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ogreart's review against another edition
3.0
I read this book in college and remember being not impressed. I felt no connection to the main character, a thoroughly unlikeable person. It hit me wrong and I avoided rereading it or reading any of the sequels over the past few decades. Well, it was "included" in Audible so I thought I would give it another try. I would go as high as 3.5 stars for this. Even with disliking the main character, the world-building in this work was so well done. I found myself immersed. And I am going on to the sequel.
r4storytime's review against another edition
3.0
To start with, please keep in mind 2 stars in Goodreads means "its ok". I would have rated it 2 1/2, but that wasn't an option.
Well, this was a bit of a struggle for me. Perhaps the page count in the kindle version was off? It says its 266 pages, but in reading it, it felt much much longer (Amazon's site says its 400 some odd pages??). In any case, there were some aspects of the book I liked. Coming off of a Sanderson YA book (Steelheart) I was much happier with the names/title which Donaldson used. I thought Lord Foul, the Despiser, the Unbeliever, etc was cool, as was the main character's name; not a typical fantasy novel name (of course not all the names were that good...seriously, was one character named "gay" and another "Lithe"?). The world building with the Land and magic was also interesting. And I also liked the personal struggle which Convenant deals with in the first couple of chapters.
But that struggle was what also made me not like the book so much. I couldn't wrap my head around his illness and why it made him act the way it did. So I couldn't understand the main character's inner motivation well and that made the book seem slower than it should have been.
Well, this was a bit of a struggle for me. Perhaps the page count in the kindle version was off? It says its 266 pages, but in reading it, it felt much much longer (Amazon's site says its 400 some odd pages??). In any case, there were some aspects of the book I liked. Coming off of a Sanderson YA book (Steelheart) I was much happier with the names/title which Donaldson used. I thought Lord Foul, the Despiser, the Unbeliever, etc was cool, as was the main character's name; not a typical fantasy novel name (of course not all the names were that good...seriously, was one character named "gay" and another "Lithe"?). The world building with the Land and magic was also interesting. And I also liked the personal struggle which Convenant deals with in the first couple of chapters.
But that struggle was what also made me not like the book so much. I couldn't wrap my head around his illness and why it made him act the way it did. So I couldn't understand the main character's inner motivation well and that made the book seem slower than it should have been.
mnyberg's review against another edition
3.0
It's the first in a series of a typical quest themed fantasy story. The main character does happen to be my most disliked "Hero" character I may have ever read. If you like quests and a character that is bitter, angry and full of self pity, you'll like the book more than I did.
laurenthelas's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
scheu's review against another edition
5.0
EDIT: I just finished my probably fifth read-through of the first book, having completed the Grim Oak Press reissues (which are lovely). I found myself reflecting on different aspects this time than I had before. I very much wanted to focus on Covenant's feelings over I also wanted to think about some odd memories I had about the story - like, this enormous Land with so few people in it - and the kind and compassionate people who DO populate the Land, in contrast to Covenant.
I'm glad that I still enjoy the series as much as I do.
2007 REVIEW: The Thomas Covenant books have always held a special place in my heart. I freely admit that the series is not for everyone; the singular nature of the protagonist turns a lot of readers away before the first book (this one) is halfway finished.
Compared to other heroic fantasy, I find the Covenant books to be somehow more believable, and to have more emotional impact. The theme of redemption, present throughout the series, resonated with me when I first read the books twenty years ago, and continues to resonate with me.
Spoiler
his rape of Lena, to help put his later actions and reactions in context.I'm glad that I still enjoy the series as much as I do.
2007 REVIEW: The Thomas Covenant books have always held a special place in my heart. I freely admit that the series is not for everyone; the singular nature of the protagonist turns a lot of readers away before the first book (this one) is halfway finished.
Compared to other heroic fantasy, I find the Covenant books to be somehow more believable, and to have more emotional impact. The theme of redemption, present throughout the series, resonated with me when I first read the books twenty years ago, and continues to resonate with me.
mazer_nickham's review against another edition
3.0
I know fantasy is a derivative genre by nature, but I’m having a hard time seeing the merit of the first book in Donaldson’s Thomas Covenant trilogy. Magic ring? Check. Uncreatively named evil mountain (Mount Thunder!)? Yep. Trek up said evil mountain to possibly throw a ring? I think we get the point.
What separates Lord Foul’s Bane from other fantasy books is the protagonist and namesake of the series, Thomas Covenant. He is a coward, he is a jerk, he even raped a young woman early in the book. I knew this going in and found this to be the most intriguing aspect. I wanted to read a book that was divisive among other readers but I found that this is a pretty average fantasy novel under all of the protagonist douchebaggery.
Donaldson’s use of ornate language even for a fantasy writer did not help, either. His characters take the cake for ridiculous names. (A sample: Lord Drool, Berek Halfhand, Damelon Giantfriend). The prose doesn’t really have a flow to it and the overlong chapters make things worse. Despite all of this, Donaldson delivers an average fantasy novel. Evil is vanquished somewhat, we met some interesting ancillary characters, and we’re left hanging for the next book in the series. Not sure I’ll be along for that ride, though.
What separates Lord Foul’s Bane from other fantasy books is the protagonist and namesake of the series, Thomas Covenant. He is a coward, he is a jerk, he even raped a young woman early in the book. I knew this going in and found this to be the most intriguing aspect. I wanted to read a book that was divisive among other readers but I found that this is a pretty average fantasy novel under all of the protagonist douchebaggery.
Donaldson’s use of ornate language even for a fantasy writer did not help, either. His characters take the cake for ridiculous names. (A sample: Lord Drool, Berek Halfhand, Damelon Giantfriend). The prose doesn’t really have a flow to it and the overlong chapters make things worse. Despite all of this, Donaldson delivers an average fantasy novel. Evil is vanquished somewhat, we met some interesting ancillary characters, and we’re left hanging for the next book in the series. Not sure I’ll be along for that ride, though.
chadwich's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
abeckstrom's review against another edition
1.0
The best thing I can say about this is that I'm finally done with it.
veeraptor's review against another edition
2.0
Some of the descriptions of the landscape and of the lore of the land are great and creative, but the main character is so unsympathetic and unlikable that it makes the book that much harder to read and enjoy.