I see no real reason to continue this debate at all - the level of ad hominems and ad hoc argumentation from certain people is not at all constructive.

 

We have here a person who sees himself as being absolutely right, who actually proceeds to call those who disagree "weak-minded", "sheepish" and "accepting". I think that says it all. Such people cannot be debated with in a rational manner. This is, of course, a common problem in internet debates, and comes as no surprise.

 

Unless valid points are soon brought up, I would say this thread has played out its role. In closing, one could ask why it is such a disaster to have volume one end at chapter 37, and have volume two start at chapter 38? How will the novel's quality be affected? It is still one novel. If the wait is so excruciating for you, well, suck it up. My contention is that the novel's quality will not be affected by a division. We have in the history of literature countless examples of literary works being written and published in installations, many of which are among our great classics. If the literary quality of "Great Expectations" or "Oliver Twist" did not suffer from being published in twenty instalments, I seriously doubt the integrity of AMoL will be compromised from being published in two. If this view is seriously held, I suggest to the person in question that he acquaint himself with a wider range of literature.

Sorry, haven't been around of late..

 

OK. Mr Ares:

I guess you make a good point, but I will contend that if it's good, it can never be too long.

And also, I read that To Green Angel Tower was split in two for the paperback, but the hardcover was in once volume...It's a little different from what we're talking about here, I imagine.

 

Jelly:

 

If you want to take it to a personal place and get nasty, trying to score points on someone, guess what. You won't enjoy the response. People on high horses tend to smell like horsesh**. So, next time you come at my opinion with a third person description of my "delusion" and "temper", remember that you just might be right, and said person might bite as well. I'm not that person that you can just insult as you see fit, even in your snide manner. We don't know each other like that, so you should be best served to keep it polite before you jump in with your comments, like you're some authority figure who can just do that as a matter of course.

As to your points...Really, Great Expectations? Oliver Twist? Your examples of how to solve a modern publishing problem is to look to novels published over a century ago?

You're way too cavalier about this to even have a discussion with.

 

Look, if people want to come down a bit from their literary castle of righteousness, we can see that publishing the book in two volumes released on the same day isn't the most daring and preposterous idea ever fielded.

It would be a decent gesture to the fans who have been waiting for so long. That's really what it would mean to me.

 

It's not anyone's fault that the series has taken so long or that there will be a delay in the completion of the writing. By all means, take as long as you want on writing the novel!

It'd just be nice if the publisher would do whatever possible to give us the finished product complete.

 

This situation is quite unique in that RJ never split a novel in the series. He never presented us with a book that was not a stand alone piece, even if all of the books were part of a larger series.

Just splitting the novel may be a forgone conclusion, but need we split it truly by leaving one half alone and incomplete for whatever amount of time? Splitting may indeed be necessary for the physical logistics of fitting the novel onto shelves, but eventually you're going to have to sell both volumes together, at the same time.

 

They'll end up on the same shelves anyway...

 

The problem is going to remain no matter how you play it, so why not just trust the fans to buy the package whole in such numbers that keeping space open on the shelves won't be a problem at all.

 

If it's really the same book, why am I paying for it twice?

 

Look, I'm betting that the book will be great and I'm going to be satisfied, but then again, what if it's not what I was hoping for?

 

What if I read the first half and find it lacking? I'll wait the month, hoping that the last half will be the solve, but whether or not it is, I would feel discouraged that I was made to wait to feel what I needed to feel from the novel having just read through it for the first time.

 

I actually kind of felt that way about Tarantino's Kill Bill movies. He cut it in two and I think that was a mistake, and it's a shame. He placed the emotional core of the movie into one half and made the first half a sort of cartoony homage piece. It felt uneven in the end. Honestly, the two by themselves were pretty good, but I always wonder what it would be like to sit through the whole of the two halves. I pretty much can't, except by watching them back to back, but then to make the two films cohesive, he had to add exposition to part two, which seemed disjointed to me as an audience member.

 

I just don't want to feel that way about this last book. I don't want to wrestle with half of a whole and wonder what it would have been like to experience it for the first time, as it was meant to be.

RJ meant it to be one book. Sanderson is writing it as one book. I want to read it as one book, first time out.

If I feel that way, what's it really to you?

It's terribly important to me, so help me.

Do you (Jellybelly and CUBAREY) really need to talk down to me, as if I were a child? Doesn't feel very good when my very sincere feelings are chopped down like that.

 

So maybe you can see why I would get annoyed at that attitude. Or not.

 

Mr Ares, thanks for being civil.

And also, I read that To Green Angel Tower was split in two for the paperback, but the hardcover was in once volume...It's a little different from what we're talking about here, I imagine.

Coincidentally, I just checked it out from my library.  It is a single volume in hardcover, though it is a massive book.  Normal hardcover size, reasonably small font, 1000+ pages.

Kids, you seem to have forgotten how it works here.

 

This board is for talking about WOT. Want to get personal? Use PM or shut up. Very simple.

I guess you make a good point, but I will contend that if it's good, it can never be too long.

Except, perhaps, in the purely practical sense of, "it's so big, it's falling apart at the seams".

And also, I read that To Green Angel Tower was split in two for the paperback, but the hardcover was in once volume...It's a little different from what we're talking about here, I imagine.

Binding a hardcover in a single volume should be easier, so arguments based on the practical issue of "it's too big" become less valid. Given that hardbacks cost more, asking the consumer to shell out for two is asking more than asking them to shell out for two paperbacks. Well, if they decide to sell as two volumes, in whatever edition for whatever reason, they should at least publish both volumes at the same time, or as close as possible.

I wonder if TOR has considered the considerable risk they would take if the decision is made to split it into two books, especially if the two books are not released at the same time, and both sold at full price.

 

We do live in the Age of Internet, and I think that a lot of people would get so annoyed by such a decision that they instead of buying the books downloaded them illegaly. Not every reader is the kind of fans who populates DM, and just must have the physical books in the collection.

I guess you make a good point, but I will contend that if it's good, it can never be too long.

Except, perhaps, in the purely practical sense of, "it's so big, it's falling apart at the seams".

And also, I read that To Green Angel Tower was split in two for the paperback, but the hardcover was in once volume...It's a little different from what we're talking about here, I imagine.

Binding a hardcover in a single volume should be easier, so arguments based on the practical issue of "it's too big" become less valid. Given that hardbacks cost more, asking the consumer to shell out for two is asking more than asking them to shell out for two paperbacks. Well, if they decide to sell as two volumes, in whatever edition for whatever reason, they should at least publish both volumes at the same time, or as close as possible.

 

Well, as a kid when I was collecting comic books, people would always tell me to buy two copies of a book so that I can have one to collect and one to actually handle and read...

I didn't have that kind of money, thanks, so I started off trying to be very careful with the one copy I had of a comic book.

Then it happened that I asked a comic book collector how much does it count against an issue if it has been handled. He pretty much replied that it depends, but pretty much if the pages have been opened, the price is effected right there.

So right there I pretty much decided, what the hell am I doing? Am I collecting these things, or do I actually like reading the book?

 

So, I have bought a hardcover copy of every book since Fires of Heaven. I've bought the paperback copy of all the books before that at least twice each. I destroy these books. I love reading them more than I like to see them looking pretty in my book case.

 

As far as A Memory of Light being too big and too fragile as a single volume, personally I don't give a crap.

I'm pretty sure that I'm going to destroy this book, just like I did the others. It just so happens that my copy of Knife of Dreams is now a two volume piece.

The binding ripped at about the front third portion of the book, so now I have the special two volume edition, limited. ;)

 

Maj:

That's kind of the point I was making about the decision TOR has to consider.

 

I am definitely one of those people who would get annoyed at having to buy one book twice. I wouldn't download it, certainly, but there has to be a point when people just...get tired.

 

The fact that RJ has passed is pretty draining. Credit due to Sanderson for continuing, but I don't underestimate the apprehension people will feel when they crack the cover of the last book for the first time.

If it turns out that we have to do it twice...I think it just gets to be too much.

 

It's just one too many things. That's my honest opinion.

 

Like you say, not everyone is going to be that mega-fan who will accept the end no matter what form it comes in. Then there are those who are like me...I want it to be executed as close to what RJ wanted it to be, as close to PERFECT as possible. Does that make me less of a fan?

 

Saying that it's too big and not trying as hard as RJ insisted he would in his statements prior to his passing, to making the book one final release...

 

I'm sorry if it's harsh to say, but to me that's a sellout. That's just too much. Unacceptable given the context of the fact that it's supposed to be the crown of the series.

 

If there are two release dates, I'll be sorely disappointed in TOR's handling of the situation.

Well, I think how they go about it will make a difference to the readers reaction.

IF it turns out that the book is so big that it can not be done in a single volume for the commercial edition because there is no binding technique that allows it, ok, I can buy that. But if that turns out to be the case, they should release both volumes at the same time, and at a lower price. Otherwise it will seem like they are splitting it only so they can sell one book for the price of two, and that will not be appreciated by the fanbase.

Since its the last book in the series ever, I hope its HUGE.  I mean massive huge....

 

Knowing any business they will try and milk it for the most money they can. Because they  know most fans will still buy it even if they are pissed.