Kevin's Watch

I managed to sneak the chapter Gilden Fire into my reading of the TIEW to make it a whole. It worked out quite nicely. What I found interesting was the writeup before GildenFire where SRD talks about omitting the chapter because it came from the perspective of the Bloodguard. He also states that when it switches perspective of someone else, either HT or TC are in the room or in the conversation. I respect that and it is a nice way of keeping the reader in the story but...
Now reading TPTP, I notice that see the land from Mhoram perspective without either TC or HT. Why did this change? We also see this when Triock sets out on his own - neither TC or HT or there. Did SRD change his mind or did the editors?

I think the reasoning is that, later in the story, there's a higher tolerance to adding the additional viewpoints without undermining the dream/reality question.

It seems like a thin reason, but the way I look at it is this: In the second book, Donalson's introduced Hile Troy. At this stage, the author is working towards our accepting Troy's viewpoint without undermining the dream/reality issue. Which is possible because Troy comes from the real world. This then becomes the groundwork for the third book, when we can accept Mhoram's and Triock's point of view, who are from the Land. I think that Donaldson believed that this progression was necessary, and it dictated that the Gildenfire chapter in TIW didn't fit.

It seems like a thin reason, but the way I look at it is this: In the second book, Donalson's introduced Hile Troy. At this stage, the author is working towards our accepting Troy's viewpoint without undermining the dream/reality issue. Which is possible because Troy comes from the real world. This then becomes the groundwork for the third book, when we can accept Mhoram's and Triock's point of view, who are from the Land.

hmm, however Mhoram's pov is taken earlier than Troy's, in the chapter 'seer and oracle' in TIW ...

In Gildenfire, the reader is not only introduced to the Bloodguard's POV, but also learns some crucial facts about the Bloodguard; for example, their mental telepathy, and their use of unarmed combat as a way of achieving consensus.

Perhaps it was felt that these revelations would 'de-mystify' the Bloodguard who up until then had remained pretty much an enigma.

Another point of view is Fleshharrower's at Doom's Retreat.

...his farseeing Giantish eyes made out the Warward, seven or eight leagues beyond the riders. He marked the direction of their march -

SleeplessOne wrote:hmm, however Mhoram's pov is taken earlier than Troy's, in the chapter 'seer and oracle' in TIW ...

Hmmm... good point. Maybe this one is tolerable because Covenant is pretty much present in that whole chapter?

Edit: dug this out of the GI

In the Gradual Interview was wrote:... For the first time I read Gilden-Fire during The Illearth War & was struck by how much of Illearth is actually not from Covenants' viewpoint or even within his prescence. Strikes me that the reason for the exclusion of Gilden-Fire doesn't honestly hold water. Your thoughts?

• Superficially, you're right about point of view in "The Illearth War." But remember that virtually all of the non-Covenant POV is Hile Troy, who seems to have reached the Land from Covenant's "real world," so his viewpoint doesn't violate the principle which excluded "Gilden-Fire." As for the (as I recall) one other instance of non-Covenant viewpoint: I used Mhoram's POV in a (I hoped) subtle attempt to prepare for the significant viewpoint changes which would occur in "The Power that Preserves."
  
  (06/19/2004)

wayfriend wrote:

SleeplessOne wrote:hmm, however Mhoram's pov is taken earlier than Troy's, in the chapter 'seer and oracle' in TIW ...

Hmmm... good point. Maybe this one is tolerable because Covenant is pretty much present in that whole chapter?

Hasn't SRD basically said he can justify different POV as long as Hile Troy or Covenant was there? It was Gilden-Fire where the complete disconnect from the "real" world first happens?

rdhopeca wrote:Hasn't SRD basically said he can justify different POV as long as Hile Troy or Covenant was there? It was Gilden-Fire where the complete disconnect from the "real" world first happens?

Yes. See above, where I editted my post (not soon enough!) to add that.

How is the POV justified when Troy loses his sight at the Ruins?
Why does Lord Morham have the eyes of the reader?