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Title: Lord Foul's Bane (The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, Book 1) by Stephen R. Donaldson ISBN: 0-345-34865-6 Publisher: Del Rey Pub. Date: 12 June, 1987 Format: Mass Market Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $7.50 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.18 (245 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Heart-wrenching fantasy
Comment: I can't say TOO much that hasn't been said before, except that Donaldson gets back to fantasy's roots. Ever read the uncensored Aesop's fables? or the original Little Red Riding Hood? They're NOT pretty sights, but they earn their keep in the imagination because the sex and violence isn't gratuitous; it's an exposition of character. ditto with Covenant. The first chapter which describes his day to day existence as a leper grounds the whole series of novels (taken from Donaldson's own experiences in india-his parents were missionaries).
he's a frustrating guy and he doesn't use 'power' (in some tolkien-esque way) or 'magic' at all, really, in this book. And no, there ISN'T any particular reason why the whole thing is a delusion of Covenant's. But that's what makes this novel and the series so exciting--it doesn't offer easy answers. so much fantasy today is wishy-washy vague gibberish, like a tenth carbon copy of Tolkien; most fantasy today is far more willing to confirm easy truths about Good and Evil. But The Chronicles plays on those very expectations and because of that, moves beyond them; making a story far more compelling than a safer narrative. my only complaint about this book was that it's a tad overwritten at times. but small complaint for a vital work of fantasy; as important as ever.
Rating: 5
Summary: The start of the most unique fantasy series ever....
Comment: I've lost count of how many times I have re-read this series since I discovered it as a junior high school student in the early '80s. The main character of the book is Thomas Covenant, an author from "our" world. He is happily married with a young son and a bestselling book when, out of the blue, he discovers he has leprosy. After this horrifying discovery, his wife and son abandon him, and he is taught by his doctors that he cannot afford to allow himself to feel any pleasure in life, for fear of losing control of the rigid self-discipline that a leper needs to survive. Burdened with this bleak picture of the rest of his life, Covenant returns to his home to find himself a pariah, isolated from everyone in town. To put it lightly, he has a hard time handling all this.
Suddenly, in the midst of his grief, he is transported into another world entirely, to a magical place called the Land. He discovers that this is a place of wondrous health and beauty, and all the things that he has been steeling himself to live without for the rest of his days. And, it is under attack by the evil Lord Foul. To make matters worse, everyone in this place believes that Covenant is the reincarnation of an ancient hero, and that he is the only one with the power to save the Land before all is lost. This is made worse (for him) by the fact that his white gold wedding ring, which he could never remove after his divorce, is a talisman of wild magic in the land.
Without revealing too much of the plot, suffice it to say that this volume serves as Covenant's (and the reader's) first introduction to the land. All the major characters and races are introduced here, and Covenant is unwillingly forced to take it all in and try to come to grips with it all as he accompanies the defenders of the Land, as more of an observer than an active participant, in their first crisis in their war against Lord Foul and his minions.
Many have said that this is a dark, depressing series. I couldn't disagree more. The story is told entirely from Covenant's point of view, and he is a man stricken with grief and anger, then suddenly bombarded with an onrush of new sensations and emotions that he is not really equipped to handle. No one can help him through it; he must simply muddle through as best he can. It does make for difficult reading, though, as the reader cannot help but ache at Covenant's distress and confusion, which Mr. Donaldson paints vividly. But, when one looks a little further into the book, one cannot help but be overwhelmed at the native inhabitants of the Land. The noble Lords, the powerful Giants, the noble Ranyhyn and their tenders, the Ramen, the Land's ancient and yet vengeful forests, and even the dark ur-Viles and the loathsome Cavewights are all brought to life vividly. Lord Foul's Bane is not the easiest book in the world to read. Donaldson uses descriptive nouns and adjectives that I have never seen before in any other work, before or since. But, those very words give this work a unique character and flavor all its own. This work, and all of the volumes of the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, are definitely works that reward the intelligent reader.
Rating: 5
Summary: Unmatched.
Comment: Better than Tolkien. Better than Jordan. Kicks Martin's mediocre melodramatic sensationalistic *** up and down stairs. It's a sin to mention Goodkind in the same *breath* as this. I have NEVER come across a book series better than this and the second trilogy at exploring fundamental truths about the human condition, which is the mission of great literature.
Extremely allegorical and symbolic. Donaldson deals with profound philosophical questions about the nature of guilt and innocence, sinfulness and redemption, hope and despair, as well as the very meaning of life itself (the entire first trilogy can be seen as an exploration of the question, "What is the answer to death?") This is the fantasy genre at its best, drawing on the ability of fantasy to create fundamentally new worlds and characters to express things more clearly than could be done in a "realistic" genre. Just about every person and thing that Covenant meets in this and the second trilogy has symbolic meaning, to such an extent that sometimes the symbolic content drives the action.
Okay, it's not for everyone. It's not for people looking for a straight-ahead sword-and-sorcery hack'n'slash series. If you only read on one level, you will not appreciate this series. If you are prepared to deal with symbolic, allegorical, and philosophical content, pick it up.
I can truly say I have never picked up a book series that has touched me this deeply or had this profound an effect on me. Read it, with patience, strength, and contemplation. You won't be disappointed.
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Title: The One Tree (The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, Book 2) by Stephen R. Donaldson ISBN: 0345348699 Publisher: Del Rey Pub. Date: 12 October, 1987 List Price(USD): $7.50 |
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Title: The Wounded Land (The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, Book 1) by Stephen R. Donaldson ISBN: 0345348680 Publisher: Del Rey Pub. Date: 12 October, 1987 List Price(USD): $7.50 |
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Title: White Gold Wielder (The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, Book 3) by Stephen R. Donaldson ISBN: 0345348702 Publisher: Del Rey Pub. Date: 12 October, 1987 List Price(USD): $7.50 |
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Title: Mirror of Her Dreams by Stephen R. Donaldson ISBN: 0345346971 Publisher: Del Rey Pub. Date: 12 October, 1987 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: A Man Rides Through by Stephen R. Donaldson ISBN: 0345459849 Publisher: Del Rey Pub. Date: 03 June, 2003 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
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