Quote:
Originally Posted by Elsi
Lord Foul's Bane, the first book in the series, is the book that taught me it would be OK to just quit reading a book. After finishing it, I vowed I'd never again force myself to finish a book that I wasn't enjoying. I kept reading thinking "it's got to get better". I mean, after all, so many people were raving about the series and how wonderful it was. At this point, all I remember is that Thomas was sad/morose/depressed and he moaned and whined all the time about how miserable he was and how misfortunate his life was. I just wanted to reach over, slap him across the face and shout "SHUT UP! I'm tired of hearing you complain."
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I read the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant back when they were first released, and enjoyed them because they
weren't Tolkien clones. I didn't find them "bad", but they aren't what you read if you like uplifting stories with happy endings.
But I've felt no desire to
re-read them. They are indeed grim. Donaldson seems to be operating from a philosophical position I can't agree with.
(They are also marred somewhat by Donaldson's desire to use obscure words. If you
do that, it helps if you get them right. Gene Wolfe can and does do it quite successfully, because he actually knows the words and their meanings. Donaldson is less successful...)
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Dennis