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velvetsilk42's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Forced institutionalization and Fire/Fire injury
anoblesoul's review against another edition
4.0
Man, this is probably my favorite series of all time. This is my third time reading it (maybe fourth) and I think I enjoyed it more this time. There are several scenes that are just amazing, like when Covenant meets Foamfollower and the giant asks him to talk about himself, or when Bannor assesses the Ramen methods after the killing of the kresh. (I'm trying to be non-spoiler about it.)
I find Bannor to be one of my favorite characters, and the Bloodguard in general are so rich. As are the Ramen, and Saltheart Foamfollower is not only one of the great characters, but one of the greatest names ever.
I've often heard people say that this book is slow because it needs to provide the background for everything and suffers from "origin story syndrome" but I just find the world-building to be so imaginative and solid and rich. I've used that word twice now, but that is the best word for it. Going from our world to The Land must be like going from watching an old grainy black and white television to seeing a hi-def 3-D television. I do favor the second and third books in the series over this one, but I truly enjoyed this rereading.
I find Bannor to be one of my favorite characters, and the Bloodguard in general are so rich. As are the Ramen, and Saltheart Foamfollower is not only one of the great characters, but one of the greatest names ever.
I've often heard people say that this book is slow because it needs to provide the background for everything and suffers from "origin story syndrome" but I just find the world-building to be so imaginative and solid and rich. I've used that word twice now, but that is the best word for it. Going from our world to The Land must be like going from watching an old grainy black and white television to seeing a hi-def 3-D television. I do favor the second and third books in the series over this one, but I truly enjoyed this rereading.
mom2qandk's review against another edition
1.0
I don't know how anyone can finish this book. I stopped after about 100 pages. The characters were boring and the writing style was that terrible first book thesaurus overload that gets in the way of being able to just READ the book. Don't get me wrong, I love a good 4-syllable word, but the stilted dialogue and overly obscure adjectives just interfered with any enjoyment I could have gotten out of the story. No spoilers, since I couldn't finish enough of it to give anything away.
shane_tiernan's review against another edition
4.0
Read this a long time ago, didn't take any notes but I did give it 4 stars.
zaphnia's review against another edition
4.0
He's always so miserable. I can't root for him at all. But I'm rooting for the Land.
whathilaryreads's review against another edition
1.0
It's my dad's favorite book, but it's definitely not for me.
thelastquail's review against another edition
3.25
Interesting and imaginative read. Liked the works and the concept.
yatosuz's review against another edition
4.0
Regarding The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever:
I read Donaldson not long after reading Tolkien and CS Lewis some 30+ years ago. I absolutely loved it! I loved the concept of someone who is all but a pariah in our world being a "hero" in another, and that hero is very, very flawed. In fact, he's not likeable, but that is part of the allure of the story.
Yes, there's a ring. Yes, there's a quest. But this "coming of age" story is more about "acceptance of self" than "boy becoming who he is destined to be." As Thomas Covenant must accept his own self-worth (and the reality of The Land), the reader must accept that Thomas is more than his deplorable actions and diseased body.
I've read The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever multiple times. My 1977 paperback copy is yellowed, dog-eared, and held together by what might loosely be called tape, but it is still much loved.
And for what it's worth, I don't mind reading a book where I have to pull the dictionary out upon occasion!
I read Donaldson not long after reading Tolkien and CS Lewis some 30+ years ago. I absolutely loved it! I loved the concept of someone who is all but a pariah in our world being a "hero" in another, and that hero is very, very flawed. In fact, he's not likeable, but that is part of the allure of the story.
Yes, there's a ring. Yes, there's a quest. But this "coming of age" story is more about "acceptance of self" than "boy becoming who he is destined to be." As Thomas Covenant must accept his own self-worth (and the reality of The Land), the reader must accept that Thomas is more than his deplorable actions and diseased body.
I've read The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever multiple times. My 1977 paperback copy is yellowed, dog-eared, and held together by what might loosely be called tape, but it is still much loved.
And for what it's worth, I don't mind reading a book where I have to pull the dictionary out upon occasion!
waybackwhen's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Well written and I like the general premise but I didn’t find the fantasy world in this all that compelling or memorable. It’s even pretty bland to a degree. Did like the unlikable main character though. Takes guts to make your main character a leper and rapist and though those sort of flaws are rarely seen in entertainment they do help flesh out a more realistic character in the long run rather than someone completely over likeable because they’re perfect in every way as some books tend to do. Not sure if I’ll go on to the second book of this series as I really wasn’t all that into the book as a whole but it was a decent read I suppose.