The Eye of the World

Chapter IAbout the book

First published

1990

Main genre

Fantasy

Length

782 pages

In the remote village of Emond's Field in the Two Rivers, a mysterious noblewoman named Moiraine, an Aes Sedai, arrives shortly before a Trolloc attack. She warns that agents of the Dark One are seeking one of three young men: Rand al'Thor, Perrin Aybara or Matrim Cauthon. Moiraine, her Warder Lan Mandragoran and the young men leave the village, and Egwene al'Vere joins them because Moiraine believes she can learn to channel. Nynaeve al'Meara, the village Wisdom, follows later. The Eye of the World is the first volume of The Wheel of Time, a high fantasy series that grew into a 14-volume saga, and its early chapters were deliberately modelled on the Shire from Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. The US hardback runs to 782 pages and the UK Orbit hardback to 685. In January 2002, Starscape Books split the novel into two books for young adults, From the Two Rivers and To the Blight.

Chapter IIThe author and the making

Robert Jordan was the pen name of James Rigney Jr., a former nuclear engineer who had become known for Conan novels written long after Robert E. Howard's death. He began planning The Wheel of Time in 1983, and the contract was signed in early 1984. According to Tor's account, he first pitched a three-book series, and the publisher Tom Doherty reportedly laughed at its scope and offered a six-book contract instead. His wife and editor, Harriet McDougal, recalled wondering on reading the manuscript whether she had fallen into the wife trap or the book was truly wonderful, and Doherty said of it: “this is just wonderful. This is special.” Tor backed the book heavily, producing 5,000 advance reader copies, which the article calls unusual for the time. Jordan said he modelled the early chapters on the Shire from Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, though the focus differs: Rand must use his power against the Dark One, where Frodo's quest is to destroy the Ring. Tor published The Eye of the World on January 15, 1990, as a trade paperback that sold 40,000 copies, which the publisher called “huge for trade paper in those days”.

Chapter IIIHow it was received

The novel found readers steadily. The trade paperback sold 40,000 copies, the second book doubled the first's trade paperback sales, and the third, released in hardcover, became the series' first New York Times bestseller. Doherty said the series grew with each book because readers did not want to wait for the next one. Publishers Weekly's review, quoted in the 1990 press release, said it recalls the works of Tolkien because of its intensity and warmth, and that similarity has drawn both praise and criticism since. Early readers were divided: one recalled the opening chapters as “excruciating”, while others were hooked from the start. The American Library Association included the book on its 2003 Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults list, and PBS's The Great American Read ranked it number 62 among America's best-loved novels. After the television series, it reached the New York Times mass market best seller list in January 2022 and number one on the audio fiction list. Jordan died before finishing the series, and Brandon Sanderson completed it; A Memory of Light, released on January 8, 2013, had Tor's biggest first day.

Chapter IVWhy it matters

The Eye of the World matters as the opening of one of the longest and best-known epic fantasy series, and as an example of how a fantasy debut can be built on a familiar model. Jordan was open that the Two Rivers chapters were modelled on Tolkien's Shire, and the series then moves in its own direction, with a hero who must use his power to fight the Dark One. The long arc is part of its reputation: readers describe a lasting attachment to the characters, and one said the series had been with them for more than half their life. Be ready for the book's reservations. Its resemblance to The Lord of the Rings has drawn criticism, one early reader found the opening chapters excruciating, and the novel is a first volume of 782 pages in the US hardback, followed by a long series. It suits readers who enjoy classic quest fantasy, large casts and slow-building worlds, and it is a poor fit for those who want a self-contained story or a fast, original opening.

Chapter VIf you liked this

• The Lord of the Rings J. R. R. TolkienThe model for Jordan's early chapters, and the classic of the quest genre
• The Dragonbone Chair Tad WilliamsAnother long epic fantasy that starts small and widens slowly
• A Game of Thrones George R. R. MartinA large-cast epic fantasy series with a darker, more political tone
• The Way of Kings Brandon SandersonEpic fantasy by the author who completed The Wheel of Time