The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen R. Donaldson

Calla Lily

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:rant:

Will someone get this man an editor?! I took the 2nd of the three books out of the library this weekend. It's 500+ pages. I skipped chunks. Whole chapters. 1/6th in, I was muttering "Shut up!" to Linden Avery, Stave... well, everyone.



*SPOILERS*












Okay, here's the plot of #1: Linden had adopted a kid who she figures out is somehow getting translated to The Land when she's not looking. Covenent's son Roger (grown up) is eeeeeevil, , kidnaps his nutter mom from Linden's psych ward, kidnaps Linden's son, shoots both of them, and *zap* they're all in The Land.

(skipping TONS of yapping and funky fantasy-type names and places here)

Thousands of years have passed again, the Bloodguard have taken over, things have basically gone to hell in a handbasket. Linden does lots of heroic quest stuff, makes enemies and friends, and the cliffhanger ending is (dead) Covenant and her son--no longer autistic) riding to Revelstone while being chased by several forms of bad guys.


#2: Linden doesn't trust Covenant, is all wrecked up over her son, and they all do more quest stuff. [insert angst, arguments, recriminations, dire prophecies, and more angst here] She drinks EarthBlood 3/4 of the way through this tome. Oops! It's not Covenant, it's eeeevil Roger in disguise! [insert more angst and self-recriminations and dire warnings] 2 pages from the end, she really, truly reincarnates Covenant--and he says: "What have you done?" Oops, again.




In my very opinionated opinion, All this could have been accomplished in about 300 pages. Maybe less. I don't want to be bored by Covenant! He's the only anti-hero I like. I have all 6 original books on my shelf and I'm actually worried--if I open them, will I be just as bored and annoyed? I remember being fascinated by them in HS.

Well. Thanks for listening. Oy. Going to read something much shorter now.
 

C.bronco

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I was a teen when I read them, and I was riveted! If I read them now, I don't know what I'd say about the editing. At the time, however, I was completely immersed in The Land.
 

The Lady

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Yup, same problem as the OP. Read and loved the original series although I do remember them being just a *touch* depressing.
Couldn't even get through the first new book. Such waffle. If I had to beta it for a friend I wouldn't have known what to say.
Anyway, thanks for the synopsis. I won't be trying to make it through the rest of them. No doubt Wikipedia will post a synopsis of the entire thing when it's done.
 

Calla Lily

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Remembrance of things past--not the Proust kind

Hello, My name is Lily and I used to be addicted to Stephen R. Donaldson's Thomas Covenant books.

As in, glommed onto them in HS and thought they were the best thing since Tolkien. Didn't have much time to reread them for a good 20 years. Picked them up a few years back, and was hugely disappointed. With my adult eyes, they appeared overwritten, heavily dependent on fantasy tropes, and holy crow, ANGRY. So angry that I put them away after the 2nd of the 6 and wept a little for the lost illusion.

But, eternal addict optimist that I am, I saw The Last Chronicles of TC in the library. I took it out and read the entire thing--saying after every chapter, "It'll get better with the next chapter." It didn't. Overwritten, heavily dependent on the first 6--to the point where I thought, "This is an old character (and their dialogue) with a new name slapped on."

Also, I admit, I never cared for Linden Avery's covenant-worship, and she's got center stage in this series.

But, eternal addict optimist that I am, I took out LC of TC vol. 2 out of the library. Lather, rinse, repeat. I skimmed this one.

But, eternal addict optimist that I am, I saw that Donald's website has chapter one of "the very last we promise cross our hearts and hope to die TC books." I read it.

:cry: At what point should a writer bite the bullet and admit that he/she has milked the cash cow dry and it's time to bury it? Because, and I hate to say this, Thomas Covenant was milked dry sometime around vol. 5. I didn't want this to happen--I wanted to regain my admiration for these books. I wanted to go back and see the perfect anti-hero and journey with him on his literally world-saving quest. But it was like watching Scooby-Doo as an adult: Fascinating when you're not widely read, but it doesn't hold up.



But, eternal addict optimist that I am, when vol 9 hits the library, I'm pretty sure I'll take it out just to see how Donaldson completes the story arc.

Am I alone? Not just in this series--has anyone else revisited a loved book only to find it's not gold--it's cheap glittery nail polish that's faded and cracked?