Kevin's Watch

In the fall of 2000, i was 18, it was the first time i'd ever read a book that wasn't required for school. My roomie was a big SRD fan and due to some problems of a personal nature i was having he thought TC could give me something to wrap my mind around. I read TWL in about 3 days and was hooked...i wonder what it would have been like had i read the first chronicles first instead of reading them after the second chronicles.

I was in the sixth grade, so I would have been eleven. I read the first book with gusto and trudged through the next two. I didn't understand a lot of the more complex themes, really I just wanted the ring to make Covenant a badass. I reread the books when I was 17 and read the Gap series as an adult.

I read the first Chronicles the summer after I turned 15, I read all 6 books in less than 8days, and even then wished that the story would go on. That has now been nearly 15 years ago. I still read them every summer.

I was 15 almost 16 IIRC. That was a year or two after they came out - Now I'm maybe one of the oldest people on this forum and I still read them every couple of years.

Can't wait to give them to my kids - but they're still alittle young to fully appreciate them except for my 16 year old daughter - the 12, 10, and 6 year olds couldn't fully understand - and I want them to love them as I do.

I read them when I was 14 or so... I remember being fascinated, and at the time I didn't think I was too young to read them. I think TWL had just come out, and so I re-read the series again when TOT came out, and then again when WGW came out.

I think I re-read the whole series at least one more time in my 20's.

When I heard the ROTE had come out (saw it in a used book store... I was out of touch) I read it immediately, and then re-read the series through ROTE and now again that FR is out. I'm nearly 40, and I do think I got a lot more out of the series as an adult... subtleties and vocabulary I didn't have when I was a teen.

Good topic.

I was 20 YO in college.....I had already LOTR & TH a couple of times, loved the anti-hero concept of TC....now my 19 YO nephew tried LFB and couldn't get past the rape of Lena (I thinks he was 16 at the time), and was a veteran of Tolkien and Narnia, maybe he was too young. My 17 YO daughter has not embraced it yet either (she is also a LOTR vet), so I think it has a lot to do with your mental make up.....back when I first started reading the TC series, we were very 420 friendly, so maybe that had something to do with it!

I don't remeber exactly. I had to have been 14 or 15 when I read LFB. That was over 20 years ago.... I remember being home sick from school and essentially reading The Ill Earth War in a day, and pretty much the same thing with WGW. I have never re-read them for some reason, perhaps it will be something to do in the 3 years I have to wait for the next book to come out.

When I first read the 1st and 2nd chronicles I was in my early 20s. The difference I notice is now back then I was in my romantic, will I ever find love?? phase and I was totally frustrated that TC and LA weren't getting together and then very happy when they finally got a short period together.

Now being with my life mate for over 10 years, I see the romance from a different perspective, plus knowing how it all ends. I'm not frustrated and can understand the time it takes to build trust and a relationship.

The first read was like an Indiana Jones movie where you just sit and keep getting wowed. Wow even more fantastic action. Now I notice characters actions more knowing they are soon to die and cherish them more.

Endymion9 wrote: Now I notice characters actions more knowing they are soon to die and cherish them more.

I know exactly what you mean.

I read the first two Covenant trilogies when I was about 14. I don't recall thinking they were above my head, but I've reread them once in my 20's and once in my 30's and I, of course, have gotten a lot more out of them since.

My introduction to Fantasy novels went like this:

- The Chronicles of Narnia
- The Chroincles of Prydain
- The Belgariad
- The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever
- The 2nd Chronicles of Thomas Covenant

Narnia to The Land in one year is quite a change of pace!

I was 23/24 and in my first year on my first job. I remember buying WGW and after reading it, letting my co-workers borrow it.

I think I was in high school, somewhere around 14 when my father told me it was time I put down LOTR and read the Covenant books. I was hooked from that point forward.

I was about 16 or 17 when I first began the Covenant series...the book was loaned to me from a friend in high school.

I had always enjoyed reading, however when I began reading that first book I was absolutely hooked. I was enthralled by the story line...the pain and relief, the joy and the sorrow of Thomas Covenant. I soon found myself checking the local bookstore every few weeks looking for any book written by Stephen R. Donaldon.

I know this is a site dedicated to the chronicle series, however his Gap series was another great piece of work as well.

I had given up on looking for new releases from SRD; the other day I happened to be in a bookstore and thought I'd just check to see if there were any new releases, and to my suprise I found the Covenant series was back!

I promptly purchased both the Runes of The Earth and Fatal Revenant. I just finished the Runes of the Earth and am getting ready to start the Fatal Revenant. I fear that I am now going to be checking the bookstore frequently for new releases again.

I am now MUCH older (about 20 years give or take) and I am still very thrilled to be reading such great works as SRD has produced. I would recommend any of his Covenant or Gap series to anyone over the age 16...not really any younger however because as a few other posts have stated, but because you need a certain level of maturity to truly appreciate the events that transpire.

And by the way...great site here so far...

I was twenty-four.

Welcome to the watch idn8tiv!

Don't be checking to book stores to often. The next installment in the last cronicles is not due untill 2010

We DO have a very active Gap subforum as well, as most (darn near everyone) of the watchers have read both TC and the Gap Cycle.

Be sure to check out Hile Troy's Think-Tank if you are into debate and political discussion a couple of notches above the usual internet standard.

Edit: Oh, btw, my avatar is a joke

I was about 16 or 17 when I first began the Covenant series...the book was loaned to me from a friend in high school.

I had always enjoyed reading, however when I began reading that first book I was absolutely hooked. I was enthralled by the story line...the pain and relief, the joy and the sorrow of Thomas Covenant. I soon found myself checking the local bookstore every few weeks looking for any book written by Stephen R. Donaldon.

I know this is a site dedicated to the chronicle series, however his Gap series was another great piece of work as well.

I had given up on looking for new releases from SRD; the other day I happened to be in a bookstore and thought I'd just check to see if there were any new releases, and to my suprise I found the Covenant series was back!

I promptly purchased both the Runes of The Earth and Fatal Revenant. I just finished the Runes of the Earth and am getting ready to start the Fatal Revenant. I fear that I am now going to be checking the bookstore frequently for new releases again.

I am now MUCH older (about 20 years give or take) and I am still very thrilled to be reading such great works as SRD has produced. I would recommend any of his Covenant or Gap series to anyone over the age 16...not really any younger however because as a few other posts have stated, but because you need a certain level of maturity to truly appreciate the events that transpire.

And by the way...great site here so far...

Prebe wrote:We DO have a very active Gap subforum as well, as most (darn near everyone) of the watchers have read both TC and the Gap Cycle.

What Prebe said.

I read LFB in 6th Grade! Followed by the other two shortly after. My brother who is 8 years older than me got me into them. I must admit though I really didn't appreciate SRD until I reread the series when I was about 19 when I reread them after reading the Second Chronical and being totally confused.

I was 14 years old and they were the best books i had ever had the chance to read. a bit wordy but that helped me in my younger years, everything else i read i have to compare..and believe me almost all of it falls way short...some authors know how to tell a story so long as it doesnt end.. and im sure some of you know who im talking about,.....SRD does beginning to end very good for my eyes.

Sixteen and Covenant was my first Anti-hero, from there I was advised by my grizzled mentor that if I liked the less than perfect edge given by stories that centered around the anti-hero, that I should try the Elric of Melnibone stories by Michael Moorcock. If you think leprosy is bad try being a Satanic Albino whos in love with his cousin.