How old were you when you first read Covenant,

Post by **Seareach** » Sat Jun 30, 2007 4:28 am

Um...I was 13 I think (so that was 20 years ago). It was just before Mirror of Her Dreams was released. All of the first and second chronicles had been released by then so I read them all in one hit (although it took me FOREVER...I read far too slowly!).

Post by **Relayer** » Sat Jun 30, 2007 4:29 am

I guess I was 20, it was summer break and i'd come home from college. TWL came out while I was reading TIW or PTP so I think that's 1980. I got to read the first 4 straight through.

Post by **balon!** » Sat Jun 30, 2007 8:01 am

Lets see..

I was in the seventh grade when my science teacher, Mr. David, let me borrow a copy. I was about 11.

I "accidentally" kept that copy untill I graduated, when he asked for it back before I left for good.

So then I went and bought one of mine own.

I think I appreciated it as much as I do now, but for different reasons. When I was 11 I fell in love with the Giants as a people, and modeled my behavior off of theirs. Now, I do a lot of the same things, but love it for Covenants dark anti-heroness.

Post by **emotional leper** » Sat Jun 30, 2007 8:36 am

I hope you have a healthy supply of asbestos mittens, Balon.

I read the chronicles for the first time a few months ago, when a friend gave 'em to me. Since then I've been evangalising. Found out that my dad had tried to read Lord Foul's Bane when he was my age, but never made it past chapter seven, I believe.

Apparently, alot of people don't make it past chapter seven.

I got into TCTC during a period where I rather resembled Covenant, minus the Leprosy and being a (successful) author. Bad relationship, being ostracised by alot of people who'd formerly been friendly to me. I decided that if I was going to be like Covenant, maybe I could skip the first Chronicles and just go straight to Covenant in the second.

Still waiting on the Leprosy, though.

Post by **matrixman** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 1:25 am

There are a number of "when did you first read Covenant" threads like this one strewn throughout the the forum, and they're a good thing to have. Reading the kind of thoughtful and enthusiastic posts that are here provide an antidote to cynicism. The passionate response that people have towards TCTC reminds me that magic does exist. Donaldson is a magician, weaving mere words and sentences together to create his spell.

I'm sure I've already put down my thoughts in one of those other threads, but it doesn't take much for me to ramble again.

I discovered the Chronicles on my own in '83. The books utterly blew the mind of this 13-year old at the time. It was the most astounding thing I had ever read. It honestly baffles me now when I hear about people who have trouble getting into Lord Foul's Bane, because from the very first page, SRD had me entirely in his grip.

The rape of Lena was of course a new thing to my experience as a reader. I was in uncharted territory. The whole ghastly scene forced me to think about things that went beyond the parameters of a "mere" fantasy story. And this was just the beginning of all the crazy stuff Donaldson had in store.

I always like to mention the "Celebration of Spring" chapter, because I'm convinced that was the first time that a book had brought me to tears. The violence of the ur-viles, the hopeless yet determined charge of the forest animals, the death of the Unfettered One...this was potent, potent stuff.

Then came The Illearth War. This book devastated me. The story was so epic, so heroic and yet so overwhelmingly tragic, that by the end of it, I was a mess emotionally - left stupefied, like Covenant himself.

Yeah, that Donaldson guy is pretty good.

Post by **WolfMann63** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 1:42 am

I first read TCTC back in 1980, I believe (I was a Junior in H.S. at the time, so I was 16). I was browsing the local bookstore, and they had the First Chronicles in a box set. Being an avid reader of all things fantasy, I snapped them up, and was almost instantly hooked. Over the years I've read 3 sets of paperback, and one set of hardcover to tatters

Needless to say I snagged the second chronicles as quickly as they were published, but have only re-read them a handful of times. And now I find myself in the same situation, eagerly (and impatiently) waiting for the next book of the last chronicles to be published.

Post by **Avatar** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 8:07 am

I was 13 when LFB was given to me by a one-time employee of my father's. (He gave me book 1 of the Amtrak Wars at the same time.)

Like MM, I was blown away. This was fantasy unlike anything I'd read before. I went to a great deal of effort to get the next 5 books in my hands.

--A

Post by **Hirebrand Gilden** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 12:21 am

I was 19 when I read LFB..... I have always been an avid reader and spent alot of my time in libraries and bookstores for as long as I can remember....I was in the local bookstore just perusing the shelves looking for nothing in particular when the cover caught my eye...I bought the book and was hooked....that was over 20 years ago and I have re-read both chronicles numerous times over the years

Post by **drew** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 12:43 am

Matrixman wrote: It was the most astounding thing I had ever read. It honestly baffles me now when I hear about people who have trouble getting into Lord Foul's Bane, because from the very first page, SRD had me entirely in his grip.

I used to lay down on my bed and as I opened the Book, silently I would tell SRD to entrance me once more in his storytelling.

matrixman wrote:Yeah, that Donaldson guy is pretty good

Yeah-he's alright.

Post by **hue of fuzzpaws** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 12:34 pm

I would be about 13 (1978) when I first read LFB. It was my older brothers copy.

What confused me at the time was that TC was going to be called into the Land 3 times and I was getting near to end of LFB and that had not been resolved yet.

About a year later, I was on holiday in Bath and picked up both TIW and TPTP.

Then on my 18th birthday I received all 3 books as a present.

I could certainly identify with TC fury and passion in the throne room scene in TPTP and Foamfollower disappearing into Hotash Slay always moves me.

Post by **Avatar** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 9:44 am

Welcome to the Watch.

--A

Post by **hue of fuzzpaws** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 2:41 pm

Thank you.

Post by **Orlion** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 5:26 pm

I read the Chronicles for the first time when I was about 16. I had read other fantasy series beforehand such as LotR, the Mithgar series, the Wheel of Time, and Shanara books. What I remember is that I found Lord Foul's Bane to be a little boring but once I read the Illearth War, especially the part when the giants got slaughtered, I realized with a shock that this was some serious high fantasy, nothing like I've read before. Over all, I feel that I was not too young, but at the same time, I could never really enjoy another series from the fantasy genre that wasn't written by Donaldson or Tolkien after I read the Chronicles...

Post by **dlbpharmd** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 6:36 pm

Welcome Orlion!

Post by **Kerb** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 6:38 pm

I first read Lord Foul's Bane when I was 25, but that was a long time ago, another age, in 1983. Then eventually read all 6 books of the First and Secons Chronicles.

I don't often read fantasy, but learning about the flawed hero (eg. TC rape of Lena), made me realise that heros are not all like "knights in shining white armour". I believed as a result of reading that novel, anyone could be summoned to perform a messianic act in an inner world.

Also learnt that TC's walk to Revelstone was 300 league (or 900 miles, if 1 league is reckoned as 3 miles), and found the distance of having to walk that far was inconceivable, beyond my understanding. Much later, I realised it was possible, from having walked 500 miles in 5 weeks.

More recently I understood the Chronicles to be a Hero vs Shadow story, and of the flawed hero coming to terms to who he is and accepting his inner nature and going from there. Maybe the Land reflect all this as a plot device.

The Last Chronicle appears to be more complex, but that only because I have read the first book The Runes once (I have read the Chrons at least twice).

Post by **Farm Ur-Ted** » Thu Sep 27, 2007 7:20 pm

I read the first chronicles when I was 13, and the 2nd right after that. I was fortunate, because the 2nd chronicles was completed right around that time. I had to make my mom buy me the hardback of WGW. She was pissed.

Post by **Omnius** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 2:59 pm

A friend gave me LFB when I was 17 in 1982. I devoured all of the books through TOT. Its hard to remember the exact timeline, but I remember having to wait for what seemed like an eternity for WGW. I only discovered ROTE about 10 months ago while christmas shopping. I couldnt believe it. I had long since given up on the idea of a third chron. I had read the first two chrons about 5 or 6 times although not in quite awhile. Needless to say I immediately read ROTE, but then realized I had some serious gaps in memory and went and reread the whole series again including Rote again. And now.....FR will be here any day and I am in serious anticipation mode.

Post by **iQuestor** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 11:37 am

FR is here NOW!! enjoy.

Post by **Omnius** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 4:23 pm

[quot ="iQuestor"]FR is here NOW!! enjoy.[/quote]

Im still waiting. I hope it comes in the mail today!

Post by **transient** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 5:09 am

Had to be in '79 or '80. I was 29 then.It seemed like the absolute best reading companion to my dog-eared copies of the Hobbit and LOTR.

Have re-read both Chronicles I & II in concert with Tolkien each time on about six occasions since then. At 57 now I look at the expected roll-out schedule of Chronicles III and think of converging time lines for the first time.

Kevin's Watch

Kevin's Watch

How old were you when you first read Covenant,