The Eye of the World

The Eye of the World
Original cover of The Eye of the World
Original cover of The Eye of the World, prominently featuring Moiraine and Lan
AuthorRobert Jordan
Cover artistDarrell K. Sweet
LanguageEnglish
SeriesThe Wheel of Time
GenreHigh fantasy
PublisherTor Books (U.S.) and
Orbit (UK)
Publication date
15 January 1990
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (hardback and paperback)
Pages782 (U.S. hardback edition) &
685 (UK hardback edition)
ISBN0-312-85009-3 (US hardback edition)
& ISBN 1-85723-353-0 (UK hardback edition)
OCLC19723327
813/.54 20
LC ClassPS3560.O7617 E94 1990
Preceded byNew Spring 
Followed byThe Great Hunt 

The Eye of the World is a high fantasy novel by American writer Robert Jordan, the first book of The Wheel of Time series. It was published by Tor Books and released on 15 January 1990. The original unabridged audiobook is read by Michael Kramer and Kate Reading. A later unabridged edition is read by Rosamund Pike. Upon first publication, The Eye of the World consisted of one prologue and 53 chapters, with an additional prologue authored upon re-release. The book was a critical and commercial success. Critics praised the tone, the themes, and the similarity to Lord of the Rings (although some criticized it for that).

On 2 January 2002, The Eye of the World was re-released as two separate books aimed at a young adult market, with larger text and a handful of illustrations. These were From the Two Rivers and To the Blight. The former included an additional prologue entitled "Ravens", focusing on Egwene al'Vere. The American Library Association put The Eye of the World on its 2003 list of Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults.[1]

After the release of The Wheel of Time television series, The Eye of the World made the January 2022 The New York Times Best Seller list in the mass market category[2] and was number one on the audio fiction list.[3]

  1. ^ "2003 Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults". American Library Association. 30 July 2007. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
  2. ^ "Mass Market Books – Best Sellers – Books". The New York Times. 1 December 2021. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  3. ^ "Audio Fiction Books – Best Sellers – Books". The New York Times. 1 December 2021. Retrieved 8 January 2022.