The Wheel of Time - Robert Jordan (Part II)

I put a "part I" on the last Wheel of Time post because I anticipated having to write this one. I'm currently in the middle of the twelfth book in the series, which just came out in October. Over the past couple of months, I finished books six through eleven. Regarding books six through ten, though, they got slower, more stagnant, and worse overall as the series progressed (just as I remembered from having read the series through the tenth in high school).

Before I make it sound like I don't recommend this series to any fan of fantasy/adventure (or anyone with a general appreciation of the Hero's Journey), I want to clarify that none of these books were "bad" in comparison to most contemporary fantasy, and most were still quite good--just not as good as the first five. In fact, book six is one of my favorite in the series, and book nine is also quite good. On the other hand, books seven and eight felt like they should have been condensed into one book, and book ten was so stagnant that it could have been an incredibly long epilogue to book nine. Fortunately, by the time you have read the first five or six books in the series, you generally become so interested in the characters' lives that even the slowest parts aren't too painful.

Book eleven, Knife of Dreams, was the last book Robert Jordan wrote of the series before he died (it's now being finished by Brandon Sanderson), and little of what I said of books six through ten applies to it. In my opinion, it is the single best book in the series so far. Jordan made up quickly for most of the stagnant plot lines that filled the preceding books, leaving book eleven with enough plot progression for two good books.

I look forward to finishing book twelve, and--finally--to the real end of the series when Sanderson finishes the last two books in the next couple of years.

Elantris - Brandon Sanderson

Well, it's been a while since I posted anything; school pretty well kicked me in the butt. I keep reading good books and not saying anything about them. I started this entry a while back and figured I'd better at least finish it:

This was my first Brandon Sanderson book, and I must say I was pleasantly surprised. I'm generally wary of the fantasy genre, as it seems to contain a vast overabundance of worthless junk--only to be rivaled by the modern romance genre. My pleasant surprise upon finishing this book was due to the fact that it actually addressed relevant themes, instead of just swords, sorcery, and the drunken hero in the tavern pinching the serving maid's bottom...

Sanderson easily avoids the common (and genuinely disgraceful) poor mimic of Tolkien fantasy. He pushes towards the need to create a fictional world in order to tell a compelling story, rather than creating a poor story in order to explain an unoriginal fictional world. At the center of the Sanderson's story, as I see it, is an exploration of the basic needs of mankind, and perhaps I could compare it to Maslow's hierarchy. Yet it bypasses the foundation need of physical nourishment in a creative way, and in doing this emphasizes the importance of the higher four needs. It's thought provoking at the very least.

Capitalism is also a theme I noticed, as the fictional society is built upon a merchant ruling class. On one side of the coin, the book explores the benefits of and the human right--or need--for the personal ownership inherent in capitalism. On the other side, it discusses the problems of a society that too easily allows the right to rule to be based upon wealth.

Finally, Sanderson pushes--I believe intentionally--the theme of fall and atonement. The book's namesake, the city of Elantris, is introduced in the story in a disturbingly fallen state, and the entire plot drives towards the resolution of atonement and restoration.

Genre: Fiction/Fantasy

The Wheel of Time - Robert Jordan (Part I)

I read this series (or what then constituted it) several years ago, and I must say, the first five books were much better than the second five. Somehow, I doubt that has magically changed since the late 90's, yet I haven't read the 11th or 12th (I guess I have to wait till that one comes out) and I have high hopes for the last few books. Something has to happen in those ones or the series won't really be over by number 14. I just finished the first five again, which are, in my opinion, some of the best in their genre. If the last four are as good, they might even make up for having to read the middle five.

Yikes...

Well, despite the length and thus the ridiculous waste of time (as it may be argued and I half way agree), I still heartily recommend the series as a delicious--if large and unhealthy--literary dessert. It is, after all, one of the best selling series ever of any genre.

Genre: Fiction/Epic Fantasy

J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century - Tom Shippey

This book is likely to change your perspective on how you read and/or think about Tolkien. Though the book would be in the genre of literary criticism, it rarely feels like it. It's easy to read, interesting, applicable, and engaging every step of the way. It considers Tolkien's books in the light of linguistic influence, European mythology, perceptions of evil, Christianity, and even literary modernism. For Tolkien lovers, this book is an enlightening experience. For those who find little meaning in fantasy novels, don't consider "The Lord of the Rings" high literature, or generally under appreciate Tolkien as one of the 20th century's greatest authors, it will in the least force you to pause and reconsider.

Genre: Literary Criticism