"Wizard's First Rule: people are stupid." Richard and Kahlan frowned even more. "People are stupid; given proper motivation, almost anyone will believe almost anything. Because people are stupid, they will believe a lie because they want to believe it's true, or because they are afraid it might be true. People's heads are full of knowledge, facts, and beliefs, and most of it is false, yet they think it all true. People are stupid; they can only rarely tell the difference between a lie and the truth, and yet they are confident they can, and so are all the easier to fool."
Not much more needs be said. Sometimes you find truth from the strangest sources. I found this quote to be tremendously truth-laden.
About the book: I don't read many books in the fiction genre, but was attracted to this book at the bookstore for some reason. I read the back cover and decided to purchase it. I was hooked by the story almost immediately.
It is very well-written and Terry Goodkind weaves an amazing tale as he creates a believable fantasy world that sucks you in and holds you spellbound. There are no profanities and for the first half of the book there were no objectionable situations, so I began reading this book to my son at bedtime.
I soon stopped that bedtime reading—not because the story turned foul but because it turned dark and continued to get darker and darker as I developed more and more empathy or antipathy with and for the various characters. I'm glad I stopped reading this book to my son because by the final few chapters the situations became so severe that I would not want my son to read them.
Which leaves me with a dilemma of sorts. This is one of the best books I have ever read. The story is captivating, the characters are solid and well-developed, and the fantasy world is so well described that I feel that if I could visit it I would know my way around. But it has moments darker than anything I've ever read. And I'm a Stephen King fan, so that's saying something.
I guess I'd have to highly recommend this book—with the caveat that the reader must be able to withstand the onslaught that is coming his or her way. This book is a rollercoaster ride that will leave you elated at times, petrified at times, frightened at times, feeling dirty and in need of a bath at times ... and you will love it all the way.
You've been warned.
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