How many times have you Read the Wheel of Time?

[DaoineSidhe]

I'm sure this has been done before, but I couldn't find it within the last 10 pages, so I figured it was OK to start this. I'm just curious, not really wanting a contest, with people posting higher and higher numbers for "pride of place". Most regular posters seems quite knowledgeable of the series, and was curious to see if there is any type of average, or if it is all over the place. Thanks for honest answers!

[Wolf505]

I started reading when The Great Hunt had just come out in paperback, and I've re-read the entire series with each subsequent release, so I'd estimate around 10-15 times at least.

[Luckers]

My name is NOT Terez, thank you very much.

[Thorum]

Read it twice (once up to and including CoT - with KoD a few months later - , once up to and including ToM).

 

Now I'm (very/too) sporadically listening to it (in preparation for aMoL - Siuan is about to get deposed).

 

So that's three.

[baalsmistress]

I've never read it at all.

 

Listened to the audio books otoh, too many to remember

[Magus]

Currently on my second read through.

[he who comes with a bong]

My name isnt Terez either lol. i started this series way back in high school. A buddy of mine turned me on to it.There has been many times where i would finish the last book and go right back to the first one and start all over again. My wife even says i have read it to much all of my hardbacks and the few i have in paperback are falling apart so now im ebooking it.I just finished it yet agian the other day. Now its on to Tim Dorsey for a while.

[Deadsy]

There needs to be an "Other" option. I've read the whole series through 3 or 4 times, but if you only go by pages read, I've probably read it the equivalent of 15+ times because I've read and re-read my favorite scenes, and sometimes my favorite scenes consist of half the book (i.e. tSR).

[thom_merrilin]

My count has altered since the last one, done a couple of rereads. I've gone through it 3 times in the last 18 months, I think.

[TristanWebb]

Early books, 6 or 7 times, later books atleast twice each now.

[A Bird in Seleisin]

I have read it the whole series only once, but I read selected scenes many many times . I'm just not into rereading whole books. I just pick up a book and search for the scenes that I like.

[boli]

On average I do a full re-through every 2 years or so... but I have read some books more than others; some a *lot* more. Curenlty *checks* halfway through tFoH and I'm hpoing to complete them all before January next year. (I'm reading them a *lot* slower on the audiobook)

[Naresh]

I started fairly late, just after Winter's Heart dropped. Read 1-9 three times, 10 and 11 twice, and 12-13 only once so far (just finished ToM last week).

 

Now I'm struggling to decide as to whether I should try to fit in a full run before January... I'd like to, but that's a lot of time to fit in.

[MountaineerWV]

10+ for sure...but I think less than 15.

 

I've read the entire series, books 1-13, once. I usually do a read through prior to the release of each new book. So the first 7 books were read through 7 times prior to the release of books (8-12/13) . Plus several read throughs in between publishing.

[Valley of Death]

im stuck in the cycle of reading the series then after tgs I want to read Rand when he was normal, so i read the Eye of the World and then just start re-reading the series

[Terez]

I have no idea how many times I've read it, but my name is Terez...

[Vardar]

Just got into the series, umm 3 years ago on Christmas I think? It was a present from my best friends. (Maybe that was 4, I'm bad at this). Anyway, this has to be my 6th time or so.

[Linda]

My name isn't Terez either.

 

I lost count of my re-reads about 8 years ago...

[Tommatt]

on my 4th or 5th now. On book 4, trying to finish all the books before the last book comes out.

[Devinlee003]

I'm da noob here I'm on book 9 of my first read I guess I shouldn't be here but not one of you can stop me =p

[DaoineSidhe]

Excellent! Keep the votes coming please! I must say I am fairly pleasantly surprised at the way voting has gone. Didn't mean to imply that people shouldn't be here if they haven't read the whole series, or that only Terez has read the series a lot, just trying to add some humor to the poll.

 

Personally, I've always felt awkward talking about re-reading series because most of my friends are read a book once and put it down types. But seeing the responses on this poll, I feel slightly less awkward admitting that I have read the series more times than is probably healthy. (started in 1998, with an average of 2-5 re-reads per year, depending on how busy my life is in a given year).

 

My next question is this: Why do you re-read the series, or if you don't, why not?

 

For me, the reasoning is due to a couple of reasons:

 

1. Every time I re-read the series, I learn/observe/read something new. The amount of foreshadowing in the series gives re-reads of the series so much more added meaning, and gives one a different perspective on the series and the characters each time through.

 

2. ESCAPISM BABY! The WoT Universe is a truly entertaining one to me, and at the end of a truly long and brutal day, who doesn't wanna sit down by the fire and enjoy drinks with a few good friends from the WoT? While I do consider WoT to be very good literature, at the end of the day, it entertains me, and that's what I like.

[Maleshub]

My first reading was when Winter's Heart was published. Came back last November and have read the series twice since then. And I've just started another reread.

[Kamin_Majere]

Currently on my 9th read through. Just started the Great Hunt.

 

I'll probably read it once more trying to time it so I can slip flawlessly into A Memory of Light, but this read through might be the one that gets the there. I'm reading it slowly and trying to catch everything this time through (though I admit I raced through EotW because its once of my favorites, so i'll probably have to at least read it again)

[makaveli422]

I discovered WOT when I was 16 and have reread it in anticipation of the next new book. I love discovering new things and getting lost in the awesomeness that is the Wheel. It just hit me that I have been reading the same series for half of my life. And I still can't get enough of it. I do read other authors but I always end up back to the Wheel. I think reading AMoL is going to be bittersweet.

[peacesells]

I've read it twice. The second re-read was to remember everything right before Sanderson's book came out. I re-read it purely to prepare for the new books since it had been so long. I am not a re-reader of books though, this is the only series I've done it twice. I admit that I don't spend too much time trying to figure things out when I read. I just read the passages and enjoy them. Probably why I haven't done multiple re-reads. I am comptemplating doing one more before the last book drops.