The Wheel of Time series has a lot of very plot threads and characters, with different cultures and ideas, that can make it quite difficult for the reader to keep track sometimes. In the first four books, that was fine, and worked to make up a beautiful tapestry that really drew the reader into a believable world. In book five, The Fires of Heaven, that was a huge drawback.
The camaraderie was gone, for the most part. The characters still talked and discussed, to be sure, but it was seemingly each fractured group competing against each other, instead of working with each other. It seemed like the desire to get more control and power for each person's parochial interests was what mattered the most to some of the characters. *CoughEgweneCough*
Other characters seemed to revel in a certain amount of cruelty. The culture of the Aiel, which is easy to value for it's warrior ways, is shown to have an extremely dark side. One character that they don't know is a dark friend, but do know to be a thief, they punish to a horrible extent, in a manner seemed designed more for getting their jollies than for any actual purpose. Did they want information or money, or any reward from her? No. They wanted suffering. That, and the cold way they looked at the deaths of those related to those who offended them years ago, really disgusted me.
To get to the pont of Egwene. She discovers that in the Dream World of Tel'Aran'Rhiod, she has greater power then Nynaeve, even when Nynaeve can channel. This is due to Egwene's training with the Aiel Wise Ones and her natural gift for dreaming. Nynaeve is strongest at healing though good at everything. Egwene is similarly strongest at dreaming, though she can do other things with the One Power as well.
Well, Egwene basically rubs Nynaeve's face in her weaker state when they see each other in dreams. She lies, acts like a huge hypocrite, and, worst of all, she is not sorry for being unkind to Nynaeve. She actually enjoys it. She enjoys having power over others. That creeped me out more than anything else about her attitude in the novel, I must say.
Anyone who goes to war will be affected in different ways. Jordan himself stated that he was trying to work through his Vietnam experiences while writing the books.
"I do think the military characters in my fantasy novels are more realistic in terms of how soldiers really are, how they feel about combat, about being soldiers, about civilians. Beyond that, my time in Vietnam certainly has affected a certain moral vision. Not just based on what happened to me, but on the abandonment of a people who had put everything on the line for us. It started me off on a quest for morality, both in religious and philosophical reading, and in my writing. Again one of the central themes in 'The Wheel of Time' is the struggle between the forces of good and evil. How far can one go in fighting evil before becoming like evil itself? Or do you maintain your purity at the cost of evil's victory? I'm fond of saying that if the answer is too easy, you've probably asked the wrong question."
Jordan was obviously haunted by his experiences, which is understandable. So am I. So are all who see combat. What matters is what one takes away from the experience. Now, maybe I am completely wrong in my assessment of Jordan. Perhaps later books will dispel my fears quite nicely. I don't know. I hope so.
It seems that Jordan had accepted an idea that necessary actions, such as killing, torture, harsh interrogations or actions, and so forth, are good. Not just bad things sometimes justifiable and necessary, but actually good. He seemed to have a view of power as good in it's own right. To be enjoyed without all of the guilt associated with those who are reluctant to use it.
If I am reading too much into it, so be it, and I hope that I am wrong. My experience was that power should be used, but never, ever enjoyed. Power is a good tool, but is not good in and of itself. Those who enjoy lording it over others are only one tiny step away from those they oppose. Doing harsh things for necessary reasons, is one thing. Doing harsh things for enjoyment is another. The former is good, the latter is evil. That is my lesson from war. Power and harsh treatments can do good, but themselves are not good. They are deadly in fact. I can't condone Jordan's view on power and enjoyment of harsh behavior. His experiences and mine simply lead to two completely contradictory visions of warfare. In other words, we may probably have agreed on tactics and actions to take, but diverged greatly in the mindset and moral vision behind the methods we may use.
Now, it seems that I am on the way to a low rating, but not really. There were three plot lines that salvaged the book and actually made it enjoyable to me. They are Moiraine and Rand learning from each other, Mat accepting more and more his role as a ta'veren, warrior, and champion for the Light and the Wheel, and Nynaeve, Elayne, and Birgitte, as Nyanaeve is forced to grow up some.
Seeing the friendship, even though greatly strained between Moiraine, Rand, Mat, Avhienda, on the one hand; and Nynaeve, Elayne, and Birgitte on the other; was a pleasure and brought back to me just why I love the series so much. Of course, there is still the matter of Rand's inevitable polygamy, but it's more of an epic-y myth like the ancient myths to me. Jordan was careful to do no gratuitous swipes against Christianity like many other fantasy authors do. *CoughTerryGoodkinCough* ;)
All in all, the weakest of the series so far, and presents some disturbing aspects of the so-called "heroes". However, there were also some fine parts of the novel, that have saved it from a bad score and the not recommended pile. I recommend it, but primarily for the above plot threads. You'd be better off skipping the other parts of the book.
0 comments:
Post a Comment