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Donaldson Stands Alone
He is one of my all-time favorite fantasy writers. It's been awhile since I picked up the First and Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. But these books are so rich in symbolism and meaning. Some people are turned off by the main protagonist dreery and often pessimistic viewpoints. And these books are quite anti-typical and anti-archtypical fantasy, in similar likeness of Martin and Erikson. But Donaldson speaks with a rich prose that ignites off the pages in a similar fashion -yet completely different than that to- of Lovecraft. The Land is a wealth of wonder and awe wreathed in mysticism, myth, and held in otherworldly Laws.Now Donaldson is not for everyone, optimism is not always a focus but seeking solutions, accountability, love, and drama are deeply examined. Never expelled. And some readers are turned off and despise the leper Thomas Covenant because of his actions whom mysteriously arrives at a alternate reality aptly called simply The Land, whether real, imagined, hallucinated, or dreamt is a question that may or may not be answered. His science fiction The Gap series should not be dismissed by serious readers but is even more brutal than TCoTC in regards to portraying the baser nature of human beings in a most graphic sense. It's about the human condition. Except for a couple of events, TCoCT is more filtered in fantasy entrappings but no less diminishing on it's impact on readers. Truly emotionally moving in a high order. Great sci-fi reading, but might be a bit too harsh for new readers introducing themselves to this remarkable writer. These are the books that I read with the same amount of zeal, color, and drama as watching the Original Trilogy of Star Wars as a youngster only deeper. A complex Star Wars series in fantasy trappings. Be warned, this series is not for everyone as I said before. IMO, kicks the tail off Tolkien in-spite the latter's great literary merit and love how it takes many of the master's long established and overused archtypes and sacred literary laws and dumps them on their head, such as one Thomas Covenant that is relunctant, griping, cowardly even, indecisive, discompassionate, selfish, and capable of even heinous crime. And for those that thought they'd been dragged through a wilderness of morass self-pity, remember... Star Wars. IMO, one of the greatest fantasy series ever written and would love to debate or discuss it with anyone. It is a realm where one's choice are held balanced in scales, bearing gravity on one's own or other's futures. Even possibly whole civilizations. A stunning and thoroughly thought provoking and stimulating masterpiece.Love it or hate it, SRD's works have left their mark.There are so many awesome moments in both trilogies. TCoTC is quite biblical in that sense but not expounding age old religious stories and principals and spiritualities of course.These books discombobulates the mind, with the wide range of fluent implications and messages. Allusions are confounding and staggering.Probably my favorite moment, of countless, countless favorite moments is Blood of the Earth piece in The Illearth War:TCoTC Book 2.And..."Covenant! Beloved! Strike a blow for me!" rings in my ears forever.
very dark
Time in the Land has made Covenant out of place in any world. The fruits of his actions haunt him, and his search for peace drives him to the brink of death, a thing that would make too many people witout hearts rejoice. Yet, his heart has been cured of leprosy, even if his body is sicker than ever. So, when he has the chance to save a child, he takes the risk of condemning the Land to save her. Then, he is given the chance to rectify his error and is taken to the Land to find it changed. The Bloodguard and Giants are no more, the girl who loved him is old and insane. It's now or never for the Unbeliever to face Lord Foul, but with a heart so filled with lornness, how can he fight despair incarnate?
This book is another winner, one that reminds us that hope always lives.
A Groundbreaking Event
Back in the 1970's it was Donaldson and Terry Brooks who proved that an audience for the genre of fantasy existed. It was Donaldson who proved that an author could publish, sell well, and still write something of definitive literary merit. While it is indisputable that Tolkien brought the genre of fantasy into existence it was still widely regarded as something for children (something fantasy fiction still struggles with today) and it is Donaldson who first wrote something that can only be aimed at adults. The Chronicles' influence over the last three decades has been and can be traced to Eddings' Belgariad, Feist's Riftwar Saga, and any of a host of crossover fantasy novels published in the genre. It's only defect and what prevents it from receiving our highest recommendations is the patina of ugliness that Covenant inevitably breeds. It's an irony about the word because it is the ugliness of Covenant that elevates the rather routine plot into something of literary merit but at the same time it will prevent The Chronicles from being the most cherished in people's minds.
WHO SHOULD READ:
For anyone who has complained that fantasy novels are too lighthearted or too childlike, Donaldson has answered your complaint with a staunch challenge. His Chronicles are a gladiatorial arena where in the pit metaphysics slugs it out not in the pristine abstractions of philosophers but in the blood, sweat, and madness of the arena. It is a terrific blend of pulse-quickening action immersed in carefully constructed philosophy. Any reader versed in philosophical discourse in either free will or ethics will be profoundly moved by Covenant's struggles. At the same time, readers with no taste in philosophy whatsoever who are firmly grounded in a sense of black/white and right/wrong will be equally moved by these books because the battles and action will mean something to them rather than events occurring like so many special effects in some rotten film starring Sylvester Stallone or Jean Claude Van Damme.
WHO SHOULD PASS:
The reader should beware of the content. It's very popular to accuse George RR Martin of having some kind of monopoly on books where bad things happen to really good (and popular) characters. That's not the case at all: next to Donaldson he is a child. Real crimes are committed and terrible sacrifices are made and it is something that the delicate should avoid. Additionally, many readers have been upset with the dense prose and idealized setting of The Chronicles. This is something that's rather important to what the book is about but that doesn't lessen the irritation that some people feel. If you have knee-jerk (and perhaps unwarranted) reactions to overt echoes of Tolkien or have a severe allergic reactions to similes (Donaldson cannot seem to write without liberal use of simile) then you might seek elsewhere. But really, these books were a groundbreaking event in fantasy publishing and shouldn't be missed.
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