Lord Foul's Bane (The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, Book 1)

Average customer rating:

Chronicle of a Reluctant Champion.

An Epic Fantasy to Match Lord of the Rings, but Darker

Hellfire

Not as good as I expected

Fantastic series, the author's legacy...
Lord Foul's Bane (The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, Book 1)
Stephen R. Donaldson
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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The Illearth War: The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, Book Two

The Power That Preserves (The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, Book 3)

The Wounded Land (The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, Book 1)

The One Tree (The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, Book 2)

White Gold Wielder (The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, Book 3)

ASIN: 0345348656
Release Date: 1987-06-12

Book Description

The first book in one of the most remarkable epic fantasies ever written, the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, Unbeliever.
He called himself Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever because he dared not believe in the strange alternate world in which he suddenly found himself. Yet he was tempted to believe, to fight for the Land, to be the reincarnation of its greatest hero....
THE CHRONICLES OF THOMAS COVENANT THE UNBELIEVER
Book One: LORD FOUL'S BANE
Book Two: THE ILLEARTH WAR
Book Three: THE POWER THAT PRESERVES

Customer Reviews:

Chronicle of a Reluctant Champion........2007-10-10

Usually when people review series or sagas waits to read all the tomes before writing the individual review.
I choose to review each installment as soon as I finish reading it as not to be influenced by the overall picture in detriment of the individual volume.

The first trilogy of "Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever" was Donaldson's first opus and launched him to immediate consideration of public & critics.

Donaldson's proposal is quite risky.
The main character is unable to compromise with the fantastic universe that deploys before him. The reader will certainly not identify with Covenant's sour & bitter personality.
Nevertheless a powerful story is constructed over this implausible pillar!

The tale is as follows: Thomas is a writer whose first novel is a best seller. When he is enjoying his success and trying to write his second book, he is found to be a leper.
He looses two fingers of his right hand. His wife & son run away from him. He spent a semester at a leprosarium and returns to his home, just to find what a leper's life is: no one wants to relate to him, he is an outcast, forced to solitude.
He turns into an angry & resentful person.

Suddenly after a car accident he awakes in a different universe: The Land.
First he faces the absolute evil incarnated in Lord Foul who releases him with a message for the Lords of the Land.
Then he encounters a young & beautiful girl that guide his first steps in the Land and thinks he may be the reincarnation of Berek Halfhand the greatest hero of the Land.
Thomas refuses to accept this universe as "real"; he thinks it is just a figment of his imagination; a defensive delusion to evade his painful reality.
He recovers his lost sensitivity in his hands and extremities. He is so charged of unmanageable energy that he commits his awful "original sin": he rapes the lovely Lena. This sin will torture Covenant all thru the story.

Atiran, Lena's mother unaware of his wrongdoing leads him in search of the distant Revelstone, the Home of the Council of Lords. When Atiran finds out Thomas' felony, another Land's characteristic come to the fore: the Oath of Peace, creating a well of tension within her.

Stage by stage the Land and its dwellers will be presented to Covenant (and the reader) growing in complexity and interest.
Finally the Lords receive the message and launch the final Quest that closes this volume.

It is great book that may be enjoyed by fantasy fans and general public as well!
Reviewed by Max Yofre.

An Epic Fantasy to Match Lord of the Rings, but Darker.......2007-10-06

I read all three books in this series, and I enjoyed them very much. I would only say in criticism that the hero's pain (angst) was at times overbearing. Too much of it. Also, Donaldson mined the dictionary in writing his books, and that slowed down the reading--too many words to look up in certain sections, so much so that I circled a bunch on two pages just for the fun of it. I think this detracted from the writing.

In spite of those criticisms, I would highly recommend the "Chronicles." There were a lot of great adventures and characters. Which did I like the most--"Chronicles" or "Lord of the Rings"? I would say "Lord of the Rings," because I read that trilogy first and because I sympathized with the main character more. "Chronicles" is a more mature book, I would say--deeper and darker.

Hellfire.......2007-09-22

Some readers love this book, others detest it. Its kind of like the person of the main character (Thomas Covenant) in that way. It is entirely true that Thomas says "Hellfire!" constantly and it wears on the reader's nerves. It is also true that he is a frustrating character in that he doesn't seem able to voice his feelings whatsoever and this causes some of his problems. It is also true that this book is written entirely focused upon Thomas Covenant. These reasons are enough to turn off a number of potential readers.

It is also true that certain sections of the story are quite moving and emotional. It is also true that the reader does form some affinity for some of the supporting cast - e.g. the Lords. I suspect most readers will enjoy the concept of how in tune the people of the Land are with nature and health.

Unfortunately, too often the author doesn't "fully flesh" out situations or reasonings - perhaps to create suspense or drama. After awhile this can be a bit tedious. Also, some of the lyrical sections get boring quickly. However, the concept of the Bloodguard is nifty and the Plains of Ra is a cool colony to visit. So, for the first book in a fantasy series, it does really well.

Not as good as I expected.......2007-08-23

After reading the reviews of this series plus other works by Donaldson, I expected great things from this book. I was sorely disappointed! Although the action is at times exciting, I got weary of Covenant's whining and self-loathing quickly. Yes, it's an important aspect of his character, but to hear it expressed in every sentence he utters was just a bit much. I won't be reading any of the subsequent books in this series.

Fantastic series, the author's legacy..........2007-08-12

I have read the negative reviews for this set of books by Donaldson and they seem to grasp the essence of the character, Thomas Covenant. He is a wretched person and does some pretty detestable things in the first book, but that is simply the end result of what has come into his life. In the context of his life, his family abandons him, the town, in which he lives, shuns him because of his sickness...he is avoided and hated for what he has. No wonder he is the epitome of "anti-social."

Those things listed above are some of the greatest, well-thought, formations in character development seen in a book series. You will grow to dislike Thomas Covenant in the first book - you are supposed to. Through perseverence, you will find a character who slowly, but surely embraces the world which calls him - eventually giving everything he has to sustain it.

Do not simply allow the destable image, found in the first book, move you away from reading the rest. If you stay the course (all the way to the third series, which is currently being written), you will begin to understand why these books are considered Donaldson's masterpiece and Covenant, his legacy to the literary world. Enjoy!

The Illearth War: The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, Book Two

Average customer rating:

Nothing to Write Home About
The Greatest double trilogy ever written!
A very unimaginative series
As If!
Best of the Three

The Illearth War: The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, Book Two
Stephen R. Donaldson
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0345348664
Release Date: 1987-10-12

Book Description

The second volume in the epic Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever.
Thomas Covenant found himself once again summoned to the Land. The Council of Lords needed him to move against Foul the Despiser who held the Illearth Stone, ancient source of evil power. But although Thomas Covenant held the legendary ring, he didn't know how to use its strength, and risked losing everything....

Customer Reviews:

Nothing to Write Home About.......2007-06-22

If you read my review of the first book in the series, you know that I was not too impressed with Donaldson's writing style or his main character in the story, Thomas Covenant. Unfortunately, this book starts off and ends with the same old repulsive Covenant character exactly as we left him in the last book. Time seems to drag whenever Covenant is in the picture. You know what to expect around Covenant. He cowers in a corner muttering Hellfire to him self then occasionally bursts into a totally unexpected fit of rage, or performs some totally incomprehensible act. Somehow this madman always comes up with some incredible insight the much smarter characters are oblivious to. Of course he is always scheming ways to save his own rear-end at the expense of others. The other characters have to drag Covenant from point A to point B in the story which really gets tedious. My biggest complaint about Covenant is that he never learns anything from his mistakes. I think that is why his character is so totally unbelievable. The good news for this book is that at least 1/3rd of the story ignores Covenant entirely, and therefore this part flows much better, and is much easier to read.

For some reason Donaldson's use of incomprehensible words seems to abound in this book. Maybe he found a new thesaurus, since the first book? Sometimes it seems he just can't wait to use a newly found word in a sentence, so he throws it in whether it makes any sense or not. Some sentences have 3 or 4 words never before uttered by humans.

The writing is somewhat dark, and it seems that no matter what the good guys in the story do, the evil bad guys are always twice as powerful and at least one step ahead. It looks like we are falling into a consistent theme where the good guys manage to barely survive at the end, but only after a terrible number of causalities. The inconsistency in the various uses of magic by both sides makes the whole thing hard to grasp. In the first book we had rape, and in this one Donaldson brushes very closely to incest. I'm not sure what he is doing with the sexual stuff, but it adds nothing to the story. Covenant can not get any more repulsive than he already is.

Overall this book was an easier read than the firs one, but it is nothing to write home about.

The Greatest double trilogy ever written!.......2007-02-21

Amazing characters, world, and story.
I reread all 6 books every few years!
I just cant fathom how a writer can be so creative/imaginative!
Same quality as HGG series!
only a bit darker I suppose, at times.
It wears me out, emotionally!

A very unimaginative series.......2007-01-04

You can also read my review of the series in my review of the 1st book. Basically, I just want to restate how un-impressed and how boring this un-inspiring series was. Donaldson focuses so heavily on his writing style and his portrayal of a one-dimensional self-pitying Covenant that he forgot to write a story which would captivate his audience. Instead he writes a very rudimentary, unimaginative, predictable plot with flat unbelievable characters. My suggestion is not to waste your time reading this series as I did.

As If!.......2006-11-28

A lot of reviews focus on the main character Thomas Covenant. From the reviews I read some people love Covenant, some hate him and others love to hate him. I thought he was a bad character but for a different reason. Personally I don't find him fleshed out enough to be believable so I didn't really pay attention to what he's feeling and doing during the story and I realized that I wasn't missing anything! For two books in a row now he's been this unwilling character that gets dragged through the plot and doesn't actually have an effect. Ok so in the first book he rapes a girl at the beginning and at the end his magic ring does something but in this one he literally does not do a single thing! As in the first book he takes up a lot of description because he's constantly angry, sad, guilty, etc. and we have to hear about it all the time but now he doesn't even have an effect on the story. The characters would have done the same thing without him there and it's for that reason I think he's a bad character.

Aside from Covenant there are several other characters but since they're not the main character they're even more shallow than Covenant. They just don't have real personalities. The author makes all of his characters go so quickly from being incredibly scared or sad to mastering their emotions and taking charge. It's just not realistic. Sure, it's fantasy, but that doesn't give an author license to create characters that are all mentally incomprehensible!

A friend of mine loves this series and for him I went ahead and read the second book but I almost didn't make it through and the reason for this can be summed up in two words: As If. The 'as if' construction is Donaldson's favorite. I'm not exagerating when I say he uses it 2-3 times per page. Not only is it annoying to constantly read this but a majority are needlessly added. For example, instead of saying that the smooth, reflective water "looked burnished", he says that it's "as if the water were burnished". The sentence on its own perhaps isn't so horrible; it's a little wordy and it adds an oddly hypothetical connotation to the description, but when this type of thing happens once every three paragraphs it becomes fairly annoying over the journey of 500 pages. At other times the 'as if' constructions just don't make sense. At one point the main character has fallen and is, "lying prostrate on the floor beside the coffee table as if he had fallen off a catafalque." What is a catafalque, you ask? Another quirk of Donaldson's is to get out the dictionary and thesaurus to use unnecessarily obscure vocabulary. I don't know if he's trying to impress his readers but to me it read like when a child uses the Thesauras to vary their vocabulary and they end up misusing words. According to Merriam-Webster a catafalque is, "an ornamental structure sometimes used in funerals for the lying in state of the body." How does a catafalque affect the way someone would fall? He could have fallen from walking, from lying on the couch, or from a catafalque and still be lying prostrate in the same way on the floor - so why go with some obscure word no one's heard of? He's lying next to the coffee table; we get the picture. Move on.

This book could have gotten a 1 but I reserve that for books that I don't finish and somehow I managed to get through this one. I don't think I'll be attempting the third book in this series.

Best of the Three.......2006-10-30

The second installment is the best of the three because of the conflict. Gives you something to enjoy other than the bemoaning of Thomas. WEll written but tends to be a bit wordy.

As in the first, it takes some time to actually get to the meat of the novel and as always, the way Thomas Covenant is, is truely annoying.

This series, desptie it's problems with the main character, has many intriguing facets. Not the least is the way white gold is the foundation of the world. I just wish you saw more of him using it. Good Characters and action.

The Power That Preserves (The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, Book 3)

Average customer rating:

Not for the Clinically Depressed
White Gold Wielder
Series is not worth the time. . .
Thomas grows in belief.
Satisfying ending for the first trilogy

The Power That Preserves (The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, Book 3)
Stephen R. Donaldson
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0345348672
Release Date: 1987-10-12

Book Description

"A trilogy of remarkable scope and sophistication."
LOS ANGELES TIMES
Twice before Thomas Covenant had been summoned to the strange other-world where magic worked. Twice before he had been forced to join with the Lords of Revelstone in their war against Lord Foul, the ancient enemy of the Land. Now he was back. This time the Lords of Revelstone were desperate. Without hope, Covenant set out to confront the might of the enemy, as Lord Foul grew more powerful with every defeat for the Land....

Customer Reviews:

Not for the Clinically Depressed.......2007-06-29

This book should come with a warning on the cover "Do Not Read if You Are Suffering From Depression". The first 2/3rds of this book is just so bleak and dreary that depressed people may commit suicide just from reading it. The only good thing I can say about the first 2/3rs of the book is that at least Thomas Covenant is not his usually whining self. His attitude has at least improved in this book and he becomes a man of action........problem is that he can't decide what action to take. Although there is plenty of death and small victories for the evil followers of Lord Foul, not much really happens in this book. Revelstone is under siege (boring until the last battle), and the rest of the characters wander around aimlessly getting slaughtered by the evil ones. Thomas Covenant first decides to do battle with Foul, then he decides that is the stupidest thing he could do, then in the end he battles Foul anyhow? The logic of his decisions is never really explained in the book. It almost seemed that the author was trying to decide whether to end the series with 3 books or go for a 4th, and then finally decides to end it quickly.

I didn't like the ending. All the death and sacrifice of all the other characters in all the other battles in this book and the other books seemed like a total waste. All that was really needed all along was to put Covenant and Foul together in the same room. Covenant still didn't understand his power, only how to trigger it. All the other death and sacrifice didn't really make sense. Covenant and the Giant basically saved the world by themselves. It seemed that all the other events in this and previous books did nothing to contribute to Covenant's success. The ending was just too easy and too quick.

White Gold Wielder.......2007-02-11

One of the things most readers of these books can't stand is that Thomas Covenant is a leper and he won't let that go. I think The Creator chose Covenant and Lord Foul approved. Foul thought someone from this world afflicted with such a disease is just a second away from despair. The Creator believed Covenant was the stronger for his leprosy.
Think of the titles Covenant gets in The Land: Ur-Lord, Ringthane, Unbeliever, Ill-Ender, Giantfriend, Earthfriend, Berek and White Gold Wielder.
It is possible that HIgh Lord Kevin performed The Ritual of Desecration on the day Covenant got his leprosy. Remember how time moves differently between The Land and here. Hence Mhoram saying to Covenant, "You are the white gold."
You can say what you want, but it doesn't change this: Lord Foul 0, Covenant 2.

Series is not worth the time. . ........2007-01-04

Thomas grows in belief........2006-10-30

Or rather diminishes in disbelief. From start to finish, his disbelief has been a sore point with me. I've read the series four times so it couldn't have been too much. But thinking about it, I think I read it more for the other characters you get the chance to meet. Mhorim and his fellow priests. Saltheart Foamfollower who sadly must find his people have been exterminated. I could go on and on. Even the bad guys are very well executed.

All in all, this series is worth the time to read, but I just can't give it a five star.

Satisfying ending for the first trilogy.......2006-07-28

Donaldson keeps on getting better and better. The Power That Preserves is powerfully made with such a fantastic scope of character depth and the Land's diminishing beauty.

Thomas Covenant is once again summoned to the Land, still struggling with his hatred, love, and Unbelief. Covenant thinks the Land is but a dream, yet after so much pain and destruction made to the Land, he resolves to journey Lord Foul's Creche and put him down. Meanwhile, Lord Mhoram and his fellow Lords are being sieged by a horrendously larger and much more terrifying host of Lord Foul's creatures, including possibly the most powerful of the Ravers. After Troy's sacrifice, the Warwards's power has been tanked, and the Lords's lore is considerably low in strength. Their only hope is the white gold power of Covenant's paradoxical ring, the power that he STILL does not know how to control.

From start to finish, Donaldson engages us in tenser battle sequences, gradual character developments, and the smallest hopes for the Land's survival. The final battle was especially satisfying, leaving me with a hunger for more of Thomas Covenant and his seemingly hopeless adventures.

The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever (The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant)

Average customer rating:

Great Example of the Fantasy Genre
Let's Get Down to the Nitty Gritty
Good/ungood - I liked it.
Writing 4-5 stars, book construction materials 2-3 stars
Just Relax and Enjoy It

The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever (The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant)
Stephen Donaldson
Manufacturer: Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

ASIN: 0006473296

Customer Reviews:

Great Example of the Fantasy Genre.......2007-06-04

I read this in the early 80's as a teenager, and absolutely loved it. After the popularity of the Lord of the Rings movies, I bought the trilogy for a nephew who had fallen in love with Tolkein, and he had the same opinion that I did: this was a more enjoyable story than Rings. I didn't say better, especially since so many elements of Covenant are blatantly copied from Rings - the ring as a talisman, a disembodied near all powerful nemesis, Woodwrights=Ents, etc -, but the charecters and the storyline are masterful. When I gave it to my nephew I re-read the copies that I had, and once again came to the same conclusion, that this series was more enjoyable than Rings. I also re-read Rings during the popularity of the movies, and yes they are an example of great storytelling.

I must say though, that the Rings movies far exceeded the books for me. I can't wait to see if someone will ever bring this series to the screen.

Let's Get Down to the Nitty Gritty.......2006-12-06

I've read all of the reviews here and have something to say to those with negative opinions of this series: for those of you who have relayed your reviews succinctly, I respect your collective opinions. This series is not for everyone. But to those who's reviews seemed to reflect confusion, please give this series another try. You obviously did not 'get it.'

This series is not about a fantasy land within which Covenant travels, such as other fantasy books dictate - yes, it is a story of a man who travels through the Land, however it is mostly about what happens to a person (physically, emotionally, mentally) who contracts and suffers with leprosy. The Land was Covenant, literally. When you look back at the characters, at the nuances of the Land, at the abilities of the Lords and such, and then put these details to the variety of physical aspects of the body, you can see a whole other series and story taking place.

Covenant was the Land. Though it is dreary and somewhat tiresome to read, the first book - Lord Foul's Bane - is the most important. It is where you, the reader, learn all you need to know about leprosy. Apply all that you learn there to the rest of this series, and the next three books, and you have a deeper understanding of Donaldson's genius.

BTW: on a side note, Donaldson - a master of language - spent some time in India with his father, who worked very closely with lepers. His experiences there shine through in this series.

The follow-up series' first book - The Runes of the Earth - follows the same pattern as this sets of series, except instead of leprosy the story follows a more psychological approach, mainly psychosis. I am anxious to read the next three books in the final series of this epic.

When I read this series and the series that followed, I was so stunned by everything - the story, the characters, the method of Donaldson's writing - I could read nothing else for a year. It was roughly 12 months later that I finally broke down and bought the Myth series by Robert Aspirin to 'clean my pallet' so that I could once again read a serious fantasy series.

And know that this series was written well before most of the fantasy series you have probably read.

Good/ungood - I liked it........2006-02-03

I came to the Thomas Covenant books in a round-about manner... probably wouldn't have picked them on first sight but only because there are always so many to consider. I found a paperback in a store in Guam to read on the flight back to the States but it turned out to be #4 (the first of the Second Chronicles), so I dutifully waited until I got home and picked up the first 3. As I see from the reviews, many folks like them a lot, and many don't seem to. As I read them, I was entranced from the start, and frustrated that I had to wait for the 5th and 6th, a couple of long, long waits.

Many of the less than positive reviews have good points, technically and literally, and they'll probably steer some people away. I read and reread all 6 probably 3 times total, then moved too many times and passed my copies to another deserving reader. [As a point of note: I have read Lord of the Rings 7 times front to back, the Hobbit 3 times, but only read the Silmarillion once.]

Now, two days ago, I found that there is another effort from Donaldson to "Finalize" all and such (yippee!!?). Local library being what it is, I may have to re-invest in the first 6 again, which I'll do gladly, the "used" feature on many book sites is a GREAT way to reduce costs. I thought I had put Mr. Covenant to rest, but he raises his head once more, I guess.

By the way, I have liked every one of Stephen R. Donaldson's stories I've read. But, that may just be me...

Writing 4-5 stars, book construction materials 2-3 stars.......2005-11-15

If you want a review of the Chronicles, see any of the other editions of this book, what I want to warn you about is the quality of the materials from which the book is made.

The cover is very thin and flimsy and promises to scuff easily and tear. Given that the book weighs in at 1150 pages, I was expecting a thicker, more durable cover. I normally carry books in a knapsack but, to be honest, I'm not sure I would risk this one in a sack without a lot of care. If I had seen it in the stacks at the local brick and mortar, I would never have bought it for the price.

The other aspect of the size that concerns me is the height and width; this book is a little larger than the average paperback. I was expecting something closer to the size of a hardcover. The binding *appears* good but given the size and construction, I am honestly concerned that this book may not hold up for more than two or three readings.

You are better off buying the books separately or finding a different combined edition.

Just Relax and Enjoy It.......2005-08-27

I have read this series and loaned out the books so often that I am purchasing a replacement copy to have ready the next time I am overwhelmed by the urge to read it. This series is not even close to being one of JRR Tolkein's gems but it is thoroughly engaging.

Some reviewers in these pages complain that "The Land" is not as thoroughly developed as "Middle Earth." Duh! (I use this only to make myself sound somewhat younger). Middle Earth did not have the interference of the protagonist's regular excursions to the "real, modern" world; it was self-contained. The Land, however, was a place quickly-established and based on need due to the sudden onset of a coma.

This book is enjoyable on many levels within itself and I encourage you to read and enjoy it on as many levels as you choose. I would hate to see a fantasy fan miss this one because of the arrogant chirpings of birds learning to fly, such a some of the reviewers at this site. Enjoy!!

The first chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever: Lord Foul's bane ; The Illearth war ; The power that preserves

Average customer rating:

Deep, dark, epic fantasy
The first part of a classic in one volume

The first chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever: Lord Foul's bane ; The Illearth war ; The power that preserves
Stephen R Donaldson
Manufacturer: SFBC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

ASIN: 073942548X

Customer Reviews:

Deep, dark, epic fantasy.......2005-07-06

THE SERIES:
I've read this series twice, with a span of twenty-some years in between. When I first read it, I liked the characters, images, and story, but the language seemed deliberately over-complicated and intellectual. Now, after re-reading it, I think that I just wasn't ready for it the first time.

LORD FOUL'S BANE:

Thomas Covenant is a successful writer working on a sequel to his best-seller. He has a young, beautiful, loving wife, and a little child. He lives in the country in a home he sees as his haven. He has it made. And then, he is diagnosed with leprosy. His wife leaves him because she fears he will contaminate their child. He spends months in and out of hospitals. He is shunned by his neighbors. Thomas Covenant is outcast, and deeply depressed. He withdraws into himself and builds a wall around him as thick as he any castle or fortress.

Suddenly, he is in an entirely different world. There is no leprosy, he recognizes no one, he recognizes nothing of where he is, and everyone identifies him as the reincarnation of an ancient, semi-mythical hero, who was foretold to return to The Land to heal it with his magic. Covenant doesn't believe any of this, and assumes, despite the apparent impossible reality of everything around him, that he is in a delirium-induced delusion. He is named Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever.

What does he do? Does he wait to awaken, and thus end the delusion? He tries that, but the "reality" of his new surroundings continues. Does he believe what everyone in this new and strange world tells him? He refuses that option, as he sees it as a surrender to insanity. Thomas Covenant reaches a compromise with himself: he accepts that he is living in an illusory world induced by a coma, but accepts that the best way to pass the time is to cooperate in the illusion. The seeming reality of his new world keeps enticing him into accepting its reality and surrendering his Unbelief, but he is obstinate.

THE ILLEARTH WAR:

After "awakening" from his first trip to The Land, Thomas Covenant convinces himself that his first trip was all a coma-induced illusion. Suddenly, he is thrust back into the magic, wonder, and plight of The Land, with everyone counting on him to use the magic of his white gold wedding ring to defeat Lord Foul and his Illearth Stone. The problem remains that Covenant still doesn't believe any of this, and assumes, despite the apparent impossible reality of everything around him, that he is in a delirium-induced delusion. He is again faced with the dilemma of either accepting that The Land is real, which might mean he's insane, or ignoring its apparent reality and letting The Land and its people perish.

Thomas Covenant reaches a compromise with himself: he accepts that he is living in an illusory world induced by a coma, but accepts that the best way to pass the time is to cooperate in the illusion. The seeming reality of his new world keeps enticing him into accepting its reality and surrendering his Unbelief, but he is obstinate.

THE POWER THAT PRESERVES:

Once more, Thomas Covenant is thrown back into The Land. Lord Foul seems to come back stronger when he recovers from each defeat. What also grows is Covenant's love of The Land and its people. This time, his leprosy is not healed by The Land, as it is under siege by Foul's magic. Covenant still holds on to his Unbelief in The Land for fear of giving in to delusion, but the distinction between accepting it as real versus playing along with an illusion is becoming decreasingly important, to Covenant, to the story, and to the reader. Covenant's character is growing as, through adversity, he emerges from the depression he fell into after his leprosy was diagnosed. Everything is at stake now, and Covenant must gain some control over the magic of his white gold ring.

Oh, by the way, through all of this, Thomas Covenant remains cynical, depressed, sarcastic, irritable, rude, and generally a pain in the . . . neck, although less so than in the third book than in the first two books. Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum (a la "The Hanging Tree"), or Burt Lancaster could have played the part in a movie. An interesting hero, indeed.

The third book of the series, which completes the first trilogy, continues the trends of characters that are deep and well-developed; complicated, intelligent, and extremely sophisticated writing (the exact opposite of Hemingway's stunning simplicity and not far off from Faulkner's esoteric and obtuse complexity); and a riveting story. What gets introduced is the dawning realization by Covenant that, whether the Land and its people are real or not, he is beginning to care about them. This is NOT a quick, easy read. This IS deep, major fantasy on an epic scale.

For those of you that get hooked, a second trilogy was written. The first trilogy, however, can stand alone.

The first part of a classic in one volume.......2005-05-27

There's very little one can say that hasn't already been said about this series. It contains Lord Foul's Bane, The Illearth War and The Power that Preserves all in one volume. A great way to jump start a fantasy collection or add to your library.

The Illearth War - The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever

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The Illearth War - The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever

Manufacturer: Holt Rinehart Winston
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: B000HK905O

Lord Foul's Bane: The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever Book One 1

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Lord Foul's Bane: The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever Book One 1
Stephen R. Donaldson
Manufacturer: Nelson Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: B000FVVUK8

Product Description

Book Club Edition

Lord Foul's Bane (The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever)

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Lord Foul's Bane (The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever)
Stephen R. Donaldson
Manufacturer: Nelson Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Average customer rating:

Lord Foul's Bane (The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever)
Stephen Donaldson
Manufacturer: Voyager
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

ASIN: 0006152392

The Wounded Land (His The second chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever)

Average customer rating:

A difficult read but a great book
Somewhat Depressing Story, but Very Entertaining
AWESOME!!!!!
Best of all Thomas Covenant books.
Interesting world but heavy handed

The Wounded Land (His The second chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever)
Stephen R Donaldson
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

ASIN: 0345286472

Book Description

Four thousand years have passed since Covenant first freed the Land from the devastating grip of Lord Foul and his minions. But he is back, and Convenant, armed with his stunning white gold magic, must battle the evil forces and his own despair....
THE SECOND CHRONICLE OF THOMAS COVENANT
Book OneTHE WOUNDED LAND
Book TwoTHE ONE TREE
Book ThreeWHITE GOLD WIELDER

Customer Reviews:

A difficult read but a great book.......2007-09-05

A great book, an unreserved 4 stars.

On the "difficult read" point many reviewers keep in raising. I've always held the opinion that when writing use the simplest and clearest language of conveying your ideas - so do not use uncommonly used or difficult world when they can be avoided. I've always associated an author who uses difficult words as an intellectual snob.
In this regard the 2nd Chronicle is a lot worse that the 1st, it seems like Donaldson has swallowed a thesaurus.

Just for the amusement of all here are a few Donaldson classics:

Why use "Celerity" when you could use "Speed".
Why use "Mien" when you could use "Expression".
Why use "Filigree" when you could use "Delicate Pattern"
And...
Why the use "Tintinnabulation" when you could use "ringing of bells"!?!

Somewhat Depressing Story, but Very Entertaining.......2007-07-07

If you have read the other books in the series, you sort of know what to expect. Covenant gets transported to the Land where Lord Foul is back to his old tricks. Unfortunately Covenant always gets transported to the wrong place. Covenant is weak and helpless and his misfortunate companions drag him from point A to point B, then to point C while being attacked by various evils. Evil prevails and innocents die by the score, while Covenant always just manages to evade death. Covenant's timidity results in either the under or overuse of his power, which usually results in the deaths of more innocents. Somehow a few of the good guys manage to survive to fight another day.

The good news is that Covenant is not his usual whining self in this book. The bad news is that he has brought along a pal, Linden, to do the whining we are so used to. Covenant has become the Peter Sellers of heroes. He always blunders his way through a situation, but manages to end up with a successful solution.

One thing that I really hate about the whole series is the Ravers. Donaldson has created 3 immortal evil beings that keep coming back time after time. When their host is killed they simply take over some other creature or person. I hate it when a super powerful creature, weapon, form of magic, etc. is created in a story, then can't really be put into full use, because it's use would obviously end the story. Face it, if the Ravers really wanted Covenant dead he would have died in book one. They could take over one of his companions easily enough and cut off his head and his stupid ring finger while he slept. The all powerful Ravers appeared time and again in this story in various forms taking Covenant to the brink of death time and again only to back off instead of easily finishing him off. Why? The only reason is so that the series can continue to another book.

This book is somewhat dreary and depressing like the others, but there is enough interesting stuff happening that it is pretty entertaining. If you plan to read it, you had better keep a dictionary handy. Only book 2 of the series comes close to this one for the number of incomprehensible words used.

I actually liked this book the best of the series so far.

AWESOME!!!!!.......2007-05-17

I have the six books and I just bought the new one he wrote. These books are just awesome. Certainly NOT a Tolkie wannabe. Donaldson is a great writer.

Best of all Thomas Covenant books........2007-04-08

Covenant finally shoulders the responsibility for The Land's survival and sheds the anti-hero persona that we found irritating. He is a hero in every sense of the word starting in The Wounded Land.

Interesting world but heavy handed.......2007-02-06

I agree with many of the positive things people say about this book, except for the quality of the writing. It's about as subtle and finely crafted as chain saw sculpture. The shape and content are there but Donaldson just hammers his characters into rough shapes that don't remind me of real people.

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