> In this very thread somehwere (or maybe it was another one) we've got a person praising Robert Jordan for his great characters. I can't tell you how many times I've seen people slam Jordan unmercifully because of his unrealistic or cliched characters. What gives? Somebody is obviously wrong, but I can never tell who unless I read the book myself, and that pretty much defeats the purpose of having read a review or gotten a recommendation. Obviously nobody is perfect, but I would think that we'd all at least be able to agree on a detail like this. Maybe I expect too much.

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Dave sir,

You expect too much (or too little), as individual tastes are wide and varied. In order to survive independently I find it best to discover what I think for myself, and, when I am pressed for time, listen to only those few who have the same standards I do. Perhaps when someone says they like "realistic, deep characters", they simply aren't being detailed enough for your needs. You need to know why/how, so you can match their reason against your own.

As to the Jordan dilemma, perhaps the fan likes unrealistic and cliched characters*. *grin*

-Tyler

* I have never heard of, much less read, anything by Robert Jordan. My statement was a logical conclusion, not a personal opinion.