The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever

[Cursed Cat]

Will be in a few days, I've just received in 70 odd new movies, so I'm busy updating my database, and doing updates on IMDB were I've found they are missing information on those movies.

a worthy project; I shall remain patient

 

[Cap]

I managed to get through the first trilogy, but couldn't do the second, I ended up hating the main characters to the point the reading the book wasn't not something I could be bothered doing.

I might try again, it has been 3 or 4 years .

 

[Cursed Cat]

I managed to get through the first trilogy, but couldn't do the second, I ended up hating the main characters to the point the reading the book wasn't not something I could be bothered doing.

I might try again, it has been 3 or 4 years .

g'day Cap - yeah, Thomas Covenant himself can put a lot of people off (I love his caustic nature and sympathise with his plight, but it's probably a 50/50 split between those who hate him and those who like him, from my observations).

not sure if I've heard too many complaints about the other characters, if anything they are *too* noble and self-sacrificing.

the first trilogy I just love; the 2nd I liked quite a lot too - if I were you I'd give the first chronicles another go; I re-read them after a 10-year gap and found that I got so much more out of it the 2nd time around (I was pretty young when I read it the first time and probably just didnt have the life experience to really 'get it').

then again, lifes short, if you didnt like it the first time around maybe it just isnt for you !

 

[Cap]

g'day Cap - yeah, Thomas Covenant himself can put a lot of people off (I love his caustic nature and sympathise with his plight, but it's probably a 50/50 split between those who hate him and those who like him, from my observations).

not sure if I've heard too many complaints about the other characters, if anything they are *too* noble and self-sacrificing.

the first trilogy I just love; the 2nd I liked quite a lot too - if I were you I'd give the first chronicles another go; I re-read them after a 10-year gap and found that I got so much more out of it the 2nd time around (I was pretty young when I read it the first time and probably just didnt have the life experience to really 'get it').

then again, lifes short, if you didnt like it the first time around maybe it just isnt for you !

I quite liked the first Triolgoy it was refreshing change from the typical fantasy novels I had read until that point.

I just found Thomas to simply be far too self deprecating (or should I just say just plain negative) and the Averay Character just didn't offset that enough. For me, I want to be in the journey with the character, but when you lose care factor about their survival it gets laborious to read.

I really like a number of the peripheral characters as well, less so in the second trilogy which I think ultimately put an end to it.

I reckon I will have a shot at the first trilogy again and see if I can flow into the second trilogy

 

[Cursed Cat]

I quite liked the first Triolgoy it was refreshing change from the typical fantasy novels I had read until that point.

I just found Thomas to simply be far too self deprecating (or should I just say just plain negative) and the Averay Character just didn't offset that enough. For me, I want to be in the journey with the character, but when you lose care factor about their survival it gets laborious to read.

I really like a number of the peripheral characters as well, less so in the second trilogy which I think ultimately put an end to it.

I reckon I will have a shot at the first trilogy again and see if I can flow into the second trilogy

the Avery character didnt feature until the 2nd trilogy, so maybe either you've just heard the name and are getting her mixed up with another character, or else you may have read more than you realise ?

I can't really defend Thomas Covenant to someone who has read the books and doesnt like him; more than entitled to your opinion !
However I will point this out; in the 2nd book, the Illearth War, Donaldson introduces a character by the name of Hile Troy, who like Covenant is from the 'real world' - Hile Troy is everything Covenant isn't; he believes in the Land passionately and he gets heavily involved with defending the Lands people from the Despiser - however if you read closely I reckon Donaldson portrays Hile Troy as something of a naive fool who doesnt really understand who he is fighting for or why.
After reading the misadventures of Hile Troy, suddenly Thomas Covenant's stance of Unbelief made a lot more sense to me.
As I said in an earlier post though; I found Covenant to be a hugely sympathetic character, and I often found his reactions to the Land and it's people to be refreshingly 'real' ..

 

[Cap]

sorry, I'm talking 1st Trilogy and second Trilogy (I bought the trilogies in a single volume)

I read the 1st trilogy in it's entirety, but the 2nd trilogy I couldn't get through.

 

[Cap]

the Avery character didnt feature until the 2nd trilogy, so maybe either you've just heard the name and are getting her mixed up with another character, or else you may have read more than you realise ?

I can't really defend Thomas Covenant to someone who has read the books and doesnt like him; more than entitled to your opinion !
However I will point this out; in the 2nd book, the Illearth War, Donaldson introduces a character by the name of Hile Troy, who like Covenant is from the 'real world' - Hile Troy is everything Covenant isn't; he believes in the Land passionately and he gets heavily involved with defending the Lands people from the Despiser - however if you read closely I reckon Donaldson portrays Hile Troy as something of a naive fool who doesnt really understand who he is fighting for or why.
After reading the misadventures of Hile Troy, suddenly Thomas Covenant's stance of Unbelief made a lot more sense to me.
As I said in an earlier post though; I found Covenant to be a hugely sympathetic character, and I often found his reactions to the Land and it's people to be refreshingly 'real' ..

I agree, in a sense his reaction was probably like most people i.e hugely sceptical, and in that sense I didn't have a problem.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to be dismissing the work as bad, they clearly are great books and I really like the world they exist in.

I just struggled in the 2nd Trilogy.

 

[Cursed Cat]

I agree, in a sense his reaction was probably like most people i.e hugely sceptical, and in that sense I didn't have a problem.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to be dismissing the work as bad, they clearly are great books and I really like the world they exist in.

I just struggled in the 2nd Trilogy.

yep you're bang-on; Covenant's scepticism really helped to ground this fantasy-world that he finds himself in ..

I definitely didn't enjoy the 2nd chronicles as much as the first, but I still found plenty to like about the three books.
The Last Chronicles however, have been a bit of a fizzer for me so far, which is a real shame, I was desperately hoping they would measure up to the previous Covenant books ..

 

[Asgardian]

I found that I had to re-read the previous books before starting on a new set of chronicles. So when I found out & bought the Last Chronicles I re-read the 1st 6 books before starting on the new ones, it has been a journey. I've already written about the 1st & 2nd chronicles, so I wont go there again, suffice to say that Covenant is a weak man who finds strength within. The first 2 chronicles are both journeys to discover how through acceptance of oneself's weaknesses, despair may be overcome. Not by force, but by acceptance and application of learning your own nature & refusal to be a victim.

 

[Asgardian]

Okay, the 3rd book in the Last Chronicles, Against All Things Ending

Linden Avery has stuffed up big time, Covenant is resurrected & the Worm of the World's End is awakened. We are told over & over again how big a **** up Linden has become just because of her focus of her love for her son & her desire to regain her lover. We get it, SRD wants us to go down the path that whatever they try, will be at best making the most of calamity.

The Harrow's reappearance with offers of lolly pops to Linden is interesting only with the introduction of The Ardent & his confrontation with The Harrow. The Insequent have a collective soul, but it is narrow in its application. Linden accepting the terms of The Harrows offer, with the stipulations enforced upon him by the Ardent was obvious from a long way out, as is her insistence that all of her companions must accompany them. An endless journey through The Lost Deep in the far depths of Mount Thunder was nothing more than a duplication of the endless trek through the snow & storm we suffered in Fatal Revenant. This was disappointing.

I found a large chunk of what came after was an almost endless attempt to tie up loose end, the sacrifice of High Lord Elena's spirit to She Who Must Not Be Named. Then multiple confrontations, some death & again kindness by the Insequent. SRD wanted to rid himself of distractions within The Last Dark, I believe.

The Insequent are now out of the way, as are the Elohim. I hesitate to run through all the deaths because some will want to discover without knowing spoilers.

Confrontation between Covenant & Joan was required, to get him there he needed help, so why not the Lurker. During the confrontation between Liand/Anele & the Croyel help was again required, hence the Orcrest. Confrontation between Linden & Esmer, more help was needed here comes Stave & the Krill. Finally Jeremiah & the Elohim, thank **** there was a convenient graveyard of previously unheard of monsters, the Quellvisks.

I dislike SRD's tendency to come up with something new to explain away, or help overcome a difficult step within the story.

Overall it must sound like I hated Against All Things Ending, well, no, I didn't hate it. I still love the story within The Land, I am still interested in what will happen to the characters, old & new. I am keen to discover how SRD will allow the Worm to be less than totally destructive. So okay, I'm a sucker, but I still enjoy these stories.

I'll give you my ideas what will happen come the end of The Last Dark.

Both Linden & Covenant will die and be together, forever, as Timewardens.

Jeremiah will live on recreating a golden age for The Land as a new beginning, & the first of the new Lords with a rediscovery of lillianrill & rhadhamaerl, plus the reconstruction of the Colossus as part of the payment the Elohim must make to secure their release, because there is no good without evil.

The Haruchai will become friends of the land, rather than Masters, or Bloodguard, or even servants of it. They will learn to love the Land for what it is and the gifts it gives.

 

[Cursed Cat]

the last couple of chapters in AATE; with Covenant accompanied by two of the Humbled (Branl & Clyme ? I think it was Galt who kicked the bucket ..) were great and really had the same feel of some of SRD's earlier Covenant books ..

 

[Asgardian]

Has anyone managed to get their hands on the final installment, The Last Dark?

I understand it was published on the 15th October, I only just looked it up for an update.

I have a copy on order, will give my book seller a call when they open

 

[Cursed Cat]

I've got a copy on order too Asgardian; hopefully arrive in a week or so ...

saw a guy who looked very much like my conception of Thomas Covenant reading The Wounded Land on the tram the other day; struck up a bit of a conversation ...

 

[Asgardian]

I'm about half way through The Last Dark, starting to come together nicely