Stephen Donaldson

[knivesout]

Which, when you think of it, is a very interesting attitude for the protagonist of a fantasy novel to have...

[demigod.bran]

Originally Posted by littlemissattitude

To say that you take something with "a pinch of salt" or "a grain of salt" means that you look at that statement or thing skeptically, that you don't accept it at face value. For example, Thomas Covenant is called "the Unbeliever" because he does not accept what happens to him in The Land as being real.

Thanks. Im a bit slow as well as dumb. hehe.

[I, Brian]

There's nothing dumb or silly about the comments. We're not that judgemental, you know.

[littlemissattitude]

Originally Posted by demigod.bran

Thanks. Im a bit slow as well as dumb. hehe.

To echo Brian, nothing at all dumb or slow about your comments. And, you get extra credit for asking when something came up that you didn't quite get. Most people wouldn't have admitted that they didn't know, and so would have remained in the dark about what the phrase meant.

Knivesout said:

Which, when you think of it, is a very interesting attitude for the protagonist of a fantasy novel to have...

Yeah, I've always thought so. And, I think, more realistic a reaction to his circumstances. I sometimes get very annoyed reading fantasy, when the protagonist finds himself or herself in some completely alien environment or situation but just accepts it immediately, without question.

[demigod.bran]

Originally Posted by littlemissattitude

To echo Brian, nothing at all dumb or slow about your comments. And, you get extra credit for asking when something came up that you didn't quite get. Most people wouldn't have admitted that they didn't know, and so would have remained in the dark about what the phrase meant.

Knivesout said:


Yeah, I've always thought so. And, I think, more realistic a reaction to his circumstances. I sometimes get very annoyed reading fantasy, when the protagonist finds himself or herself in some completely alien environment or situation but just accepts it immediately, without question.

he. I find that too. Its as if they knew it was going to happen and goes along with it straight away.

[rune]

I tried reading Lord Foul's Bane some years ago and couldnt get into it. I think it was the tone of the story as much as anything that really put me off

[dwndrgn]

Oddly enough rune, when I read it for the first time many years ago I quite enjoyed the story. However, I recently picked up the first in the series again and had a difficult time getting through it. I found the world to be flat in that I couldn't quite conceptualize it with his descriptions and I found that the self pity and selfish arrogance of the protagonist to be annoying. I'd much rather that all protagonists act realistically but I felt that the author went overboard in the other direction on this one. As if he was proving a point, Donaldson made his protagonist an over-the-top anti-hero.

[rune]

Originally Posted by dwndrgn

Oddly enough rune, when I read it for the first time many years ago I quite enjoyed the story. However, I recently picked up the first in the series again and had a difficult time getting through it. I found the world to be flat in that I couldn't quite conceptualize it with his descriptions and I found that the self pity and selfish arrogance of the protagonist to be annoying. I'd much rather that all protagonists act realistically but I felt that the author went overboard in the other direction on this one. As if he was proving a point, Donaldson made his protagonist an over-the-top anti-hero.

I actually found the main character distasteful, which is what really put me off the book

[Foxbat]

For me, the self-centred and self-pitying attitude was understandable considering he was a leper (this same self-centred view is what keeps him from harm through his VSE). Also, this attitude (I felt) always left the Land somewhat ambiguous and the reader is never quite sure whether it is an alternate reality or a manifestation of Covenant's illness - a battle between himself and his own disease. This ambiguity, incidentally, was why the chapter Gilden Fire was dropped from The Illearth War as it leaned too much towards alternate reality and destroyed the ambiguous nature of the story.

My view for what it's worth

[captaintripps]

Although I thoroughly enjoyed the Covenant books I could never quite get over how often Mr Donaldson uses the word 'clench'. Seriously, its all over the place to the point where it makes you wonder who edited the things...

[dragonqueen]

I've read a lot of his books, and think his writing excellent, but his minds twisted! Honestly, I never liked any of his characters personally, but I can't complain about the writing as it's really wuite good

[Estelthea]

A few years ago I got hold of the first set of Thomas Covenant books but I never made it past The Illearth War! It was pretty disapointing really because I had heard some good things about the books and the whole belief/unbelief idea sounded very promising. I think I became a bit burried in the prose and did not follow it very well. I do remember the opening of the first book, where Covenant is in hospital and all the details about his illness, being far more interesting that the story of the Land which I always found a little difficult to feel for. I stopped taking much notice in it quite early on when it seemed that all the plants had fabulous powers and most of the places on the map had really silly names and the other chracters never really made a mark on me although I did admire the way he wrote Covenant warts and all.

I did have a flick through The Illearth War recently and I now wonder if it is some kind of elaborate joke, some it it read a lot like parody! I doubt I'll ever finish the series but maybe I can change my mind about it :-)

[Lacedaemonian]

His prose are quite excellent, better than the usual fantasy drivel. The land is so beautiful which works as a counter for Thomas' sheer malice.

[Lacedaemonian]

So far I am awed by the magnitude of this venture. Is there is a more complex character than Thomas Covenant within the fantasy genre? In fact I am not sure if I have ever come across a character of such depth and colour in any work of fiction. Bukowski created some pretty deprived characters too, but they lacked the imaginitive world and any form of plot. This is a highly intellectual work of fiction, and you have to be intrigued by what drives this man. He is so alien to the location that he can not be held accountable for his actions/inactions. The scope is pure madness.

[Michael]

The Giants kind of grew on me. Saltheart mainly through Covenant's feelings. But all the Giants in the Second Chronicles really stood out to me.