I started reading The Wheel of Time back in 2011. Finished The Eye of the World and even though I enjoyed it, for various reasons I couldn’t continue to the series. Now, 9 years later, I completed the whole series and started reading one more time.
I started with The Eye of the World again because to be honest although I remember the concept, I did not remember almost any details about it. It took me about a month to finish the book and I can say despite the fact that this was my second time, I did enjoy the ride.
It is a pretty standard classic fantasy with the Chosen One, the Big Bad, the wizard, and the fellowship and yes, many things in the book reminded me of The Fellowship of the Ring. I’m not gonna put any blame on Robert Jordan for any of the familiarities because even he said he was influenced by the work of J.R.R Tolkien. Many times. So it doesn’t bother me much.
It is not a short read, it is an 800-page journey with its difficulties, problems, and excitement. I wanna mention a couple of problems I have with the book. The first one might be a common complaint. We didn’t have to read all the journey. Like, every step of it. Some of the parts could be much shorter to prevent boredom. It gets a bit repetitive, especially in the midsection.
Like Tolkien, he uses many, long, detailed descriptions. This can get overwhelming from time to time. But in the end, Robert Jordan manages to establish a very well built world with alive towns, cities, and people, so you don’t even mind the way he gets to those places once things start to get going.
The other problem with the book is that the characters need to be a bit more loveable. I wouldn’t mind that. Robert Jordan’s characters are mostly very well fleshed out don’t get me wrong but they can be annoying as hell. It is a long ride and rolling eyes all the time can hurt after a while. I don’t wanna spoil anything but I guess I can say that Perrin became my favorite in time. I couldn’t wait to read his story. And I think until now he is underused. He is stable, consistent, and doesn’t wine all the time.
Ok, one other tiny (?) issue I have is the relationship that came out of nowhere. I don’t read romance, I don’t enjoy it but I have no problems with well-established relationships in fantasy. In the Eye of the World, there is a blooming relationship that came out of nowhere. Absolutely nowhere. I just don’t get it. I like them both, but together? Where did that come from?
Yes, The Eye of the World has problems. It is nowhere near perfect but it is a great step to start the series. It serves its purpose well. Builds the world, introduces the players, and sets up future events successfully. I know what I should expect from the characters whether I like them or not. And I can’t wait to see them surprise me. Especially Rand. I hope he surprises me.
Peek-A-Book 