Customer Reviews

From The Two Rivers: The Eye of the World, Book 1

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

The Wheel of Time series has been compared to the earlier works of J.R.R. Tolkien (writings that would later become the Silmarillion and The Books of Lost Tales, as well as The Lays of Beleriand and the other books that Chris has "scraped" together). Robert Jordan's works have also been compared to an "adult Harry Potter."

Now, it's natural to make comparisons between different fantasy series, and I support the spirit behind most of them, but many people that make this comparison miss many key factors in the Wheel of Time series that would attract people that didn't like The Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter, and that would also drive away some that did. I'm going to analyze these factors here.

(1) The political environment in the Wheel of Time is the most fully developed I've seen in fantasy, ever. There are twenty-odd countries in his world, all of which have expanded to their full power potential. Jordan uses political subversion and intrigues in his novels, where it's impossible to do as much with the three Wizard Schools of Rowling or Tolkien's 4 nations: Gondor, Mordor, Harad, and Rhun.

(2) Jordan writes much more in depth than any of the other authors. Where Tolkien skims over the journey south from Rivendell to Moria, saying that it was "some 40 days," Jordan follows Rand and Mat through the most dull portions of their journey to Caemlyn, and Elayne and Nynaeve through the sometimes tedious politicking at Salidar. He paints a real world, with lulls and periods of excitement that make you truly believe in the ta'veren.

(3) The hopelessness that Rand faces is far beyond that which Frodo or Harry faces. Let's analyze Frodo Baggins, Hobbit of the Shire, first. He's a simple creature, taking an item of extreme power into the realm of a lesser god, in order to destroy it. The Maia Sauron opposes him, the Maia Olorin (Gandalf) moves with him much of the way. Harry's a human... facing a human. Oh jeez, I don't know if he can handle it (that's not to say there's no hint of hopelessness, but, as a children's novel, Harry Potter is much simpler and much less dark than the other two). Rand, on the other hand, is facing the single greatest force in the world, the Father of Lies, Master of the Grave. Even with the Choedan Kal at his disposal, a ter'angreal that could lay waste to a continent in a single stroke... and his own massive strength as the Dragon Reborn... he still doesn't have more than a hope of defeating this irresistable force.

Now, there's other differences, but I'm sure as you read, that you'll pick them up. Where the Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter seem intended for the more casual fantasy readers, the Wheel of Time bears no competition for it's depth and sheer beauty of storytelling. It's at times obvious how much Jordan planned the future of his world (I'd get into Min's foretellings, and how well Jordan uses foreshadowing in EotW to tell us about future books, even up to Winters Heart, but that's for a different essay), far beyond what Tolkien or Rowling did. That's not to say either of the latter authors is poor, but Tolkien was a linguist before storyteller, and Rowling is telling a story to children.

Here's the final verdict. For the most part, if you consider Harry Potter of The Lord of the Rings complex to the limit of your desire for complexity, certainly do not get involved in this book. The first book is nearly addictive, but as the series rolls on, it becomes wearing for anyone who is not absolutely enamoured of deep storytelling and prose that tells a story that's true to life.

The Wheel of Time's complexity is what should draw you. The purpose of fantasy is to escape into it's grasp, and picture yourself as part of the world, or as one of the characters. You are so intimately linked to Mat, Rand, Egwene, Perrin, Faile, Moiraine, Lan, Aviendha, Elayne.... that this is possible beyond what is in other fantasy novels.

Read the Wheel of Time if you have a lot of Time to roll away in solitude.

This is a new edition of "THE EYE OF THE WORLD" by Robert Jordan. This is NOT a new book, so don't expect it to be. What it is though, is a way to introduce younger readers to one of the most popular and well-written Fantasy series' of our time.

This edition is only half of the original edition (but it's still a good couple hundred pages!). There are illustrations throughout the books, and even a new chapter not found in the original.

Some people may complain about various things, but the bottom line is that this is the same incredible saga. It's the same moving tale of young people discovering a larger world, and of a boy learning he is fated to both save and destroy the world.

The Wheel of Time is a saga that has captivated millions. At times it is controversial, and sometimes even a bit slow. But for the most part: nothing is like it.

Try this book. If you don't like it: oh well. If you do though...you'll want them all.

I ordered this book and "Into the Blight" thinking they were new books, prequels in fact. (...) I own two paperbacks and one hardcover of "Eye of the World." These books are the same as that one, only divided up, with larger print, and new, pretty pictures on the cover. I'll stick with the WHOLE book, thanks.

After reading through the reviews I picked up this book. I was confused as to which book was the actual beginning of this series. Now I realize that From the Two Rivers and To the Blight are two halves of the book the Eye of the World with some illustrations to interest younger readers. I'm not in the age group this was marketed for but I really liked some of the illustrations, not that there are many, especially the Trollocs, Myrddraal, Thom Merrilin, and Loial the Ogier (part 2). I read this book, as well as part 2, and can't wait to read the next one. There are similarities to the Lord of the Rings but so are a lot of books. This one done better than a lot of the others. There is the noble quest to save the world from the Dark One with countless evil beings after them. Young, innocent characters who wish to see the world beyond Emond's Field. They are sought out by Moiraine, an Aes Sedai, and the Warder Lan just in time to help their village from being destroyed by Trollocs and Fades. Rand, Mat, and Perrin are joined by Egwene and later Nynaeve to follow Moiranine and Lan to help fight the Dark One. They do not realize the important part they play in the weaving of the Pattern of the Wheel of Time or why they, simple sheepherders, were chosen. Each in turn learn what their strengths are and how they fit into the larger picture. Wide-eyed, action-packed journeys to unknown places all the while being hunted by Fades, Darkfriends, and haunted by nightmares from the Dark One. Legends becoming reality. I was pleased that there are strong female characters in these books. If this sounds like something you would enjoy then pick up this book and To the Blight OR the Eye of the World you won't be able to put it down and it's just the beginning.

I loved the books, but they did seem to fall flat in the last ones. Robert Jordan seems to start having difficulty with the last books. The first ones had excellent character developement and a great plotline, but in the end, the characters degrade into sexist and disgusting people. Rand gathers women aroung him like spare change and it makes me think a lot less of Aviendha (excuse the spelling). I never really liked the other two to begin with. Also, when Perrin hooks up with Faile, he turns into a lousy character. She manipulates him and destroys him. Lan is my favorite character, if you read the books, you'll know why. However, be warned, the books go down at the end and despite that, it's difficult to wait patiently for the next books. Don't let this influence your choice to read this, the first ones are some of the best books I've ever read and the latter ones are still excellent though not as good as the first. Any of them are much better than most other fantasy books I've read. If you DID enjoy these books, you might want to try Terry Goodkind. His books are a little overly graphic, but there's a lot of good writing in them. (The first book is called The Wizard's First Rule) Both of these authors are excellent, I highly recommend them.

This is not a new book containing revalations about life in The Two Rivers. It is a reprint of the first half of "Eye of the World" Being an RJ WoT fanatic, I buy everything remotely related to the series and I bought "From the Two Rivers." However I will pass on any future split-up versions of books that I already have. The so-called new proglogue was at best a "yawn" and the art work, which might have been the book's single redeeming factor, was, at no fault of the artist, absolutely abysmal. It was, at best, blurred and hardly worth a second glance.

Buyers who buy this book to get their child interested in WoT had better beware also. I say this because unless your child is a glutton for excruciating detail (which I am) they will not read past the first few pages.

On an ending note, this version of Eye of the World was published by Starscape (a Tom Doherty Associates, LLC publisher)and not by TOR. I was not overly impressed by their product.

Robert Jordan's opening to "The Wheel of Time" is a great, entertaining book, and I can't force myself to give even this piece of it less than three stars. However, I don't understand why Jordan's publishers have decided to start splitting his books for his "young adult" audience. I'd hate to think that it's nothing but an attempt to increase profit margins, but I'm somewhat at a loss for any other valid explanations. The big, fat book is a bit daunting at first, especially for readers who are just entering the realm of "big books," but I have confidence that most will overcome that trepidation, as I did, and thereby gain the confidence to take on other multi-hundred page novels. Outside of this supposed accessibility benefit, I really see nothing for the reader in a split book. The pacing and flow have to be skewed. If Jordan had really wanted two books when he wrote the story, he would have written two. Cost is almost certainly going to be significantly more than the single volume too. As for the added benefits, namely the added chapter "Ravens" and the illustrations, I see no real gain here either. I thought the chapter seemed superfluous and even out of place; it extended the scope of the story needlessly, offering no real new information or insight for the reader. Again, I trust Jordan's original judgment on not including that bit of background in the original book. The illustrations, too, I disagree with. First of all, they don't have the quality to really make them enjoyable. Aside from that, why do pictures have any place in such a novel to begin with? What happened to allowing the reader to create his or her own images? All in all, just buy the original, The Eye of the World. It's a great book. It's hooked millions of fans into the series as it stands. There's really no need or benefit to buying this re-released fragment.

Although I love the Wheel of Time and its author, I can't be quite as loyal to the Starscape packaging of The Eye of the World. If younger readers want illustrations, give them more than just one every other chapter. Younger readers are also daunted by the size of the books, and I don't think changing the type size and trim helped much. Splitting the book into a trilogy would be consistant with Lord of the Rings and Star Wars while slimming the volumes considerably.
Including a new prologue was a great way to get old fans to buy this new version, but "Ravens" is not as well-written as the rest of the series and it's out of place at the beginning of this book. Placing it before the prologue completely damages the prologue's purpose and any impact it may have had. Part of the genius of having the prologue first is that it introduces the story in a way that readeres will not understand until they have become emersed farther into Jordan's world, and it HAS to come first or it is even more confusing.
I feel that "Ravens" has a place in the Wheel of Time, but that place is in a collection of prequel/sequel material that Jordan writes after he's done with the series. The collection would be a perfect place for "A New Spring," too. How about the story of Cadsuane's test for the shawl? Or Lews Therin's birth in the Age of Legends? Or maybe something about Elayne's twins?

Misleading. This was published by Starscape (a Tom Doherty Associates, LLC publisher)and not by TOR (also Tom Doherty). The cover art was done by another artist (Charles Keegan), not by Darrell K. Sweet. What was most misleading about this book was the lable on the front of the book that says "A New Prologue by the Author". The book does have a pre-prologue that I have not read before, called "Earlier-Ravens". It is a 12 page depiction of Egwene (as a child) carrying water at Bel Tine in the spring during sheep shearing. I usually get my hands on everything I can that was written for the WOT series and I don't remember running across this bit of info. It was not worth buying the book for this pre-prologue.

OKay. i'm 16 i started reading this series in seventh grade. that's absolutely fine <age-wise> for the content of the books. RJ has been able to write a story that entices readers to look deeper then the face value. i've re-read this entire series about three or four times. i have no doubt in my mind that kids can read and understand this series. like all good books there are things you pick out the second or thrid time you read something. if the first time through they don't understand the situation in a Sheinarian bath, or an Aiel sweat-tent, they will later on. and to think this has any bad influence on children is way outa line. i can't belive you mean to say that because a young boy of 12 reads about a bunch of people sitting in a bath together is going to go off and do that. that's insane. it'd be like having a fear of him going out and carrying a sword around with him. or if someone beats him ina sport, putting ona white gown and doing whatever he is told.
honestly, i think that the book should not have been broken up, because i remeber after reading TEOTW loking at it's immense size and saying to myself "wow, i read all that" and then i was so engrosed witht he story i was compelled to keep reading.
and a final note: to deprive anyone of one of the worlds best fantasy series simply because of age is foolish<to say the least...