Does anybody recommend Donaldson?

[nixie]

Lord Fouls Bane is heavy going but worth it .The Thomas Covenant Chronicles get better with each book, but if your expecing run of the mill fantasy then these aren't the books for you.

[littlemissattitude]

Well, it took me awhile to find this thread...

I do definitely recommend the two Thomas Covenant trilogies - I read them pretty much straight through, and since I don't usually do epic fantasy, that's quite an endorsement, I suppose. I started the new one - the beginning of the third series - but I had too many things going on to read it out of the library (without it becoming overdue); I was also feeling a little depressed when I began reading it and it was just making things worse. But I will go back to it.

I think the thing about Covenant is that Donaldson was able to make me care for the character despite the fact that he is basically a mess, psychologically speaking. The thing is, I prefer heroes who are flawed because, as JP referenced, they are ultimately more believable for me. I also have a dark streak about a mile wide (that I try not to show too often, as it tends to disturb people) and that part of the books appealed to that part of my personality.

I read the first book in the Gap series, and part of the second. Yes, it was disturbing and that put me off at the time, but I've been thinking about giving them another try.

I'll close with a recommendation for those who like fantasy and would like to read Donaldson, but don't like the darkness or some of the subject matter of the Covenant books. Give his two-book series a try. "The Mirror of Her Dreams" and "A Man Rides Through" are not nearly so dark as the Covenant books (although they aren't all sunshine and roses, either, by any means). The protagonist is a young woman who feels as if she is disappearing and can only feel real when she looks at herself in a mirror. She slips through a mirror at one point, and finds adventure in a world behind the mirrors, a world where mirrors are used to make magic.

[Thadlerian]

I've just finished the first trilogy, and I would certainly recommend Lord Foul's Bane. The idea of this Covenant anti-hero is interesting, and he certainly lends the story a great amount of credibility.

As for the other two, they sort of lost me. One of the intriguing questions is whether the Land is real, or just exists inside Covenant's head. Rather early in book two, Donaldson answers that question by letting other characters carry the narrative. That contradicts the possibility of the Land as a dream.

From there on resting assured that the Land was real, I found the story turning into rather generic high fantasy; nothing I haven't seen before.

[GOLLUM]

Originally Posted by Thadlerian

From there on resting assured that the Land was real, I found the story turning into rather generic high fantasy; nothing I haven't seen before.

True but for the time it was written (late 70s) I still consider it a landmark series within the fantasy Genre, not that variants of this hadn't been tried before then.

Will you be persisting with the rest of the series?

[Thadlerian]

Originally Posted by GOLLUM

Will you be persisting with the rest of the series?

Yeah, eventually, I guess. But there's just so much other stuff I've gotta read in-between, it may take as much as a year.

[GOLLUM]

Originally Posted by Thadlerian

Yeah, eventually, I guess. But there's just so much other stuff I've gotta read in-between, it may take as much as a year.

Better late than never......

[Munkeygames]

Originally Posted by Frey Slayer

Just to throw in my 2 cents....
That was only after I had started the first one 2 or 3 times and stopped. I had a great deal of trouble moving past the rape scene near the beginning.

Well your going to really shudder if you read the Gap Series, there is some really evil stuff going on there. These terrible abhorrent things do give power to the story though. Its Donaldsons ability as a great storyteller that turns it all on its head. For Instance

POSSIBLE SPOILER!!!

One of the lead characters in the Gap series is amongst other things - a murderer, a rapist, a slave trader but at the end, am i routing for him - hell yes, im whooping with delight as this monster pulls off the impossible

[Rosemary]

Well, I enjoyed The Covenant trilogies. Certainly different to the books I usually read. This was certainly, from MPOV, rather a psychological book, looking into his thoughts and changes of attitude.
It was a while ago now, so am I right in saying that The Gap is a new one this year? (Can't find your list gollum!)
Have also read The Mirror of Her Dreams and A Man Rides Through. Nowhere near as good as The Covenant. I thought they were rather strange!

[dwndrgn]

I had a bit of trouble with that same scene the first time I read it but moved on and enjoyed the series. That was over 15 years ago I believe. I tried to re-read it again recently (last year I believe) and couldn't get through it at all. I found it boring, flat and the main character got on my nerves so badly that I just couldn't finish it.

[Rosemary]

Originally Posted by dwndrgn

I had a bit of trouble with that same scene the first time I read it but moved on and enjoyed the series. That was over 15 years ago I believe. I tried to re-read it again recently (last year I believe) and couldn't get through it at all. I found it boring, flat and the main character got on my nerves so badly that I just couldn't finish it.

I won't be re-reading the older series prior to checking out the new one, dwndrgn. I thought The Covenant was good but not that good.
I have re-read other authors when they publish another book in a series. Like to refresh my memory of the characters, countries and the storyline itself.

[GOLLUM]

Originally Posted by Rosemary

I won't be re-reading the older series prior to checking out the new one, dwndrgn. I thought The Covenant was good but not that good.
I have re-read other authors when they publish another book in a series. Like to refresh my memory of the characters, countries and the storyline itself.

Good news Rosemary, the new book Runes Of The Earth (final Covenant series of 4 books) which I've read has a very good summary on the series so far. Most helpful!!!!

[Munkeygames]

Originally Posted by Rosemary

so am I right in saying that The Gap is a new one this year? (Can't find your list gollum!)

The Gap series is unrelated to Covenant - Its a Sci Fi series of books

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...801391-6427261

[GOLLUM]

Originally Posted by Munkeygames

The Gap series is unrelated to Covenant - Its a Sci Fi series of books

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...801391-6427261

Rosemary,

Munkeygames is correct, GAP series was a sci fi series , the only one I haven't read by Donaldson.

As per my previous post above Runes Of The Earth which I've already read is the title of Book 1 of the final Covenant quartet. Should still find in bookshops...

[Rosemary]

Originally Posted by GOLLUM

Rosemary,

Munkeygames is correct, GAP series was a sci fi series , the only one I haven't read by Donaldson.

As per my previous post above Runes Of The Earth which I've already read is the title of Book 1 of the final Covenant quartet. Should still find in bookshops...

I thought I had read somewhere that GAP wasn't like the Covenant, so thanks for confirming it, the both of you.

Yes I remember that Runes of The Earth is Book 1 of the final Conventant. Well if, as you say, there is a good summary of the previous Covenant books, then maybe I will consider getting it. It's only that I didn't keep any of The Covenant Books, didn't want to spend more money to get them back if the Runes of the Earth was not much more than just another volume. (Does that make sense??) So will she or wont she? That is the question!!! Anyway thanks for the info and will see you around in the Forums.

[GOLLUM]

Rosemary as you know I don't make a habit of rereading books as this is no exception. I'd read the Donaldson books about 15 years ago and had no problem with picking up where the story left off thanks largely to the Intro. It's only about 10 pages or so long but just read it a few times and when you're reading the new book and things wil start to sink in again...

In a sense this first book is the start of a new story so it doesn't matter if you can''t rememberr all the details of the previous works as long as you have a genreal idea of what happened before and just enjoy the new book which after all is the start of a new series/story arc.