Kevin's Watch

I've had a feeling throughout the final chronicles that the author is impatient with the pacing of previous books. It seems to me:

False jeapardy was often inserted where it was not in previous books, to make sure virtually every chapter had an 'event.' A really good example of that was the Viles. Their presence served no good purpose that I could see and made no sense except to liven up proceedings.

The writer couldn't be bothered with travel. If he needed the characters to make a long journey, they would just teleport.

Inconvenient or un-useful characters were removed arbitrarily once they'd served their plot purpose, irrespective of the setup they had previously received. The Mahdoubt filled in plot details, teleported Linden home and then died. The Demondin were simply disposed of 'off screen' as soon as they were in the way of speedy plot development.

I have to say that, for me, this perceived faster pacing makes for a terrific first read, but makes the stories echo less strongly in the memory.

native wrote:I've had a feeling throughout the final chronicles that the author is impatient with the pacing of previous books. It seems to me:

False jeapardy was often inserted where it was not in previous books, to make sure virtually every chapter had an 'event.' A really good example of that was the Viles. Their presence served no good purpose that I could see and made no sense except to liven up proceedings.

Wow!
I am totally opposite of how you feel about that.
I think Linden's interactions with the Viles is going to have HUGE implications.
I hope to start a thread about my thought on that it in fact.

native wrote:The writer couldn't be bothered with travel. If he needed the characters to make a long journey, they would just teleport.

I kinda like that actually.
It was different enough to be interesting plus we needed to see how Jeremiah's powers worked.

native wrote:Inconvenient or un-useful characters were removed arbitrarily once they'd served their plot purpose, irrespective of the setup they had previously received. The Mahdoubt filled in plot details, teleported Linden home and then died. The Demondin were simply disposed of 'off screen' as soon as they were in the way of speedy plot development.

I think these comments above should have been held back until the series is finished and we see for sure.
I think both the Mahdoubt and the Demondim are going to be back anyway.

native wrote:I have to say that, for me, this perceived faster pacing makes for a terrific first read, but makes the stories echo less strongly in the memory.

You need to reread I think.
I just did myself and I have to say, there are some immensely powerful parts in FR that I just didn't pickup on the first time.
Plus Runes was so damn slow it make FR look faster paced, imo.

20 years have passed since the first chronicles. It's not altogether surprising that SRD has chosen to dispense with some of the niceties.

native wrote:I've had a feeling throughout the final chronicles that the author is impatient with the pacing of previous books. It seems to me:

False jeapardy was often inserted where it was not in previous books, to make sure virtually every chapter had an 'event.' A really good example of that was the Viles. Their presence served no good purpose that I could see and made no sense except to liven up proceedings.

The writer couldn't be bothered with travel. If he needed the characters to make a long journey, they would just teleport.

Inconvenient or un-useful characters were removed arbitrarily once they'd served their plot purpose, irrespective of the setup they had previously received. The Mahdoubt filled in plot details, teleported Linden home and then died. The Demondin were simply disposed of 'off screen' as soon as they were in the way of speedy plot development.

I have to say that, for me, this perceived faster pacing makes for a terrific first read, but makes the stories echo less strongly in the memory.

Largely, I agree. However, I did like the teleporting by Roger and Jeremiah. I thought that was cool. And I thought the second half--the journey to Andelain--moved too slow. So I'd disagree about the traveling gripes for both halves.

However, I agree with everything you said about the characters performing their deus ex machina (is everyone getting tired of that phrase yet?) roles, and then disappearing again. It's too easy.

Malik23 wrote: Largely, I agree. However, I did like the teleporting by Roger and Jeremiah. I thought that was cool. And I thought the second half--the journey to Andelain--moved too slow. So I'd disagree about the traveling gripes for both halves.

I always thought it was the getting there that was the most interesting. The way journeys changed the protagonists was the whole point in previous chronicles. Now everyone seems locked into their positions, acting through the plot mechanics.

Fundamentally the plot might be too complex to be sustained over only 4 books. Simply put it might all be too ambitious. Basically SRD said that himself. I think he might be right. But better to try and fail.

www.stephenrdonaldson.com/fromtheauthor/index.php

I do think you underestimate SRD. The last chronicles resemble The Gap much more than the first two chrons (with respect to writing/plotting techniques) and we all have seen what an incredible mesh of plots he was able to achieve in the 4 real Gap books (discounting The Real Story as it only really sets the premises).

The thread also shows how diverse readers' expectations are... one complains about how teleporting cuts out the journeys, the other one feels that the way to Andelain was way too long... but don't we at least receive a good measure of the Land, a thing we all missed in the 2nd Chrons?

amanibhavam wrote:I do think you underestimate SRD.

Exactly. The series is only half over. I trust SRD implicitly.

native wrote:I've had a feeling throughout the final chronicles that the author is impatient with the pacing of previous books. It seems to me:

False jeapardy was often inserted where it was not in previous books, to make sure virtually every chapter had an 'event.' A really good example of that was the Viles. Their presence served no good purpose that I could see and made no sense except to liven up proceedings.

While their first appearance does seem rather gratuitous, Donaldson keeps going back to them, first with their capture of Linden and then with the Harrow lifting Revelstone's siege. I don't think he's done with them yet, either.

native wrote: The writer couldn't be bothered with travel. If he needed the characters to make a long journey, they would just teleport.

Probably the most disturbing thing here is how often LA is dipping into the past. I'll agree with your comment as relates to time travel, even though the book boils down to nothing more than one long journey after another.

native wrote: Inconvenient or un-useful characters were removed arbitrarily once they'd served their plot purpose, irrespective of the setup they had previously received. The Mahdoubt filled in plot details, teleported Linden home and then died. The Demondin were simply disposed of 'off screen' as soon as they were in the way of speedy plot development.

Again, I don't think we've seen the last of the Viles (or the ur-Viles and Waynhim) by any means. Indeed, everything is pointing to an ur-Vile secret agenda of the magnitude of Vain in the Second Chronicles.

As for the Mahdoubt, consider this. A being who has mastered time travel can die in the past and still be right around the corner in the future. The nature of the Insequent is going to be crucial to the book, and the Mahdoubt may yet have a role to play.

native wrote: I have to say that, for me, this perceived faster pacing makes for a terrific first read, but makes the stories echo less strongly in the memory.

I've only read FR once so far and The Last Chronicles are far from complete, so I can't tell you exactly how striking I'm going to find it, but right now I'm pretty happy with it, assuming Donaldson can give us a decent explanation for the game Roger was playing in the first half of FR.

callback wrote:As for the Mahdoubt, consider this. A being who has mastered time travel can die in the past and still be right around the corner in the future. The nature of the Insequent is going to be crucial to the book, and the Mahdoubt may yet have a role to play.

I don't think this is likely--if I remember correctly, something is mentioned in FR about things having to happen in sequence, to avoid threatening the Arch--the Mahdoubt couldn't meet her before she met her, so to speak. If the Mahdoubt shows up again, it will be a mad and dying version of her.