The "New" Giants

Book 2 of the Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant

Moderators: dlbpharmd, Seareach

User avatar
Frostheart Grueburn
The Gap Into Spam
Posts: 1827
Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2011 8:47 pm
Location: Gianthome

Post by Frostheart Grueburn »

[deleted]
Last edited by Frostheart Grueburn on Fri Jun 07, 2013 8:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
wayfriend
.
Posts: 20957
Joined: Wed Apr 21, 2004 12:34 am
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 4 times

Post by wayfriend »

I've attributed the Giantish tomfoollery we see to their being a batallion of soldiers that have been together for a while and seen plenty of combat together. Its a soldier-thing to engage in this kind of monkeying around. (Half of the entire Malazan series is about this, it seems.) Also, Giants are supposed to exhibit humor frequently and with verve - how else to accomplish this if you are Donaldson?
.
DrPaul
Giantfriend
Posts: 492
Joined: Thu Jun 18, 2009 4:51 am
Been thanked: 2 times

Post by DrPaul »

Perhaps Longwrath has had an Earthsight vision, but that vision is incomplete or imprecise. For instance, the vision may have shown him that Linden would arouse the World of the Worm's End, but not shown him all the further consequences of this and how it fits into the "big picture" of the cosmology, or shown him the possibilities for Linden and others to respond in ways that produce a more hopeful outcome. If so, we can infer that on the basis of this incomplete vision he has concluded that Linden must be stopped at any cost.
User avatar
Wildling
Giantfriend
Posts: 317
Joined: Sat May 18, 2013 6:37 pm
Location: The Great White North, eh.

Post by Wildling »

Remillard wrote:I think we haven't had time to get to know them very well honestly. The introduction of the Giants in FR is much like the introduction of the Giants in TWL... under dire events at the very end of the novel.

I see full evidence in the usual Giantish behaviors in the trash-talking between the Ironhand and her fellow Swordmainnir, so I fully expect the depiction of the Giants to be true to the culture. Remember that they are long-lived and far from fecund. There's no real room or reason for their culture to have changed substantially. I don't believe they are more barbaric; they are dealing with situations of extreme duress in their usual heroic manner.
I agree with both of these statements and would only add that these are giantish warriors (Longwrath included) and therefore may be less inclined towards casualness than someone like Pitchwife.
User avatar
deer of the dawn
The Gap Into Spam
Posts: 6758
Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2008 12:48 pm
Location: Jos, Nigeria
Contact:

Post by deer of the dawn »

Precisely. I think these Giants were selected for this particular mission, and it wasn't an exploratory lark like some previous missions; and centuries have worked their attrition on the Giants' lack of fecundity, they may just be a more serious culture/race than the Foamfollower's generation was.
Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle. -Philo of Alexandria

ahhhh... if only all our creativity in wickedness could be fixed by "Corrupt a Wish." - Linna Heartlistener
User avatar
Wildling
Giantfriend
Posts: 317
Joined: Sat May 18, 2013 6:37 pm
Location: The Great White North, eh.

Post by Wildling »

I'm not so sure about that. All we saw previously were some guy sailors, Foamfollower, and The First, who was the more severe of the group. It may be that the Swordmainnir tend more towards seriousness than the sailors do.
deer of the dawn wrote: and centuries have worked their attrition on the Giants' lack of fecundity, they may just be a more serious culture/race than the Foamfollower's generation was.
User avatar
Cord Hurn
Servant of the Band
Posts: 7630
Joined: Mon Oct 28, 2013 7:08 pm
Location: Tucson, Arizona, USA
Has thanked: 6 times
Been thanked: 4 times

Post by Cord Hurn »

wayfriend wrote:I've attributed the Giantish tomfoollery we see to their being a batallion of soldiers that have been together for a while and seen plenty of combat together. Its a soldier-thing to engage in this kind of monkeying around. (Half of the entire Malazan series is about this, it seems.) Also, Giants are supposed to exhibit humor frequently and with verve - how else to accomplish this if you are Donaldson?
Exactly.
Post Reply

Return to “Fatal Revenant”