Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site watmath.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!jagardner From: jagardner@watmath.UUCP (jagardner) Newsgroups: net.games.frp,net.books Subject: Re: Chron. of Thomas Covenant Message-ID: <10894@watmath.UUCP> Date: Mon, 14-Jan-85 13:19:46 EST Article-I.D.: watmath.10894 Posted: Mon Jan 14 13:19:46 1985 Date-Received: Tue, 15-Jan-85 01:36:57 EST References: <366@aicchi.UUCP> Reply-To: jagardner@watmath.UUCP () Distribution: net Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario Lines: 35 Xref: watmath net.games.frp:1110 net.books:1212 In article <366@aicchi.UUCP> mdb@aicchi.UUCP (Blackwell) writes: >Not only is the writing style great (sends me to the dictionary for a new >word every few chapters :-), but it would make terrific frp gaming material. Pardon me, but I have to object. Sending you to the dictionary every few chapters is not a mark of good style, it is a mark of intrusive style. This can be forgiven when a novel has a good excuse (e.g. The Book of the New Sun tetralogy by Gene Wolfe, four books that are written in the first person by someone in the far future), but in the Covenant books, it always sounds like Donaldson is just trying to sound erudite beyond his true grasp of the English language. Half the time when he drops one of his ten-dollar words, he gets the meaning somewhat wrong, as if he has found the word in a dictionary and used it without really understanding what it means. Donaldson's great accomplishment is that the Thomas Covenant novels are still readable despite the too too self-conscious style. I can't put my finger on why this is--I suppose the secret is that he is so totally at home with the vileness of his leading characters. I can't think of a single fantasy book with a VILLAIN who matches the sheer despicable natures of Donaldson's protagonists. Their occasional good points (only displayed at the end of the third book of each trilogy) are there only as grudging concessions to the good that hides in even the most self-pitying screw-ups. So many other writers have to INVENT loathesomeness in their novels. Donaldson seems to be able to find it effortlessly with no measure of falseness detectable. It may sounds like I am damning the books, but I'm not. I awaited each one eagerly, and read them in as few sittings as possible. His writing is forced, obnoxious, and pretentious, but his unflinching pursuit of the worst that blind insensitive people do to themselves is unrivalled in fantasy. Jim Gardner, University of Waterloo