I've decided I hate Robert Jordan
May. 23rd, 2006 11:33 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kippurbirdI've been reading the Wheel of Time books now, and just finished book number eight. That leaves... three books? Or is he on number twelve? I don't remember. It doesn't matter to me. I have however come to the conculsion that while extremely prolific, Robert Jordan is an exteremly shoddy writer.
Why you may ask, do I have this opinion? Well let me tell you.(long rant ahead)
I think that's enough for now. When I get done frothing, I'll come back and talk about Rand.
Why you may ask, do I have this opinion? Well let me tell you.(long rant ahead)
1. His world building skills are lacking.
But wait you say, he's created an entire world that's terribly complex and filled with many different cultures and what not. That may be true, but he's failed on a lot of points.
First off the Seanchan. They've been gone for over a thousand years (iffin I recall correctly) since Artur Hawkwing sent them off. Yet despite this, when they come over to take over cities they're still able to speak the same language with only mild difficulties that the 'mainlanders' speak. If this was set in a realistic world there would have been a language drift to such a point that the two societies wouldn't be able to speak with each other. Especially since one has been cut off from the other. Anne McCaffery in "All the Weyrs of Pern" explored this when the AVIS machine was discovered. When it first began speaking, the gathered people were unable to understand it because language had difted. Fortunately the AIVAS was an Artifical Intelligance machine and was able to adapt to the new language. Even here on Earth there's been a drift in the langauge if we look at English, for example. It's no longer the same as was spoken in Shakespeare's time, and that's less than a thousand years ago.
Then there's the fact that everyone hates everyone else. Every country hates the other country. There are no alliances between any of them. The Aiel hate the Wetlanders or what not. These two countries hate each other, and they hate this other country as well. They always act as if there is no common ground, their country is the best and the other country is really evil. There is no trust between them. Not even a little after working together. They always think that they're the best and that everyone else is wrong.
Going back to the Seanchan for a minute, they're also incredibly naive to think that just by saying an oath people mean it. Of course people are going to swear an oath. They'll say anything that'll keep their heads attached to their necks, but that doesn't mean that they actually believe it. And the fact that they still believe that after all this time that the countries belong to them is ridiculous! They took over countries and they don't think that the original owners are the rightful ones. It's like they moved out of the house and then five or six owners down the line go back to say this is our house give it up. Of course the new owners aren't going to believe that claim! It's ludicrus!
But wait you say, he's created an entire world that's terribly complex and filled with many different cultures and what not. That may be true, but he's failed on a lot of points.
First off the Seanchan. They've been gone for over a thousand years (iffin I recall correctly) since Artur Hawkwing sent them off. Yet despite this, when they come over to take over cities they're still able to speak the same language with only mild difficulties that the 'mainlanders' speak. If this was set in a realistic world there would have been a language drift to such a point that the two societies wouldn't be able to speak with each other. Especially since one has been cut off from the other. Anne McCaffery in "All the Weyrs of Pern" explored this when the AVIS machine was discovered. When it first began speaking, the gathered people were unable to understand it because language had difted. Fortunately the AIVAS was an Artifical Intelligance machine and was able to adapt to the new language. Even here on Earth there's been a drift in the langauge if we look at English, for example. It's no longer the same as was spoken in Shakespeare's time, and that's less than a thousand years ago.
Then there's the fact that everyone hates everyone else. Every country hates the other country. There are no alliances between any of them. The Aiel hate the Wetlanders or what not. These two countries hate each other, and they hate this other country as well. They always act as if there is no common ground, their country is the best and the other country is really evil. There is no trust between them. Not even a little after working together. They always think that they're the best and that everyone else is wrong.
Going back to the Seanchan for a minute, they're also incredibly naive to think that just by saying an oath people mean it. Of course people are going to swear an oath. They'll say anything that'll keep their heads attached to their necks, but that doesn't mean that they actually believe it. And the fact that they still believe that after all this time that the countries belong to them is ridiculous! They took over countries and they don't think that the original owners are the rightful ones. It's like they moved out of the house and then five or six owners down the line go back to say this is our house give it up. Of course the new owners aren't going to believe that claim! It's ludicrus!
2. Character inflexiblity
What do I mean by this? It means that the characters are set in their way of thinking about what is possible for the world and what could happen and refuse to believe anything else.
Almost every character that's in power has a spy network. They recieve news from the spy network and automatically disbelieve it. They can't believe that it's true. Despite the fact that they trust the spy that sent it to them. For example the Aes Sedi in the White Tower can't believe that there are more than a few men that can channel, because the know that no men would willingly want to channel so the rumors that there are hundreds must be exagerated. Never mind the fact that there are women who willingly want to channel, so why can't there be men?
Alot of people seem to work on the EVERYBODY KNOWS that this must be true form of believeing things. Despite when they are given evidence to the contrary, up until it slaps them in the face. It leaves me to question why they even have spy networks or listen to the rumors when they already know what's going on supposedly. It wouldn't be so bad if one or two people did it, but the fact that EVERYONE does it, makes it unbelieveable.
What do I mean by this? It means that the characters are set in their way of thinking about what is possible for the world and what could happen and refuse to believe anything else.
Almost every character that's in power has a spy network. They recieve news from the spy network and automatically disbelieve it. They can't believe that it's true. Despite the fact that they trust the spy that sent it to them. For example the Aes Sedi in the White Tower can't believe that there are more than a few men that can channel, because the know that no men would willingly want to channel so the rumors that there are hundreds must be exagerated. Never mind the fact that there are women who willingly want to channel, so why can't there be men?
Alot of people seem to work on the EVERYBODY KNOWS that this must be true form of believeing things. Despite when they are given evidence to the contrary, up until it slaps them in the face. It leaves me to question why they even have spy networks or listen to the rumors when they already know what's going on supposedly. It wouldn't be so bad if one or two people did it, but the fact that EVERYONE does it, makes it unbelieveable.
3.The relationships between the sexes.
Let's just say that all the men think that women are crazy and all the women think that the men are crazy. No one talks to each other to figure out what the other one is feeling. While there is something for thinking that you are the supierior sex, there's another thing for it to be such an issue ALL the time. Everytime I have a conversation with a man or think about a guy I don't automatically add, "He's such an idiot, I don't understand how he thinks" or something to that effect like it seems that everyone does in the WoT books. Hell I've had entire conversations with men where that idea hasn't even crossed my mind! In fact I could safely say that in 99.9% of my conversations about or with the opposite sex that thought doesn't even appear. Yet, for some reason, in almost every conversation that a woman has with a man or about a man she thinks this and vice versa! It's unbelieveable! And distracting.
Let's just say that all the men think that women are crazy and all the women think that the men are crazy. No one talks to each other to figure out what the other one is feeling. While there is something for thinking that you are the supierior sex, there's another thing for it to be such an issue ALL the time. Everytime I have a conversation with a man or think about a guy I don't automatically add, "He's such an idiot, I don't understand how he thinks" or something to that effect like it seems that everyone does in the WoT books. Hell I've had entire conversations with men where that idea hasn't even crossed my mind! In fact I could safely say that in 99.9% of my conversations about or with the opposite sex that thought doesn't even appear. Yet, for some reason, in almost every conversation that a woman has with a man or about a man she thinks this and vice versa! It's unbelieveable! And distracting.
4. Aes Sedi vs Other Women Who Can Channel
Apparently according to the Aes Sedi you are either an Aes Sedi or a wilder. They have this apparent blind spot in accepting that there could be other groups of people who know how to train women how to channel. The Aeil Wise Women are not Wise Ones but Aiel Wilders, for example. There are women there that have more experince than some of the Aes Sedi but they are still considered wilders and not respected for their experince and training that they obviously had, because it's not Aes Sedi training. The fact that it's a different style makes it wrong and they don't respect the Aiel culture at all with their constant desires to bring the Aiel apprentices to the White Tower to become Novices, because they SURELY must want to, never mind the fact that they've been getting along fine and with better results with the Wise ones.
Apparently according to the Aes Sedi you are either an Aes Sedi or a wilder. They have this apparent blind spot in accepting that there could be other groups of people who know how to train women how to channel. The Aeil Wise Women are not Wise Ones but Aiel Wilders, for example. There are women there that have more experince than some of the Aes Sedi but they are still considered wilders and not respected for their experince and training that they obviously had, because it's not Aes Sedi training. The fact that it's a different style makes it wrong and they don't respect the Aiel culture at all with their constant desires to bring the Aiel apprentices to the White Tower to become Novices, because they SURELY must want to, never mind the fact that they've been getting along fine and with better results with the Wise ones.
5. The writing style
Robert Jordan seems to have overly mastered the art of Show not Tell. He shows us EVERYTHING. The name of the horses, the color of the clothes, whether someone has shaved that morning or is capable of shaving at all. Hundreds of details that I really don't care about and aren't important to the story, they just take up space. He introduces characters that then you never see again just for a page an a half that have no bearing on the plot whatsoever but you get their entire life story! I don't care that so and so likes pretty boys! It has no bearing on the plot so stop telling me these things! Just write the story, don't give me everyone's history and their favorite cheese.
Robert Jordan seems to have overly mastered the art of Show not Tell. He shows us EVERYTHING. The name of the horses, the color of the clothes, whether someone has shaved that morning or is capable of shaving at all. Hundreds of details that I really don't care about and aren't important to the story, they just take up space. He introduces characters that then you never see again just for a page an a half that have no bearing on the plot whatsoever but you get their entire life story! I don't care that so and so likes pretty boys! It has no bearing on the plot so stop telling me these things! Just write the story, don't give me everyone's history and their favorite cheese.
I think that's enough for now. When I get done frothing, I'll come back and talk about Rand.
