When did you know...?

[CovenantJr]

Sometime early on in The Illearth War. Probably around the time I realised forty years had passed. That really caught me off guard.

With regard to First versus Second: I maintain that the First Chronicles are the greatest work of fiction I have read so far in my life. The Second Chronicles were fantastic...but not on a par with the First.

[iQuestor]

Sometime early on in The Illearth War. Probably around the time I realised forty years had passed. That really caught me off guard.

With regard to First versus Second: I maintain that the First Chronicles are the greatest work of fiction I have read so far in my life. The Second Chronicles were fantastic...but not on a par with the First.

agree completely!!!! the last chrons are turning out well, but nothing could have been better than reading TIW for the first time!!

[Wyldewode]

Now that's something I don't hear everyday. Was born in '70, by the way.

Hehe. . I thought you might like to hear that. I've spent three vacations in the 'Peg. Last time was a week in August 2005. In 2002 I was able to swing vacation during Folklorama, and I enjoyed that immensely. Winnepeg's a beautiful city, and the people are great too.

Canada is fun. . you have gravy on your fries, and you can buy poutine just about everywhere. Most people have never heard of cashew chicken (at least not 10 years ago) or biscuits and gravy. Gotta love Canada. Charming place. . . I've considered living there myself. *nods*

[wayfriend]

Saltheart and the giants are what got me through the first chronicles, but I wasn't hooked until the second. Don't get me wrong, I liked the first books a lot, but I LOVED the second ones.

Here here. The second chronicles has many more, and higher, "narrative crescendos" than the first. And the second has cooler stuff in it, too, like Vain.

[Waddley]

Yup. Vain. Totally Vain.

And don't forget Nom.

And all the cool freaking places outside the land we get to see.

(I'm glad a few of you understand... thought I may be alone in my love of the second chronicles.)

[matrixman]

I've spent three vacations in the 'Peg. Last time was a week in August 2005. In 2002 I was able to swing vacation during Folklorama, and I enjoyed that immensely. Winnepeg's a beautiful city, and the people are great too.

Aw, shucks. Folkorama, eh? I hear it's a nice festival. Never been to it myself.

Gotta love Canada. Charming place. . . I've considered living there myself. *nods*

Canada has good points and bad points like any other country, but on the whole I'd say we've got more good stuff than bad.

Yup. Vain. Totally Vain.

And don't forget Nom.

And all the cool freaking places outside the land we get to see.

Yes! See, that's one of the aspects of The One Tree that divides opinion so much. Those who dislike TOT really dislike being away from the Land. Then there those like us who love TOT precisely because we get to see the bigger world outside the Land.

[Wyldewode]

Aw, shucks. Folkorama, eh? I hear it's a nice festival. Never been to it myself.
Canada has good points and bad points like any other country, but on the whole I'd say we've got more good stuff than bad.

You've never been? You are a bad man. Evil, I say. Okay, maybe not. But it's super fun. I visited the following pavillions: Irish, Scottish, Greek, and Carribean. They have good food at all of the pavillions, and I can tell you that the Irish coffee is strong enough to walk out the door on it's own. You should really go next year.

And the best thing about Canada (in my opinion) is all of the wonderful people. I've formed friendships with some people that have already lasted 13 years. I can forsee them lasting a lifetime. Like I said, the 'Peg is up there on my list of favorite cities in the world (it ranks with Paris, Cannes, and Florence).

[CovenantJr]

Yes! See, that's one of the aspects of The One Tree that divides opinion so much. Those who dislike TOT really dislike being away from the Land. Then there those like us who love TOT precisely because we get to see the bigger world outside the Land.

All the non-Land places are such an anticlimax after the Land, though. They just don't compare.

Still, I can cope with that. The thing that rubbed me the wrong way about The One Tree was Linden. A lot of it is told from Linden's POV. *grinds teeth to stumps in Linden Wrath*

[iQuestor]

Yes! See, that's one of the aspects of The One Tree that divides opinion so much. Those who dislike TOT really dislike being away from the Land. Then there those like us who love TOT precisely because we get to see the bigger world outside the Land.

All the non-Land places are such an anticlimax after the Land, though. They just don't compare.

Still, I can cope with that. The thing that rubbed me the wrong way about The One Tree was Linden. A lot of it is told from Linden's POV. *grinds teeth to stumps in Linden Wrath*

here, here. I never like bhratherain and the Gyre, kept wishing they'd get back to the Land and kick some clave bootie! it was always such a chore reading TOT for me. the thing I loved about it was NOM!!!! NOM rocks.

After the return, when Covenant has Nom bust in, and the banefire is quenched, the soothtell just prior to that, the cleansing of revelstone with glimmermere, now that was a JOY.


edit: THOOOLAH! THOOOLAH! THOOOLAH!!

[jwaneeta]

I wasn't crazy about TOT at first, but the bit where Linden absorbed Covenant's silence really gripped me. And it had the effect of creating sympathy for Linden that I hadn't previously experienced. Not a ton, but some.

And it had the effect of making the return to the Land almost a relief -- it had been such a jolt to see it in TWL, so different and ruined and alien, but after all the to-ing and fro-ing it seemed downright familiar. I have no idea if that makes sense.

[Krilly]

I was hooked mere pages into the story while TC was still in his world. I really liked the foreshadowing and philosophical implications. Then of course when he's thrust (and us, the readers as well) into another reality where some sort of evil diety is bellowing cryptic commands at him... well, no words can describe it. I just kept on reading!

And then the joy when I randomly discovered there was ANOTHER trilogy? Wow. And better yet, another is on its way. I love it!

[CovenantJr]

And it had the effect of making the return to the Land almost a relief -- it had been such a jolt to see it in TWL, so different and ruined and alien, but after all the to-ing and fro-ing it seemed downright familiar. I have no idea if that makes sense.

That's a good point. Even ravaged as the Land was, Covenant's return there caused a sigh of relief.

I was hooked mere pages into the story while TC was still in his world. I really liked the foreshadowing and philosophical implications. Then of course when he's thrust (and us, the readers as well) into another reality where some sort of evil diety is bellowing cryptic commands at him... well, no words can describe it. I just kept on reading!

That's interesting. Lord Foul's Bane didn't grip me that much. There were things that impressed me, but there were also two major factors that made it so-so for me (though, as I said, that all changed when I started The Illearth War): 1) The quest for the Staff of Law. Quest-based fantasy novels are as old as the hills, and that was a bit of a turn off, I must say. 2) Covenant. Until midway through The Power That Preserves, I loathed and detested Covenant. Lord Foul's Bane was the first book I read that had a repellent "hero".

[Adept Havelock]

For me, it was as simple as walking with a Leper to pay his electric bill in a proclamation of his humanity.

Donaldson won me forever as a fan before I ever saw The Land.

Not unlike the wonderous feeling I found late one evening running and fighting in a graveyard with a certain apprentice to the Order of the Seekers of Truth and Penitence...But that is a tale of Urth, and not the Land.

[A Gunslinger]

For me, it was as simple as walking with a Leper to pay his electric bill in a proclamation of his humanity.

Donaldson won me forever as a fan before I ever saw The Land.

Not unlike the wonderous feeling I found late one evening running and fighting in a graveyard with a certain apprentice to the Order of the Seekers of Truth and Penitence...But that is a tale of Urth, and not the Land.

Thanks for sharing. this is a great place to start (on the watch that is).

[Wyldewode]

For me, it was as simple as walking with a Leper to pay his electric bill in a proclamation of his humanity.

Donaldson won me forever as a fan before I ever saw The Land.

Not unlike the wonderous feeling I found late one evening running and fighting in a graveyard with a certain apprentice to the Order of the Seekers of Truth and Penitence...But that is a tale of Urth, and not the Land.

Welcome, Adept Havelock! Or is it welcome back? Either way, nice to meet you.

[Adept Havelock]

Thank you kindly. It's a lucid moment, so I thought I'd drop by. What actually brought me back here can be found in the second most recent post in the audiobook thread.

Just thought It might be of interest to some folks around here, be they Stonedowner, Woodhelven, or other.

[drew]

So the story as a whole was based on generic fantasy cliches...

Really?

One of my Faveorite things about the Chrons is their lack of Fantasy Cliche.

Sure there are some things...an outsider being summoned...but other than Narnia, I think TCOTC were one of the first to use that one...and yeah there are part that are reminisant of LOTR...but I see them more as tributes.

There are no elves, no wizards, no castles no pubs, no blacksmiths, no kings (or other royalty), no medievil style battles, no heir to a throne, no magic sword (Well maybe the Staff of Law...).
Whenever I read a new fantasy story, and no matter how well it's weritten, when it has too many of the standards...it makes me like the Chronicles more.

[balon!]

I think, in respects to the divide of TOT-Supporters and Non-TOT-Suppoerters, Ill revise my original post.

In the Land, my moment when i knew that this was THE book, was when Foamfollower walked/trudged through Gorak Krembal (Hotash Slay) with TC on his shoulders, then when TC turns back its just Foamy's hand clenched above the lava. Man that was amazing.

Outside the land, in TOT, when TC first sees the Sandgorgons, truly realizes the pure unbridled power of such a beast. I think very few moments can contend!

[spacemonkey]

I think, in respects to the divide of TOT-Supporters and Non-TOT-Suppoerters, Ill revise my original post.

In the Land, my moment when i knew that this was THE book, was when Foamfollower walked/trudged through Gorak Krembal (Hotash Slay) with TC on his shoulders, then when TC turns back its just Foamy's hand clenched above the lava. Man that was amazing.

Outside the land, in TOT, when TC first sees the Sandgorgons, truly realizes the pure unbridled power of such a beast. I think very few moments can contend!

And the crowd screamed "NOM,NOM,NOM..............You gotta admit he's really cool..............

[balon!]

Hey, I never said what side I was on.... *cough*Nom*cough*