[Belgarion]

I am currently re-reading Stephen Donaldson 1st chronicles of Thomas Covenant (and will read the 2nd series next) again.

I would like to say that even though I read them 10 years ago, I feel I have enjoyed it more this time around. I guess it's because I have matured over the years and started to appreciate extra elements that Stephen Donaldson has in his book.

The bit about Thomas standing on Kevin's Watch (large rectangular stone slab) which is described as a finger pointing to the sun is a classic.

I would like to say thanks to Stephen Donaldson for once again bringing me great enjoyment from reading books after reading a few flops (Jack Vance's Tales of the dying Earth, Lord Dunsany's books & the one-off book Good Omens by Pratchett/Gaiman)

[allanon]

I like them, but not very much. The main character is very annoying IMHO, but the world is cool.
BTW, Belgarion, now Eddings is my favourite author too, but with his other series-about Sparhawk.

[Belgarion]

Good man! No immortals or mortals shall perish the Eddings club! I liked Sparhawk very much, such loyalty!

Watch out for Eddings's new book Regina's Song.

[allanon]

Yup, Belgarion, but why don't you come in the www.eddingschronicles.com (http://www.eddingschronicles.com) message board? You'll like it!

[LadyLuna]

I really like the Thomas Covenant books and like you I got a lot more from them the 2nd time through. I remember when I started the first series I thought of how boring and dull it was. I kept at it though and it wasn't very long before I was totally involved in the books and they got a place on my favorites list.

[MrKip]

I must admit I rather enjoyed them the first time I read them (about four years ago) but maybe its worth revisiting them?

[Belgarion]

Great books are always worth visiting, especially after a gap of 5 years onwards where we are bound to forget 95% of the plot! It is like reading a new book except for the fact that you have an inkling of how it ended. You also know that it is going to be a good story otherwise you wouldn't be reading it.

Have a crack at it again, you will probably experience the same feelings that LadyLuna and myself felt! ;-)

[kaseryn]

I've mentioned it once or thrice, but every time i re-read the Covenant stuff.. running around 10 rereads now or so, i get new things from it. As far ranging and searching of the reader as they are, each reading experience is like holding a mirror up to myself.. giving me a snapshot of where i am in many respects it that particular space-time.. intellectually. emotionally etc. We're changing all the time.. viewpoints.. value's.. attitudes.. and it's amazing how rereads of this series bring such shifts to my attention. They force self-assessment in a most enjoyable and enlightening way. Or perhaps i'm reading to much into them http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/wink.gif

[Lamanai]

I've never read the TC books. Everyone here seems to think quite a bit of them, so maybe I should give them a try. I read Mirror of Her Dreams, and I found it awful. It was more what I'd have expected from Danielle Steele. So I've never managed to convince myself to try anything else by him.

Has anyone out there read Mirror? Are the TC books verifiably better than that filth?

[Crysania]

I posted this in the Thomas Covenant vs. LOTR thread, but I thought I'd put it here too...

Just have to throw in my 2 cents...
I read Covenant for the first time when I was 13. I've read it twice since then - the latest time being last summer. It was then that full impact of the story hit me. This isn't you're little quest and sorcery book. This book is about one thing:

Self-Despite and getting over it.

It's all over the books. He hates himself. Covenant hates himself and he has to get over it and love himself in order to save the land which he tries very hard not to love.

It's amazing. I mean what other series deals with that very personal, very dark and seemingly useless personal battle? It's brilliant. But the series is for thinkers. It pulls you through a key hole and hangs you out to dry. It's not easy to get through, it's not quaint, it's not pretty. But the pay-off is so much more than beautiful.