As I try to navigate steem and figure out what it is that people want to read, I force myself to stretch in my writing and tackle subjects that I have never tackled before. It is with this in mind that I return to one of the oldest types of writing that I can remember... The book report. :).
This is the first book of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time. I am an avid reader. I read many books. There is no single book that I have read more times. It is truly a one-of-a-kind experience that keeps me coming back time after time.
The entire series is the most insightful collection of words and pages that I have ever come across. I will go so far as to say that every major belief that I harbor has it roots somewhere in these novels.
I dont want to dig too deeply into the Wheel of Time though. I would rather focus on the first book. Of course, spoiling this awe-inspiring opening would be a great crime, so... I will not go into detail about the story. Rather, I will attempt to tell you WHY I love it so much, and WHY you should read it.
It is set in a high fantasy world. It is set in THIS world, I think. Often times you will hear alusions to a city or things that sound familiar. Told as if they were or maybe will be. It begins in a small village. I could write for days about this village. I can tell you how it is laid out. I can tell you its history. Jordan has told me enough about it that I can tell how mothers scare their chikdren into behaving. The detail is staggering. However, Jordan staggers it in so that it is not a boring list but rather a breath of life that flows throughout the books.
While Jordan's attention detail brings the words to life, right off the pages of his books, it is the characters that really set the books apart from your average fantasy novel. There are no fancy character types. No dwarves, or elves... Just humans really. There are a few others, mostly on the evil team, but the vast majority of main characters are human.
That might sound boring but it isnt. I can honestly say that I havs never been so connected to a cast of characters. I have cheered out loud for them. I have cried real tears. They are my friends. I know many of them better than I know my family or even myself.
The overwhelming feeling of loss that permeates the books is incredible. Good can not win, it can onky keep evil from winning for a while longer. The cyclical nature of the books and ages tell a story that is within a story within a story. Its one that you will enjoy more than any other story you have ever read. Yet, at the same time, you already have heard it long ago.
There is a reason that the New York Times best selling list said that, "Jordan has come to dominate the world that Tolkein began to reveal." These books are nothing short of awe-inspiring.
I hope you read and enjoy them. I hope you find this post useful. If you do, feel free to buy me a cup of coffee. You can send a few satoshi to:
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Upvote and reply for more book reports. I really want to know what my readers want to read.
