[Wot-l] New here...

[John A.M. Darnell]

Chris:

   Two other possibilities:

1.)  Start with New Spring, a prequel that gives you information about
Moiraine and Lan, and some aspects of the White Tower that it is pleasant to
know about. This will also stoke the fires of curiosity about the rest of
the series. I did this with my boss who disdainfully dismissed the series at
one point and is now a bigger fan than even I am.

2.)  If reading the book is too much for you, try joining Audible (
www.Audible.com), a web-based bookseller that provides downloadable books on
tape.  Listen to the first book while getting ready for work every morning.
I'll wager the cost of *A Memory of Light*, when it comes out that if you do
you will quickly be ensnared by the magic (meant solely as a metaphor for
the charm) of this series.

Both books (*Eye of the World* and *New Spring*) can be downloaded from
Audible in unabridged versions.  Audible is a superb deal, and it has all
twelve books available for download (the series plus the prequel).

Take care and Good Luck.

To the rest of you, sorry that it has been two weeks since an additional
chapter summary has been added.  I am recovering from the flu.  I expect
that my efforts will resume next weekend.

R,
John

2008/3/2 Terez <terez27 at gmail.com>:

> Hey Chris,
>
> I've got good news for you.  You don't actually need any background to
> start the series, but if you haven't gotten past the first few pages, you
> wouldn't know that.  The prologue of The Eye of the World, "Dragonmount", is
> set about 3500 years before the story begins.  It's a rather short prologue,
> and it's not really necessary to know the backstory.  Just remember what you
> can of it - the details of that event will be enlightened fairly thoroughly
> as the series goes on.
>
> Chapter One is set in the present, and from that point on, it's a nice,
> slow world-building and character-building process.  You'll have all the
> details that you need as you go, save for the few mysteries RJ plants along
> the way that give you something to wonder about.
>
> You're not the only one I've heard of that couldn't get past the prologue
> of the first book - I've known of a few people that have only read the
> series because they skipped it.  So if you want to skip to the beginning of
> Chapter One, just remember to look back at "Dragonmount" once you know more
> about who Lews Therin Kinslayer, Ilyena and Ishamael are.  :)
>
> Also, there are some amazing companions to the Wheel of Time on the web,
> and there is also a guide book that has been published by RJ, but I wouldn't
> recommend perusing them until you've read the books, because much of the
> plot will be spoiled for you.  You don't really need any of it to get
> started on the series, though.
>
> Happy reading,
>
> Terez
>
> On Sun, Mar 2, 2008 at 6:07 PM, Chris Johnson <chrisj80 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Hello everyone,
> >
> > My name is Chris.  I'm from Montana.  I just joined this list because I
> > have tried to get into reading Eye of the World (and, eventually the rest of
> > the WoT series) 3-4 times, and I just can't get past the first few pages.
> > It's SO confusing because it starts right in the middle of a scene, and the
> > characters, their history and their universe is already so established and
> > complex.  Is there a reader's guide (a "WoT Companion," so to speak) or
> > something out there to give me the background I need to start the series, or
> > would the WoT Wiki site be my best bet?  I know Robert Jordan was planning
> > an Encyclopedia before his death (which I just now read about, R.I.P.);
> > that would've been perfect for me!
> >
> > I really want to get into--and enjoy--this series...it may sound cheesy
> > and/or ignorant, but what first attracted me to EotW was 1) its cover
> > (really beautiful and I could tell it was an adventure story, which I like);
> > and 2) the thickness of the book:  something about LONG novels appeals to
> > me; I prefer sweeping saga-like stories over the short and sweet variety.
> > Not necessarily drawn-out, slow-paced books (*ugh*), but books that really
> > DEVELOP stories and characters.   Nothing irks me more than really getting
> > into a book and then being left at the end, hungry for what happens next!
> >
> > So anyway, hopefully you guys can help me out and get me hooked on Wot!
> > *fingers crossed*
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Chris
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > wot-l at wikia.com
> > http://lists.wikia.com/mailman/listinfo/wot-l
> >
> >
>
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-- 
John A.M. Darnell
SF Movie Trivia question:  When George Lucas was writing his first Indiana
Jones movie, what inspired his choice of the first name for the movie's
 hero?
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