Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site topaz.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!mcnc!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!columbia!topaz!crash!jerryh@SDCSVAX.ARPA From: jerryh@SDCSVAX.ARPA Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers Subject: Chronicles of Thomas Covenant Message-ID: <2347@topaz.ARPA> Date: Sat, 22-Jun-85 00:01:07 EDT Article-I.D.: topaz.2347 Posted: Sat Jun 22 00:01:07 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 29-Jun-85 23:52:09 EDT Sender: daemon@topaz.ARPA Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J. Lines: 41 From: crash!jerryh@SDCSVAX.ARPA I've been following the discussion of Stephen Donaldson's _Covenant_ series over the past few days (digests) and couldn't stay silent any longer. Donaldson is a gifted writer and a superb storyteller, but I can't bring myself to finish reading the _Second_Chronicles_. I found the plot line very banal and trivial (forgivable sin), and extremely padded (unforgivable sin). I stopped half-way into the second book (fifth in the overall series) when I realized that I had plowed through 150 pages of dialog that had gone nowhere and done nothing. One of the best examples of padding I've ever seen. I might have been able to continue wading through it if I hadn't though to myself "Gee, this story never lets up! There's something depressing on every page!" Intrigued, I went back to page one and started looking for dialogs or descriptions that *weren't* Gloom And Doom. Guess what? The first _163_ pages of _The_One_Tree_ are continuous, non-stop depression. Every one of those pages has at least one mention of something depressing, morbid, flagg- elatory or unpleasant. Finally, on page 164, four paragraphs that don't deal with something depressing. I don't know about anyone else, but I was getting tired of paying for the privilege (in time and money) of watching Donaldson air his psychological laundry in public. In my opinion, whatever merit the _Covenant_ stories have has been ruined by heavy-handed applications of depression and despair. I know, I know -- "But that's the whole point of things! Covenant's despair!" I understand that. But six novels and 3000 plus pages devoted to nothing but despair? Give me a break. Donaldson had a great concept in Thomas Covenant, and does a good job creating his world and breathing life into its charact- ers, but he pushed me well past my saturation level with unrelenting doses of depression. I felt like I was being beat over the head with it; like I was too stupid to understand what was going on, and had to be constantly reminded so I wouldn't forget what the story was about. I liked the first three books (even though it might appear otherwise), but I think the last three were a mistake. What I read of them seemed to be a re- hash of the first trilogy -- an excuse for Donaldson to drop off more of his mental baggage and make money while doing so. "One Man's Opinion" Jerry Hewett {crash!jerryh@ucsd}