Kevin's Watch

Posted: **Sun Jan 26, 2014 12:33 am**

hi PastorChris and Thyme & verbose

Posted: **Sun Jan 26, 2014 2:51 am**

I am a newbie to the Watch, but I have followed it and enjoyed it for some time now. It''s a great culture of people, and only SRD people get SRD, if you know what I mean. I just finished TLD a few weeks ago, and I have been feeling very blue about that since. I have a special place in my heart for TC, and I have learned much from him and his approach to life. Anyway, I finally decided to join the Watch, and after I posted on one of the threads, I was pointed here to introduce myself.

I first read TC in my early 20s back in 1983 or so, and I never even knew SRD was writing these LCs until about 2010 ( I know, where have you been, but I had to raise 3 kids in mean time, and that ain't no fantasy). I fondly remember telling my fiancé (now wife) about the series back when we were courting. To think she still married me after that! Anyway, after I rediscovered SRD all these years later, I re-read the whole series and then the LCs. I literally had forgotten the entire story in those 30 years. All I recalled was TC of course, Linden, and Foamfollower. It was great fun to rediscover this unbelievable tale, and all it's richness and lessons (which I appreciated much more in my 50s than in my 20s). My wife isn't quite as keen when I go on about it like I did 30 years ago, but she was infatuated back then....with me, not TC (hah!). I loved The Last Dark. In fact it might be my favorite of the series, and I look forward to discussing all this in the near future. But, for now, hello to all, and thanks for this Forum!

Posted: **Sun Jan 26, 2014 3:54 am**

Hi Verbose and Dondarion, welcome to The Watch.

Posted: **Sun Jan 26, 2014 7:00 am**

Be Welcome to the Watch, Dondarion (may we call you Don?).
Be Well Come and True.

Posted: **Sun Jan 26, 2014 12:23 pm**

Hello Dondarian

So we found SRD at the same time, in the 80s.

Posted: **Sun Jan 26, 2014 8:46 pm**

Thanks for the welcome! "Don" would be fine. I actually got "Dondarion" from GRR Martin's "Berek Dondarion", whose name reminded me of our old friend the Lord Fatherer, Berek Halfhand, and so I have liked him in the Ice and Fire series. And yes, I came across SRD in the 1980s, when I was looking for something to followup my newfound Tolkien fix (had read The Silmarillion, and was in awe). The 80s was a cheesy decade indeed, but my love for fantasy, and my future wife, was born therein, so I am a bit partial to it.

Posted: **Mon Jan 27, 2014 12:30 am**

Dondarion wrote:The 80s was a cheesy decade indeed, but my love for fantasy, and my future wife, was born therein, so I am a bit partial to it.

Oy...if she is indeed still your future wife these thirty-odd years later, you two are exceedingly patient.

Obligatory TLD Spoiler:

Spoiler

While Covenant and Linden may have taken a few thousand years by Land-reckoning, even they only took roughly ten of our years to wed.

Put a ring on it!

Posted: **Mon Jan 27, 2014 11:05 pm**

Greetings, Dondarion.

Dondarion wrote:I fondly remember telling my fiancé (now wife) about the series back when we were courting. To think she still married me after that!

Perhaps "a fan of a leper rapist" has some appeal to it... or at least some originality.

Dondarion wrote:I loved The Last Dark. In fact it might be my favorite of the series, and I look forward to discussing all this in the near future.

Curious... so do you agree with TC's final decision and his arguments for that?

Dondarion wrote:Thanks for the welcome! "Don" would be fine. I actually got "Dondarion" from GRR Martin's "Berek Dondarion", whose name reminded me of our old friend the Lord Fatherer, Berek Halfhand, and so I have liked him in the Ice and Fire series. And yes, I came across SRD in the 1980s, when I was looking for something to followup my newfound Tolkien fix (had read The Silmarillion, and was in awe). The 80s was a cheesy decade indeed, but my love for fantasy, and my future wife, was born therein, so I am a bit partial to it.

So, basically named after Berek... you might wish to be careful around here.

Savor Dam wrote:Obligatory TLD Spoiler:
Spoiler
While Covenant and Linden may have taken a few thousand years by Land-reckoning, even they only took roughly ten of our years to wed.

Oh what's the need to rush like this, why can't people wait for a millenium or a few?

Posted: **Tue Jan 28, 2014 12:53 am**

Savor: She was my "future wife" at the time. I am a true "yellow gold wielder" for 27 years now.

LF: Who wouldn't love to hear about a story whose main character is a "leper rapist"? Not that I led with that one, mind you.

[mod edit]Leaving this in, but warning those who may not expect a spoiler in this forum to mean a TLD spoiler...~m.[/mod edit]

Spoiler

As for TC's decisions at the end, etc., I assume you mean his decision to allow LF (the real LF) to enter himself. I am okay with that, because first of all he was able to mind meld with what LF had learned for millennia, but more because of what has been referred to in other places "strength in contradiction". To live, we must die....to become strong, we must first accept our weaknesses, strength in inadequacy, all of that great philosophical stuff I love about SRD. Of course, there will be risks, but we recognize that these life experiences have caused us to know ourselves like never before, trust our newfound knowledge and strength specifically because of past failings, we have learned to trust others, and we know we will not go back to the former kind of life. It is dead. I think that's maybe why SRD leaves TC in The Land. He dies in the "real world", but more critically, that world is dead to him. It all made him who he is, the leprosy, Joan, Roger, his mistakes with the raping, his choices, rejections, deals, etc., but all of that ended up making him a stronger person, more responsible, and he finally understood that in the LCs.

I like the quote from Berek he refers to in the Epilogue: "Only the great of heart may despair greatly", again truth in contradiction. To TC, that described LF. We cannot know who he might have become, but for his own bad choices. But, he must have had a great capacity at one time for good, and TC is confident he can channel that for the good of all. I'd like to think he will.[/quote]

Posted: **Tue Jan 28, 2014 10:32 am**

Hi Verbose and Dondarion.

I also got into the First Chrons in the late 70's... pretty much when LFB was first published, so it's been a long journey for me too.

I remember my father - who was the most practical and down-to-earth of men who'd never have read a fantasy novel in his entire life - coming home after work one day and to my immense surprise giving me a copy of LFB that he'd bought on the way - because he'd heard people talking about it and thought I would enjoy it. (I had actually already got myself a copy, but I wouldn't have ever dreamt of telling him so.)

Posted: **Tue Jan 28, 2014 8:43 pm**

Welcome to the Watch, Dondarion!

Posted: **Sun Mar 02, 2014 1:40 am**

Hi all, from a long (long, long) time lurker. I've been checking in to this site forever it seems, and finally decided to register. I actually think I registered a long time ago, but can't remember my user name, so maybe it was just a dream.

Thought I'd say Hi here as ordered by the High Lord, and move to more history in another post.

Posted: **Sun Mar 02, 2014 2:01 am**

Welcome to the Watch, Soarback Grayhare!

Being a person "of a certain age", I entirely understand the discomforts you must put behind you and the hue of your plumage.

May you thrive here and contribute -- which I see you are already doing.

Posted: **Sun Mar 02, 2014 5:13 pm**

Welcome Soarback Greyhare. Whadyasay Dimeyes says hi, too.

Welcome Dondarion. You may have died seven times, but we welcome the life-impaired here.

Posted: **Mon Mar 03, 2014 4:46 am**

Welcome to the Watch, Soarback Grayhare! Thanks for joining in!

Posted: **Mon Mar 03, 2014 4:48 am**

Hahaha, I only got the first part now. Otherwise, de ja vu.

--A

Posted: **Thu Mar 06, 2014 7:29 am**

hi Dondarion.

hi Soarback Grayhare.

Posted: **Wed Mar 19, 2014 6:04 pm**

New member of the forum.

Started reading SRD back in 1983 when I was in high school and LOVED the first Chronicles. I have read every single SRD novel, except the detective novels. I started to read one, but just couldn't get into it.

I think my favorite Donaldson books are the Gap novels.

Posted: **Wed Mar 19, 2014 7:04 pm**

Welcome to the Watch, apastuszak. Check out our Gap forum. Then realize the good stuff is in the Covenant forum.

Posted: **Wed Mar 19, 2014 9:18 pm**

Hello there, apastuszak. I concur--The Gap Cycle is great reading as evidenced by the username I chose. There aren't many Gap-named folks here, sadly.

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