Dark Jezter
First Post
What is your favorite Terry Goodkind novel?
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Favorite Terry Goodkind book
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William Ronald
Explorer
The fanatics in Blood of the Fold were frighteningly real. (Just read some histories of the witch trials.)
Dark Jezter
First Post
Faith of the Fallen was my favorite, even though the message of the book is obvious (Communism is bad), that dosen't stop it from being a fantastic novel. The battles, the characterizations, the plot, all of them made Faith of the Fallen my favorite Sword of Truth novel.
Pale
First Post
I like the series as a whole.
The message in Faith of the Fallen wasn't "Communism is bad" the message was "Socialism, when under despotic control, is bad"
There is a difference between 'communism' and 'socialism' a very real and distinct difference. The soviets were not communists, they were socialist who claimed to be communists, just like we (the U.S.A.) are a capitalist society that claims to be a democratic.
I'd go into it more, but I'm skirting breaking a rule of the message boards right now and perhaps I shouldn't even be talking about this academicaly, but your assumptions about the political leanings of the book were going in the wrong direction from a simple (and might I add, very common) mistake about some definitions in the political world.
The message in Faith of the Fallen wasn't "Communism is bad" the message was "Socialism, when under despotic control, is bad"
There is a difference between 'communism' and 'socialism' a very real and distinct difference. The soviets were not communists, they were socialist who claimed to be communists, just like we (the U.S.A.) are a capitalist society that claims to be a democratic.
I'd go into it more, but I'm skirting breaking a rule of the message boards right now and perhaps I shouldn't even be talking about this academicaly, but your assumptions about the political leanings of the book were going in the wrong direction from a simple (and might I add, very common) mistake about some definitions in the political world.
Lord Pendragon
First Post
Wizard's First Rule
Terry is a great author. His books don't have a masterful plot, nor is the writing style complex. What they do have, more than a lot of the stuff out there, is charm. The instant I finished reading Wizard's First Rule, I had to re-read a lot of it again. There were scenes that just brought a smile to my face.
That said, I do wonder, now, whether he has an ending in mind for the series at all, or if he isn't structuring the series like a soap opera, in which there are pseudo-endings, but nothing is ever really resolved.
I hope that isn't the case. Most soaps (and sitcoms, for that matter,) that go on for too long tend to lose coherency and become, well, bad. The material stretches only so far.
Pillars of Creation was an okay book, but not the greatest. I'll still buy the next one, though. Wizard's First Rule bought the man a lot of loyalty from this reader.
Terry is a great author. His books don't have a masterful plot, nor is the writing style complex. What they do have, more than a lot of the stuff out there, is charm. The instant I finished reading Wizard's First Rule, I had to re-read a lot of it again. There were scenes that just brought a smile to my face.
That said, I do wonder, now, whether he has an ending in mind for the series at all, or if he isn't structuring the series like a soap opera, in which there are pseudo-endings, but nothing is ever really resolved.
I hope that isn't the case. Most soaps (and sitcoms, for that matter,) that go on for too long tend to lose coherency and become, well, bad. The material stretches only so far.
Pillars of Creation was an okay book, but not the greatest. I'll still buy the next one, though. Wizard's First Rule bought the man a lot of loyalty from this reader.
Dark Jezter
First Post
com·mu·nism (kmy-nzm)
A system of government in which the state plans and controls the economy and a single, often authoritarian party holds power, claiming to make progress toward a higher social order in which all goods are equally shared by the people.
Sounds like the Imperial Order to me.
It appears we have different ideas about government and the book itself, Mr. Pale. I won't go into it here because I've been online long enough to know that debates about politics and religion never end well, and I don't want to sound preachy (because Lord knows I get really annoyed by the poli sci majors at my college). In fact, I probably shouldn't have made this post at all, but I guess I just dislike being told that my interpretation of a book was wrong, so I'm gonna follow the advice of my signature line. ^_^
A system of government in which the state plans and controls the economy and a single, often authoritarian party holds power, claiming to make progress toward a higher social order in which all goods are equally shared by the people.
Sounds like the Imperial Order to me.
It appears we have different ideas about government and the book itself, Mr. Pale. I won't go into it here because I've been online long enough to know that debates about politics and religion never end well, and I don't want to sound preachy (because Lord knows I get really annoyed by the poli sci majors at my college). In fact, I probably shouldn't have made this post at all, but I guess I just dislike being told that my interpretation of a book was wrong, so I'm gonna follow the advice of my signature line. ^_^
graydoom
First Post
I haven't read Debt of Bones yet, but I doubt it would make me change my vote for Wizard's First Rule.
Personally, I find that the books deteriorate as the series go on. While Faith of the Fallen was IMO a very good book, I feel that the blatant ideological message detracted from the story. I simply didn't like The Pillars of Creation. And the other 4 books I'm neutral to good on. I just feel that Wizard's First Rule was the best of the series, and that he has not surpassed it.
Personally, I find that the books deteriorate as the series go on. While Faith of the Fallen was IMO a very good book, I feel that the blatant ideological message detracted from the story. I simply didn't like The Pillars of Creation. And the other 4 books I'm neutral to good on. I just feel that Wizard's First Rule was the best of the series, and that he has not surpassed it.
Grim
First Post
Debt of bones, whats Debt of bones? I only got to Temple of the Winds, but i liked Stone of Tears the best...Blood of the Fold was just a little bit too violent and plot shatering, and Temple of Winds just ended so sadly (I think, it was a while since i read them and may be thinking of some other book though...).
I think its kind of scary how similer Sword of Truth is to the Wheel of Time. Aiel ins WoT are so similer to the Torture lady people (What are their names!)... the Seachan in WoT are almost exactly like the Emperor guy, both books rely heavily on decifering proficy... the White Tower in WoT is like the Palace place with all the sorceresses... there are probably some more but i havent read the books in about 4 years...
I think its kind of scary how similer Sword of Truth is to the Wheel of Time. Aiel ins WoT are so similer to the Torture lady people (What are their names!)... the Seachan in WoT are almost exactly like the Emperor guy, both books rely heavily on decifering proficy... the White Tower in WoT is like the Palace place with all the sorceresses... there are probably some more but i havent read the books in about 4 years...
Lord Pendragon
First Post
Goodkind and Jordan
Interesting. There are certainly similarities between certain plot points, though I wouldn't say any particular one is "exactly like" another. Indeed, I found absolutely nothing similar between Emperor Jagang and the Seanchan at all. To Jordan's credit, the Seanchan as a people are far more sophisticated than Jagang, and we've yet to meet the Empress of the Nine Moons for a more direct comparison. Nor are the Aiel in any way similar to the Mord-Sith (the torture ladies,) save that both display a certain stoicism.
I did find the Rada-Han and the a'dam to be quite remarkably alike. Each was a collar designed to control a character with magical power, against his or her will, and each allowed one to inflict mental pain on the victim. Also, the Sisters of the Light behave very much as the Aes Sedai do, namely, with extreme arrogance.
It seems likely to me that some of Goodkind's plot devices may have been influenced by Jordan. Or it's just as possible that he happened to employ them at the same time. After all, domination, torture, and arrogant women are hardly new themes.
None of which detracts from the charm of Wizard's First Rule.
Grim said:
Interesting. There are certainly similarities between certain plot points, though I wouldn't say any particular one is "exactly like" another. Indeed, I found absolutely nothing similar between Emperor Jagang and the Seanchan at all. To Jordan's credit, the Seanchan as a people are far more sophisticated than Jagang, and we've yet to meet the Empress of the Nine Moons for a more direct comparison. Nor are the Aiel in any way similar to the Mord-Sith (the torture ladies,) save that both display a certain stoicism.
I did find the Rada-Han and the a'dam to be quite remarkably alike. Each was a collar designed to control a character with magical power, against his or her will, and each allowed one to inflict mental pain on the victim. Also, the Sisters of the Light behave very much as the Aes Sedai do, namely, with extreme arrogance.
It seems likely to me that some of Goodkind's plot devices may have been influenced by Jordan. Or it's just as possible that he happened to employ them at the same time. After all, domination, torture, and arrogant women are hardly new themes.
None of which detracts from the charm of Wizard's First Rule.
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