Kevin's Watch

crusader wrote:I have found that each time I have re-read the 1st and 2nd Chronicles my enjoyment has never waned, and I do not recall consciously 'skipping' through any one particular book (or even chapter) - a sign I take to show that I don't have a 'favourite' or a 'least favourite' amongst them.

To read the 6 books back-to-back (for the umpteenth time) is a journey I am happy to undertake whenever the trials of modern-day living exert excessive pressure on my often-shattered nerves. Its my personal form of escapism.

As an aside, I must have read this set of books at least 10 times over the years - is this normal or below-par for the devotees of TC?

I am with you on the 'not having a favorite book' thing - they are ALL my favorite book (Hell, they are really only one book when all is said and done).
re The number of times you have read the series, 10 would about match my number but I'm guessing we are at the lower end of the spectrum for some of the guys on the site.

My least liked book is easily The One Tree. I said it here a few years ago that there just seemed to be too many giants and too much Linden in the whole book. In addition to the constricted feeling on the seas, the whole worm thing and that guardian didn't flow right in my mind. However each time I reread TOT I like it a little bit more and am now on the 3rd time.

The Wounded Land on the other hand is an all balls out, killer book. What has happened to the Land and its people in this book is completely and utterly jarring to your senses. I like that.

But dawn, you can't dislike TOT too much, after all that's where your username was introduced!

Dawngreeter wrote:My least liked book is easily The One Tree. I said it here a few years ago that there just seemed to be too many giants and too much Linden in the whole book. In addition to the constricted feeling on the seas, the whole worm thing and that guardian didn't flow right in my mind. However each time I reread TOT I like it a little bit more and am now on the 3rd time.

The Wounded Land on the other hand is an all balls out, killer book. What has happened to the Land and its people in this book is completely and utterly jarring to your senses. I like that.

As far as the 2nd Chronicles go, there's no such thing as "too many giants." Otherwise I agree about TOT. Your comments about TWL are on target.

Difficult issue, if one cannot pick books from the Last Chrons... I will venture to pick as "worst book" from the first six, 'Lord Fouls Bane'.

Relayer wrote:But dawn, you can't dislike TOT too much, after all that's where your username was introduced!

True Relayer! Looking forward to Vain ravaging the maidenhood of the foremast! .. one of the funniest lines ever.

Who can turn down sailing with Giant's? That's what I want to know. Who can snub their nose at "Gossamer Glowlimb, I love you" ? Who can go meh at all the Giant's knowing what Covenant and Linden are doing with their privacy on that bloody rock?

Hiro wrote:Difficult issue, if one cannot pick books from the Last Chrons... I will venture to pick as "worst book" from the first six, 'Lord Fouls Bane'.

I don't really understand how people (many people in fact) can pick LFB, for this "accolade"...

This is the book that started it all. This is the book that set the astonishly rich and complex emotional rollercoaster on its way. This is the book where the crucial themes appear. The very concept of the First Chronicles on its own was bloody brilliant. Perhaps, just perhaps, it was a little rough and raw compared to some later writing, but still, pretty much everyone on this site must initially have been drawn in by this one....?

For me, the pull of this book is (for the reasons above) perhaps more visceral than anything, so I wouldn't dream of nominating it...

I still vote for "The Wounded Land" because Donaldson admitted it was structurally unsound at one point in the book.

TheWormoftheWorld'sEnd wrote:I still vote for "The Wounded Land" because Donaldson admitted it was structurally unsound at one point in the book.

yeah, but what does HE know?

TWL is the best in my opinion, and I'll rank TIW second.

Barnetto wrote:

Hiro wrote:Difficult issue, if one cannot pick books from the Last Chrons... I will venture to pick as "worst book" from the first six, 'Lord Fouls Bane'.

I don't really understand how people (many people in fact) can pick LFB, for this "accolade"...

This is the book that started it all. This is the book that set the astonishly rich and complex emotional rollercoaster on its way. This is the book where the crucial themes appear. The very concept of the First Chronicles on its own was bloody brilliant. Perhaps, just perhaps, it was a little rough and raw compared to some later writing, but still, pretty much everyone on this site must initially have been drawn in by this one....?

For me, the pull of this book is (for the reasons above) perhaps more visceral than anything, so I wouldn't dream of nominating it...

Well, I just pushed myself to pick one of the six books. And LFB rolled out. Ofcourse it started it all, but I still think that the following books are better. All of them.

This does not make LFB a bad book in my mind, though. Not at all.

Hiro wrote:

Barnetto wrote:

Hiro wrote:Difficult issue, if one cannot pick books from the Last Chrons... I will venture to pick as "worst book" from the first six, 'Lord Fouls Bane'.

I don't really understand how people (many people in fact) can pick LFB, for this "accolade"...

This is the book that started it all. This is the book that set the astonishly rich and complex emotional rollercoaster on its way. This is the book where the crucial themes appear. The very concept of the First Chronicles on its own was bloody brilliant. Perhaps, just perhaps, it was a little rough and raw compared to some later writing, but still, pretty much everyone on this site must initially have been drawn in by this one....?

For me, the pull of this book is (for the reasons above) perhaps more visceral than anything, so I wouldn't dream of nominating it...

Well, I just pushed myself to pick one of the six books. And LFB rolled out. Ofcourse it started it all, but I still think that the following books are better. All of them.

Better in what way?

dlbpharmd wrote:

TheWormoftheWorld'sEnd wrote:I still vote for "The Wounded Land" because Donaldson admitted it was structurally unsound at one point in the book.

yeah, but what does HE know?

TWL is the best in my opinion, and I'll rank TIW second.

The best in what way?

I've recently reread the first trilogy, to refresh my memory after almost 30 years. Of them, The Illearth War has too much "cast of thousands" combat, too much Hile Troy, not enough Thomas Covenant. Granted, when he does show up, WOW! But he's only in the beginning, then in the last 100 pages. A whole lot of AD&D in the middle.

larocca wrote:I've recently reread the first trilogy, to refresh my memory after almost 30 years. Of them, The Illearth War has too much "cast of thousands" combat, too much Hile Troy, not enough Thomas Covenant. Granted, when he does show up, WOW! But he's only in the beginning, then in the last 100 pages. A whole lot of AD&D in the middle.

Advanced Dungeons and Dragons?

TheWormoftheWorld'sEnd wrote:

larocca wrote:I've recently reread the first trilogy, to refresh my memory after almost 30 years. Of them, The Illearth War has too much "cast of thousands" combat, too much Hile Troy, not enough Thomas Covenant. Granted, when he does show up, WOW! But he's only in the beginning, then in the last 100 pages. A whole lot of AD&D in the middle.

Advanced Dungeons and Dragons?

You got it. I'm not a big fan of extended battle scenes, be they sci-fi or fantasy or historical war novels or anything else. Admittedly Donaldson does it a WHOLE lot better than, oh, a Tolkien novel or a James Cameron movie, but it's still strenous for me to read all that. Only for Donaldson. I just trusted his plotting and read fast for all the goodies in between the combat.

The AD&D reference, meanwhile, means that participating in those battles can be fun as hell. Or at least they were to me 30 years ago. Nowadays, no idea.

larocca wrote:

TheWormoftheWorld'sEnd wrote:

larocca wrote:I've recently reread the first trilogy, to refresh my memory after almost 30 years. Of them, The Illearth War has too much "cast of thousands" combat, too much Hile Troy, not enough Thomas Covenant. Granted, when he does show up, WOW! But he's only in the beginning, then in the last 100 pages. A whole lot of AD&D in the middle.

Advanced Dungeons and Dragons?

You got it. I'm not a big fan of extended battle scenes, be they sci-fi or fantasy or historical war novels or anything else. Admittedly Donaldson does it a WHOLE lot better than, oh, a Tolkien novel or a James Cameron movie, but it's still strenous for me to read all that. Only for Donaldson. I just trusted his plotting and read fast for all the goodies in between the combat.

The AD&D reference, meanwhile, means that participating in those battles can be fun as hell. Or at least they were to me 30 years ago. Nowadays, no idea.

Ok, well, I wasn't cool enough to be part of the D&D crowd.

Were we cool?

So no final chronicles? (*)

Lord Foul's Ritual would definitely be my least favorite. It was too generic. The heroes go on a quest. Quest was achieved, happy optimistic ending occurred. Hero returned home happier for the experience. On the other hand it did give us the legends of the land like the legends of the Ramen about the sire of the Ranyhyn which I particularly remember. And also Atiaran, definitely a step off the beaten path of fantasy characters and one well built.

After that I'd go with White Gold Wielder, which as someone said earlier destroyed so much of the land that little remained to save. Aside from its two central confrontations it was kind of lacking, though I really liked the Waynhim interlude. (**)

My favorite was Power that Preserves. It was heart wrenching in so many ways and felt much more personal than the horrors of the Sunbane. I didn't expect Lena. Returning to the scene of the crime and finding that, well, I was in awe of Donaldson.


(*) I would have chosen Runes of the Earth in a heartbeat. Fatal Rvenant on the other hand is one of the better ones in my opinion.

larocca wrote:Were we cool?

Apparently you were!