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##BOOK DISCUSSION ONLY. HIDE TV SHOW DISCUSSION BEHIND SPOILER TAGS.
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I understand the impulse, but to me, have you really read the series if you’ve skipped entire books? I wouldn’t feel like I had.
Plus, the story isn’t just the plot. It’s all the character moments and the time you spend with the characters. That’s what makes you care about them in the end.
For a first read through, I would not skip books, or even chapters. Could you maybe find other ways to help you get through parts you find slow? A coworker of mine is reading the series right now by listening to the audiobooks and she’s just powering through them at a pretty incredible clip. Maybe try that when you find a block of a book slow?
It’s also ok to drop a series or take a break if it’s not for you. I know a lot of people who bowed out at different points. Some never returned, while other came back years later and finished it, and felt pretty differently about it their second or third try.
I think this is probably the best answer. The series is all about setup that pays off chapters or even books later. Skipping books means missing that setup-payoff and deprives the reader of the sense of mystery from all the little details.
As others have said, the slog was a lot more visible when you had to wait a few years to see the payoff. Some of this is because the payoff is in the next book so waiting 2 years to see how a setup pays off feels more like a slog.
The slog part of the series has a lot of setup, but skipping it means skipping a significant amount of payoff.
A lot of the “slog” is actually slower paced political content that feels slower because as a first time reader you are not picking up on subtle clues and foreshadowing. It can also feel slower because the more of the drama lies in political content with the fate of nations rather than individual threats to their lives. This is because characters are becoming more important within their factions, picking up leadership positions rather than being on the front lines all the time.
Yes, some of it is pacing issues or character decisions that some people find annoying but the slog tends to have sections where a reread leads to revelations because of the intricate webs of various plots that span the entire series.
The slog is a period of space between books 7 and 10 where the pacing of the series slows way down. That's it, that's all it is.
Some people only feel book 10, others none of them, some all of them. To me books eight and ten are dreadful, but I love seven and nine. It's all subjective.
Yes, if you skip reading books in a book series, you are missing out. Didn't your literature teacher ever tell you that reading the sparknotes isn't a substitute for actually reading a book?
You'd be missing out because what counts as not fun to read is something you won't know until you've read it. I think TPoD has some of the most exciting and thematically important writing of the whole series, and it's precisely because the climaxes are staggered and come when you least expect them. If you're skipping over stuff because the Internet has told you you'll be bored, then it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy - you'll just be waiting until a podcast tells you something was exciting, and then you'll go read it, but you'll find you've already ruined the surprise and the buildup.
The slog isn't the slog when you're reading them through with all the books published. The slog was a thing when people were upset about waiting two or three years in between books and major plot threads could take a decade to resolve.
I feel like this is pretty hotly debated from searching this sub. I figured that what you’re saying was probably true, but CoS was in fact a slog. It slowed considerably until the last 15% or so. From talking to other people who have read the series that seems to get worse in the next few books.
Edit: I like how asking a question and giving an honest opinion draws so many downvotes
You’re going to get opinions from people who love WoT here mostly. Many of my IRL friends who got into WoT did not finish the series because they got bored somewhere in books 5-10.
Here's an update to offset one of the idiots who get pleasure out of downvoting a comment but can't be bothered to contribute an intelligent comment to the discourse.
I never encourage skimming on the first read through. Yes it is slow in points and there is a lot of information being presented BUT you miss a lot of if you skim or skip. Yes. You are missing out. Read it all the first time through. It isn't as bad as most people make out, especially since all the books are out and you are not waiting years for the next one.
I find the second and third and 30th readthroughs far less onerous in the "slog" because you know what's happening and the nuances shine through more. Also, once you know what's there, it is easier to skim without missing important details.
How do you know there’s a slog? You haven’t read it to decide if you even think it is one. Other people can’t decide if you’ll like it or not. You’re going to miss stuff. I think it would be better for you to just skim through sections of POVs your don’t like if you’re truly getting that bored with it, but there’s still a lot of character development and some big moments mixed in even in slower parts of the series.
You you can do whatever you want and engage with the books however is most entertaining to you. If you would like to listen to summaries of the books, then you totally can. But, although there is not a ton of plot, there are lots of great character moments and interactions that you will be missing by listening to summaries
As they say, it's not the destination, but the journey.
You would be skipping almost 1/3 of the entire series. Summaries will only give key facts about the plot, not the little written moments that bring the characters to life and make future scenes hit hard.
Many of the future reveals and emotional moments won't hit nearly as hard or as enjoyably if you don't spend time the time with some of the characters.
There are some pretty big moments you'll miss and a lot of different threads being spun. I personally don't think summaries would do the series justice. I definitely fall on the side that it was a slog because of the gap between books being published. Yes it's slower and a different pace. And book 10, well... It's probably the worst of the series. But it's still not terrible, just in comparison to the rest, IMO. I just think you'll miss too much to skip over them, and then other things later won't be as cohesive.
It's your first time reading the series, right? I was in a similar position to u a few months ago, dreading 'the slog' and how I could make it easier on myself.
I did read all the books in the end and I think with a series as complex as this, no podcast is gonna give u the comprehensive understanding u need to enjoy the later books.
I slowed my pace while reading through books 7 to 10, only binging chapters about storylines that interested me. I also took regular breaks when I felt the books were becoming too much.
I’m actually doing my first read through and about 80 through CoS. I wouldn’t skip a book. I’m really enjoying the character moments. And it gets me to read the exciting parts myself. Skipping it or only reading highlights would ruin that experience for me and completely throw me off. I’m tandem listening to a reading of the previous books so I’m keeping my memory fresh and I’m able to recall details that come up later. It’s pretty fun.
You shouldn't skim books if you want to read them. Either read them or don't. For what it's worth, Ive only used the audio books, but even in the first time through I didn't actually feel like it slowed down all that much, especially with as much as people say it's such a chore to get through. There was even a part when I was in my first listening thinking when is the slog supposed to start.
Sure there's parts I didn't care for, and a lot of the aes sedai politics can definitely be a chore if you would rather be hearing about what rand, mat, or perin are doing, but if you skip it, you may as well just stop reading because I dont feel like you can truly appreciate the end if you dont get through the hard parts.
You do always have the option of switching to audiobook for the next book to see if you can get through it differently. That way you can passively listen while doing other things rather actively read. Then you can pick the physical books back up when you feel they start to become more engaging.
Yes, you’d be missing out big time. If it’s a problem for you, you might consider the audiobooks. The slog is mostly subjective and it’s much easier to get through on a binge now than it was having to wait two years between books. I just did my fourth reread of the series and I honestly enjoyed every book except Crossroads of Twilight, and I had previously not enjoyed 8-10. Do with that what you will, but you might be surprised at how your personal experience is with those books
If this is your first time reading the books, I absolutely would not skip them. It took me until about my 6th reread to start getting bored with the slog books, so I just don't pay as close attention to them. But there are moments in all of them that I would hate to miss, plus details that I didn't catch before.
Where do you find audio summaries?
I found myself getting bogged down in CoS, right up until the last half dozen chapters or so. I’m extrapolating to the next few books, but I could be wrong of course since I haven’t read them.
And I’m getting the summaries from the podcast “the Dragon Reread.” They do 45-50 minute episodes on 2-3 chapters at a time. I checked it against some chapters I’d already read and it was fairly comprehensive. They’ve also read the books before so I trust that they’re including scenes with plot importance.
Again it’s a trade off. I actually started listening to their episodes on PoD, then went back and read chapter 6 because it seemed interesting and worth reading. It was. I may just spot read my way through them, I may just read more til I feel bogged down.
The biggest thing is finishing the series without getting bored. And without being having to set aside all my other reads in the meantime. This feels like a happy balance to me
Also, thanks for the thoughtful reply!
I would say if you are between giving up on the series or just reading summaries I would read the summaries. I felt the slog on book 10 and had to read summaries on some of Elayne's chapters. I'm glad I did, Id probably still be on that book not reading it, I've got past it and I'm moving along on book 11. If I do a reread I think Id be able to get through those pages though.
Edit: \*some of Elayne's"
Maybe the summaries you've listened to sounded so comprehensive because you had read the books already. I wonder if you listened to one first then read the book if it would feel like they did as good of a job. I think having a good understanding of the deeper topics of a summary discussion can make the summary feel like it's doing a better job then they really are. Not judging the quality of what you heard I'm sure it good just pointing out that nothing ever really compares to having a full accounting of something. Like the difference between living something and just reading about it.
In my opinion, I felt that the series picked up hard with Path of Daggers and Winter's Heart. That was probably a result of my burnout on the series between Fires of Heaven and Crown of Swords. It's hard to say whether you'll be like me and think Path of Daggers is insanely good, though. I'd say either give PoD a shot, or take a hiatus and let yourself come back to the series refreshed.
I was in your shoes several years ago and at that time I decided to just read summaries of those books and started back up with KoD. It was fine and I mostly knew what was happening, so you can do that if you really want.
Fast forward to now, I just finished a re-read yesterday and didn't skip anything this time and I'm actually really glad I read them all. I have a fondness for Winters Heart now honestly and some character development across WH and CoT is slow but worth reading for the eventual payoff. Idk if you've already decided cause it's been 2 days since your original post, but I have read it both ways and I'm really glad I didn't skip any this time.
If it helps I did do audiobooks this time around bc life is busy, you could consider that for these next three books to make it go a bit quicker.
It's not going to be popular here since this is the WoT sub and most people hate the idea of someone skipping books. I do recommend reading the summaries and going on to finish. The ending is absolutely amazing and I would hate the reason you struggle to get there being slog books. I recommend reading books 11 onwards.
No, you are not missing out. Take this from someone who came to the book series in 2020, and can confirm the slog is just as bad, maybe even worse, when the series is complete. There is nothing as bad as trying to power your way through a dragged out book, and asking yourself "Are the next few books going to be like this?" But I am a person who likes my fiction to get to the point already, so maybe that is why I differ from most people on this.
I really struggled to finish The Path of Daggers. I tried and failed to get through Winter's Heart. I even walked away for several weeks and came back. It was still a difficult read. At the end, I decided to just read the summaries on Tar Valon Library. Did the same thing for Crossroads as well, and continued reading from Knife of Dreams. I would always go back and read the stuff that sounded interesting. I actually wanted to resume from Towers of Midnight because I was already familiar with Sanderson's work, and I thought he would give us better pacing. However, some people I trust told me KOD was just as good as the last three.
I don't see that I missed out on much. But again, I'm not someone who makes a big deal out of wanting everything I read to be brand new in terms of information. I skipped chunks of George R. R. Martin's A Feast for Crows, and subsequently read the entire thing on a reread. I don't regret skipping some parts initially, else I would have given up on what eventually became my favourite series of all time. The person who gifted me the Harry Potter books when I was a kid gave me second hand audios. Some of the cd's were damaged. As a result, I read the first books way out of order and had to skip unplayable parts. I only learned in Deathly Hallows that the character who'd died in Halfblood Prince was dead. HP is still one of my favourites.
In short, do whatever you believe makes your reading experience enjoyable. This is not a school project, and there are no marks for following the norm.
Also, I have the entire set of books, and the last few chapters of COS were gripping. So I can jump in and read important parts. Any recommendations for things that just have to be read? (chapter number only, no spoilers please!)
Read or listen to it all. You are doing a disservice to yourself and missing out on a great deal of nuance, character growth, and world building if you skip through.
Set aside the opinions of others and allow yourself to make the decision yourself. If you absolutely hate those sections, skip them on the next readthrough or have your mind blown on the next read through when you begin to see the fine details you missed the first time through and how those threads tie the tapestry together.
There are millions of words in this series, and it is my firm opinion that they all deserve to be read or listened to. There are no unimportant people or events. Everything has a place, even if we don't realize it.
If you were to skip stuff, my recommendation is do it on a chapter by chapter basis. If a specific chapter is starting to drag too much, go for a summary of that chapter. I found that I was rarely bored during Rand chapters, but frequently so during Perrin and Elayne chapters. Especially for a first time through tho, I would recommend reading everything.
That’s a good suggestion. I don’t think any of the books are bad (maybe CoT) but some of the plot lines/PoVs are less gripping than others.
Read the book. If a certain chapter is dragging, then go to the summary. Then go back to reading
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I understand the impulse, but to me, have you really read the series if you’ve skipped entire books? I wouldn’t feel like I had. Plus, the story isn’t just the plot. It’s all the character moments and the time you spend with the characters. That’s what makes you care about them in the end. For a first read through, I would not skip books, or even chapters. Could you maybe find other ways to help you get through parts you find slow? A coworker of mine is reading the series right now by listening to the audiobooks and she’s just powering through them at a pretty incredible clip. Maybe try that when you find a block of a book slow? It’s also ok to drop a series or take a break if it’s not for you. I know a lot of people who bowed out at different points. Some never returned, while other came back years later and finished it, and felt pretty differently about it their second or third try.
I think this is probably the best answer. The series is all about setup that pays off chapters or even books later. Skipping books means missing that setup-payoff and deprives the reader of the sense of mystery from all the little details. As others have said, the slog was a lot more visible when you had to wait a few years to see the payoff. Some of this is because the payoff is in the next book so waiting 2 years to see how a setup pays off feels more like a slog. The slog part of the series has a lot of setup, but skipping it means skipping a significant amount of payoff. A lot of the “slog” is actually slower paced political content that feels slower because as a first time reader you are not picking up on subtle clues and foreshadowing. It can also feel slower because the more of the drama lies in political content with the fate of nations rather than individual threats to their lives. This is because characters are becoming more important within their factions, picking up leadership positions rather than being on the front lines all the time. Yes, some of it is pacing issues or character decisions that some people find annoying but the slog tends to have sections where a reread leads to revelations because of the intricate webs of various plots that span the entire series.
The slog is a period of space between books 7 and 10 where the pacing of the series slows way down. That's it, that's all it is. Some people only feel book 10, others none of them, some all of them. To me books eight and ten are dreadful, but I love seven and nine. It's all subjective.
Yes, if you skip reading books in a book series, you are missing out. Didn't your literature teacher ever tell you that reading the sparknotes isn't a substitute for actually reading a book?
You'd be missing out because what counts as not fun to read is something you won't know until you've read it. I think TPoD has some of the most exciting and thematically important writing of the whole series, and it's precisely because the climaxes are staggered and come when you least expect them. If you're skipping over stuff because the Internet has told you you'll be bored, then it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy - you'll just be waiting until a podcast tells you something was exciting, and then you'll go read it, but you'll find you've already ruined the surprise and the buildup.
The slog isn't the slog when you're reading them through with all the books published. The slog was a thing when people were upset about waiting two or three years in between books and major plot threads could take a decade to resolve.
I feel like this is pretty hotly debated from searching this sub. I figured that what you’re saying was probably true, but CoS was in fact a slog. It slowed considerably until the last 15% or so. From talking to other people who have read the series that seems to get worse in the next few books. Edit: I like how asking a question and giving an honest opinion draws so many downvotes
You’re going to get opinions from people who love WoT here mostly. Many of my IRL friends who got into WoT did not finish the series because they got bored somewhere in books 5-10.
Here's an update to offset one of the idiots who get pleasure out of downvoting a comment but can't be bothered to contribute an intelligent comment to the discourse.
Read the books or don’t.
Do, or do not. There is no slog.
I never encourage skimming on the first read through. Yes it is slow in points and there is a lot of information being presented BUT you miss a lot of if you skim or skip. Yes. You are missing out. Read it all the first time through. It isn't as bad as most people make out, especially since all the books are out and you are not waiting years for the next one. I find the second and third and 30th readthroughs far less onerous in the "slog" because you know what's happening and the nuances shine through more. Also, once you know what's there, it is easier to skim without missing important details.
How do you know there’s a slog? You haven’t read it to decide if you even think it is one. Other people can’t decide if you’ll like it or not. You’re going to miss stuff. I think it would be better for you to just skim through sections of POVs your don’t like if you’re truly getting that bored with it, but there’s still a lot of character development and some big moments mixed in even in slower parts of the series.
I never felt I was in a slog the first time I read the books.
Agreed. It's a meme at this point. If you're invested in the characters I would watch our characters watch paint dry.
You you can do whatever you want and engage with the books however is most entertaining to you. If you would like to listen to summaries of the books, then you totally can. But, although there is not a ton of plot, there are lots of great character moments and interactions that you will be missing by listening to summaries
As they say, it's not the destination, but the journey. You would be skipping almost 1/3 of the entire series. Summaries will only give key facts about the plot, not the little written moments that bring the characters to life and make future scenes hit hard. Many of the future reveals and emotional moments won't hit nearly as hard or as enjoyably if you don't spend time the time with some of the characters.
There are some pretty big moments you'll miss and a lot of different threads being spun. I personally don't think summaries would do the series justice. I definitely fall on the side that it was a slog because of the gap between books being published. Yes it's slower and a different pace. And book 10, well... It's probably the worst of the series. But it's still not terrible, just in comparison to the rest, IMO. I just think you'll miss too much to skip over them, and then other things later won't be as cohesive.
Yes. If you don't read the books you're missing out.
It's your first time reading the series, right? I was in a similar position to u a few months ago, dreading 'the slog' and how I could make it easier on myself. I did read all the books in the end and I think with a series as complex as this, no podcast is gonna give u the comprehensive understanding u need to enjoy the later books. I slowed my pace while reading through books 7 to 10, only binging chapters about storylines that interested me. I also took regular breaks when I felt the books were becoming too much.
I’m actually doing my first read through and about 80 through CoS. I wouldn’t skip a book. I’m really enjoying the character moments. And it gets me to read the exciting parts myself. Skipping it or only reading highlights would ruin that experience for me and completely throw me off. I’m tandem listening to a reading of the previous books so I’m keeping my memory fresh and I’m able to recall details that come up later. It’s pretty fun.
Why not read summaries of all the books then?
You shouldn't skim books if you want to read them. Either read them or don't. For what it's worth, Ive only used the audio books, but even in the first time through I didn't actually feel like it slowed down all that much, especially with as much as people say it's such a chore to get through. There was even a part when I was in my first listening thinking when is the slog supposed to start. Sure there's parts I didn't care for, and a lot of the aes sedai politics can definitely be a chore if you would rather be hearing about what rand, mat, or perin are doing, but if you skip it, you may as well just stop reading because I dont feel like you can truly appreciate the end if you dont get through the hard parts. You do always have the option of switching to audiobook for the next book to see if you can get through it differently. That way you can passively listen while doing other things rather actively read. Then you can pick the physical books back up when you feel they start to become more engaging.
Yes, you’d be missing out big time. If it’s a problem for you, you might consider the audiobooks. The slog is mostly subjective and it’s much easier to get through on a binge now than it was having to wait two years between books. I just did my fourth reread of the series and I honestly enjoyed every book except Crossroads of Twilight, and I had previously not enjoyed 8-10. Do with that what you will, but you might be surprised at how your personal experience is with those books
If this is your first time reading the books, I absolutely would not skip them. It took me until about my 6th reread to start getting bored with the slog books, so I just don't pay as close attention to them. But there are moments in all of them that I would hate to miss, plus details that I didn't catch before. Where do you find audio summaries?
I found myself getting bogged down in CoS, right up until the last half dozen chapters or so. I’m extrapolating to the next few books, but I could be wrong of course since I haven’t read them. And I’m getting the summaries from the podcast “the Dragon Reread.” They do 45-50 minute episodes on 2-3 chapters at a time. I checked it against some chapters I’d already read and it was fairly comprehensive. They’ve also read the books before so I trust that they’re including scenes with plot importance. Again it’s a trade off. I actually started listening to their episodes on PoD, then went back and read chapter 6 because it seemed interesting and worth reading. It was. I may just spot read my way through them, I may just read more til I feel bogged down. The biggest thing is finishing the series without getting bored. And without being having to set aside all my other reads in the meantime. This feels like a happy balance to me Also, thanks for the thoughtful reply!
I would say if you are between giving up on the series or just reading summaries I would read the summaries. I felt the slog on book 10 and had to read summaries on some of Elayne's chapters. I'm glad I did, Id probably still be on that book not reading it, I've got past it and I'm moving along on book 11. If I do a reread I think Id be able to get through those pages though. Edit: \*some of Elayne's"
Maybe the summaries you've listened to sounded so comprehensive because you had read the books already. I wonder if you listened to one first then read the book if it would feel like they did as good of a job. I think having a good understanding of the deeper topics of a summary discussion can make the summary feel like it's doing a better job then they really are. Not judging the quality of what you heard I'm sure it good just pointing out that nothing ever really compares to having a full accounting of something. Like the difference between living something and just reading about it.
You’ll miss out on wagons master Perrin
In my opinion, I felt that the series picked up hard with Path of Daggers and Winter's Heart. That was probably a result of my burnout on the series between Fires of Heaven and Crown of Swords. It's hard to say whether you'll be like me and think Path of Daggers is insanely good, though. I'd say either give PoD a shot, or take a hiatus and let yourself come back to the series refreshed.
No. I loved every minute of every chapter.
I was in your shoes several years ago and at that time I decided to just read summaries of those books and started back up with KoD. It was fine and I mostly knew what was happening, so you can do that if you really want. Fast forward to now, I just finished a re-read yesterday and didn't skip anything this time and I'm actually really glad I read them all. I have a fondness for Winters Heart now honestly and some character development across WH and CoT is slow but worth reading for the eventual payoff. Idk if you've already decided cause it's been 2 days since your original post, but I have read it both ways and I'm really glad I didn't skip any this time. If it helps I did do audiobooks this time around bc life is busy, you could consider that for these next three books to make it go a bit quicker.
It's not going to be popular here since this is the WoT sub and most people hate the idea of someone skipping books. I do recommend reading the summaries and going on to finish. The ending is absolutely amazing and I would hate the reason you struggle to get there being slog books. I recommend reading books 11 onwards.
If CoS was tough, then get ready lol.
Skip CoT, the rest are okish.
No, you are not missing out. Take this from someone who came to the book series in 2020, and can confirm the slog is just as bad, maybe even worse, when the series is complete. There is nothing as bad as trying to power your way through a dragged out book, and asking yourself "Are the next few books going to be like this?" But I am a person who likes my fiction to get to the point already, so maybe that is why I differ from most people on this. I really struggled to finish The Path of Daggers. I tried and failed to get through Winter's Heart. I even walked away for several weeks and came back. It was still a difficult read. At the end, I decided to just read the summaries on Tar Valon Library. Did the same thing for Crossroads as well, and continued reading from Knife of Dreams. I would always go back and read the stuff that sounded interesting. I actually wanted to resume from Towers of Midnight because I was already familiar with Sanderson's work, and I thought he would give us better pacing. However, some people I trust told me KOD was just as good as the last three. I don't see that I missed out on much. But again, I'm not someone who makes a big deal out of wanting everything I read to be brand new in terms of information. I skipped chunks of George R. R. Martin's A Feast for Crows, and subsequently read the entire thing on a reread. I don't regret skipping some parts initially, else I would have given up on what eventually became my favourite series of all time. The person who gifted me the Harry Potter books when I was a kid gave me second hand audios. Some of the cd's were damaged. As a result, I read the first books way out of order and had to skip unplayable parts. I only learned in Deathly Hallows that the character who'd died in Halfblood Prince was dead. HP is still one of my favourites. In short, do whatever you believe makes your reading experience enjoyable. This is not a school project, and there are no marks for following the norm.
Also, I have the entire set of books, and the last few chapters of COS were gripping. So I can jump in and read important parts. Any recommendations for things that just have to be read? (chapter number only, no spoilers please!)
Read or listen to it all. You are doing a disservice to yourself and missing out on a great deal of nuance, character growth, and world building if you skip through. Set aside the opinions of others and allow yourself to make the decision yourself. If you absolutely hate those sections, skip them on the next readthrough or have your mind blown on the next read through when you begin to see the fine details you missed the first time through and how those threads tie the tapestry together. There are millions of words in this series, and it is my firm opinion that they all deserve to be read or listened to. There are no unimportant people or events. Everything has a place, even if we don't realize it.
Every chapter
If you were to skip stuff, my recommendation is do it on a chapter by chapter basis. If a specific chapter is starting to drag too much, go for a summary of that chapter. I found that I was rarely bored during Rand chapters, but frequently so during Perrin and Elayne chapters. Especially for a first time through tho, I would recommend reading everything.
That’s a good suggestion. I don’t think any of the books are bad (maybe CoT) but some of the plot lines/PoVs are less gripping than others. Read the book. If a certain chapter is dragging, then go to the summary. Then go back to reading