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KackyK
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| Posted: Sept 15 2008 at 11:53am | IP Logged
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We were at my mother's this weekend and she had a family friend over. He recommended to my daughter (13yrold), when he found out she loves fantasy & science fiction, the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan.
Does anyone know anything about this? The little bit I read about it on wikipedia heremakes me think I shouldn't just take this one person's experience with the series. The family friend is very nice but not completely from our set of morals/values either.
But I thought I shouldn't be quick to judge either and see if I could find out any other first hand personal experiences with this series.
I hope someone knows something!!! 
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KackyK
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organiclilac
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| Posted: Sept 15 2008 at 1:19pm | IP Logged
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I am rather embarrased to admit that I have read them all.  I would NOT recommend them for a teen (or really for anyone else - I shouldn't have read them myself!) They get increasingly violent and disturbing. Some characters revel in torture. It is pretty explicit when it comes to that. And, the main character is "fated" to be in relationships with three different women, who are all happy to share him. And they are all intimate with him. Another character is basically imprisoned at one point to be used as, ah, "entertainment" by an older woman.
In WoT world, there is a Creator, but he seems not to take much of an interest in how things play out in the world. There is an evil antagonist, akin to Satan. And there are people who can channel magical powers, both good and evil. The concept of the Wheel is that over the eons, people are reincarnated and repeat variations of the same history.
Finally, reading these books will most likely be a frustrating experience, because Robert Jordan died about a year ago before finishing the series. Before he died, he dictated how the last book is supposed to turn out, and another author is finishing it, but who knows if it will satisfy. I really got the feeling that RJ had no idea how to end the series in the first place - the last couple of books, he was clearly buying time: pages and pages of characters bickering, etc. with very little plot movement. From where he left off, I have no idea how it can all be wrapped up in one book - even an 800 page one, which is about how long the others are.
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Tracy, wife to Shawn, mama to Samuel (4/01) and Joseph (11/11), and Thomas (2/15)
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KackyK
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| Posted: Sept 15 2008 at 2:44pm | IP Logged
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Woo...good to know and glad I asked!!!
Oh and no judging coming from me...don't be embarrassed! We are all adults!
Thanks for telling me about them Tracy.
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KackyK
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mom3aut1not
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I have never read any of these books, but I know my oldest dd (25 yo) mocks the series and the author. (She has a sharp tongue.)
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Deborah
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Willa
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I read the first two of them when my oldest was reading them a couple of years ago (he is college age and they were recommended by a friend). I would agree with what Tracy said -- there is in addition to the violence also a reincarnation theme -- where your destiny controls you rather than vice versa. I wouldn't give them to a 13 year old.
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Willa
hsing boys ages 11, 14, almost 18 (+ 4 homeschool grads ages 20 to 27)
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KackyK
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| Posted: Sept 15 2008 at 6:08pm | IP Logged
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This has been an interesting lesson to me (and to my mother ) I told her this shows that just because we see someone as nice and friendly, their morals may really not match those of your own and you have to still watch out. This family friend is actually a man who has a boyfriend (I didn't know if I could write the word  ). We didn't find out about this until the family had befriended him for several years (he was my brother's high school history teacher and track coach!). I don't know how it would have changed things with our relationship actually.
Anyways, this man is very kind. But obviously we see things in a different way! He really whole heartedly recommended the books to my daughter, told her that she wouldn't be able to put them down and that there were a lot of them in the series and would keep her busy. So he definitely seemed to think it was alright for a 13yold girl.
Thanks for helping me out! I feel confident I can trust your opinions!
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KackyK
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LeeAnn
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| Posted: Sept 16 2008 at 7:58pm | IP Logged
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I read the first five books, way back when. I agree with the other posters...books to avoid for teens. There is also quite a lot of description of lust and near sexual encounters in the book (it seems I remember that the main character was trying to figure out how to be married to two women, as well) and just general ridiculous romantic melodrama.
The books are like 800-1,200 pages long each. Maybe if your mother's friend isn't particularly interested in the romance parts of the story he's forgotten the 40 or so pages of each that seem tame or negligably objectionable to him.
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my four children are 17, 15, 11 & 8 - all now attend public school - we read many 4Real recommended books at home
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montessori_lori
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| Posted: Sept 30 2008 at 12:48pm | IP Logged
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I've read most of the books and loved them - but I would agree; they are for a very mature late teenager at the earliest. They are also very long and require a big time commitment to get through.
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4Real Forums : Living Literature
Topic: Know anything about Wheel of Time series?
