A Commentary
Gwen Whiting and I are reading Wheel of Time again, with hopes to better understand what the TV show is actually doing and to express our thoughts as we go through the chapters. We began with the first ten chapters and you can see her thoughts here.
Reflections on The Eye of the World/WOT (1-10)
She is concentrating on the women and the White Tower and all the politics behind those elements of the story. Elements she found intriguing.
Our thoughts of the story are pretty much Ying/Yang. So, I’m going to write about the fellas, because that’s what drew me into the world from the beginning.
CAUTION SPOILERS
Unlike Gwen, I don’t have the YA version of the novel with that new prologue. The story starts with the aftermath of the breaking of the world, setting the stage for what’s to come. Also setting Robert Jordan’s incredible voice. I love how he put words together to draw us, the reader into this world and to keep us there.
My first impression of TV WOT was not a good one. The rumor was they were going to create the story from Moraine’s point of view. Whereas that’s a creative way to tell the story, it pushed my favorite player backstage. Because Rand is the character who drew me into the series in the first place since the author created him as the main character from the beginning.
His youth, his quest, his obstacles, his hopes unfulfilled, his dreams cut short, his coming of age, and his part in the wheel of time —all necessary elements for the story. Moraine was a supporting character. Probably his most faithful and able supporting character, but still a supporting character. So I trembled at the rumor, which was somewhat pacified with the casting of Moraine. She’s the epitome of how I visualized her to be. That helped appease my disappointment, somewhat.
Whereas the women pulled the strings to the politics in these worldwide societies, we see three young men going through trials and errors trying to deal with a matriarchy. I must emphasize the word ‘young’ because the boys are young in the book, adolescents just entering manhood, still up to (very amusing) pranks, easy-going lifestyles, and when something like an Aes Sedai comes around they are actually paranoid. Their innocence is important because it magnifies how the women of the Tower are even more abusive, and how that same attitude comes across through both Egwene and Nynaeve.
No matter who is in control, power corrupts, and complete power corrupts completely. For Lews to lose it and kill his wife and break the world, is no different than what the women of the Tower do. But that comes much later.
Regardless of what I say about the characters, Don’t get me wrong. I think Joshua Stradowski, Barney Harris (will miss him) and Marcus Rutherford are well cast and engaging actors!
Chapters 1 – 10 deal with our boys in the Two Rivers, when they first lay eyes on a dreaded Aes Sedai, and their resistance to leaving home regardless of it having been destroyed by Trollocs. They are still boys. This is one reason giving Perrin a wife threw a red flag at me. No. Just no.
They still have parents to help, chores to do, and dreams to build on. The only reason Rand trusts Moraine one time is because his father is dying and Nynaeve won’t help.
Our boys are afraid and awed by any magic that happens.
And why wasn’t Thom with them from the beginning? He was a confidant for the boys. When they couldn’t tell anyone about the rat-dream (sorry, the movie said bats but it was rats) they told Thom. They needed him. He’s an amazing character!
And one of the most impressive parts of the book is when Moriaine tells the legend of the Manetheren to the entire Two Rivers community to instill courage in a town of cowards. Goodness knows those people will need it later on! Change that and one has to wonder where their courage will come from!
With all their fears, though, our boys aren’t above some mudslinging when the White Cloaks come into town on a rainy day…and then laugh about it. Oh yes. My favorites in the stories are Rand, Mat, and if I must Perrin. I say to the producers, keep the innocence in the story for as long as you can! It pulls at the heart, and gives us a few chuckles along the way!
If you are enjoying the show I promise you if you like to read you will love the books!
Making Believe 
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