Anyone else having a hard time finishing WaT?

[Duxredux he/him]

So... I'd like to finish WaT so I can join in on the conversation but I'm having a real headache with the constant viewpoint jumps. Either I'm too tired to see the connecting ideas when 2-3 viewpoints from entirely different scenes get shoved together into each chapter, or the cognitive load to hold this many threads in my head simultaneously is too much for me and the target demographic is beyond me. I learned from Writing Excuses that there is a mental cost to the reader for each viewpoint change as they have to get back into the mind and status of the new scene - and I think this might be about 3-4 viewpoints past my limit (I've counted around 10-12 so far I think by around page 800?)

Anyone have suggestions? Anyone in the same boat? How much will it ruin it if I take like 3 main threads (Dalinar & Navani, Kaladin & Szeth, maybe the flashbacks, and I'm not sure on the next big one) read those to conclusion and then go back and the other viewpoints? I read the encyclopedia for fun, articles on metallurgic techniques for discussion posts, and watch documentaries on concrete, but I get a headache from reading WaT. I've read about 2 ½ other books as a breather already. No idea if it's the number of viewpoints, if I worry that if I skim I'll miss some big fundamental aspect that was hinted at and have the climax not make sense and fall flat (like reading WoA and HoA as a teenager and somehow totally missing that Ruin was a thing until halfway through HoA), or if it's that I expect that the narrative is lying to me about what actually is going on and that I'll need to throw out all of my assumptions at the end? It wouldn't surprise me if other authors view WaT as a masterpiece of weaving disparate threads and themes together into a unified whole, but I'm getting lost. The 1200+ page long Sanderlanche is long since past cool and is now exhausting. Halp.

[𝖂𝖍𝖎𝖗𝖙𝖊]

18 minutes ago, Duxredux said:

So... I'd like to finish WaT so I can join in on the conversation but I'm having a real headache with the constant viewpoint jumps. Either I'm too tired to see the connecting ideas when 2-3 viewpoints from entirely different scenes get shoved together into each chapter, or the cognitive load to hold this many threads in my head simultaneously is too much for me and the target demographic is beyond me. I learned from Writing Excuses that there is a mental cost to the reader for each viewpoint change as they have to get back into the mind and status of the new scene - and I think this might be about 3-4 viewpoints past my limit (I've counted around 10-12 so far I think by around page 800?)

Anyone have suggestions? Anyone in the same boat? How much will it ruin it if I take like 3 main threads (Dalinar & Navani, Kaladin & Szeth, maybe the flashbacks, and I'm not sure on the next big one) read those to conclusion and then go back and the other viewpoints? I read the encyclopedia for fun, articles on metallurgic techniques for discussion posts, and watch documentaries on concrete, but I get a headache from reading WaT. I've read about 2 ½ other books as a breather already. No idea if it's the number of viewpoints, if I worry that if I skim I'll miss some big fundamental aspect that was hinted at and have the climax not make sense and fall flat (like reading WoA and HoA as a teenager and somehow totally missing that Ruin was a thing until halfway through HoA), or if it's that I expect that the narrative is lying to me about what actually is going on and that I'll need to throw out all of my assumptions at the end? It wouldn't surprise me if other authors view WaT as a masterpiece of weaving disparate threads and themes together into a unified whole, but I'm getting lost. The 1200+ page long Sanderlanche is long since past cool and is now exhausting. Halp.

I'd just say take it slow. Reading out of order could cause problems, so I'd just limit yourself to one or two chapters a day and then take some time to process what's going on. Granted, I'm maybe not a great person to ask. I finished the book in two days

Edited January 6, 2025 by WhiteHairedDrifter

[Sedside she/her]

21 minutes ago, Duxredux said:

How much will it ruin it if I take like 3 main threads (Dalinar & Navani, Kaladin & Szeth, maybe the flashbacks, and I'm not sure on the next big one) read those to conclusion and then go back and the other viewpoints?

I don't think it will affect anything if you do it up until day 10 or maybe 9. There is little to no connection between different PoVs even on day 10, in my opinion, actually, all of the connection happens around the contest of champions itself.

[Geoffray]

I don't know. Just take it easy and read the book at you own rythm. Everything will be alright.

 

7 minutes ago, Sedside said:

I don't think it will affect anything if you do it up until day 10 or maybe 9. There is little to no connection between different PoVs even on day 10, in my opinion, actually, all of the connection happens around the contest of champions itself.

It will affect is reading. It's really not a good advice...

 

Just read the book as intented for a first reading

[MagicMaggot]

35 minutes ago, Duxredux said:

How much will it ruin it if I take like 3 main threads (Dalinar & Navani, Kaladin & Szeth, maybe the flashbacks, and I'm not sure on the next big one)

I agree that this is actually mostly doable, leaving aside epilogue chapters and for Dalinar everything that comes after he gets back to the tower. There is very little that is cross-referenced, though there might be some vague spoilers about the results of the other arcs. 

I'm not about to recommend it, but I'd actually be curious if doing it like that was a satsfying reading experience. I can see the many, many changes of perspectives taking away from the focus of the story, and since they aren't really connected as much that might in some sense feel unnecessary. Though I do think there are thematic throughlines between the perspectives that are meant to go together, and what Adolin says about oaths in one chapter, can be applied to what happens in the next Dalinar chapter, for example.

Edited January 6, 2025 by MagicMaggot

[Sedside she/her]

50 minutes ago, MagicMaggot said:

I'm not about to recommend it, but I'd actually be curious if doing it like that was a satsfying reading experience.

I know one person who was reading it like that (by days, so whole character arc within one day, then other arc within the same day etc), and was absolutely content with it and even thought it was better than the constant PoV switches. I think if I've read it like that it would've probably improved my experience as well.

Edited January 6, 2025 by Sedside

[VirtuousTraveller]

I personally found the first two thirds of the book slow, because of the shifts.  It really picks up in terms of plot the further you go, but you have to battle every pokémon gym leader first, and defeat all ten waves of the zombie herd before that happens

I think the constant POV switching, which I previously never noticed in Sanderson books, really slowed every plot down.

I’ve said it elsewhere, but I’ll say it again - the destination is mostly worth the journey to get there.  You should definitely finish - just pace yourself and try not to rush it (though once you get to Day 9, you’ll probably find it hard to put down until it’s over!)

[Treamayne]

9 hours ago, Duxredux said:

Anyone have suggestions?

I did something simlar starting around Day 5 (once the day page listed more than 6 viewpoints). I used that day page as a sort of "checklist" so, for example, Ch 55 has Venli's icon for the chapter, so I read all of the Venli sections in Day 5. The Ch 56 had the Narak Icon, so I read all of the Narak POVs in Day 5, Ch 57 was Flashbacks, so I did the Day 5  Flashbask and kaladin/Szeth-in-Shinovar sections. Repeat until Ch 68 (last chapter of Day 5) then check the "checklist" to make sure I didn't miss an expected viewpoint in teh say (that did not have a chapter heading icon). 

Just make sure that co-located viewpoints are tackled together:

• Dalinar and those in the same "location" (like Shallan and Navani)
• Shatterd plains
• Azimir
• Shinovar
• "Others"

YMMV - just an idea.