inching towards objective is initiated, things are hampered by the weather, politics, and an attempt to find out what exactly a "hauberd" is. Along the way, Objective N becomes Objective N1, ... , Objective Ni
3) Huge setback, hero is betrayed by one of several thousand shady minor characters and must be rescued by friends. This takes an entire book's worth of trench digging, siege engine construction, oil boiling, and codpiece adjusting. No ground is made on the hauberd front. Lan thinks it may be a type of battle axe, but Perrin is convinced it is a piece of armor. Matt decides to get drunk.
4) Hero is rescued, on to Objective N1, ... , Objective Ni which is achieved with minor difficulties.
5) Previously Dead Villain is resurrected, and/or previously living Villain is killed (possibly by previously Dead Villain.) Various minor friends become shady, shady minor friends are shown to be trustworthy.
6) Objective N1, ... , Objective Ni revealed to be a clever subterfuge masking Objective WTF?
7) Much gearing up, political discussion, advancement of love plotlines occurs. Plans are made to begin Operation "achieve/diffuse/destroy/alphabetize Objective WTF?" but before this can occur the plot dead ends in a cliffhanger because of a freak hauberd explosion.
8) Steffan begins the four year wait for Book 27, The Thousandfold Path of Firey Shadow's Doomlike Unchecked Western Expansion.
But don't get me wrong, I'm totally hooked.
