Donaldson's always been a peculiar writer, often reaching for obscure words when a simple one would be better. Sometimes his choices are risible and draw too much attention to his attempts at craft; at other times they are spot on and refreshing.
He's also not shy of flaunting the advice most modern fantasy writers get about pace and starting with action. Pace is decidely lacking from the first part of the book. I think there were about 143 pages of Linden Avery standing in a glade in Andelain trying to make up her mind what to do next. Imagine an unestablished author sending that to an agent!
There is, however, something magical and engaging about The Chronicles. Despite my criticisms, I couldn't stop going back and reading more. Yes, it's rife with fantasy-speak, too much introspection and frustrating pages of circular dialogue; but the themes of futility and despair, with their correlatives of a mystical self-surrender worthy of Jean Pierre de Caussade, ane enthralling.
The plot - when broken down and set apart from all the rambling - is incredibly simple: a few show-piece encounters with various nasties. The real story is that unfolding within Linden Avery herself. Over-cooked at times, yes, but compelling nonetheless.
In spite of Linden's descent into despair, this story never quite reaches the emotional intensity of Morn Hyland in The Gap Series. There is something distancing the reader from the emotion, and I don't think I'd be the first person to suggest it's the language. Linden may be a doctor, and Covenant may be a novelist, but unless the reader is a lexicographer they're unlikely to get drawn into the characters; and even if they were, we all know people don't really talk like this or think like this (particulalrly when fleeing for their lives before some hideous bane).
What I do like, however, is Donaldson's willingness to go against the increasingly homogenised grain of modern fantasy. He takes a different approach, plums the depths of psychology at the expense of pace, and risks failure. To a large extent, in my reading, he succeeds. His was a world I wanted to keep returning to, and in spite of my observations above, I'm now forced to consider why that is, and whether or not the current trend in fantasy could learn something here.
One last point: the Kindle price is ludicrously high!
I really enjoyed Donaldson's first Covenant trilogy--but it took two starts to get through Lord Foul's Bane. I enjoyed the second, but didn't care for Linden Avery at all. I've held off on the third set until they were finished, on the off chance I would like them and not want to wait years between reading.
ReplyDeleteI did pick up an audio copy of the first novel for quite a discount. Only listened to the first disk and quit. A good friend who generally frequently recommends (we know each other's tastes pretty well) was very much disappointed in what Donaldson has offered in his newst effort.
Your commentary reinforced what my friend indicated. Rather than leap into the new set, I might just rearead favorite chapters in the old ones instead. Maybe in the future, I'll give these a shot, but there is too much in my stack of to be read to plow into them now.
Donaldson is quite creative and I really enjoy the previous Covenant tales written.
I'm rather partial to a bit of Donaldson, but it's a huge investment of time to get through these Last Chronicles, and many readers simply won't want to do that. Reading should be for pleasure rather than endurance.
ReplyDeleteThis problem (having to endure vast passages) started in "The One Tree" during the interminable sea voyage. Many people I know gave up on The Chronicles at that point. I endured and the reward was worth it (barely).
The same happened with White Gold Wielder - huge passages of tedium but a great payoff.
I must admit, I didn't take to Linden Avery at all. In this latest book she almost grows on me but not quite.
I'd love to see how these books would turn out with a different editor. Some editors I know would cut so much repetition and internal dialogue, reducing the books to the basic plots and only the absolutely necessary backstory and reflection. If that were the case, they might well end up as novellas.
That said, I like Donaldson's writing in the main. His Gap series was excellent (fell off a bit at the end) and the first Chronicles were very good. I couldn't get on with "Mirror of her Dreams", but he's certainly an author I'll keep going back to.
I've been slowly re-reading the first Covenant book lately (when I have time.) I'm actually shocked to rediscover how good a writer he is! I last read them..... oh, in maybe 1993?
ReplyDeleteYes, his vocabulary is unusual but - all mimsey were the burrowgroves, you know! ;)If you lean back into it, you can get the gist.
I do plan on re-reading all of the classic 6 so that I'll be back up to speed when I read books 7-9.
I loved the first few books in the Gap series... but I never did finish the series. Maybe I'll give them another go too?
Noah Mullette-Gillman
The Gap Series is definitely worth finishing.
ReplyDeleteI agree about Donaldson being good. He is so outside the mould of modern fantasy expectations. Yes, he does overdo the vocabulary (more so in the Last Chronicles), but sometimes it's a joy to see these obscure words.
What is really nice about Donaldson, though, is that he's worth reading. Whatever criticisms people may have of the Chronicles, it's not formulaic trash that's been written to comply with an agent's or publisher's expectations of what's likely to sell.
This, of course, is an argument for reading indie books, but because Donaldson established himself when the gatekeeping was less stringent, he's able to continue being original.