Kevin's Watch

I have just finished the first chronicle and I truly think there is no way to stop at this point. I think if you read the first ones then you will want to read the second chrons.

Anita W.

I've just started rereading the chronicles. It's been quite a few years.

Demondime-a-dozen-spawn wrote:

Savor Dam wrote:In such a scenario, how would the people of the Land recognize TC as "Berek reborn?" Two missing fingers is a powerful and obvious sign. Diabetes has few if any outward manifestations.

Then there are the implications of Land-borne healthsense. Surely the effect of healthsense on a diabetic or asthmatic Covenant would not be as profound as it was when dead nerves were restored to sensation. How would the crisis of Lena (or some equivalent) be motivated?

The lack of any clue by this putative publisher is astounding!

I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure untreated late stage diabetes does result in nerve damage and amputations in the extremities. Blindness too.

But diabetes (to my knowledge, and I apologize to those afflicted if I'm wrong) doesn't carry the social stigma and revulsion that leprosy does. Covenant wouldn't have been a pariah before he entered the Land had he suffered from diabetes or asthma.

You are most definately not wrong about the damage done by late stage diabetes. It is a very insidious disease, especially type1.

Covenant wouldn't have been a pariah before he entered the Land had he suffered from diabetes or asthma.

Actually I am not so sure of that. I became diabetic 4 years ago or so, well I am type 1, but they just caught it. Let me tell you from personal experience, the first time you have to pull out an insulin pen and needle and give yourself a shot in front of someone it changes their perspective of you. I have lost many friends because they do not know how to handle the shots, diet, etc. Needless to say, you do not get invited out much once you become diabetic. Friends are scared that you can't eat what they make or do not know what to make to invite you to dinner. They freak if you test your sugar in front of them, but it is a necessity of life and it makes them uncomfortable. You can no longer go have beers with a buddies without making thorough plans ahead of time, so they quit calling. These are just some of the complaints of persons I know with the disease and myself. You can check your sugar and give yourself shots in the bathroom or somewhere where they will not see it, but the first time your sugar goes low and you start sweating and getting dense sounding because you can not think and have to ask for something sweet or to leave in the middle of a social event because there is nothing sweet it makes an impact.

Meanwhile in the current book I am reading, I do not know that diabetes and all the blood associated would make a difference. After all it would almost make it easier as they use blood for almost everything it seems thus far.

So it might work to be diabetic. Just my thoughts.

Anita W.

Seareach wrote:I've just started rereading the chronicles. It's been quite a few years.

Do they have the power to make you choke back the tears as you meet old friends again that you had previously forgotten about? (This Happened to me last time I re-read them after a gap of many years. Either I am going soft in the head or I am more suceptable to artistic beauty as I get older - I hope it is the latter.)

Actually I think it gets worse the more you re-read - it does for me!

I was saddened to realize that Borrillar (sp?) died during Lord Mhoram's victory ... I didn't remember that from earlier readings.

Just started my re-read today. I don't have a lot of time for reading, as I work too much, but I figure it will take me about two weeks or so per book. That will leave me finishing the entire series, the first two chrons, as well as first half of last chrons, just in time for Against All Things Ending.

It's really cool to read those first two chapters of LFB. You see, I read the Chronicles the first time when I was 13. I was grounded for the summer, except for trips to the library. I walked the shelves looking for something massive to read, and I thought the covers looked interesting. Took LFB home, and almost gave up before I got through Chapter 2. All the leprosy stuff was really boring to my 13 yo brain. But lucky for me, I pushed through and have been a Donaldson addict ever since.

But what I was saying is that, as an adult, those first couple of chapters are completely captivating for me now. Donaldson does an awesome job of letting me experience Covenant's life pre-Land. I love it. And it amuses me that at one point in time, I hated those chapters and almost missed out on such a wonderful experience.

I read them over 20 years ago and just came back to them when I picked up copies of Runes and Fatal Revenant. I had a fond memory for them but I'd never considered rereading them until now. I thought that I had moved on from "mere fantasy".

How wrong! These books are immense. For me, the First Chrons are much tighter plotwise and therefore more satisfying (though I note that SRD regards himself as a much better writer by the Second Chrons). Having said that, I think the white gold caamora (and the build up to it) at the end of the Wounded Land is the most affecting individual section of any of the books I've reread so far (up to half way through The One Tree).

After 20 years it is almost like reading them from scratch. There were a few elements of the plot I could recall, but that's about it - very few of the actual characters - and almost nothing from the Second Chrons at all! (Which is partly why intuitively I feel the First Chrons must be "better".)

Interestingly, in one section of the Elohomfest tapes (yes, I've been delving deeply into SRD fan fayre!) SRD says that he came to reread the First and Second Chrons as a precursor to commencing writing the Last Chrons. His reaction? He says he was blown away by them and couldn't believe that he had written it himself! Coming from someone who comes across as very modest and amiable, that must be saying something!

I recently got the audiobooks of the 1st Chronicles, I last read them 10+ years ago (All 6 books of 1st and 2nd Chronicles). I too am hearing lots of things I had forgotten and it's a wonderful journey, and like Shuram says I don't remember the first two chapters being so powerful (I wasn't a child when I read them, but, was thoroughly distracted). I'm about 5/8 of the way through LFB and have been following the dissection as I listen

sindatur wrote:I recently got the audiobooks of the 1st Chronicles, I last read them 10+ years ago (All 6 books of 1st and 2nd Chronicles). I too am hearing lots of things I had forgotten and it's a wonderful journey, and like Shuram says I don't remember the first two chapters being so powerful (I wasn't a child when I read them, but, was thoroughly distracted). I'm about 5/8 of the way through LFB and have been following the dissection as I listen

The dissections are great - just a shame that I wasn't around at the time they were put together - I would love to have contributed - and if you post on those pages now, they don't make it to the What's New so you don't seem to get any replies, sadly. It would be great if that could be rectified so that those of us reading the dissections along with the books could chip in and hope to get some new discussion going.... anyone listening?

Yes, it would be great to get some feedback on new postings in the Dissections

Oh, and another thing. I didn't really recall Furl's Fire from my last reading so many years ago, and obviously didn't know the poster back then. Getting to the part in LFB where Covenant first arrives at Revelstone, and hearing Scott Brick reading "Furl's Fire burned proudly atop Revelstone" [paraphrased] brought tears to my eyes, and made realize how aptly she chose her username.

sindatur wrote:Yes, it would be great to get some feedback on new postings in the Dissections

Oh, and another thing. I didn't really recall Furl's Fire from my last reading so many years ago, and obviously didn't know the poster back then. Getting to the part in LFB where Covenant first arrives at Revelstone, and hearing Scott Brick reading "Furl's Fire burned proudly atop Revelstone" [paraphrased] brought tears to my eyes, and made realize how aptly she chose her username.

I didn't recall any reference to Furl's Fire either and having looked can't actually find any? There is a reference to the azure flag of the Lord's (High Lords' Furl) flying atop Revelstone, however.

"Garth stood and reported, 'Lord, I have done as you requested. Furl's Fire now burns atop Revelstone. All who see it will warn their folk, and will spread warning of war south and east and north.' "

TCOTCTU pg.218

LFB Chapter 15. The Great Challenge pg.

Barnetto wrote:

sindatur wrote:Yes, it would be great to get some feedback on new postings in the Dissections

Oh, and another thing. I didn't really recall Furl's Fire from my last reading so many years ago, and obviously didn't know the poster back then. Getting to the part in LFB where Covenant first arrives at Revelstone, and hearing Scott Brick reading "Furl's Fire burned proudly atop Revelstone" [paraphrased] brought tears to my eyes, and made realize how aptly she chose her username.

I didn't recall any reference to Furl's Fire either and having looked can't actually find any? There is a reference to the azure flag of the Lord's (High Lords' Furl) flying atop Revelstone, however.

hue of bone wrote:"Garth stood and reported, 'Lord, I have done as you requested. Furl's Fire now burns atop Revelstone. All who see it will warn their folk, and will spread warning of war south and east and north.' "

TCOTCTU pg.218

LFB Chapter 15. The Great Challenge pg.

"Then the sun crested the eastern horizon. It caught the upper rim of the plateau, where burned the blue flame of warning; it moved down the wall until it lifted High Lord's Furl out of the gloaming like the lighting of a torch. Next it revealed the red pennant, and then a new white flag."

Lord Foul's Bane, Chapter Fifteen: The Great Challenge

(Everyone was gathering outside of Revelstone before setting out for Mount Thunder.)

It would seem the Furl's Fire burns on top of Revelstone, and the High Lord's Furl is on top of the watchtower.

hue of bone wrote:"Garth stood and reported, 'Lord, I have done as you requested. Furl's Fire now burns atop Revelstone. All who see it will warn their folk, and will spread warning of war south and east and north.' "

TCOTCTU pg.218

LFB Chapter 15. The Great Challenge pg.

Thanks - I'd only checked out the section where Covenant arrived at Revelstone (as that was the section indicated by Sindatur originally).