Chapter 6: The Westwood

Skipping ahead a bit to the chapter where Rand has Tam on a litter, bringing him for medical attention. A lot of things in the beginning of EOTW reminded me of Lord of the Rings. Both times I read this chapter it reminded me of that scene in Fellowship of the Ring where the hobbits are hiding under the tree roots with the Dark rider right on top of them. Poor Rand is listening to his father babble about how he isn't Rands real father and in the midst of this he has a Fade right on his tale. His whole world has been turned upside down in one night and will never be the same again. I remember that is what Eric told me to get me interested in this series in the first place. I think it was a quote from Jordan about what inspired the series. Imagine you are going about your daily routine and someone you don't know taps you on the shoulder and tells you you have to save the world. In an instant your life is changed forever. I think the reason that interests me so much is I am waiting for my tap on the shoulder....

I think that is one of the reasons that i love fantasy so much. It provides an imaginary world that you can get into that can seem almost real for you, and alot of times i wish that it was true and that some of the things that happens in books could happen to me. Im also waiting for that tap.

It's fair to say, I think, that all fantasy readers are waiting for that tap. Peter, that quality of a fantasy work you referred to is known as escapism. Fantasy serves as a way in which you can leave your own world and live in another. Science fiction offers very much the same thing. Escapism, however, can't be the only draw to fantasy readers. True, for some it may be the main reason for reading it but I'm willing to bet there's more to it than that. It's one of those questions I haven't researched yet but I'm looking into it.

Does fantasy offer anything else to you guys other than escapism?

Im disappointed in you eric if you think that escapism is all that fantasy offers me. We will speak no more of this subject less i get more angry than i already am.

Uh, why are you angry? MOST people read fantasy for escapist purposes. I sure as heck do. However, there are other motivations involved and I was curious as to what they were for you.