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Summary: Heart-wrenching fantasy
Review: 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.
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Summary: The start of the most unique fantasy series ever....
Review: 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.
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Summary: The book that started the eternal story of Thomas Covenant.
Review: Thomas Covenant. A leper that saw his successful life as an author torn from him under the condemnation of being a leper. Forced to live his life as an outcast, Thomas is determined not to let the people of his town force him into retreat. Yet, when he goes to pay a utility bill in town one day, a strange accident pulls him from this world and into a world where he is hailed as a savior. The magic of his white gold that he doesn't understand and the same amputated fingers that Berek Halfhand had marks him as the one to safe the Land from Lord Foul. Covenant is a bitter man that refuses any special treatment. He is reluctant in accepting the role of savior and demonstrates his own faults when he rapes the very lady that believes in him. Even when he is cured in the Land of his leprosy, he refuses to give anything in return. The book is about good versus evil in the basic storyline. Yet, Donaldson has gone beyond that and surrounded a unwilling hero with unforgettable characters as he first exposes us to what is a very enjoyable two trilogy series. This book is unlike any other type of fantasy and you have to understand the style to enjoy it.
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Summary: Still stands with Tolkien despite critics
Review: I find the various criticisms of the TC series somewhat baffling, though some have their merits. 1. It's obvious that LFB was Donaldson's first book, and I think some latitude should be given here. I along with most others found the series to be a process of accelleration, devouring the final books after a gradual increase in drama and emotion (and writing skill!). As for people's problems with Donalson's prose, grammar, etc. - give me a break. YOU go write an original trilogy on par with Tolkien, make it an international bestseller and winner of hundreds of awards, THEN criticize the man's writing. Don't be an armchair critic unless you have credentials... I wish that more people would forgive the book it's rough edges and reward it for it's stunning concept and emotional depth - qualities sorely lacking in most fantasy these days. 2. If you have to LOVE the main character to enjoy a book, then you're missing the whole point. Refund you books and move on to something else. Make a note to someday learn to love IDEAS too. Covenant's flaws and morality are what power the story. I can't believe people don't get this... As for the entire series, I agree that the original trilogy is better than the Second Chronicles, although White Gold Wielder more than makes up for Wounded Land and One Tree, both great books. In my opinion they rate right alongside LOTR but are difficult to compare - LOTR is CULTURE driven, while the COvenant chronicles are CHARACTER driven. They are both masterful achievements. I prefer the Covenant books because of the sheer awe they inspired in me, and the long days and nights the story remained in my thoughts after I had completed each book...
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Summary: If you question life, this series is for you
Review: This series of books is remarkable. The characterisation of Thomas Covenant is detailed, tortured, and realistic. For anyone who has struggled in life with situations that are arduous , demeaning, and seemingly hopeless, Covenant's cynical thoughts ring true. The world he finds himself in is a literary wonder. The prose with which Donaldson describes The Land is evocative. I first read this series when I was 13, and I still feel a sense of awe and longing every time I re-read them. The Giants of Seareach, the unending deathless service of the Haruchai, the vast impenetrable majesty of Revelstone, and the symbiotic relationship of the people to The Land inspire joy, melancholia, awe, wonder and longing. The emotions wrought by Donaldson's words are each vivid and distinct, yet varied and surprising. What set this series apart from others was more than an unusual anti-hero protagonist or a richly described, memorable setting, or even the the well written characters like Saltheart Foamfollower. What makes them unforgettable is that if you read these books, you will be forced to think, or put the book down. The lines of thought are deep, and seemingly limitless. What is morality? What makes a hero? What would I do in a world that despises me? Would I accept things that could kill me? What is reality? Is reality dictated by what we perceive, or what we believe? Can your loyalty be to something that may have no meaning more than a fevered dream? What is courage? What is cowardly? Is pacifism the only way to respect life, or does the good of the many out weigh the needs of the few, to the extent of violence? Other books have asked similar questions, but only Donaldson allows the reader to draw his or her own conclusions. In the end, this series is a classic on the order of Tolkien, Dostoyevsky, or JD Salinger. If you pay attention and savor the characters, images, emotions, and questions these books provide, they will remain with you for years to come. For the critics of this book, read through the other reviews. Notice how many readers have been profoundly affected by this series, and have read it over and over again, as I have? Perhaps you missed something important.
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Summary: Unmatched.
Review: 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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Summary: One of the greatest fantasy series EVER!
Review: There are without a doubt many things to criticize in this book (and the two trilogies). Stephen Donaldson's writing style is his best friend AND worst enemy. This book is written with urgency, vitality, and obviously with a great deal of imaginative furvor. There are NO small emotions or crises in the Covenant books, and we are gripped by the passion of them. But this does lead to some sloppy writing. In Stephen King's fun book ON WRITING, he spends a great deal of time criticising the use of adverbs. And he does make a good point about their problematic nature for good, clean writing. If King were to read LORD FOUL'S BANE, he'd probably keel over with apoplexy due to the adverbs. I've never read a book with more words ending in "ly." So, by that token, the writing is a problem. Yet it is this profusion of adverbage (if I can make up a word) that instills the book with its passion. When Thomas Covenant comes as feelingless leper to The Land, where his senses are reignited, and more alive than ever, the adverbs seem almost to spring right out of the land itself. And he doesn't meet any boring characters. They are all either fanatical (in a good way) servants of the Land, unbelievably horrible creatures or astoundingly good-hearted and understanding. If Covenant were merely a leper who comes to a new land and is reignited, and he immediately believes in the Land, then the books would be VERY different and not nearly as rich. It is his very unbelief, and the reactions to this unbelief of all the remarkable characters around him that give this book a unique flavor all its own. Covenant is an anti-hero, and we seldom really like him, but we usually feel his pain. But not liking our "hero" doesn't detract from the book, because almost everyone else we meet, from Saltheart Foamfollower the giant, to Lord Mhoram, even to the bloodguard Bannor are all engaging and likeable in the extreme. We grow to care about the land deeply. Many have said the book steals a lot of ideas from LORD OF THE RINGS. No question, it is influenced by it. But few fantasy series' could avoid such comparisons. Tolkien laid down the road...all the writers who come after must spend some time on that road. Donaldson DOES spend a lot of time on the road, but he takes all the Tolkien influences and molds them to his own needs, and throws in plenty of his own ideas. These are great books. THEY MUST BE READ IN ORDER. And fair warning: once you read the first, you won't want to stop until you've read the other five. Make sure you're ready for that commmitment. I have now read the series three times over the last 21 years. Each time, I have devoured them whole and burned up a whole lot of hours when I should have been sleeping, studying, etc. I envy anyone who gets to read these for the first time!
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Summary: If you like this book, you'll love this site!
Review: I read this book recently and found a hillarious site that discusses the book and then reenacts the scenes! They've gotten as far as the scene with the Council of Lords! This is a must see for any Lord Foul's Bane fans (or even if you didn't like it at all!) http://www.fantasybedtimehour.com
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Summary: Slow Start.... Brilliant Finish
Review: In the beginning we find Thomas Covenant in a near future or present day setting in which leprosy has returned. Lepers are cast out by society and even shunned by their own families. Thomas Covenant is one of these lepers; and after being left by his wife and children and shunned by his community is in a constant state of depression. Then, suddenly he is sucked into a universe quite different than his own, where he is no longer considered an outcast, but rather everyone's favorite hero reborn. And he's arrived just in time to save the world. You may find this book a little daunting to get into. I think that the bginning is rather poorly done, in that the entire back story is laid out at length before we see any action, and the first three chapters are rather boring. But beyond that this is a fairly fast read and not really much like the typical fantasy adventure. Some reviewers have criticized the prose, but I think it was actually fairly good prose; and I am typically a harsh critic on this issue. This is, overall, a well done and non-formulaic adventure. 5 stars.
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Summary: Desecration
Review: Great book, great series. Love the Vain/Elohim fate at the end of book six. As for the Eureka review as the "worst book ever" who couldn't get over the RAPE early on, look on it as a form of Desecration....
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