2015 Re-Readalong: Eye of the World and The Great Hunt

[Lia Kellenit]

Re: 2015 Re-Readalong: EoTW, Prologue - Chapter 6

I find the prologue a struggle as well, and really the first half of the book. I think though that that is because those are the parts I've read the most with reads and rereads and attempted rereads. So I remember everything quite clearly and also remember how much of the future of the books I enjoy so I just want to get ahead to the parts I really like. I will say that I haven't read the last book yet though. Don't stab me!

 

[Aduiavas Ida]

Re: 2015 Re-Readalong: EoTW, Prologue - Chapter 6

I like the Prologue now, but I also remember being a bit confused about it on the first read, but I also seem to remember that I read the first few chapters with a friend hovering over me to see how I liked it I was well past the Prologue by the end of that day

 

[Imzadi Hopewind]

Re: 2015 Re-Readalong: EoTW, Prologue - Chapter 6

I've finished chapter 7 and I'm excited to see that Moiraine might make Nynaeve mad...

 

[Kassina Tendar]

Re: 2015 Re-Readalong: EoTW, Prologue - Chapter 6

That is sorta the advantage I had coming to the series later in life. I was like "Oh hi there Dragon Reborn"

I didn`t start the series `til I was in college, but that didn`t keep me from finding the first few chapters rather boring after the prologue. Even with all the foreshadowing that Rand was going to be the Dragon.

 

[Avery d'Itkarya]

Re: 2015 Re-Readalong: EoTW, Prologue - Chapter 6

I hated the prologue too (and still find it tedious to get through, really).

Myralin, I"m with you I haven't read the final book yet I'm almost finished with tGS with my current reread. So it's like night and day to come back and read about the main characters all so young and all together in one place! And that is all I have to say right now. I don't know if I'll actually reread the beginning books since I'm still finishing my reread, or just read the chapter summaries from the tor.com Leigh Butler reread.. Reading all of your thoughts kind of makes me want to go read again though even though I'm still in the middle of a reread


And I'm tired, so I'm not sure any of that made sense. But yay! I'm excited this has started!! :joy

 

[Fanatic Mr Fox]

Re: 2015 Re-Readalong: EoTW, Prologue - Chapter 6

O for orsum people! I to just discovered this new thread. I planned my own re-read to coincide with the final WoT time book, but am glad to join the converse.
(I will try to collar the WoT conspiracy theorist fox in me, but...)

When I first read the prologue, I thought it was scary as hell; still do a bit. Madness + slaying kin = Oblivion... it's what i got from it anyways. Knowing how significant a part Lews plays later on surely adds to the gravity of the prologue?

I think chapters 1 to 5 are important to show how down to earth the Emond fielders are. Mundane they seem, but that is the point, otherwise there is no counterpoint for the events that begin from Winters Night on. They are shaped by their upbringing. Their 'origins' are what the Emond fielders cling to in the face of the adversity to come. Stubborn woolheads etc...

 

[Ealandrelle Melyma]

Re: 2015 Re-Readalong: EoTW, Prologue - Chapter 6

I really enjoyed the Prologue on my first read, and I still do I found it really set the scene for what is to become a central theme for at least the first couple of books - the conflict between The Dragon (whether he knows he's The Dragon or not) and Ishamael. I think, also, starting the books with The Dragon feels right somehow - it gives a bit of context. I mean, if we'd just been told "Men who channel go mad", then yeah, ok we could see that being bad. But having actually met Lews Therin Kinslayer, having "seen" the extent of his madness... yeah, it made it all a bit more real for me.

I'll need to dig out my Kindle and figure out where chapter 6 takes me up to. I just finished listening to the audiobook of EotW today, so I need a reminder on how far the story has gotten by that point

I remember being really irritated by Egwene from the get-go, although she improves later (for a while ). What struck me from listening to the books, was how many little drops of foreshadowing are in the early part of the book - particularly when the 3 boys are interacting. I can't think of a specific example off the top of my head, or remember if it was this early right enough.

Mai - the scene with the Fade on the road really freaked me out too. It reminded me of the scene in LOTR when the Ring Wraith nearly finds Frodo et al on the road out of the Shire. That same sense of dread/menace - wondering whether they were going to be caught or not.

 

[Ealandrelle Melyma]

Re: 2015 Re-Readalong: EoTW, Prologue - Chapter 6

Oh, another thought about the prologue, the Kinslayer etc - obviously it becomes pretty evident fairly early on that Rand (being the central character) is going to end up being the Dragon Reborn. I think it lends a certain sadness to it all - it made me feel for Rand a whole lot more, particularly when he is in some of his more annoying phases

 

[Kassina Tendar]

Re: 2015 Re-Readalong: EoTW, Prologue - Chapter 6

I really enjoyed the Prologue on my first read, and I still do I found it really set the scene for what is to become a central theme for at least the first couple of books - the conflict between The Dragon (whether he knows he's The Dragon or not) and Ishamael. I think, also, starting the books with The Dragon feels right somehow - it gives a bit of context. I mean, if we'd just been told "Men who channel go mad", then yeah, ok we could see that being bad. But having actually met Lews Therin Kinslayer, having "seen" the extent of his madness... yeah, it made it all a bit more real for me.

My thoughts exactly! I really like how the prologue sets the scene. It also makes the slow chapters at the beginning (which I didn't dislike when I first read, but they didn't grip me either... hence why it took me like 2-3 tries to actually read past the first chapter) more interesting since you're trying to figure out where it all fits in.

I didn't read WoT until college after I was already a big LotR fan so when I got to the Myrddraal, my first thought was "Umm... Ringwraiths?" :scratch Not that I thought Jordan was copying or found it annoying or anything (it's not like Tolkein had a monopoly on creepy black-robed figures), but it was definitely my first thought.

 

[Aintza Bisera]

Re: 2015 Re-Readalong: EoTW, Prologue - Chapter 6

I'm listening while I'm at work, and I squee'd a little when Moiraine says something along the lines of "I don't know how I can hold up to a gleeman".

Eye of the World is my absolute favorite of the books, so I'll probably read when I get home too.

 

[Maibella ni Rhoiden t'al'Varrak]

Re: 2015 Re-Readalong: EoTW, Prologue - Chapter 6

Eala Sedai you're right about the early foreshadowing. There's a part in these first few chapters (MIGHT be next week's reading - I accidentally got a little bit ahead) where there's talk about the war in Ghealdan and stories of adventures and wars and Mat says "I like battles." Dun dun dun!

And I'm totally with you on the ringwraith feelings. *shudder*

 

[Leira Galene]

Re: 2015 Re-Readalong: EoTW, Prologue - Chapter 6

Yup, someone else who thought of Ringwraiths with the Myrddraal. Actually, I remember the very first time I read this, when I was about 13 or so and had just finished LotR, being super annoyed at all the similarities in the early chapters. The Two Rivers has some similarities to the Shire, and then Mat/Perrin=Merry/Pippin... somehow that made middle school me think it was just a huge ripoff, at least for the first few chapters.

 

[Ashlyn Sindal]

Re: 2015 Re-Readalong: EoTW, Prologue - Chapter 6

I also saw the Ringwraiths/Myrddraal parallels, as well as the Aes Sedai/Bene Gesserit ones. But I was (and am) totally down with a world where Bene Gesserit fight Ringwraiths!

 

[Ryu Shadowborn]

Re: 2015 Re-Readalong: EoTW, Prologue - Chapter 6

Up to chapter 7 now

Chapter 2

Spoiler

more characterization and humanization Mat and Rand, especially in the little details of "We should wait till we finish to eat the Snacks" five seconds later "Nom nom nom" is a total thing guys would do in that situation, that is one thing that is great about the series for all the time Jordan spent on details, it really helps the characters not feel generic, that is something I loved with Eylane later..with the whole learning swearwords bit, she felt like a person because of that.We also meet Moraine and Lan..YAY, The whole "Don't call me a lady" line takes on a new meaning once you know what family Moraine is from, not much else happened here

Chapter 3

Spoiler

Not much to comment on here, we meet Perrin, have another humanizing moment where Rand embarrasses himself

Chapter 4

Spoiler

we meet Thom, Nyneave and Egwyene, however In retrospect it makes total sense for Thom to know Moraine and Lan, they are both Royalty so as the former consort to a Queen and master of The game of houses he would know the Royal Families(or former royal families) of the world.

Chapter 5

Spoiler

and here is where things kick into action, We find that Tam has a sword that is much like Lan's, we first see Trollocs and we meet Narg who in my personal head cannon is Shadar'Haran because a smart Trolloc deserves a promotion

Chapter 6

Spoiler

And the first major shoe drops, Rand is adopted. Rand's parentage is possibly the most sympathetic part of the character, everything he becomes is defined by how he is born..but the person he actually is had nothing to really do with his birth and everything to due with the Soldier who just happened across a baby after a battle on a mountain.

 

[Maibella ni Rhoiden t'al'Varrak]

Re: 2015 Re-Readalong: EoTW, Prologue - Chapter 6

But I was (and am) totally down with a world where Bene Gesserit fight Ringwraiths!

OH YES!!!!!!!!!!!

And Ryu I LOVE your comments on Chapter 6. Nature vs nurture.

 

[Ashlyn Sindal]

Re: 2015 Re-Readalong: EoTW, Prologue - Chapter 6

A bunch of stuff that caught my eye from chapter 1:

With his thick chest and broad face, he was a pillar of reality in that morning, like a stone in the middle of a drifting dream.

I love this description of Tam and how it foreshadows the way he plays this role for Rand later in the series, to a much larger degree.

The hairs on his arms stirred; his skin prickled as if it itched inside.

Is this just random creepy feels, or is this related to Rand's later ability to sense Shadowspawn?

The Congars...were known from Watch Hill to Deven Ride, and maybe as far as Taren Ferry, as complainers and troublemakers.

Does it bother anyone else that all of the village gossip stereotypes in the series turn out to be accurate? Like, there are misapprehensions about radically separate cultures, like between the Sea Folk and Aiel, but stereotypes about groups within a particular village/city or culture are generally presented as accurate, which I find obnoxious, since that's not how the real world works.

"Besides, if he was free, what would the Shepherd of the Night be doing in the Two Rivers watching farmboys?"

This just made me laugh. What, indeed?

 

[Fanatic Mr Fox]

Re: 2015 Re-Readalong: EoTW, Prologue - Chapter 6

O for orsum people! I to just discovered this new thread. I planned my own re-read to coincide with the final WoT time book, but am glad to join the converse.
(I will try to collar the WoT conspiracy theorist fox in me, but...)

When I first read the prologue, I thought it was scary as hell; still do a bit. Madness + slaying kin = Oblivion... it's what i got from it anyways. Knowing how significant a part Lews plays later on surely adds to the gravity of the prologue?

I think chapters 1 to 5 are important to show how down to earth the Emond fielders are. Mundane they seem, but that is the point, otherwise there is no counterpoint for the for the events that begin from Winters Night on. They are shaped by their upbringing. Their 'origins' are what the Emond fielders cling to in the face of the adversity to come. Stubborn woolheads etc.

 

[Ryu Shadowborn]

Re: 2015 Re-Readalong: EoTW, Prologue - Chapter 6

Does it bother anyone else that all of the village gossip stereotypes in the series turn out to be accurate? Like, there are misapprehensions about radically separate cultures, like between the Sea Folk and Aiel, but stereotypes about groups within a particular village/city or culture are generally presented as accurate, which I find obnoxious, since that's not how the real world works.

Not really, consider just how Isolated these towns really are, Tam who is on the ruling council can go weeks without visiting and the first comment made about it "Holy crud we thought you might not get the booze here on time"

The overall breakdown on the stereotypes that Emmon's Field folk have tend to be wrong on an average, Aes Sedai, The Dragon, The Tinkers, Warders are all things they have a false image of.

 

[Ashlyn Sindal]

Re: 2015 Re-Readalong: EoTW, Prologue - Chapter 6

Right, but their stereotypes about things in their town are accurate. I mean, seriously, there's not one Coplin or Congar who isn't a troublemaker? Maybe it's just because I've been on the wrong end of that kind of gossip, but it really bugs me that this stereotype and a lot of the Ajah stereotypes that exist among Aes Sedai are shown as accurate. The implication is that stereotypes about things within one's own culture tend to be accurate.

 

[Ryu Shadowborn]

Re: 2015 Re-Readalong: EoTW, Prologue - Chapter 6

I am not sure it is entirely true though, Daize(spelling?) ended up as wisdom after all.