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3.3 AVERAGE
3.3 AVERAGE
DNF at 100 pages. It’s slow getting started and nothing was that interesting except the talk of the really old lore, but even that seemed pretty generic. But I can’t imagine the rest of the book being worth reading now that the main character (who is a hugely mean downer already) has straight-up raped the young woman who saved him. He seems more worried about being punished for it than anything else, too. No thanks.
This story rides on the strength of Thomas Covenant. The worldbuilding is fine, the other characters range from mildly to moderately interesting, and the plot works... but I'm not in love with any of them. The thing that makes this one stand out from all the other high fantasy is definitely Covenant and the degree of awful he is (and the degree to which the narrative is shaped by the fact that he's angry and bitter and lonely). He's a literary protagonist in a high fantasy novel.
Deeply curious about the one-star reviews on this one, but I valiantly held out until I was done.
Deeply curious about the one-star reviews on this one, but I valiantly held out until I was done.
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Pedophilia, Rape
High fantasy has certainly come a long way since the 1980s.
I've been plodding through this book forever, and am finally admitting to myself that I have no interest whatsoever in finishing it. I could have forgiven the story (not the character) for the fact that Covenant rapes a young girl at the very beginning, but not only is there an astonishing lack of consequences for that, but it goes on to become as dull as watching paint dry. SO much walking and feeling sorry for himself through a world that's a pale and obvious imitation of Tolkien's. I don't understand why this is such a classic.
This is the book for me. The one. I read it first when I was fifteen, then again when I was seventeen to see what I had missed. Two more times since then. Donaldson's characters are deeply flawed people who make odd, hard, sometimes inscrutable decisions. He can make you stand up and cheer on once page, then slide into despair for the next three chapters. He's never an easy read, but no writer has affected me as deeply as he does.
THE CHRONICLES OF THOMAS COVENANT has a principal protagonist who's unremittingly negative and self-absorbed. Also, the author over-employs the verb "clench" to the point where readers, if they made of it a drinking game, would be rip-roaringly drunk by the second chapter of LORD FOUL'S BANE (the first volume of the initial trilogy). These were faults I was aware of prior to opening the novel, but having a few years ago read and thoroughly enjoyed Donaldson's THE GAP INTO CONFLICT series, I thought I'd find at least a few things to like. I was wrong. All I encountered was sheer tedium. It's very rare that I give up on a novel but, halfway through this, I couldn't stand it any more. Reading is meant to be enjoyable. This was the opposite of that. It's awful.
Another book I could not finish when I was a teen.
This time I could appreciate much more its uncommon and a bit depressive beginning.
The story is solely told from the percpective of Thomas Covenant. A genuinely anti-hero. A character full of self-loathing and angst, shunned by his people because he was infected by leprosy.
Many readers seem to focus on the faults and misbehavior of Thomas Covenant and criticise Donaldson. In my opinion they are wrong. They totally disregard Covenant's state both physically and psycholigally.
But most of all I think the missing point is the conflict between Covenant's mistrust, infidelity, self doubt and loathing, and the Land's beauty and capacity for self sacrifice.
The Land is the world Covenant emerges and its an incredible place. A beautiful vibrant world where good and evil are locked in an eternal struggle. Every aspect of this place participates in that struggle. The whole nature of it. Its an impressionistic surreal canvas of beautiful landscapes that can turn to foreboding and ominous vistas because of the ongoing clash.
Thomas Covenant is a catalyst that can turn the outcome either way. The Land's noble people are some of the most self sacrificing and virtuous I have ever read and I find that judgemental readers did not pay much attention to them. These people and their Land is probably the co-protagonist of this book and the actual dynamic "clash" of the story is between their faith and compassion and Covenant's doubts.
The story in general is well writen and has plenty of meaningful moments. Donaldson's prose is pretty beautiful and a bit archaic but that serves well the setting. The atmosphere somehow reminded me some 80s fantasy movies like Legend and that was a big pro for me.
All in all Lord Foul's Bane was a very satisfying read. A dark fantasy grounded on compassion, belief, self sacrifice and self doubts that must have been really original at its time.
This time I could appreciate much more its uncommon and a bit depressive beginning.
The story is solely told from the percpective of Thomas Covenant. A genuinely anti-hero. A character full of self-loathing and angst, shunned by his people because he was infected by leprosy.
Many readers seem to focus on the faults and misbehavior of Thomas Covenant and criticise Donaldson. In my opinion they are wrong. They totally disregard Covenant's state both physically and psycholigally.
But most of all I think the missing point is the conflict between Covenant's mistrust, infidelity, self doubt and loathing, and the Land's beauty and capacity for self sacrifice.
The Land is the world Covenant emerges and its an incredible place. A beautiful vibrant world where good and evil are locked in an eternal struggle. Every aspect of this place participates in that struggle. The whole nature of it. Its an impressionistic surreal canvas of beautiful landscapes that can turn to foreboding and ominous vistas because of the ongoing clash.
Thomas Covenant is a catalyst that can turn the outcome either way. The Land's noble people are some of the most self sacrificing and virtuous I have ever read and I find that judgemental readers did not pay much attention to them. These people and their Land is probably the co-protagonist of this book and the actual dynamic "clash" of the story is between their faith and compassion and Covenant's doubts.
The story in general is well writen and has plenty of meaningful moments. Donaldson's prose is pretty beautiful and a bit archaic but that serves well the setting. The atmosphere somehow reminded me some 80s fantasy movies like Legend and that was a big pro for me.
All in all Lord Foul's Bane was a very satisfying read. A dark fantasy grounded on compassion, belief, self sacrifice and self doubts that must have been really original at its time.
changing the rating to one star because god i hated this, tolkeinesque levels of dry and over detailed writing, so much telling instead of showing and yet never explaining anything, and to top it all off, a main character that i absolutely *loathe*. he’s not supposed to be a likeable character but this was an absolute drag to read. would have enjoyed it more if he’d just died or left and the rest of the party continued on without him.
Fascinating bit of fantasy and I’m not sure what I think of it yet.