Against All Things Linden

[aliantha]

Here's a thought; anyone else here reckon Covenant will need the Land's version of viagra after 3500 without? "hellfire, sorry about that Linden... it's been a while".

Okay, you're forgiven.

And I agree with you -- I loved their love story in the 2nd Chrons, and they do now seem to be missing something without the other. It's been interesting, to me, that the only times each can express their love for one another in this book is when one of them has checked out.

I think Covenant is strong-arming Linden because he's not the guy he used to be and he's afraid she'll reject him. Idiot. She's transforming, too -- did he ever think of that?

I'm hoping for a big reunion in TLD. Complete with a white gold ring exchange.

[Gart]

I fall into the negative zone on this one, I guess, in as much as I'm a bit disappointed with this book. I felt that it lurched between chapter-long conversations and frenetic action without the transition periods that let us come to know and love the characters in previous books, "She" is a cumbersome late addition to the established cosmology, and Linden's continual self-absorption wore quite thin after the first five chapters. In other words, in large I agree with Revan.

That said, and in balance, there were some things that I liked. The glimpses throughout the book into the Land's rich backstory, the insight into Foul's past, the hints at deeper intentions on several parts...these I liked.

Although I am unhappy about aspects of the book I have faith in Donaldson as an author and a man, and I want to know how the story ends. So despite the encouragement to do so I won't give up on the series, nor will I exile myself from these pages. I understand and sympathise with the urge to defend SRD that comes through so clearly from some of the posters here, and rational persuasion may yet sway me...but try it by refuting the message, not by attacking on the messengers.

[thewormoftheworld'send]

Here's a thought; anyone else here reckon Covenant will need the Land's version of viagra after 3500 without? "hellfire, sorry about that Linden... it's been a while".

Okay, you're forgiven.

And I agree with you -- I loved their love story in the 2nd Chrons, and they do now seem to be missing something without the other. It's been interesting, to me, that the only times each can express their love for one another in this book is when one of them has checked out.

I think Covenant is strong-arming Linden because he's not the guy he used to be and he's afraid she'll reject him. Idiot. She's transforming, too -- did he ever think of that?

I'm hoping for a big reunion in TLD. Complete with a white gold ring exchange.

That's a nice happy thought. I hope it comes true. But I don't think Covenant is strong-arming anybody, especially not Linden. Don't you mean he's straight-arming her? That's still better than clothes-lining. I don't think it's that simple, there is a factor here that you've missed -

Covenant is playing the 'leper' role to the hilt. "Don't touch me" implies "I'm a leper." In this particular story, it is necessary for Covenant not to feel, to have dead nerves both physically and emotionally. The vociferousness of his reply to Clyme and Branl, when they asked if he disrespected them, indicates that he both respects and envies them for their stoic capacities. It appears that Covenant is trying to emulate Haruchai stoicism. And Covenant refused hurtloam at the beginning of AATE quite vehemently. I don't think that solely had to do with maintaining his ability to hold onto an iron-hot krill of Loric. Remember Elena's marrowmeld sculpture that resembled both Bannor and Covenant? That sculpture is the almost spiritual ideal Covenant is striving for. Even in the end pages Covenant keeps observing the intransigent nature of the Haruchai accompanying him. At one time, back in the 1st Chrons, his feeling about their absolutism was disapproval. Now it is a trait Covenant himself requires for some purpose. Dealing with his ex-wife - whom I believe he still loved 20 years after their divorce - would have required the stifling of all emotion considering the manner with which he was ultimately forced to reconcile their differences. The absolutism of an end-of-days scenario requires absolutism as a response.

[Starkin]

...by some of the comments that refer to the necessity of readers' "expectations" being fulfilled. These are, of course, entirely subjective, as MY expectations may differ from someone else's, and NO author is under ANY obligation to satisfy anyone's expectations but his or her own. Period. I sometimes detect, particularly in the threads that have to do with hatred for the character of Linden Avery, the sentiment that somehow Donaldson has betrayed the original trilogy by focusing more on Linden Avery's character, and that he HAD NO RIGHT TO DO SO. This is simply wrong. Donaldson has the absolute right to do whatever the hell he wants with his world, his characters, and his imagination. The fact that people don't "like" Linden Avery's character is really beside the point - it could easily be argued that every aspect of Linden that some readers don't like is absolutely essential to what Donaldson is trying to do with the second and third chronicles. Each chronicles is fundamentally different from the others, while building on what has come before and transforming it into something entirely new.

The idea that Donaldson "owes" his readers more Covenant than Linden represents a fundamental misreading of art, which is that no artist is under any obligation imposed by anyone or anything other than his or own individual creative vision. The fact that some readers are "disappointed" by the book is frankly just too bad - Donaldson has made it abundantly clear multiple times in his Gradual Interview that he writes for himself, not for YOU or anyone else. The fact that anyone has "waited three years" for the book does not impose upon Donaldson the requirement to meet your aesthetic or artistic "expectations" in any way. You can dislike it as much as you want...you can dislike Linden as much as you want. The fact is, Linden's character makes absolute sense based on what Donaldson is apparently trying to achieve.

First, the argument that this is NOT a Chronicles of Thomas Covenant is ridiculous - Linden would not be who she is without Thomas Covenant, and therefore, anything involving her is, by default, involving Thomas Covenant. I can see how some readers might object to this since they think Thomas Covenant should appear in every paragraph to justify calling it The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant...but since those readers are wrong, we can just dismiss it. Everything Linden DOES is motivated by desire for Thomas Covenant, everything that exists in the Land exists BECAUSE of Thomas Covenant's influence...Thomas Covenant is the freaking Timewarden of the world. The forces ravaging the Land, especially Joan and Roger, are entirely due to Covenant, and without them, there would be no conflict. So yes, it IS a chronicles of Thomas Covenant, and his physical absence does not make it any less so. Donaldson is working thematically and figuratively, not literally, and the title of the series reflects that.

Second, Donaldson is clearly laying on the theme of despair with a heavy hand, but since this is the end of all things, that's completely appropriate. WHY in the name of all that is holy would he then focus on Thomas Covenant as a central character, who is incorporeal, is holding existence together, and has no reason to despair? For Thomas Covenant to re-enter the Land as a tangible character, someone has to REMOVE Covenant from where he is - and who else would do such a thing if not Linden Avery? Linden Avery HAS to be the narrative center of The Last Chronicles because only she would endeavor to bring Covenant back into the Land in the first place. No one else would dare. And in order for HER to dare, she has to be put through the ringer and lose all faith in herself.
Did you want all that to happen off-screen? Would it have made any narrative sense to not put the reader through the ringer with her as well? And quite frankly, if you read Donaldson, what the hell were you expecting? Linden to be dancing through a field of tulips with a big fat grin on her face? You expected her to have exorcised all her demons and be at peace? This is, I guess, my real issue with all these Donaldson readers and their dashed "expectations." You can't have been reading Donaldson very carefully if you DIDN'T expect Linden Avery to return and suffer like the damned.

The bottom line is, you want Thomas Covenant? Fine - narratively speaking, you have to have Linden Avery to get him, since nothing else would make any narrative sense at all. You thought he'd come back all on his own? He CAN'T. And why would he want to? And in order to justify bringing Covenant back to the Land, it requires establishing the depths of despair that Linden will have to sink to in order to bring him back. Anything else would be narrative cheating of the weakest order: "Oh, look...I found a book for bringing the Timewarden back to life! Let's read the incantation! Yay! Thomas Covenant!" Please.

What it comes down to is understanding the sense of what Donaldson is doing in terms of narrative - and unfortunately this has nothing to do with what you necessarily WANT him to do. Nor should it. You don't have to like it. But Linden Avery is NECESSARY to the narrative, and while every single element of her arc may not be, her despair, imperfection, and self-doubt most emphatically ARE. This may make her unlikable at times...but when has Donaldson ever been concerned about that?

Tempest in a teacup...since you will all be reading the last book, won't you? No matter how much you hate Linden.

Thank you johnsomc from the bottom of my heart! Right on the money. You put into words all the thoughts I've had about AATE/Linden/Covenant/THOOLAH that I couldn't articulate myself. That thread was utterly BRILLIANT!

[tonyz]

I agree with the original review as well.

Donaldson has the right to tell the story he wants to tell. A reader has the right to say "It's garbage." Or, perhaps, "I can see what he was trying to do, but the technical execution failed to convey to the reader what it should have."

Why am I still reading? I'm not sure. I hope the next book will make up for this.

[Cambo]

I can see where a lot of people here on both the attacking and defending sides are coming from.

Attackers, I agree with johnsomc. Please avoid using language that implies Donaldson owes you something and/or has betrayed you somehow. It's fine to be disappointed in his latest work, to criticise things you don't like about it, to present negative personal opinions. But Donaldson, as any artist, does write for himself, and the only debt between writer and reader is settled when the reader pays and the bookseller hands over the book. To argue otherwise would be to put yourself in the position of the publishers who told SRD he had "betrayed the Donaldson brand." Not great shoes to fill.

Defenders, bear in mind that not EVERY attack on AATE is an unfair attack on Donaldson himself. Neither the book nor SRD are perfect, and sometimes authors fuck up. There is nothing wrong with fans pointing this out.

For my part, I immensely enjoyed AATE for the most part. Some thoughts:

The pace issues are really nothing new. Parts of the Second Chrons dragged for me, particularly parts on the dromond with Linden dithering and Covenant scowling ad nauseum. But some parts of AATE jumped off the page. The battle in the Lost Deep was awesome, the escape rather prolonged but I still found it gripping.

Which brings me to SWMNBN. Yes, okay, Harry Potter parallel, get over it. There's a shitload of parallels to LOTR in the First Chrons. I thought she was a cool riff on the "Hell hath no fury" concept, and her effect on Linden was crucial. I find it amusing people object to her barely being mentioned before. There was exactly one sentence ragrding both the Elohim and the Sandgorgons in the First Chrons. Did the same people object to suddenly being introduced to them?

The most valid criticism, I think, is the two-dimensional Giants. Sure, they're pretty much a military unit, they function as a team. But after the intimate emotional connection I got with Foamfollower, Pitchwife, the First and Honninscrave, the Swordmainnir feel like a letdown.

"Covenant's changed, man. He used to be cool." Well, for one thing, I don't think he's changed all that much. His capacity for taking pain is obviously still there. He still loves Linden, and it's actually pretty typical of him that he persuades himself telling her that would be the shittiest thing in the world to do. Remember the first half of WGW? His outrage and passion after the battle with Roger and the Cavewights were classic Covenant. I actually think all the changes in Covenant are well explained by millenia in the Arch and a broken mind.

"Linden sucks, and the Last Chrons are too much about her." Well, of course if you personally dislike a character you aren't going to enjoy reading thousands of pages about her. From what I've read, most of the things I enjoy about Linden other people hate. But really, is she that much worse than Covenant in the First Chrons? He basically spends three books complaining and being a jerk to people, then right at the end goes "shit, better save the world so I can live with myself." Also, Covenant and Linden have simply swapped roles in the Last Chrons. Now she's the one with all the power, threatening the wolrd, and he's the one following her around, occasionally striking a blow in her favour.

[aliantha]

But really, is she that much worse than Covenant in the First Chrons? He basically spends three books complaining and being a jerk to people, then right at the end goes "shit, better save the world so I can live with myself."

[Orlion]

The most valid criticism, I think, is the two-dimensional Giants. Sure, they're pretty much a military unit, they function as a team. But after the intimate emotional connection I got with Foamfollower, Pitchwife, the First and Honninscrave, the Swordmainnir feel like a letdown.

This is one of the few criticisms I understand... it's also still one I disagree with. Here's why: I'm not trying to subvert any of my desires into SRD's writing (I say this not to criticize), so when my want for a Giant(s) that are as well developed as Foamfollower doesn't happen, I can look at what I do have. We have a lot of representation of peoples from the Land: Stonedowner, Ramen, Masters, & Giants. It's the end of the world, which affects all these groups at all quarters. However, we don't get the story of anyone else in the world, we don't know how normal Land folk are dealing with this...
...Except from the group. The Giants are a group of Giants because they are meant to be, they are meant to be the Giants as a culture, race, reacting to what's going on, not how Foamfollower or Pitchwife. There's more of a universal theme going on here than in previous Chronicles...

[Cambo]

Good point Orlion. I hadn't thought of it that way, although I had noticed they seemed to kind of Giantish stereotypes.

[Orlion]

Good point Orlion. I hadn't thought of it that way, although I had noticed they seemed to kind of Giantish stereotypes.

Thanks! I also think this is why many people have hard feelings towards AATE: They don't read Donaldson for stereotypes, they read him for individual characters. I read Donaldson because I trust him... so I didn't have that expectation that others had.

[thewormoftheworld'send]

I can see where a lot of people here on both the attacking and defending sides are coming from.

Good post, Cambo, it sums everything up for me.

I personally haven't addressed the Giants in AATE because their lack of personality was already covered in the FR forum almost three years ago. And there's not much to add this time around except to say in AATE they are even more lacking. The only question is: do they also lack credibility? By no means. They appear as the Giants of yore, only they don't shine forth as much. These Giants are not on a fascinating adventure, they are a military unit as others have pointed out.

[sammadhi]

there are many posts and many opinions on this book and this post. i value everyones.....but!!!

This book exemplifies donaldsons ability to intertwine the relationship of many characters and reveal the information necessary to endear them to you or find them bitter enemies to your heart

im finding alot more answers given in this installment than i expected, though i was indeed expecting other outcomes that i didnt receive. all in all i thoroughly enjoyed it.

on the topic of covenants reaction to rogers "behavior", im seeing a natural expression from unnatural circumstances. meaning, covenant hasnt been "human" for more than 3 thousand years. can anyone say their reaction would be dissimilar? also, how long was roger consorting with the despiser? whos to say covenant hasnt been watching the deeds of his son centuries? im sure he's had time to udjust to the disappointment!!! maybe, just maybe, being inside the arch of time gave covenant these insights long before rogers betrayal had even begun. i would assume the moment he entered the arch, he saw these details, about the time roger would have been about 11 years old.

concerning esmer....he's a douche....enough said!!!

joans death would fall in line with rogers actions. he saw all of this and knew, or perhaps felt, that the option to save her was gone long ago. covenant didnt exactly have time to spare trying to "reason" with a madwoman. turiya wasnt gonna sit around and have popcorn and wait for jaon and covenant to smoke a piece pipe and talk things through. covenant had 1 chance and he took it. besides, he loves linden.

last point i want to make and them im good, "she who must not be named". i do agree the title is a little.....stupid, but i see where donaldson was headed with it. the bane would have been fine but it did bring the reader the sense of a mystery about the origins of her. the voldemort comment was a little childish and the reference to HP didnt need to be iterated. the import of the character added answers and dimensions that were definitely worth its.....silliness.

i loved this book as i have loved every one of the TC novels. im sorry that 2013 is so far way!!!

[Horrim Carabal]

I loved AATE. Parts of it dragged, but not as badly as some parts of Runes or even White Gold Wielder (the painfully long journey back to the Land).

As for She Who Must Not Be Named, there were mentions of other banes buried beneath Mount Thunder even in the first book of the first series. I remember recalling that as I was reading TWL for the first time and assuming the Sunbane was going to be a big yellow rock Foul dug up from beneath the mountain.

As for Linden, she's been front and center for 4 books now. Sheesh, get used to her. Complaining that there's too much Linden in a Chronicles installment is like complaining that there is too much creme in a Twinkie.

[Zarathustra]

<Just noticing this thread after Horrim resurrecting it.>

Revan, you make a lot of good points. The attacks on you personally for merely stating your opinion are unfortunate and all too familiar.

In addition to personal attacks, I think your argument has also been treated unfairly. For instance, Johnsomc's post, while admirably passionate, was one long strawman attack which didn't address actual points people have made, but instead created caricatures of their points so that he could dismiss them.

I can see how some readers might object to this since they think Thomas Covenant should appear in every paragraph to justify calling it The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant...but since those readers are wrong, we can just dismiss it.

Since no readers actually said this, it would be appropriate to dismiss it! But instead of dismissing it, Johnsomc continues to address this point ad nauseum. There's quite a wide gulf between "Thomas Covenant should appear in every paragraph" and Thomas Covenant not appearing in 1200 (or so) pages of his own Chronicles and then when he is literally back in the story he is reduced to a secondary role. To wish there was more Covenant is not the same as ignoring the alleged "necessity" of Linden. I believe we were all there (so to speak) when she brought Covenant back. We realize how necessary she is (or at least was). But now that Covenant is back, there's no reason why Covenant couldn't have dominated the narrative of AATE--or at least shared it equally.

And Linden's "necessary" role didn't have to be that way. She didn't have to be in the book at all. To call anything in a fictional world "necessary" is a misuse of the term. Donaldson could have brought Covenant back any way he pleased. [see below]

For Thomas Covenant to re-enter the Land as a tangible character, someone has to REMOVE Covenant from where he is - and who else would do such a thing if not Linden Avery? Linden Avery HAS to be the narrative center of The Last Chronicles because only she would endeavor to bring Covenant back into the Land in the first place. No one else would dare. And in order for HER to dare, she has to be put through the ringer and lose all faith in herself.

I think Donaldson's choices here made sense, but it was by no means the only direction he could have gone. He didn't have to put Covenant in the Arch in the first place. And once there, he didn't have to remove TC from the Arch. In AATE, we've seen that TC was an active "character" even while in the Arch, because he was able to make plans and hold conferences with other dead characters. There's no reason why he couldn't have continued his role in the Arch itself, and Donaldson could have shown us his actions just like he showed us in the final chapters. But even if we assume that Covenant had to be removed from the Arch, there's no absolute reason why another unknown character couldn't do it. He invented an entire race of unknown characters with outlandish powers and personalities specifically because they provided a useful role for this series (Insequent) ... it would have been no problem to have one of them do it, or invent some other character to do it. After all, Linden is a late addition invention herself! And there were multiple characters who summoned Covenant in the First Chronicles. Donaldson has already established the idea that bringing Covenant to the Land is a desire shared by many. Even Foul himself. Given Donaldson's opulent imagination, he could have even found a way for Covenant to bring about his own reincarnation. He just didn't want to. That's his choice, not necessity. I agree that Linden was perhaps the best choice, but by no means was she the only choice.

Did you want all that to happen off-screen? Would it have made any narrative sense to not put the reader through the ringer with her as well? And quite frankly, if you read Donaldson, what the hell were you expecting? Linden to be dancing through a field of tulips with a big fat grin on her face? You expected her to have exorcised all her demons and be at peace? This is, I guess, my real issue with all these Donaldson readers and their dashed "expectations." You can't have been reading Donaldson very carefully if you DIDN'T expect Linden Avery to return and suffer like the damned.

Again, strawman. No, no one here wanted Linden to be dancing through a field of tulips. And yes, we've all read Donaldson so we know to expect characters who battle inner (and outer) demons. But just because we read Donaldson for his complex, suffering characters doesn't mean that his execution can't miss the mark, even for people who are expecting it. [I find it strange that you chastise readers for having expectations in the first place, and lump on condemnation for readers feeling those expectations not being met, and then justify your own positive interpretations of Linden by this appeal to expectations that you apparently feel should have been a given.]

The fact is, Linden's character makes absolute sense based on what Donaldson is apparently trying to achieve.

I'm not sure how something can make "absolute sense" based on what someone is "apparently" trying to achieve. If an author's intentions are only apparent, then there is nothing absolute about his execution. It's all just a guess. I, for one, would feel a great deal of trepidation in claiming that I knew exactly what Donaldson was trying to achieve. At this point, before the LC have been completed, can you put into words what Donaldson is apparently trying to achieve, in order to back up your point that Linden makes "absolute sense?" You did mention despair. But are you sure there was absolutely no other way to achieve that theme?

NO author is under ANY obligation to satisfy anyone's expectations but his or her own. Period. I sometimes detect, particularly in the threads that have to do with hatred for the character of Linden Avery, the sentiment that somehow Donaldson has betrayed the original trilogy by focusing more on Linden Avery's character, and that he HAD NO RIGHT TO DO SO. This is simply wrong. Donaldson has the absolute right to do whatever the hell he wants with his world, his characters, and his imagination. The fact that people don't "like" Linden Avery's character is really beside the point - it could easily be argued that every aspect of Linden that some readers don't like is absolutely essential to what Donaldson is trying to do with the second and third chronicles.

Also, no one here has uttered a word about Donaldson owing them anything. Yet, we see people arguing against that strawman and others cheering them on, as if it had actually taken place. Just because someone expects to enjoy a book doesn't mean they believe the author has no right to go in directions which don't meet their expectations. Of course the author can do what he wants. But that freedom goes two ways; it also applies to our reactions to what he has done. Disappointment doesn't imply obligation, no more than enjoyment does. Both reactions are equally valid.

[TheFallen]

Now *that* is a masterpiece in forensic criticism - in the literary sense of the word. Hats off to Zarathustra above.

To add my two cents' worth as a board newbie, I loved AATE, even with its stand-out flaws. Unlike many other posters in this thread, I didn't particularly have a problem with the narrative pacing - throughout TCC, there have always been long episodes that dragged a little, so no change there. Revan's comment way back when about the long high-paced action sequences making you feel like you'd been whacked upside the head with a Collins dictionary did make me smile, although the way SRD writes in general with his quite deliberate usage of eclectic language - after LFB, I for one will never forget the word "roynish" and make a point of using it in everyday conversation at least twice a day - makes most feel this way anyways, regardless of dramatic pace.

However I do feel that certain events were forcibly rushed, loose ends carelessly tied off and new dramatis personae shoved onto stage up in a stilted fashion.

First and foremost in these lists, I'd also definitely include Esmer's, Anele's and Joan's incredibly abrupt endings. For all that two of these may have been mercy killings and the third a necessary sacrifice, all three characters have throughout TLC been very carefully set up as both complex and conflicted - Esmer and Anele blatantly and Joan by implication. For the trio to be offed so suddenly does smack a little of a rush for the finish line, even if it is two years away.

I'm a little less bothered by Liand and Galt buying the farm, probably because deep characterisation of non-major protagonists in TLC does not seem to be a key aim of SRD. Can't blame him for this, but it's a change from Chronicles 1 and 2, where we really did care pretty much about everybody. The same point applies to the Giants in TLC... yes, they're just Swordmainnir and not created with anywhere near the same depth as Foamfollower, The First, Pitchwife, Honninscrave, Seadreamer etc etc.

The sudden introduction of SWMNBN also causes my eyebrows to shoot skywards - that really is a deus (or diabolus) ex machina, a pantomime baddie to provide a foil for Linden and tempt her into despair.

I forgot about the Feroce as well - I've not got a problem with these in their role as an offshoot of the sur-Jheherrim, but as middle-men for the Lurker making a treaty? The insensate Lurker? Really? A little odd.

To a lesser extent, unless TLD has more to say on the subject, I have no idea why the extinct Quellvisk suddenly appear with the merest nod towards a back story - is there really any need for the giant bones to be attributed to a specific species? Similarly, I'm entirely unsure of the point of the very occasional mention of the Demimages of Vidik Amar - it's not like we need any more local colour splashed around the very edges of our vision of the Land?

I also understand the issues some have with the "blink and you'll miss it" meeting between TC and Roger... hardly a confrontation, but then again, I imagine (or at least hope) that there'll be a more satisfyingly full denouement to this pivotal relationship in TLD.

So, although AATE does feel in some ways rushed (and in some ways as if SRD had started TLC with a canvas that over halfway through he came to find rather too large and with a set of paints rather too numerous), I was still pretty much entirely engrossed throughout, despite the flaws. Don't expect perfection, or you'll be disappointed. Or to put it another way, don't carp about the result, just wonder at the vision and admire the intention.

[Zarathustra]

Thanks, Fallen. I think you give me too much credit, but thanks anyway.

The sudden introduction of SWMNBN also causes my eyebrows to shoot skywards - that really is a deus (or diabolus) ex machina, a pantomime baddie to provide a foil for Linden and tempt her into despair.

She-Bane didn't bother me at all (at least not as character--I didn't like the Elena part or the slow chase scene). Donaldson can go on inventing all the new characters he likes--especially bad guys--as long as he puts them right there at the center of the action, instead of off-screen for the main part of several books. Kastenessen, for instance, might as well be a nonentity. I know he's a threat, but I couldn't care less about him because I haven't really seen him (except through Anele).

I'm a little less bothered by Liand and Galt buying the farm, probably because deep characterisation of non-major protagonists in TLC does not seem to be a key aim of SRD. Can't blame him for this, but it's a change from Chronicles 1 and 2, where we really did care pretty much about everybody.

I disagree with the bolded part here. This is one time when I think we can clearly say that Donaldson has failed in his aim, rather than Donaldson's aim has been lowered to a less lofty goal. For Donaldson, it has *always* been one of the most important aspects of his art to treat his characters with respect, even the minor characters.

In his own words:

If by "empathy" you mean "the ability to relate accurately--and non-judgmentally--to what someone else is feeling," then empathy is crucial to the kind of story-telling I try to do. In effect, I try to put myself into as many different heads as possible, to see and feel the world through as many different sets of eyes as I can. And I want all of those heads to be fundamentally separate from mine (in other words, none of my characters is "me in disguise"). And I want to inhabit them with the same loyalty of perspective that real people have for their own points of view. When I talk about "engagement" and "becoming my characters," I'm very serious; and I couldn't even attempt those things without empathy--and imagination.

(06/04/2004)

As I think I�ve said before in various ways, I�m a very �experential� writer: in other words, I try to experience the story, both sequentially and emotionally, as if I were indeed inside the head(s) of my protagonist(s) or POV character(s). In addition, I place a high value on studying my characters empathetically and non-judgmentally as well as (as is inevitable) analytically. So I can hardly help becoming �emotionally engaged� with them.

(05/29/2005)

I respect Covenant--but then I try to respect all of my characters.

(03/15/2006)

Discussing the GAP books, I've described my belief that the story contains one character who deserved a better author: Davies Hyland. I didn't fail him by, say, not giving him enough narrative attention. Instead I failed him by--I can't think of a better way to put this--not understanding him well enough. For some (no doubt deeply personal) reason, I wasn't able to "put myself in his shoes" as honestly or as completely as I did with other characters. Well, something similar happened in the last half of "White Gold Wielder". I simply didn't understand Linden well enough to write that part of the story. She needed a better author, and she didn't get one. (Again, this may or may not be apparent to readers in general--although it was clear to my agent. Still it's painfully obvious to me.)

(02/04/2009)

But even if we didn't have these explicit statements from The Author himself, it's clear from the text of the LC books that he attempted to give all his characters dignity and importance. Elsewhere in this forum I've noted how the characters spend so much time (too much time!) telling each other how wonderful they are, and how much they appreciate each other. For the characters themselves to feel this much empathy for each other, so much that it seems silly and overdone, it's impossible to say that the author wasn't attempting to give them depth. I feel like he was trying a bit too hard, and simply missed the target. It wouldn't be the first time, according to him (see Davies comments above). But it's very odd for this to have happened to so many characters in his most cherished created world. I can't believe it was intentional. What would be the point? It serves no narrative benefit to sell your own characters short.

[Horrim Carabal]

after LFB, I for one will never forget the word "roynish"

Yes. The ur-viles are very roynish, I hear.

The sudden introduction of SWMNBN also causes my eyebrows to shoot skywards - that really is a deus (or diabolus) ex machina

I don't have a problem with SWMNBN...I'm curious to learn more about Kastenessen's relationship with her. How is he able to use her power to generate the Dirt?

I forgot about the Feroce as well - I've not got a problem with these in their role as an offshoot of the sur-Jheherrim, but as middle-men for the Lurker making a treaty? The insensate Lurker? Really? A little odd.

Odd but fun! The very creature that TC once hacked at with the krill is now a buddy. Cool beans.

...btw why did you assume the Lurker was insensate? I always assumed it was sentient. It's got a true name and eveything!

To a lesser extent, unless TLD has more to say on the subject, I have no idea why the extinct Quellvisk suddenly appear with the merest nod towards a back story - is there really any need for the giant bones to be attributed to a specific species?

Just speculating, but I'm sure we'll see these things in the Last Dark. Caesure? Flashback? Something like that.

Similarly, I'm entirely unsure of the point of the very occasional mention of the Demimages of Vidik Amar - it's not like we need any more local colour splashed around the very edges of our vision of the Land?

Didn't Jerrick appear with the Forestals? He's going to be in the Last Dark, I can almost guarantee that. SRD only creates what he needs, remember? He's been mentioned a few times now, so I think SRD needs him for something.

I for one can't wait to meet Lord Foul's teacher!

I also understand the issues some have with the "blink and you'll miss it" meeting between TC and Roger... hardly a confrontation, but then again, I imagine (or at least hope) that there'll be a more satisfyingly full denouement to this pivotal relationship in TLD.

I assume so as well.