Let's talk about Way of Kings
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 24 авг 2023
- Video sponsored by Ridge. Get entered to win a Hennessey Ford Bronco or $75,000 through September 30th at ridge.com/readswithrachel. Use my code READSWITHRACHEL for 10% off your order.
Emma’s tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@emmaskies?_t=...
Join my channel membership to get access to perks:
/ @readswithrachel
Patreon: / readswithrachel
Commissions: ko-fi.com/readswithrachel/com...
Merch: www.bonfire.com/store/reads-w...
Wishlist: www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls...
CONTACT ME:
Business inquiries please email me here: readswithrachel@thestation.io
All other emails go to: readswithrachel@gmail.com
Support Roma children and youth in Ukraine:
chuffed.org/project/support-r...
Support Palestinian children: www.pcrf.net/
SUPPORT INDIA DURING THEIR COVID CRISIS:
donation links
-www.careindia.org/
-www.projecthope.org/
SUPPORT COLOMBIA:
resources and info
-mailchi.mp/cb922315dfc8/sosco...
BLACK LIVES MATTER.
Resources:
-Massive list of places and people to donate to: nymag.com/strategist/article/...
-Find a protest or fundraiser near you: / events
Find literature to read
Watch Vee Kativhu's video on recommending books to learn about racism: • 10 books you MUST read...
-Support some Black youtubers by watching Myonna Reads' playlist of Black booktubers: • Black Booktubers
Support my channel
-Patreon: / readswithrachel
-Tip me on Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/readswithrachel
-Commission me for a video book review: ko-fi.com/readswithrachel/com...
-Use my link to try BOOK OF THE MONTH: www.mybotm.com/xk6xdof5vmi?sh...
-Use my link to get $10 off your first Instacart order: inst.cr/t/VTNrRWxoYmZ6
Follow me on socials
TIKTOK: / rachelwithreads
INSTAGRAM: / readswithrachel
BLUESKY: bsky.app/profile/readswithrac... 
Развлечения
Thanks so much to Ridge for sponsoring!
Get entered to win a Hennessey Ford Bronco or $75,000 through September 30th at ridge.com/readswithrachel. Use my code READSWITHRACHEL for 10% off your order.
Rachel would you ever read
The great peace by mena suvari her memoir 🤔📚📖
I’ll add it on goodreads!
@@ReadswithRachel thanks 🙂
The flow into that ad read was pretty smooth, I can’t lie.
Was it smooth or do y’all just like hearing about Carlos 😂
I remember TEACHING a comparative literature class where a student brought up Brandon Sanderson, and I said something along the lines of “I’m not sure, I haven’t read that much Sanderson.” and he dead ass looked me in the eye and said “it doesn’t surprise me, a lot of women find him too complex.”
It would have taken all my strength not to fail that student immediately and that is why I am not a teacher
My. Jaw. Is. On. The. Floor. WHAT?!? WHAT?!?!??!?
BRO. The AUDACITY some men can have. How old was he?? Who's teaching the class, kid??
Teenagers are pretentious assholes. I remember I was talking to my literature teacher once, I think it was about the hunger games though I don't remember, and I said something pretty sexists about it, I think it was something along the lines of "The author is a woman so no wonder there is corny romance in the book", I realized immediately that I sounded like an asshole, she looked at me with a smile anyway and corrected me with patience. As a teenager I had lots of sexists ideas that I didn't even know were sexists or if I knew I didn't even know I had them. I guess my point is, most teenagers want to feel smarter or better than they are, and based on my experience best solution for that is not taking those comments as offenses, see them as something a kid that hasn't had guidance said, and helo them be better.
If anyone said that to me I'd look them in the face and go "Anyone who writes over 800 pages has an over inflated ego. I have better things to do with my time than to read a book that's probably 20-40 percent filler."
As a fan of Brandon's work, this is why I try not to interact with the fandom too much. I tend to keep everything in a personal group chat with a few close friends. Partly because it's so much more satisfying to figure out the cosmere on your own, but mostly just because I don't have the energy to deal with this. I'm a lady. I like Kaladin. I like Shallan. I like Dalinar. But I have to say that my absolute favourite character Brandon has ever written is Steris Harms from the Mistborn Series, a young autistic woman trying to navigate a very neurotypical society. She was so relatable to me, and one of the first times I've truly felt seen in a book, and I have to thank Sanderson for doing his research and doing the work to write her in a way that resonated so deeply. If only it could be more appreciated.
I ADORE Steris. So much. She is so excellent, hands down one of my favorite Cosmere characters, and she's only not #1 because I have so much love for Pattern.
Someday I will design a Steris cosplay and it will have all the clever pockets.
I love Steris too! She's so cute... like.. absolutely adorable!!
It might take some time to get to know her, but she's great! =D
Y’all being wholesome about how much you love characters is making me want to go read it immediately STAHP
Mistborn? Did you mean the steris chronicles
terry pratchet is pretty neurodiversewriting, but i guess he is famous. Ad if youknow him,sorry?!
But yeah fanbases "can" be cancer.
OMG Rachel! Did you know The Way of Kings is part of this expanded universe called THE COSMERE?
Deadass almost made a joke comment like this bc it’s so hard to resist 😭
I really lucked out getting a humorous audience 💕 thanks for being here
And there are MORE BOOKS
😂😂😂
As someone whose favorite stormlight character is Shallan, it can be a little disheartening seeing the hate for her online. While I admit her character might slightly annoy some readers, she's still incredibly compelling in her struggles. Mental illness is a really important element of stormlight and the fans constantly praise Kaladin and Dalinar for their realistic struggles, so seeing people dislike shallan for those same mental health issues seemingly because they can't relate to a young woman can be kinda sad.
My now 23 year old son (started reading stormlight as a teen) identifies most strongly with Shallan. I think she is his favorite character in all of literature. I also love her character and her story arc. So I think there are plenty of us out here, we just aren’t that vocal
Imagine being 19 years old, having unalived both of your parents out of desperate need, hiding the fact that you’re a Radiant in a world that has taught you the Radiants were traitors… you’d probably be a little inconsistent in how you handle yourself and the way you engage with others. Shallan will always be my favourite character for how nuanced she is.
Not sure if Jasnah or Shallan would be my favorite character of the series. I wish I could be surprised that the fandom hates Shallan. Reasons why I read the books but avoid the fandom.
This is so true actually. Shallan is one of my favourites.
I've read a lot of bad reasons why people dislike shallan. I think she is a well-written character in a lot of ways and she is a very clever character which is always engaging However, I disliked a lot of her behaviour early in the 2nd book which imo was quite cruel and entitled bordering on abusive. I agree with what you say about the double standard regarding kaladin and dalinars with the fanbase.
So many of those commenters have Marvel brain rot. Just because stories intertwine to make a Universe doesn't mean it's inherently good or takes a lot of skill to create.
The Barbie discourse opened my eyes to just HOW much of our opinions on media, creators…etc is controlled by men. Much of what we revere we revere because it won men’s admiration, & much of what is considered “bad” art is considered so because men don’t relate to it, or flat out hate it. Men’s creations and opinions are often considered inherently profound while women’s are unfairly scrutinized. Media that appeals to a largely female audience seldom receive unanimous acclaim. I see it everywhere now and it has been changing the way I view art and media in general.
Huh so that commenter just "both sides" you while be long winded, boring and lacking hearing and reading comprehension. Like the whole video and that person just left...that "explain yourself young lady" comment.
For me, it helps when more women have spaces where they can talk about what they love without feeling judged because other women will gravitate towards that.
I tend to pick spaces where men and women can just have fun with something and have a civilized discussion on it.
I am glad there are men who do enjoy works associated with women. I just hate how the majority of opinions that get spread are the ones toxic men have which ruins the good men who just want to have fun with great works of media, made by men or women.
@@samlerf okay normally I'd let you comment so I can measure how disingenuous you are, make passive aggressive comments making fun of you and winding you up but I'm gonna deep condition my hair and paint my nails so I have no time for you so. No. To your everything. No.
Lindsay Ellis's video essay reflecting on thr Twilight zeitgeist opened my eyes to the judgement thrusted upon women's" media. Totally loosened my high mindedness. Now I'm like, it's great to be excited about something. Don't yuck.on someone's yum ❤
@@samlerf They don't need to have an open and honest conversation with someone who COMPLETELY misunderstood the subject matter at hand. Humble yourself.
It's very strange to me that these men place honor in such high esteem..... but if they actually did value honor, they wouldn't treat women like this. 🤷♂
People who fail to live up to their own ideals are far too common, sadly.
Lol "you have to understand the Cosmere to understand this book". "Way of Kings" was my first Sanderson book and I understood it just fucking fine, thanks. 😂 Did I catch every reference? Of course not. But I understood it on its own merits as its own story, and could tell there was obviously a bigger cosmic opera going on that I would learn more about. It wasn't hard.
Same! I'm actually a lore girlie who can talk all day about the magic mechanics, but you can start on Stormlight or even Secret Projects 1 and 3 just fine without background Cosmere knowledge. Like, guys, it's fun, but it's not the most plot relevant thing
"You have to understand the world of the books before you read the books" seems like an impossibility. I'm not sure where they want people to start that is in the Cosmere and teaches about it but that they think doesn't require any knowledge considering they seem to think the knowledge is so important before your first read.
You know what else men love to do? Take credit for women’s work. So as a man, I’m gonna take credit for this entire video because I DMed Rachel three weeks ago and told her to watch the Barbie movie (even though she probably already would’ve anyway)
Can confirm you get credit
😂😂😂😂
I mainly interact with the Cosmere fandom on Tumblr, where most people are queer and neurodivergent, so I didn't realize that the fandom at large was that strange 😅. I'd honestly recommend it for people who want a more open-minded, albeit smaller, fandom experience
Me, seeing a new Reads with Rachel: Oh, yay!
Me, seeing that it's about Stormlight: Oh, no, did something happen? Did Brando Sando do something bad?!
Me, realizing it's about the fandom: Oh, phew.
Hahaha sorry about the minor heart attack there
Same
I'm only on the fringe of the Sanderson fandom, but this video could have been very easily applied to the ASOIAF/GOT fandom. Both Sanderson and Martin create works that appeal to any gender and both view themselves as feminist. Yet, they attract an audience that is very 😅
I have heard this, but I’ve got to be honest the amount of women who I know who read a song of ice and fire is pretty low so I haven’t witnessed it but I believe you
@@ReadswithRachelthere’s a lot of us!!!! I think the tumblr asoiaf fandom is like 90% women lmao
My experience in the ASOIAF fandom has been mostly positive, as long as I stay off Reddit. I feel like on RUclips the fandom is more inclusive of women, but that comes from the fact that some of the biggest creators are very outspokenly liberal, and will block the assholes. But the negatives boil down to my issue with most men, when you disagree with them (even on subjective things with no right answer) they will always try to argue with you to change your mind, and then call you argumentative.
Ohhh so similar to the LOTR online fandom then
@@ReadswithRachelto be fair though, the GoT showrunners are pretty bad at feminism. Not only did they show off the women character’s intelligence by suddenly turning all the men into idiots, they also did the whole “being r***d made me into a stronger and better woman” thing with Sansa which is just 🤮
It's so frustrating. My husband is a scientist in cellular and molecular biology, and he often will question my sources in what I felt are just conversations. Where'd you read that, RUclips? Like nothing on RUclips is educational or factual and I only watch trash, opinionated commentary, and conspiracy theories? It brings my train of thought to a halt, and makes me irritated.
Oh that would make me lose my frickin mind
That sucks :(. He needs to have some compassion for you as his wife. But, to comment on something you said "Like nothing on RUclips is educational or factual " - A scientist doesn't care if there is or isn't factual or educational content on youtube, what they care about is whether it's verifiable as a fact. You'd have to learn something on youtube, then go on to read actual studies, and then after reading the studies you'd then have to read literature and meta reviews to ensure the studies you read were good studies or not.
It sounds though like your husband is kind of arrogant. He shouldn't be holding you to the same rigour as he would a colleague. Most people don't state their sources when having a conversation with their partner.
My ex was like that as well... just having a conversation was exhausting.
It's not why he's an ex but it definitely isn't missed...
i wish you the best!! that sounds exhausting :(. maybe he should go talk to his cells in the lab if he doesn't want to have a human conversation!!!
If you haven't yet, confront him about it. If you have done that do it until he begs you to stop, like on his knees begs. Then be like "Oh so when you do it to be about cellular and molecular biology it's fine, but now suddenly it becomes a problem when I do it?" It's petty, but if conversation didn't work then this is the next best thing.
I keep my Brando Sando, Dune, John Gwynne, and Wheel of Time books all on the dresser by my bed and I feel like the unread ones mock me. They're saying, "you don't feel like committing to 600-1200 pages right now but you'll read five 300-400 page books back to back? 'Kay."
I mean especially wheel of time, 14 books each 700-800 pages and Robert Jordan describes a tree for two pages 😭😭
@@rat-xo7mj I mean, the tree will take up only a few sentences, but he will go on and on like a DND Dungeon master detailing every bit of the scene around that tree and a few internal thoughts by the character about how are frustrating and confusing.
@@danielbroome5690 also nynaeve tugging her braid and "hey this happened let's definitely not tell moiraine about this"
That last Wheel of Time book is mocking me from my Kindle right now. I don't think I've ever forgiven Robert Jordan for turning out so many ox stunners chock full of tugged braids and lovingly described dresses.
@@serendouss9575... [jots "ox stunners" in commonplace book]
This is so icky. My favorite character is Lift, who is a little girl, and I believe I read somewhere that she is one of Sanderson's favorite characters too. How did these weirdos miss that Sanderson isn't into toxic masculinity?
Lift is so great.
“Do you have a weapon?”
“Nope! Can’t read!”
Oh god, the Shallan hatred from the fandom is awful. She's an amazing character and i know so many Systems who adore her.
Anyway, Stormlight is so damn good, but yeah people are annoying about it sometimes. It's so ironic that men get like this when a lot of the masculine roles in Vorin culture are meant to illustrate how relative and nonsensical gender roles can be
I love shallan she's one of my favorite characters in the series
Oh that’s right Shallan is the character who is DID rep right?
I went into the series fully expecting to not like Shallan given how much hate she gets from the fandom, but she actually became one of my favorite characters as I kept reading. Granted, I will admit I think that the criticism her "witty" sense of humor is forced is somewhat fair, but I find that it helps when you interpret it as a coping mechanism for her trauma
@@ReadswithRachelThat she is!
@@ReadswithRachel yes she is
Rachel: Let’s talk about Way of Kings
Me *who has never read a single Brandon Sanderson book*: Let’s 🍿
Ironically, in this very series, the epitome of 'masculinity' (Dalinar) goes on a journey to embrace his vulnerability and more 'feminine' side (ie. learns to read, which is a feminine art and makes other people in this world feel uneasy about him)... so male fans of the series really should take that onboard and check their behaviour in real life since they all love Dalinar so much!
this reminds me of a comment i read on another booktuber's video (who was a man) about cassandra clare's fanfiction plagiarism. it was from a guy who was thanking the youtube creator for his presence in a community that is largely represented by women, as being a male minority could feel alienating and lonely. it immediately made me bristle. why?
well, because of something you touched on in this video! women's opinions don't matter, until a man comes along and validates it. somehow men are only capable of listening to, relating to, and appreciating other men's opinions and views. it's very, very frustrating and dehumanizing. not to mention, another insidious implication about comments like those is that femininity and womanhood is less than. that these hobbies and interests are something men should feel ashamed for enjoying because they're associated primarily with women.
in short, women are people! they're human beings! why is that not enough for you to be able to relate to them and appreciate their contributions? why do you feel lonely when you're surrounded by other people who are just as passionate about the same interests? women didn't manufacture that loneliness, and they certainly aren't the ones perpetuating it either.
you can't say the same about women trying to enjoy ~male-coded~ activities that are dominated by a male majority. that's a whole other topic of discussion!
That’s actually kinda sad, I hope he grows out of that mindset :(
I can be a very insecure guy but me liking fanfiction is not a reason. It’s literally mentioned in three of my online bios. I’ll even read an obvious romance novel in public cuz idgaf what people think.
It gets worse once you look into any field and realise that despite all social restrictions there have been women with meaningful contributions. But they've remained invisible, unless someone specifically looks up their names or looks for women in that field they don't come up in searches.
Philosophy, medicine, maths, music, ... you name it
This has happened to me irl too!! I’ve been in bookstores with friends and said something like “oh i liked brandon Sanderson books but i have criticisms” and a man has popped up EVERY TIME to tell me I’m wrong and talk at me!! It’s so bizarre and offputting!!
Oh god not popping up outta nowhere
Now I want to go to a bookstore and try this summoning trick
I love shallahn and her harmful self expectation to be able to be anything and anytime. A daughter, a mother, a woman of the house and that's just the beginning. It's so easy to lose yourself in every role when you're pulled in every direction trying to be what everyone needs and wants.
I feel that!
genuinely i am definitely the ken who geeks about the godfather bc i'm autistic as hell. except it's not the godfather, it's vampire literature and horror movies.
also really pretentious games with rich storylines that i can hyperfixate on.
Ohhh which games
@@ReadswithRachel dragon age, elder scrolls, and yume nikki (the source of my default pic!), even though yume nikki is kinda vague in its story, so it's more up for interpretation which gives you a lot to go off of in terms of obsessing over details. also tales of xillia 1 and 2, and of course the red dead redemption series. that made me bawl my eyes out. there's also a visual novel called "we know the devil" that i cannot sing praise for enough. all of those are things that bounce around my brain like a pingpong ball 24/7 😭
@@rudedrugs God Elderscrolls has such ridiculously deep lore. You go down a rabbit hole from "who is this character?" and end up learning about how Gods mantle each other and zero-summing, chim, the towers holding reality together, and the Arcturian heresy. I love it so much.
@@danielbroome5690 i know! and you can read books in there too that are just little flavor texts that add so much to the environment! and then you'll see references back to those books in the lore around you. like it's such a popular series and yet it's still so understated on how rich that world is.
I attended a book club meeting where we discussed The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin. One of the men in attendence hated the book and proceeded to point out all its flaws compared to a Brandon Sanderson novel. The Brando Sando fan club can be a bit much. He never came back to book club (next couple of books were written by female authors)
The Fifth Season is so based. Good riddance to that asshole.
As someone who adores both authors, I have to say, I love Brandon, but I've never read prose as good as N.K. Jemisin's. I love the way she writes rage and how passionately she writes her themes
NK JEMISIN IS THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME
I'd say that's more of an idiotic asshole thing than an specific author fanclub thing.
The amount of times I've had Tolkien mansplained to me cos they persieved me as a woman is wild. So I can understand the frustration with the male Sanderson fandom.
"Thirsting after Legolas on Tumblr doesn't make you a Tolkien fan~~" -Random guy butting into a private conversation
I am sorry, but I noticed this video wasn't even 1000 pages. Consider changing this video's length because I can't handle reading/watching anything shorter. It hurts my brain. Oh, and did you know that the Way of Kings is part of a connected universe with many other series written by Brandon Sanderson. Brandon Sanderson also is an author. If you didn't know, well, now you know.
🤣🤣🤣🤣
I was a little worried going into this. TWOK was the book that got me back into reading after a long depression. Sanderson also got me back into writing, and the fantasy novel I just completed was the project that got me onto a top-rated creative writing master’s programme. To say that this book holds a special place in my heart would be an understatement.
I was pleasantly surprised to get to the end. You perfectly encapsulated why I stopped engaging in the Sando Fandom. The amount of times I’ve been mansplained when I mention that Shallan and Jasnah are my favourite characters, the ones I find most relatable… yet no. I’m the burned out overachiever in my family. I can’t identify with either the introverted scholarly thief wannabe OR the brilliant
academic who makes it her mission to find the truth. I have to identify with Kaladin and Dalinar because theirs are the *only* POVs that count in this book. Words of Radiance is my favourite out of the four (well, six if you include the novellas) books that we have. Oathbringer has some of my favourite scenes, but Shallan is my favourite character.
TWOK is about two men who are in DIRECT OPPOSITION to what their society believes. Kaladin can read glyphs in a world where men can’t read. Dalinar is taking a more pacifist approach in a culture that lusts for war. Much like Ken, who finds purpose in his existence outside of Barbie. It’s staggering how few men understand that.
Not trying to mansplain Hella sexist word but. In my opinion that is just not a very nuanced look at the characters in storm light archive because yes Dalinar tries to not fight Khaladin has to learn how to fight at least against evil. And no I don't really love Shallan to be fair I don't even know why other then me loving her in the first book and probably just not really enjoying the person she becomes. But again I think it's definitely not the moral that you shouldn't Fight and that stupid sexist rules are stupid. In my opinion the first books biggest theme is the struggle to become better and that acting good does not guarantee goodness in life.
When Barbie came out there was The Guardan article about the narrative in the movie actually depicts Ken as victim of the patriatchi that references bell hooks and I was both reminded of you and noticed for the first time that bell hooks has no caps in her name.... Great article, in any case...
The Barbie movie was nice but everything in that movie bell hooks said but better. No shade to it because I recognize it’s cultural importance at this point and we’re society is and how accessible it made opening that conversation but I wish that we had started the conversation with bell hooks. Do you know what I mean?
@@ReadswithRachel not the OP, but i know what you mean! and i'm *tired*. it's so, so hard to not get bitter about shit like this, but it's exhausting having to wait at least a decade or so before everyone else starts to get onto the same page of a book you've already read cover to cover a few times.
I remember seeing a Facebook post where a woman was asking people to recommend fantasy and sci-fi novels written by women. The first three responses were for Brandon Sanderson's Storm Light Archive series and for Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels.
I just shake my head sometimes. As we said to the Harry Potter fans so long ago: Please read another book. I say this as a fan of Sanderson, there are so many better books out there.
Or they go to
Goodkind who was a bit freaky imo.
I haven't read her books myself, but I've heard good things about NK Jemisin.
@nafalii4202 Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir. The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Catherine Webb. The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin. Middlegame by Seanan McGuire. The Goblin Emperor by Sarah Monette. That's all I can think of off the top of my head, but it's a start.
C. J. Cherryh Has some fabulous sci fi. Definitely recommend
I like Martha Wells' books.
"Talk to me like I'm one of your french boys." Fantastic.
Thing is...Stormlight has an in-text, in-world reckoning with gender norms and a particular culture's elevation of violence that kicks off in, I think, the third book. It's even championed by someone who could be considered the Manliest Man to Ever Man under those norms.
Right!? Funny how the men who left those comments fail to realize that... it's not like they're completely overlooking themes and criticisms in the narrative lol
Exactly, when Dalinar starts to learn how to write and read - it is Vorin analogue of our Western world men who start to do makeup and wear a dress.
I've been a ST SW Marvel and MCU fan since the 1970s and have read books and seen movies on these fandoms for years and I still get challenged, because of my gender... so annoying
I identify as a woman, and the Stormlight Archive means the world to me and has helped me through an incredibly difficult time. I don't generally interact with fandom in general for a few reasons, but I've met a few people in person (all of whom were men) and they were all very nice and just excited to talk to someone else who had read the books. I'm glad that I've never encountered fans like the ones you show in this video. I cannot stand the hate of Shallan; in my opinion she is an incredible character who feels genuine and complex for being written by a man. I do know that there is a portion of the fanbase that are arrogant, pseudo intellectual gatekeepers that make us all look bad. I hope you can just ignore the people who want to leave condescending or hateful comments.
I don't know why people can't just enjoy a book and have fun talking to others about it without having to prove how "smart" they are. Also Stormlight Archive is an intense special interest of mine so I dare a random man to say he knows more about the lore than me lol
Hearing two people say it’s a coping mechanism really helps me have that solidly in mind before entering that book and thanks to that context I’ll likely enjoy it more
I feel kind of guilty reading all of these comments of other people (especially women) feeling so frustrated by the hate for shallan b/c I cannot stand her 😅 it’s the wittiness and the “I have no clue what I’m doing so I’ll just pretend that I do and somehow it always pans out for me” that really grinds my gears. But I digress. Maybe someday when I reread it I’ll like her more 👀
It's okay to not jive with a character! Your opinion is valid
@@pippaschroeder4388 Oh I see, that makes more sense. You're definitely right about it being a coping mechanism. It still feels like a lot of people are being unnecessarily mean to her, but I respect those who don't like her without being cruel about it
I think what’s important to emphasise (and what is often forgotten) is that sanderson is a devout mormon and that is profoundly reflected in his work, ESPECIALLY how he addresses and writes about race
the shit sanderson fans will excuse away in the name of “worldbuilding” is absurd
Thank you for the warning, I dont see this point mentioned a lot but it would definitely come btw me and my ability to "escape".
Yeah the Darkeyes/Lighteyes narrative makes me nervous. Kaladin’s pain and grief from an actual race-based caste system is called “a chip on his shoulder” and if that’s the last of that 😬
What exactly in his writing do you find racist?
@@rebeccaroy3751 Now class, if you look to your left, you'll find our most popular exhibit: the Sea Lion!
*it's just a Reads With Rachel video, it can't hurt you*
God, this discussion gives me the most VISCERAL flashbacks to college (well over a decade ago, so sadly these types of fans stay around) when I had a "friend" who strongarmed me into reading Brando Sando because he was his favorite author so of course I needed to read and love everything, but in a way that was inferior to him so he could be A Better Fan™ than I was. It was exhausting. The worst part was I did actually enjoy the books, but the experience was so negatively impacted by that "friend" that I can't read any of them anymore. Despite being an actual English major whose ENTIRE academic career was centered on literary analysis, he refused to accept that I could possibly have any insights into the books or anything interesting to say about them.
Needless to say, we are no longer friends.
I'm so sorry i know this wasn't the point at all but seeing A Better Fan caused me to sing that to the tune of Pearl Jam's Better Man
I wonder if these men realize that they are coloring the reading experience of so many others by acting this way
@@ReadswithRachel okay that made me laugh! And sadly I really don't think they do realize that, but even if they did/do, I don't know if they would care, because THEY are the "real" fans, after all. They don't care if they drive off more casual fans or people who don't fan "correctly" (in their opinion). I've unfortunately had very similar experiences with multiple fandoms that are popular with men, and every time it ultimately drove me away because it was such a toxic environment.
Except the english mayor career that is almost the same experience as I had with an ex-friend-
I've been writing since I'm ten and tried to work on my own writing since im 12 and realized, that you actually do have to "learn" how to write. And while I definitely do not know as much as an english major, every tiny "issue" I had with Sanderson books were just proof, how I would never be a good author because I dont understand fiction.
Like damn, Mistborn 1 and warbreaker where pretty slow. And I was not a big fan of the love Story in Mistborn 1 or how Vin barely did anything till the last third of the book. It weren't even "Sanderson is not a good author because _" but "I did not really like what he did there."
And everything had to end in a fight. Just so tiring.
(Sorry for my bad english, not my first language!)
Oh boy, I’m only 8-ish minutes in and the subject you’re covering has already gotten me to see red.
That habitual behavior of guys “talking at you, not with you” is so pervasive, and it’s interesting for me to observe that even other guys are on the receiving end of it. Just as you pointed out in this video, it’s a lot more noticeable in nerd/geek communities where there is an expectation to be familiar with the source material in order to engage with the community. There is a certain breed of people who take that encyclopedic knowledge as their whole personality and turn it into some dick measuring contest. And just like with the Godfather, I intentionally avoid bringing up certain works because I do not want to be pulled into what is to become a lecture over something I’m already hesitant about because members of its community have a reputation of being bothersome to deal with. Star Wars, Star Trek, Tolkien being examples.
Over the years, I’ve seen what other people do to combat this annoyance. Disengagement, never letting them interrupt you, speaking your full piece, questioning the merit and/or intention of their statements, correcting their inaccuracies, and never playing defense. I’ve found that it easily weeds out those who try to one-up you, and it allows introspection from those who aren’t aware of how their behavior comes off. Especially when you ask about their intent or seek clarification from them. It’s a small way of challenging them to try to open better communication if they’re truly not coming from bad faith.
And don’t get me started on those “1000 pages is so easy” crowd. The book community already has had this tiresome discussion multiple times, and it needs to die. It’s in the same vein of “doing audiobooks isn’t really reading” and “you aren’t a real reader of you haven’t read X genre/follow X literary award.” These opinions contribute nothing to the betterment of the community and only seek to gatekeep.
With persistently falling reading rates in youths, state-sponsored censorship of literature and diminishing leisure time we should do all we can to welcome budding readers and make reading as accessible as possible. I do not have time nor motivation to invest into a 1000 page book that I may end up hating. I do not have to prove my worth as a reader to someone else’s expectations, certainly not to a stranger who knows nothing about my life.
Reading is meant to be our personal journeys, not pissing contests.
Not letting men interrupt you...if only it were that easy
All of this. I have nothing to say except YES
For all the men who were bragging about how easily they read long books, and reading 1k pages before breakfast or whatever, I have to wonder how they have so much free time. I suspect there's a partner in their lives performing unpaid labor.
Ive never seen men do this. Only women. 😂 but I guess that's how it goes.
The funniest thing to me was the guy who was saying that he didn't like it because he was autistic. Like- storms man! So am I! And the Cosmere is one of my special interests! Ppl just have different tastes lol
(Also Renarin is my favourite character :3 )
Also these guys in general seem like they think they're Kaladin or Dalinar, when they're really emulating Amaram xD
Renarin stans unite 🤝
@@rubydown3329 Storms yeah 🤝
I love watching the fandom come together in my comments this is so wholesome
@@ReadswithRachel Indeed! Apart from THOSE guys, the fandom is one of my favourites. Can't wait to see what you think of Elantris!
You can say many thing about Shallan: her humor isnt for all, it can be dificult to read her part specially when she switches between her, veil and radiant, etc but she is an awsome character. And fun fact: The fan favourite Dalinar (and his son Renarin) defy the gender roles of the religion cause its is stupid that something so necesary is just for women and that there is strenght in expresing the emotions and not give in to anger or bloodlust. I feel like that is Bando Sando way of saying that the strict gender roles are kinda stupid and do what you like or need and that those ideas of masculinity should be challenged and changed.
Yeah, I've always felt her humor didn't land very well, but I always put that on Brandon's feet, not Shallan's. She is by far one of the most interesting characters in the series, and I like pretty much everything about her. It's a shame the fanbase is so toxic about her.
I like Shallan's humor. Though sometimes it's painful to watch when you notice how it's used to hide her pain. There's a lot of growth in her, though right now it still feels like she's in the it-needs-to-get-worse-before-it-gets-better phase. Also, Patter too is hillarious and I struggle to restist the urge to shout out quotes from him XD
That said, although he's not my favorite character, Kaladin is probably the one I relate to the most. Probably because I can relate to his depression.
My favorite is Wit... I really like witty characters =)
@@Spagettigeist I love shallan's humour and pattern is my favourite spren. I want the best for the three of them and cant wait to see them grow, I just started RoW and Im so happy that she is now working with Radiant and Veil.
Most of my favourite characters are mainly women, specially Jasnah (slay those Fused my ace Queen), cause i love scholars and crafters
Yes! I love Renarin! As a trans, gay, autistic guy, He's is relatable to me on multiple levels! Also I seem to be one of the few ppl who enjoys Shallan's humor, but I am an enjoyer of bad puns lol
@@AceOfSpades455 I wish we spent more time with his POV cause Im also a gay autistic
i was going to do a reading vlog for this book but got 100 pages in and was like “damn, i’m bored” and i realized i could never post that video lol
It happens! I’ve stopped and restarted empire of the vampire thrice
If real literature is 1,000 pages or less, NO ONE tell Sara J Mass.
The only Sanderson I've read is the first Mistborn novel, and I liked it, but it really stood out to me that the entire book had basically only one substantial non-male character. I mentioned it to a guy friend who read along with me and he didn't even notice.
Sanderson has responded that he was used to defaulting characters to male and he's trying to do better (and I appreciate that he responded to that critique), but it's fascinating to me that guys don't notice this kind of thing because it doesn't seemingly conflict with their worldview. The fact that Sanderson wrote a whole book and he, his editors and publishers didn't think, "Huh, isn't it weird that there's only one female character?"
Regardless, I am a huge fantasy fan and Way of Kings has been on my physical TBR forever, I'm looking forward to reading it.
That’s fair!
The way Sanderson's ready to evolve as an author AND simultaneously become a better person is honestly the bare minimum one could ask of a man, but also the reason I cling to his books as much as I do. He's said some very fucked up stuff before, and then later on apologised and actively reflected his changed views in his books, and for a Mormon, that's like. Very neat. Makes me think of a certain British terf who keeps choosing weird fucking hills to die on.
The weirdest thing about this, is his is on record saying he regrets this about Mistborn 1 and in the screenplay he's writing for it has changed some member of the gang to be female this time - this caused a lot of people being like 'why? there's no need' 'this ruins the character' so forth....when like he gave you a very legit why and it's his vision.
@@Sacae I didn't know that, that's really good to hear! And sadly the response to it is not surprising to me at all.
I don't see a problem
I read The Way of Kings. Enjoyed it. Couldn't understand why such a small amount of plot required such a large number of pages.
Having read Brandon Sanderson and being a bookseller, I try my best to reccomend his books to women not only because of how much I love them but also to be the welcoming voice in what in my experience, has been a very male dominated hostile fandom. I want to help women not be afraid to read his books and show that there is a space for us to like them.
I'm a big Brandon Sanderson fan and a man and I've found myself not engaging in as much online fourms for books because of bad fan behavior. Not only have i seen what you've mentioned with the mansplaining, I've seen male members snap at women easily during discussions. I even saw one member defend the legalization of sexual assault in Mistborn. 🤮
And a lot of his other fans have trouble taking the tiniest criticisms. As if criticizing something is a personal attack.
I love his books but I've learned to keep my distance from the fandom.
Defending WHAT
@ReadswithRachel I can't remember the entire rant because honestly, I'd prefer not to, but it was basically a 'The Lord Ruler Was Right' post, which isn't that uncommon in the Mistborn fandom but this dude took it further by saying Rashek was right to allow the Nobility to rape skaa women as long as they killed them afterwards. He gave off major incel vibes. Thankfully, all genders came rallying against him, but it was still one of the most unhinged rants I've ever seen in a fandom group online. Which is saying something.
@@graysenbaker250YEESH. Like, there are certainly areas where it could be argued the Lord Ruler was really just trying his best, but that....that is not one of them.
Well that’s certainly an opinion he had there…. Yeesh
Honestly, this happens in lots of fandoms. In the ASOIAF fandom, for example, a lot of men REALLY hate it you come in with a different perspective on the female characters. They’re shocked when you point out that Arya is just as spoilt as Sansa and a lot more unpleasant in terms of her behaviour. Then when you back it up with stuff from the books, they throw tantrums.
Personally when I talk on my perspective of women in a song, ice and fire series and how Grrm isn’t as feminist as folks label him to be you swear that I unalived there family members or something
@@krow5099 I mean, I give GRRM some grace, considering his age, but yeah. He is pretty sexist and not just in the most obvious ways.
Like, he doesn’t seem to really understand a woman’s sphere and how it worked in the medieval era, or what medieval families were actually like. He just goes with a Victorian model and tries to stick with it, lol.
This is one of the reasons why i don't interact with the fandom at all, and it's very sad! I love these books but me being a (queer) woman make me feel like i don't belong, that I will never be a part of the "real fanbase".
There's a lot of conservatives in the fandom unfortunately. But I recently got involved in the Cosmere fandom on Tumblr and it's so much healthier! Just a bunch of queer spoonies who like to gush about the books
@@NadirEatsRocks oh really? Maybe its time i create a tumblr account... thank you so much !!
Personally I've not experienced much in the way of conservative fans in this series. I think that highly depends on which groups you are in. There's PLENTY that are overwhelmingly left-wing.
If I'm being honest the fandom can be hella queer when you go on the right platforms, as mentioned tumblr is great but even the parts of the instagram fandom I've interacted with are pretty good. I've only really found the more hardcore elitists on the 17th shard forums (even then it's mostly just highly specific theorizing occurring there)
I don't follow any of the main Sanderson tags on Tumblr, but the #cremposting tag is so good LMAO
Honestly, the Sanderson fans are such a big reason I've kind of avoided a lot of his work. I read the Mistborn trilogy and have the unpopular opinion that I actually really didn't like how it ended but I'm always afraid to say that because I know fans will come flocking to me to tell me why I'm wrong and why it's perfect and here's all the other works of his I should read. The fandom doesn't really accept critique or criticism of his work at all. I'm sure he's a perfectly nice dude (Mormonism aside) and a good author but his fanbase really intimidates me and has kept me from trying anything else by him (and the fact that I didn't like his previously most popular series).
Oh man, an ex-friend more or less forced me through the first Mistborn book. And he was so insanly pissed that I didnt like it. Frankly I think its one of the reasons that we're not friends anymore. He could not understand why I felt it was weird that we spent the whole book with Vin, who mostly goes to balls and has this kinda insta love thing with Elend, instead with the characters that actually did stuff.
Like not even "that book is bad" more a "I wish we had cut that part down". And of course that take meant that I was just not capable to understand the genius of Sanderson. It really turned me off reading the second band or anything else from the author - even tho I DO believe, that he is a good author with great ideas. Just having to constantly explain why something didnt work for me, made me feel like Sanderson truly is not for me. Not because Im not "smart" enough but because Im not allowed to do anything but worship him.
(Same dude also ranted whenever I did so much as mention Six of Crows how much he hated everything about that series and how mistborn was the better Six of Crows. Like not even mentioned it to him, but just mentioned in a chat where he was too. So tiring.
I couldn't get into Stormlight archive (I read the first two books, so I gave it a real effort) or Mistborn...but I have absolutely loved Elantris, Warbreaker, and Skyward. I'm glad I kept reading, since I initially thought after reading his two most popular series that his writing wasn't for me.
Ah yes the good old "wimmen can'rt grasp the complexity of his genius" bullshit. Never mind Sanderson is not that complex, his stuff is actually approachable, very solidly written with some fantastic lady characters and a great method for magic systems. I seriously recommend his uni lectures he hosts on his youtube channel because he's a great teacher with a really clear and concise way of breaking down story concepts.
And never mind that Complex does not automatically mean Good. This was actually a point of argument in my writing BFA classes regarding literature, that there's a tendency to ascribe quality to complexity at the expense of much more vital clarity. Clarity when dealing with layered and nuanced ideas is much harder to achieve and takes greater skill. Anyone can write rambling prose and a lot of people do. (i mean hello 70/80's scifi operas) Writing, storytelling, it's all communication and if your communication isn't clear, complex and nuanced in meaning or not, you've failed in your task.
It's amazing to me that people think Sanderson is "complex". I've rarely read books with such surface level themes that are over-explained to the audience. They're long books, so a lot happens. That doesn't make it challenging.
@Hungarycloud That, too. I've read complex fantasy. I've read convoluted fantasy. Sanderson isn't complex, but he is a big popular male name. So again, there's an
assumption that if male therefore complex, therefore good. Meanwhile, some of the more complex and boundary pushing books I've read recently? Wasn't by cis white dudes.
@EleiyaUmei .... First of all, I'm a nb woman, hi. I chose 'lady' to avoid the ferengi esque 'feeeemale' i hear in my head whenever this subject comes up since female can and has been used by misogynists to dehumanise women. You got my meaning regardless.
No hate, but was this really necessary?
@@EleiyaUmeiI’m not exactly interested in nitpicking over terminology when it’s tangential at best to the subject.
@@EleiyaUmei let's just stop using words altogether since people we don't like might also use them.
The Brandon Sanderson fandom makes me wish we lived in the book's society where men can't read.
Lmao 😂
10:15--This sounds like toxic people within the Rick and Morty fandom, "You need to have a higher IQ to watch this show!" and everyone is mostly chilled and the creator is like, "WTF?"
The creators are also toxic though. Justin Roiland got fired a few months ago for sending sexual messages to minors. Sanderson probably isn't misogynistic, but he is homophobic.
I haven’t done this on purpose, but I have never watched Rick and Morty so I’ll have to take yalls word for this stuff.
@@ReadswithRachel Oh no, I'm not saying you did but saying it reminds me of that. I am not big on the show, but someone called RPG Monger (who is from Florida) did a video on the fandom: ruclips.net/video/xaR-paDT9CM/видео.html&pp=ygUZcnBnIG1vbmdlciByaWNrIGFuZCBtb3J0eQ%3D%3D
I just want you to know, I read The Will the Change because of one of your videos, and I'm grateful you recommend it so often. It was excellent. Keep sharing it!
THIS COMMENT REPLENISHED MY WEARY SOUL
I've found that usually men who mansplain are insecure in their masculinity. I find it kind of sad.
100%. This is rooted in insecurity. The existence of gender hierarchy makes it so that men always feel the need to make themselves feel as if they know more and are more than women. I wish this isn’t some thing they felt they needed to prove to themselves. I think they would balk at this, but they would actually feel a lot more piece if they would see themselves as equals with women.
@@ReadswithRachel Definitely. Imagine if no one had to prove their gender to everyone all the time. What a relief it would be for men! Gender equality would be helpful for everyone.
I've also known some men who are really just not capable of thinking "does she know this already?" before speaking. Because duh, they must know more.
I read the way of kings a while ago. I loved the Kaladin chapters and wasn't particularly engaged by the Shallan chapters. It wasn't until I re-read the book years later with a more mature and open mindset that I learned I didn't like the Shallan chapters as much before because I simply wasn't paying as much attention to them, and that when you actually treat her character as one with as much potential for nuance and interest that suddenly she goes from exposition machine with girl problems to a lot more. I hope these men can find themselves taking the same journey.
I'm a Sanderson fan and I love your videos and I've heard you mention Sanderson before so I was excited that this video came up. I really appreciate your view and how you aren't tearing people down but explaining the issue and showing us how we can improve.
I'm so glad!
I swear I've actually seen Sanderson say somewhere that he acknowledges his early writings of women characters weren't great and he is still actively trying to improve on it. Anyways, I've only read Elantris and enjoyed it. Looking forward to your review of it.
I get enough mansplaining in my job, it's probably good I'm not in these fandoms.
(My phone wrote "I get enough manslaughter in my job..." Well it has not QUITE gotten that bad but i can't say the thought has never occurred to me)
The FBI agent reading your comment like 👀
@@ReadswithRachel it's okay, they'll never find the bodies
I've been told that as a woman, I clearly didn’t understand the nuisances of Interview With a Vampire and that I should read a book written by another woman, *"Like Twilight or maybe Little Women."* this guy legit though Anne Rice was a penname and it was written by a man. I was about 17 back then. I wanted to hit him with the books I was carrying. 😖
Love this. In Mistborn, I did like when one of the characters is told 'oh she's not like OTHER girls' and responds, 'I think you'll find the more girls you talk to, the more fit that description' and was like 'RIGHT?!?'. There are still some eyebrow raising undertones, but after finding out he was Mormon those made a lot more sense, and I can at least tell he's trying so that's positive. Maybe someday he'll finally break he and his loved ones out of the cult so he doesn't have to worry about being exiled from them all as an apostate.
And, funny story - I was an adult when I first heard of and interacted with people who talked about Twilight; I had no idea it was considered a 'teenage girl book' because the people I knew who read it were two really toxic women in their 40s in my workplace who would just stand in my work area going on and on about a story I came to absolutely loathe. I told them the age gap was gross and yes I understand vampires thank you but she's literally a CHILD, the stalking and treatment of the love interest for romance was gross, the purity culture treatment was bullshit (as someone deconstructing the trash patriarchy I grew up in as an Exvangelical), and then when they called me out for not giving it a chance and I was only getting part of the story and was so negative, I told them I'd look more into it and read the Wikipedia. I came back the next day even MORE pissed because now I had the entire plot summary of all the books and found out about the whole 'Edward ate his way through Bella's womb to birth the baby' and 'Jacob liked Bella because he was really in love with Bella's egg (wtf???) and now he's looked her baby in the eye he'll help raise her as his future wife' parts. When I found out this trash was being SOLD TO teenage girls I was equal parts livid and horrified.
Ok but holy shit someone mansplained tress of the emerald sea to me. 😂 my tiktok said I like the funny yet wise narrator and some dude commented “ that’s cause it’s narrated by hoid and he’s funny and wise.” Like um SIR that’s literally what I JUST SAID. 😂
WHYYYYYYY
@@ReadswithRachel I replied with “ I got that, that’s why I said it.” I want to read Sanderson more but this scares me. 😂😂
hi, just wanted to pass along that watching your videos is reigniting my love for literature and literary discussion, so thank you for that lol
Wow! Holy crap I'm so glad to hear this
Gods, as someone who's deep in the Sanderson fandom, it's super depressing to see other people's first encounter with Sanderson fans being those gatekeepy, mysoginist chulls. The larger fandom is diverse, creative, and queer as fuck, but of course it's those chucklenuts who have to hijack the spotlight and make us all look like assholes. :/ At this point it's way too late for me to say "I hope this doesn't taint your view of us all", but I do hope it at least doesn't taint your view of the books themselves too badly.
Oh, it doesn’t taint my view of the books at all, but it does make me very wary about how I navigate reviewing them once I finish them because I don’t want to end up feeling as frustrated as Emma was
Oh, yeah, that is absolutely understandable.
I had been thinking about making a video about this for so long because I experienced this but I am so glad that you made this. You covered so many bases and came with receipts.
Some of his books are my favorites of all time, however I personally had issues with the way the women were written in storm light archive. I would be curious to hear your thoughts if you decide to read it.
I don’t understand this “longer book = better book” mentality, but it’s so prevalent in the fantasy fandom and among men in my experience. This is a fantastic video bc it addresses the problem and gives such practical advice to help it. ❤ As someone who’s been perceived as a woman and a man at different times of my life, it’s unreal/frustrating how men treat women in fandom in general
I stay away from pretty much all fandoms. I hated GoT and wrote a review about how I hated it and found it needless, gross, and misogynistic. And I mentioned liking fantasy books and GoT was recommended to be because I liked fantasy. Some dude was like "yeah well what fantasy do you even read if you hate this?!"
I have pretty much stayed away from Sanderson, I think partly because my mindset "not more epic fantasy written by a dude." and more of the same from men fans. Recently I read Tress of the Emerald Sea and fell in love. I'm ready to read more Sanderson and avoid the fandom.
"What fantasy do you even read" is so telling. THERE IS SO MUCH OUT THERE MY GUY! BROADEN THOSE HORIZONS!
Why are these men talking about having books connected by the same universe like it’s some never-done-before concept? Like it’s cool but not outstanding in and of itself 💀
My eyes glaze over whenever I see some “classic” book or movie that men traditionally enjoy because half the time it’s some mid shit that merely reifies their masculinity
I love Emma and she handled those comments perfectly. Also, this video and the discorse is perfection.
As always, well said and highly entertaining.
Thank you so much!
Women gravitate to romance because our fantasy is to be treated well, to love and be loved and to have a successful sexual and emotional relationship. That is our dream because in a patriarchal world this IS often a fantasy. Then we are ridiculed for DARING to dream about being happy. How STUPID we are to think we could ever have that.
Men don't need to fantasize about this because as men living in a patriarchal society it is simply their due to be loved and worshipped by women. And if the women don't follow the natural order of things they are the defective ones.
It's quite depressing when you think about it too hard. The second we even dream about being happy men fell the need to ridicule us for it. Best not set women's expectations too high, am I right?
Well, not every women wants that.
@@NightOwlReader2790 True! Perhaps I should have said the women who gravitate to romance novels. I personally don't read them but I think for the women who do it taps into the very real human need of wanting to be loved. And love doesn't always need to be romantic.
I have questioned why romance is so popular, but now I get it. I even like it myself nowadays, Pride & Prejudice is my favorite novel.
But I’ve also had the opposite feeling about myself. “I’m fat, I can’t drive, I have mental health issues, I live at home, I can’t find longer term employment, etc so why would any woman want me?”
@@nocturne6032 I read romance novels sometimes because sometimes I need a break from thrillers and true crime. And usually I read queer romcoms that are low on steam or smut. And you mention that women who read romance wants a successful sexual relationship, which makes me think you are also referring to romantic love, which is why I commented in the first place.
Though, sexual relationship doesn't necessarily mean there is any love there, so there's a lot that can be discussed in regards to that.
@@NightOwlReader2790 It's definitely complex!
The comment that says he skips over fantasy books that aren’t 800+ pages absolutely sent me
Like Tolkien books are usually 300-ish pages on average and he’s largely considered the father of fantasy so going by that commenter’s logic he just won’t read Tolkien lol
My exposure to Sanderson comes from his finishing the Wheel of Time series after the author's passing. While I'm grateful we got the last 3 novels, generally . . . his takes on the characters and his choices where he was allowed to deviate from Robert Jordan's notes were a sign that he and I would not be parasocial book friends.
You don't dare say that out loud on Beyonce's own internet, for fear of being struck by a stray "Well, Actually. . ."
I'm sure he's a lovely fellow, though.
@@xoPotatoTreexo It's the queer coded women characters on the side of the light all getting insta-love paired with men before the very end for me. Also, fuck Androl. Mary Sue motherfucker.
@@xoPotatoTreexo But honestly, I chafed at his D&D rules lawyer way of writing magic just plopped into the books.
This is a safe place!
Hot take: crafting an effective story in a shorter length takes way more skill than a 1k page brick. Give me the fantasy writers who can convey all their worldbuilding and story in a tight, concise manner ty.
I say this while having Sanderson on my TBR after I finish Locke Lamora.
I mean, if you are writing a short story you probably wouldn't like to do a lot of complex worldbuilding with multiple plotlines. But i do think that sometimes if a book is too large is because an author lacks the skills needed to be a bit more straightforward.
i read bell hooks earlier this year and my library had the will the change available so i got it :) thank you for the push to continue
I'm so happy to hear this! Thanks for being here
For me, I'm finding it's getting harder to distinguish between which romance books are "smutty", and with problematic relationships that I don't necessarily want to read, to those which are actually discussing topics I want to read about.
I'm personally not against romance, and I root and ship characters in books like the next person, I just don't gravitiate towards novels where the plot hinges and relies on just romance and smut and spice. I like it as a subplot, for some people much like life.
Yes, this is the answer that I keep getting from, that they only can read romance if it is a sub plot and not the main plot. My question is why? And why is this a unique problem to men with romance (let’s set smut aside) that does not exist for women in a different genre?
@@ReadswithRachel because I have intimacy problems, and even though I know they are fictional characters they still have a connection with someone that I don't have 🫣
I've read more "classic" romance (Brontës, Austen, Gaskell) and I enjoyed, most of, those - but I will admit, I read those because they are classics not because they are romance.
For men as whole though, society has had a hand in belittling the romance genre and marketing it in a way that would discourage men from reading it which frankly is stupid but 🤷♂️
There are some romance books that appeal to me, there are just only so many books I'll read in my lifetime and an ever growing tbr that I really want to be in the right mood to give them the best chance.
I think the romance genre is also a more difficult genre to find your way in if you don't have a clear idea about your reading preferences within the genre. I'm someone who when I was around 8-14 I absolutely hated even romantic subplots because they tended to ruin friendships in stories and romance has zero relatability for me (I now know I'm aroace). The first romance in a story I was okay with reading was one build on friendship and trust instead of instant attraction, after that I knew what I was looking for.
So because the topic of romance is more personal and depends more on personal taste it can be harder to start out in this genre.
Like, a slow burn romance story I really liked can be very boring for someone into more fast paced/smutty books.
That was a super honest answer and I appreciate you being so vulnerable with me 💕
@@ReadswithRachelI am a woman with a similar experience. I have tried many times to get into romance and I just can’t relate to the characters at all. I think I am on the aroace spectrum myself. But for whatever reason when the characters have a certain amount of characterisation and plot outside of the romance I can relate to them more. And then I do get into the romance and spicy parts. I also just prefer sci-fi/fantasy in general but dislike common paranormal romance tropes.
Thanks for this insight, very valuable conversation.
D**n, your videos are always so insightful and well said. Loved this one.
As a woman, I didn't start to love Shallan until the 2nd book. Jasnah was my favorite character and still is.
I can understand why people don't care that much for Shallan in the very first book, but I also understand why she was written that way.
I sometimes wonder how many men _really want_ to become better people and how many just want the world to recognize that they were perfect all along and don't need to improve in any way... maybe is "not all men" but the manliness grift wouldn't be a grift if there wasn't a considerable demand from men who want to hear "work on your blindspots and broaden your horizon? nope! self-improvement _actually_ means doubling down on the things you're already doing"
I love fantasy but have actively avoided Sandersons books because the men in the fandom have a vibe I haven't been able to categorize. you vocalized all my thoughts perfectly
I hate that this is the reality for so many!
Just shared this video with my boyfriend since he’s very into fantasy and I finally got him to start reading Brandon Sanderson. If I’m honest I never interacted with the fandom or any similar to it because of the disrespectful disposition they have towards women. This breaks my heart since I discovered Sanderson’s work while I was at wilderness camp, I read all his books until the covers were tattered, and I treasure my copies to this day. I think this video perfectly highlights the larger discourse behind Sanderson’s work which I think is integral for men to understand, especially if they’re just discovering him.
"Talk to me like I'm one of your French boys" 😂😂😂
I’ve only read the first two books in the series so far but from my understanding of the first 3 is each book has a MAIN character out of main characters. Book 1 is Kaladins book Book 2 is Shallans and Book 3 is Dalinars I think. Reading way of kings kaladin was definitely my favorite but getting into Book 2 which heavily focused on Shallan made me adore her character just as much as Kaladin if not more. I’d say for anyone trying to get into this series, you really have to view it as one super long book. Way of Kings isn’t bad by any means but once you read Words of Radiance you come to realize that Way of Kings is basically a long prologue for the awesomeness thats to come.
I'm only 1 minute in and already being reminded of the time I (nonbinary but AFAB) wore a Stormlight Archive sweatshirt to D&D night and a guy I'm.. idk like casual acquaintances? with decided to mansplain it to me.... I was like... BRUH that's so rude. I don't interact with the fandom much.
Edit: The amount of people who say they jump certain character POVs just baffle me, but also I will protect Shallan with my LIFE, her cPTSD from the abuse she witnessed/suffered is just like holding a mirror up to my life so. I'm love her.
"I hate this woman character written by a man. She's the issue, she exists independently from the man who wrote her, who is perfect and definitely not a devotee of a misogynistic cult. This character is actually victimizing her author by sucking so much all on her own, totally out of his control."
Ok but like can we acknowledge that you said your partners name is Carlos for a sec? Like why does Rachel and Carlos sound like such a cute book couple name pairing? 😍 anyway time to watch the rest of the vid...
Sometimes i wonder if i do stuff like this without realizing
I gave up engaging with fandoms. It didn't matter that I have a literature degree or have worked as a sensitivity editor for years, men always think they understand subtext better than I do.
Also im glad you laughed at my silly name in the "thanks for being a friend section" :D
I really enjoyed the way of kings I was nervous to read it because of how big the book is but I enjoyed it
I bought Mistborn after a genuine friendly irl conversation and recommendation (we were exchanging book recs). I was excited to jump into a new complex world and universe. I googled some stuff, saw the fandom, and it’s still sitting unread on my bookshelf, I noped out on that. Maybe one day, but I personally avoid getting too invested in anything with a toxic fandom.
The Way of Kings is almost double the size of Elantris (1200 vs 650 pages). I do think it’s worth the read and I quite liked it after I didn’t really like his other super hyped series, Mistborn.
This was genuinely shocking to me but it really shouldn’t have been. I love the cosmere with all my heart and I deeply interact with the fandom through the 17th shard community. I guess I was stuck in my bubble and (wrongly) assumed the whole fandom was as diverse, inclusive, and welcoming as they are. It really hurts to see people weaponizing something so dear to me to put others down
Girl that ad transition was so smooth I slipped
Yeah, way of kings is longer than Elantris. Stormlight Archive is longer than all the other cosmere books intentionally. Book one is the shortest at like? 1001 pages? The other cosmere books usually sit between 500-700 pages i think? And he has novellas too. Dude likes to write a LOT.
But also thank you for this video. There is so much sexism and hostility from men in the fandom and it's EXHAUSTING, it the primary reason why I don't really fuck with the fandom at all. And when it comes to the Stormlight Archive, there's racism to because actually, a vast majority of the characters (Including red headed Shallan) would not look like white people if we saw them. And WOW do some of the men get upset about that.
When you showed the comments Emma got, I was literally GASPING. There were so many, Jesus CHRIST WHAT THE FUCK
The worst part: That wasn’t even all of them. I condensed for time.
Kind of unrelated to the video but I just wanted to say how you've made really interesting videos about a lot of the books I read recently (e.g. Juniper and Thorn or Theft of Swords) or, in this case, some of my favourite books (I love the cosmere because I really like Sanderson's writing and the creative concepts he always comes up with, so discovering his work and then being able to read lots of similar books directly afterwards without having to search for long was an amaaaazing experience). Reading a book and watching your video about it afterwards has become quite a common occurance for me these last couple of weeks 😅
I love hearing this! Thank you for being here!
@@ReadswithRachel Thank YOU for always making such good content :)
This is probably my favorite fantasy book, if not my favorite book, of all time. I had no idea it was like this. (I am a woman).
I highly recommend this book/series. It deals with a lot of mental health, trauma, etc. It's not just relatable for men. I can't believe the fans can be like this, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised, there's always fans that ruin a fandom.
I know there's a ton of hate for Shallan, and she's not my favorite either, but it's not because she's a woman. I can relate to some of her trauma, moreso than I can Kaladin, even, but beyond trauma, I cannot relate to her, and I feel like that is mostly to do with two things.
One, I feel like perhaps Brandon Sanderson (no hate to him) doesn't (didn't?) know how to write women, so she doesn't feel as real to me as many of the other main characters. And two, (spoilers) her order's ideals. Her order (lightweaver) involves personal lies and truths and it just doesn't hit as hard for me as Kaladin's order's ideals, which involve protecting and doing what is right (windrunner).
It's very disheartening to see a book/series be tarnished by men who somehow think they're better than everyone.
That's fair! I don't really interact with the fandom thank gods. But I also love the books.
For me, I could understand Shallan better than Kaladin as she resonated more with me - basically similar to what you said, but the other way around I guess.
And it is really frustrating to see this happen to fandoms, I'm a massive LotR/Silmarillion fan and the amount of snotty people (usually men) in the fandom who like to gatekeep it like 'you're not a rEaL fan if you haven't read Tolkien's shopping list from 1934' is so ridiculous
How do we know these commenters are men? I feel like anyone with something to say would comment.
I started Way of Kings today. My partner told me Shallan (or Jasnah?) was the weakest Because the plot for her is boring. I didn’t see that as a sexist comment or even care at all that it’s the only female character. There are very few multiple POV books where all characters are excellent - including those written by women.
@@keller3647 Well, we know because they sometimes say things about women liking the series or just fantasy in general. Or their names/profile pictures. Not all are men but this video is focusing on the responses by men to a certain person/people.
About your partner, it would be Shallan they were referring to. But I don't think she's the weakest because her plot is boring (though it's not my *jam* haha), it's just different in a lot of ways. And though she's not the only female character, she certainly is featured more than Jasnah or Navani or the other women who have bits from their POV.
@@laurelelasselin Yeah I thankfully haven't experienced anything like that, even in the fandom on Reddit. I wish fandoms could be more open and less strict, like you said, gatekeeping. The whole "name three of their albums" bit is played out. Why be so mad people are enjoying something you also enjoy, even if it is in a different way? Fandom is weird.
@@uchikinazenigame yeah I watch a lot of booktube for fantasy though, most people I watch are women and they don’t get these types of comments.
I’m on Shallan’s POV now, seems like I’m gonna be disinterested too 😆 apparently Sanderson improves her in latter books though.
That '1000 pages are breakfast' comment could have been me a few years ago 😅 Today I might still comment it as a joke. But this video reminds me of the importance of using tone indicators - because it gets so easy to forget that the content creators we comment to don't actually know us, and what might have been intended to be a tongue-in-cheek joke, or friendly ribbing, can easily hurt or annoy the people we write at. Be clear, be polite, and don't be a jerk (except if the other person is a jerk first)...also, actually watch the whole video before commenting. 😂
The issues you brought up also remind me of the issue of female-dominated fandom spaces being devalued and made fun of. Those gatekeeper guys that try and police people when they don't engage in fandom in one specific way. (Just me being slightly salty at the ways fanfic is made fun of in some male-dominated fandom spaces)
If I had been a Brando sando girlie ten years ago and navigating the fandom I would’ve probably said that stuff too, to be “not like other girls”, which is to say: just saying the shit dudes say to try to feel validation. Like when I shat on twilight.
Thanks for this. Great video! I am trying to catch up on the cosmere and I finished Way of Kings and I felt Shallan was the breakout character. I was so shocked to see so many negative takes on the character online.