Other Realities

Book 4 of the Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant

Moderators: Savor Dam, High Lord Tolkien, ussusimiel

User avatar
lurch
The Gap Into Spam
Posts: 2694
Joined: Tue Jan 04, 2005 6:46 pm
Location: Dahm dahm, dahm do dahm obby do

Other Realities

Post by lurch »

Okay I've mentioned the term " other realities "a few times now. Surrealism means,,extra reality, so , some examples that have showed up in chapter 1 and chapter 2 I feel free to discuss now that the dissects have started, are as in chapter 1,,the metaphor. A metaphor is a symbol or analogy that means something else and is unrelated at first hand to that . Chapter 1 opens with the metaphor..Linden s future writ in water..Chapter 1 even brings the word metaphor to the front in discussion with Jerry. Another example is the talk about the Viles being metaphoric about " creating", exploring the imagination" itself. Metaphors are another reality,,something that means something else..TLD is loaded with them.

Chapter 2 has another reality that is easy even tho most are not...the Other Reality of..Dreams..We all have them.Linden has one in Chapter 2..Some research shows that when we are deprived of them, dreams,,we get out of sorts, irritable, on edge to the point of loosing it eventually. Some psychologists suggest dreams mean something, others say they are just our mind cleaning house..etc. In any case, we have them, they are part of our existence,,an " Other Reality"..

Chapter 3 has a subtle one,,not easily discernible because its kind of said in passing. ..and its called many different things and yes, Surrealism has its own lable for the phenom..See if you can perceive it.

I am suggesting each chapter has its own kind of " other reality"..I've already gone on about the Timelessness of chapter 7 in the thread,,The Riddle...How about the Other Reallty of complete and total alliteration in Chapter 3 Part 2? So, yea..its not like there is only one or two kind of " other realities". The fun is in opening the mind to perceive as many as possible. What other realities do you perceive in TLD?
If she withdrew from exaltation, she would be forced to think- And every thought led to fear and contradictions; to dilemmas for which she was unprepared.
pg4 TLD
User avatar
lurch
The Gap Into Spam
Posts: 2694
Joined: Tue Jan 04, 2005 6:46 pm
Location: Dahm dahm, dahm do dahm obby do

Post by lurch »

Chapter 3 has a " Other Reality" that some might call,,serendipity,,or coincidence,,or chance... Brinn finds TC because TC used the Krill to seal the promise to not put TC on a Ranyhyn ..no matter what. The idea that all things are connected is suggested. The original Surrealists called it " connectivity.." ..Its interesting to perceive that the promise to not endanger the great horses, TC opened a whole " other reality"...which literally saved his life.
If she withdrew from exaltation, she would be forced to think- And every thought led to fear and contradictions; to dilemmas for which she was unprepared.
pg4 TLD
User avatar
TheFallen
Master of Innominate Surquedry
Posts: 3155
Joined: Tue Jan 04, 2011 3:16 pm
Location: Guildford, UK
Has thanked: 1 time

Re: Other Realities

Post by TheFallen »

lurch wrote:Okay I've mentioned the term " other realities "a few times now. Surrealism means,,extra reality, so , some examples that have showed up in chapter 1 and chapter 2 I feel free to discuss now that the dissects have started, are as in chapter 1,,the metaphor. A metaphor is a symbol or analogy that means something else and is unrelated at first hand to that .
Point of semantic order here. You are correct to describe a metaphor as a symbol. However, the very last thing that a metaphor is, is an analogy. By their very nature, metaphors draw no explicit analogous comparative... that'd be a simile instead.
Newsflash: the word "irony" doesn't mean "a bit like iron" :roll:

Shockingly, some people have claimed that I'm egocentric... but hey, enough about them

"If you strike me down, I shall become far stronger than you can possibly imagine."
_______________________________________________
I occasionally post things here because I am invariably correct on all matters, a thing which is educational for others less fortunate.
User avatar
lurch
The Gap Into Spam
Posts: 2694
Joined: Tue Jan 04, 2005 6:46 pm
Location: Dahm dahm, dahm do dahm obby do

Post by lurch »

As I just posted in the dissect forum,,there is the line.." Some other part of him croaked, "Heres another fine mess you've gotten me into"..in chapter 3..Not only does the line NOT fit in the Land Reality, but.Its rather funny in its self. The " other reality" appears to be suggested by both,," Some other part of him croaked" and the actual Laurel and Hardy catchphrase from my grandfathers generation, " Heres another fine mess you've gottin me into.." Space ( some other part) and Time ( L&H catchphrase) are demonstratively at play by the author,,creating..other reality....which is where Hope is found,,when your reality has none.
If she withdrew from exaltation, she would be forced to think- And every thought led to fear and contradictions; to dilemmas for which she was unprepared.
pg4 TLD
User avatar
lurch
The Gap Into Spam
Posts: 2694
Joined: Tue Jan 04, 2005 6:46 pm
Location: Dahm dahm, dahm do dahm obby do

Post by lurch »

In Chapter 4's dissect, Frosty points out some double entendre'/ innuendo,,where the 2nd meaning is usually of sexual or bawdy nature. To take the double entendre one step further, consider the " mental intercourse" aspect of the entendre'. Neat it is that " entendre" from French,,means " hearing, to hear," so we are back to the oft repeated,,joy is in the ears that hear.,,other reality.
If she withdrew from exaltation, she would be forced to think- And every thought led to fear and contradictions; to dilemmas for which she was unprepared.
pg4 TLD
User avatar
Icarus Unfallen
<i>Elohim</i>
Posts: 162
Joined: Wed Dec 29, 2010 1:24 am

Post by Icarus Unfallen »

Too small an orifice, lurch. At least one would hope this is the case.

Or perhaps you were considering the ear canal of a Big Rabelaisian Swordmain? Good luck with that, Mr. Bobbitt. :twisted:
User avatar
Frostheart Grueburn
The Gap Into Spam
Posts: 1827
Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2011 8:47 pm
Location: Gianthome

Post by Frostheart Grueburn »

Nay, nay, nay. Even if centuries of cavewomanly jests, particularly those of the Ironhand--that bawdy ol’ baggage--have befouled our ears, even we stand firm beyond certain limits. A human fancying to date a Giantess should never resort to punchlines akin to "Can I spill joy into ears that hear?" Nay. Most uncomfortable, I would deem. Attempt the conventional means instead, and begin your coaxing with a bouquet of sunflowers, a beautiful granite boulder, or a few tens of kilos of chocolate.
The Ironhand
Servant of the Land
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri May 02, 2014 4:29 pm

Post by The Ironhand »

Ah, young Frostheart Grueburn, you in good sooth ken not the meaning of the befoulment of ears. At least I do not wear a lucky sock that has not been washed for the past fifteen score years, and the reek-cloud of which has reached such a state of absurdity that you can hear the flavor of the stench ere your nose will awaken (solely to clog up in self-defense mere seconds afterwards). I would also hazard to guess that this particularly solid reek has gained a form of self-awareness at least a century agone.
User avatar
TheFallen
Master of Innominate Surquedry
Posts: 3155
Joined: Tue Jan 04, 2011 3:16 pm
Location: Guildford, UK
Has thanked: 1 time

Post by TheFallen »

Frostheart wrote:Nay, nay, nay. Even if centuries of cavewomanly jests, particularly those of the Ironhand--that bawdy ol’ baggage--have befouled our ears, even we stand firm beyond certain limits. A human fancying to date a Giantess should never resort to punchlines akin to "Can I spill joy into ears that hear?" Nay. Most uncomfortable, I would deem.
WARNING! Off-colour gag follows...

What a weird twist this discussion has taken... however what with my own equally twisted sense of humour, I am powerless to resist picking up this bizarre ball and running with it.

On that basis, it's a good thing that Coldspray, Grueburn and the other bawdy punster swordmainnir weren't aware of the following idiom:
Spoiler
"Prick up your ears"
(meaning of course "to listen attentively"), or they'd have bust their granite cataphracts from laughing, been entirely unable to fight while rolling around helplessly on the ground and the world would have ended.

Mind you, folk are probably overthinking this. If you look hard enough, you can find innuendo in anything. In point of fact, there's a pretty good innuendo in the word "innuendo".
Newsflash: the word "irony" doesn't mean "a bit like iron" :roll:

Shockingly, some people have claimed that I'm egocentric... but hey, enough about them

"If you strike me down, I shall become far stronger than you can possibly imagine."
_______________________________________________
I occasionally post things here because I am invariably correct on all matters, a thing which is educational for others less fortunate.
User avatar
Frostheart Grueburn
The Gap Into Spam
Posts: 1827
Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2011 8:47 pm
Location: Gianthome

Post by Frostheart Grueburn »

Now look what you did. :( Stonemage just bust hers and hyperventilates in her hysteria. Clearly we must devise laughter-proof armor henceforward...

(I showed some of those innuendo-ish passages of chapter 4 to an RL friend of mine, and they sniggered just as heartily as I did. Perhaps the dirty jest's in the eye of the beholder, but may as well be that Scandinavians ought to wipe their glasses clean more often...)

Sorry lurch, Icarus started it! :biggrin:
User avatar
lurch
The Gap Into Spam
Posts: 2694
Joined: Tue Jan 04, 2005 6:46 pm
Location: Dahm dahm, dahm do dahm obby do

Post by lurch »

well..if you find the orifice too small then stop using big words. I limit my vocabulary to words with 4 to 6 characters and come off well pleased and I get a good nights sleep as well. But, sometimes I show off my ten inch thesaurus and ,,oh heck,,I never kno whats gonna happen after that.,,including hearing the stench of a sox ward or a ward bond or for that matter, June Cleavers famous rebuke of hubby's difficult wordsmithy. If he had used just 4 to 6 lettered words, today, we, would not have a clue as to who Jerry Mathers was/is. Size does mather so keep it short and simple if you want to hear Joy

.In yur ears with a granite boulder...God Bless Ward Cleaver..

MEL
If she withdrew from exaltation, she would be forced to think- And every thought led to fear and contradictions; to dilemmas for which she was unprepared.
pg4 TLD
User avatar
Icarus Unfallen
<i>Elohim</i>
Posts: 162
Joined: Wed Dec 29, 2010 1:24 am

Post by Icarus Unfallen »

lurch, that prejudice against vocabulary is surprising from an SRD fan. 'Nuff said about that.
Kele Le Roc & Rhett Lawrence (songwriters for Harry Nilsson) wrote:The other day I met a girl named Joy
She said, "Come here, I'm gonna make you my joy boy"
Well, things went good and things went bad
Now every time I think of Joy
It makes me sad
It makes me sad

The other day I met a girl named Joy
She said, "Roy, I'm gonna make you my joy boy"
Well, she took me for a ride, sort of a joy ride
Now every time I think of Joy
I get all weird inside

Oh, Joy to the world was a beautiful girl
But to me Joy meant only sorrow

Now if you haven't got an answer
Then you haven't got a question
And if you never had a question
Then you'd never have a problem

But if you never had a problem
Well, everyone would be happy
But if everyone was happy
There'd never be a love song

Joy was a beautiful girl
But to me Joy meant only sorrow

The other day I met a girl named Joy
She said, "Come here, I wanna make you feel all clammy inside"
Things went good and things went bad
Things went good things went bad
Good, bad, good, bad, good, bad

Joy to the world was a beautiful girl
But to me Joy meant only sorrow

Oh, Joy to the world was a beautiful girl
But to me Joy meant only sorrow

Joy, I know you're out there
I want you to turn on your radio and listen to my song...
User avatar
Frostheart Grueburn
The Gap Into Spam
Posts: 1827
Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2011 8:47 pm
Location: Gianthome

Post by Frostheart Grueburn »

Ah, words fit ears well in all sooth, sesquipedalian and minimalistic, but not...foreign objects. Always remember to sheathe various weapons of life and love into their correct scabbards! :twisted:
User avatar
Vraith
The Gap Into Spam
Posts: 10621
Joined: Fri Nov 21, 2008 8:03 pm
Location: everywhere, all the time

Post by Vraith »

There's a saying that does something like:
"Don't put anything in an ear smaller than your elbow."

Of course, some of us could go at the Giant's ear wielding some of those things hinted at without breaking the rule since what they got is bigger than an elbow.

Some are less well endowed.








[[[[with VOCABULARY, you SLEEZEBALLS!!]]]]
[spoiler]Sig-man, Libtard, Stupid piece of shit. change your text color to brown. Mr. Reliable, bullshit-slinging liarFucker-user.[/spoiler]
the difference between evidence and sources: whether they come from the horse's mouth or a horse's ass.
"Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation."
the hyperbole is a beauty...for we are then allowed to say a little more than the truth...and language is more efficient when it goes beyond reality than when it stops short of it.
User avatar
lurch
The Gap Into Spam
Posts: 2694
Joined: Tue Jan 04, 2005 6:46 pm
Location: Dahm dahm, dahm do dahm obby do

Post by lurch »

oh my god..another " other reality": I am to write up the initial dissect of Part 1 Chapter 5..I'm thinking I have already done a good job, but one more quick read to see if there is anything I may have missed.. I am entertained by the alliteration in the opening sentence but there is something else going on. I finish the paragraph. What the heck is it? Rather than pursue it, I relax and sit back ,,and I see it...There is a over preponderance of " Os". Every sentence has at least one word with an " O" in it. Most have more than one word with an " O" in it.. I go a few pages before I see a sentence with no " O" in it. The sentence is about healing. gak...the completeness of a circle, the " O " isn't required when talking about healing. it would be redundant..? .whole as in..." wholistic" as in all the parts of the whole are interconnected..as in..a human being, his environment, and his language....or just in medical terms..treating the whole person , rather than just the symptoms...
Not every sentence has " a's in it. Not every sentence has any and or every other letter of the alphabet in it..But 99.99% of all sentences in chapter 5 have an " O " in it...,,,here are a few sentences out of the entirety of the chapter that do NOT have an " O " in it..

" It is ussusimiel"

But trust was still trust.

It was life and ruin.

And he had always needed help

Save and damn.

In this chapter more than once SRD drops the one word sentence ..Kastenessen..

So perhaps the author is demonstrating something here..the 3rd reality created by opposites..contradiction..the Hope of Contradictions in these non "o" sentences...

I'm beginning to wonder..just what the heck other phenomena have I missed in all the author's other works..A chapter with a " O " in just about every freekin sentence..WHATHEHELLISTHAT?...DaSRD Code?????
If she withdrew from exaltation, she would be forced to think- And every thought led to fear and contradictions; to dilemmas for which she was unprepared.
pg4 TLD
User avatar
lurch
The Gap Into Spam
Posts: 2694
Joined: Tue Jan 04, 2005 6:46 pm
Location: Dahm dahm, dahm do dahm obby do

Post by lurch »

I can complement the dissect of Chapter 6 TLD,,with a post on the " other reality" of chapter six. ..Memories..the " other reality" of Memory,,is at the center of chapter 6..In Linden's case,,they, memories, can get her punched out by Stave...and a huge clue to save the Land and also..save herself...netting a salute from the lurker,,jeeezzz a salute from the lurker , talk about other reality...fascinating how everything is turned on its head in chapter 6's look at the subjectivity of " Memories."..thru the glass of Black Humor..I mean ,,good guy Stave punches out Linden,,and bad guy lurker delivers the feroce who give the message of Forbidding and thus Linden realizes how to save the Land and herself...Totally inside out reality.
If she withdrew from exaltation, she would be forced to think- And every thought led to fear and contradictions; to dilemmas for which she was unprepared.
pg4 TLD
User avatar
lurch
The Gap Into Spam
Posts: 2694
Joined: Tue Jan 04, 2005 6:46 pm
Location: Dahm dahm, dahm do dahm obby do

Post by lurch »

In chapter 5 , we meet The Worm. I am of the perception that the Worm..is metaphor of Us..the reader. We are Book Worms,,we consume the author's talent, Earth Blood, devour his Land,until reaching the last page, last paragraph, last word, and then go back to slumber.

As much as a mind stretch as that may seem,,consider then,,that Lord FoulDeRall gives Jeremiah the " gift" to perceive The Worm's advance thru the Land..The author has Jeremiah, " Kid Whole", done withe Graveyard ,returned anew and fresh,,the author has Jeremiah peering outside of the Tale, and watching US..reading, advancing thru the pages, devouring the author's Earth Blood,,forever closing in on the END,,the End of the Book, the End of Last Chronicles, THE END OF THE CHRONICLES OF THOMAS COVENANT..THE END ..of their world...

Consider,,this treatment of Space by the author. By example,,he breaks out of the box of preconceived notions. Steven King meets himself in his one series. The name of Arthur Phillip's main character in his " The Egyptologist" is an anagram of the author's name...for a sizable donation to one of his favorite charities, Geo RR Martin will write You in, as a character, to his latest work. There are all sorts of ways author's have been breaking down the wall between their " work" and the readers of their work; all sorts of ways Space and for that matter, Time, are creatively manipulated by authors.

Fantasy is Other Reality. The author appears to have dragged us into,,included US,,in his Work of Fantasy..The Chronicles have always been about Us and at its climax,,WE become The Story. ....Art....
If she withdrew from exaltation, she would be forced to think- And every thought led to fear and contradictions; to dilemmas for which she was unprepared.
pg4 TLD
User avatar
lurch
The Gap Into Spam
Posts: 2694
Joined: Tue Jan 04, 2005 6:46 pm
Location: Dahm dahm, dahm do dahm obby do

Post by lurch »

hhmm..the " other reality " of Mystery..As a noun, Mystery exists even tho the word represents the " unknown". But still..we have understanding and a feel about any particular Mystery. Mystery as a challenge..Mystery as a gut wrench, a light stomach..a dread..Life as a mystery, death as a mystery. Your self as a mystery.

Chapter 7..Taking The Risk..has Mystery all thru it at every level and realm. Taking The Risk, as in meeting the challenge of the various interwoven mysteries? Linden solves the challenge of the malachite with help from Jeremiah and a rock thrown by Stave. That still cracks me up..sorry for the pun..Anyway..Mahrtiir ,,without ever saying,,I want to be the new Forestall..assumes the roll almost mystically. The mystery of what Linden learned or saw or realized in the previous chapter begins to manifest itself in this chapter and a certain concept with its entourage of baggage mysteriously disappears in this chapter. The hard objective idea of Time is seen thru in this chapter. The Mystery of The Malachite is solved by the disappearance of Time...Colonel Mustard in the Library with the Candelabra..
If she withdrew from exaltation, she would be forced to think- And every thought led to fear and contradictions; to dilemmas for which she was unprepared.
pg4 TLD
User avatar
lurch
The Gap Into Spam
Posts: 2694
Joined: Tue Jan 04, 2005 6:46 pm
Location: Dahm dahm, dahm do dahm obby do

Post by lurch »

An observation I came upon while discussing chapter 7 in the dissect; The States of Mind the author has Linden in ,,during chapter 6 and 7. From weighted down by the fear of the lurker and feroce..to the glamour of the feroce..to being knocked out by Stave,,and then in chapter 7..after following her instincts and intuition with liberating the malachite,,collapsing into an exhausted unconscious state of mind..During these " states of mind" of glamours and unconsciousness..Linden comes to important revelations and conclusions..Ranyhyns intent was made obvious..Linden says it out loud. But the rest...we have to use Our intuition, our instinct to get the feel of what Linden has concluded and how to do it.
Again, there is that subtle intimacy the author keeps offering. He doesn't tell us straight out what Linden concludes to do. A hint or two is what we get an we are left to figure it out if we so choose. The author invites us to use our intuition. ..and thereby a subtle change in Our State of Mind is possibly required. How cool is that?
If she withdrew from exaltation, she would be forced to think- And every thought led to fear and contradictions; to dilemmas for which she was unprepared.
pg4 TLD
User avatar
lurch
The Gap Into Spam
Posts: 2694
Joined: Tue Jan 04, 2005 6:46 pm
Location: Dahm dahm, dahm do dahm obby do

Post by lurch »

..Reiventing oneself.. How often have you heard that? People of notoriety,,like to use the term, " re-inventing oneself"..to explain their PR stunt to get back in the public's attention. An other reality of themselves is offered to the public.

Stave " re-invents" himself in chapter 8. With Linden gone and not worrying about being attacked by Fouls minions,,Staves haruchai / master training has little to do. So he offers to help Jeremiah with the fane . I've made an observation that his arc comes off as a metaphor of the swords to plowshares slogan when a society re-invents itself after a war. Not as a weapon, but as a Tool, a wedge, Stave succeeds in bringing down the monolith possibly holding Jerry's capstone. But..Stave just about destroys himself in the process. Stave re-invented himself and found out the other reality of a " plowshare" almost cost his life. Rather metaphoric.

So, other realities up to this point have been positively charged..Hope is found in other realities, choices you didn't know you had are in other realities, creativeness, inspiration, etc...But here, the author hurts Stave severely for the other reality of re-inventing himself. I think this loops back to the olde Covenant refrain: be true to yourself. Stave , as haruchai, former Master, is a weapon. That is his training and talent. He has been Linden's bodyguard . Now, without her, he tries to re-invent himself . He pays dearly for it and is very lucky the mirth filled Giants see to saving him from his other reality.

You are defined by your talents. In your talents you find yourself and you find your humanity. Perhaps Stave thought about that as he recuperated from trying an other reality.
If she withdrew from exaltation, she would be forced to think- And every thought led to fear and contradictions; to dilemmas for which she was unprepared.
pg4 TLD
Post Reply

Return to “The Last Dark”