Reading List 09: The Illearth War
The Illearth War (Book 2, The First Chronicles of Thomas Covenant)
Stephen Donaldson
While just as harsh as the first book, this one makes a lot more sense - there is less metaphorical wandering. It is also helped by the fact that it is not all from Covenant's perspective as the first book is - it follows the story of Hile Troy for a good part of it. He's an interesting character - apparently from the real world. This causes some distress to Covenant (most things do) but his reality or otherwise is not resolved in this book.
Elena is another interesting character. She is definitely a bit strange in the head. She starts out seemingly normal, but the weirdness creeps out as the book progresses. I don't get the part of the storyline where she is sexually attracted to Covenant - he's her father. There are hints of incest, and yet the author skirts past it and never really explains it or delves into it or anything. I'm putting it down to Elena's mental instability.
Another mystery to me is Covenant's bargain with the Ranyhyn in the first book. I just don't get it. What is the bargain? How does it save him or absolve him from anything? It's referenced again here, and still doesn't make sense. I understand what he tries to do with Elena more - get her to accept final responsibility for the Land in his place. Still pretty flimsy though!
A good book though - more coherent and developed than the first, a definite improvement.
Stephen Donaldson
While just as harsh as the first book, this one makes a lot more sense - there is less metaphorical wandering. It is also helped by the fact that it is not all from Covenant's perspective as the first book is - it follows the story of Hile Troy for a good part of it. He's an interesting character - apparently from the real world. This causes some distress to Covenant (most things do) but his reality or otherwise is not resolved in this book.
Elena is another interesting character. She is definitely a bit strange in the head. She starts out seemingly normal, but the weirdness creeps out as the book progresses. I don't get the part of the storyline where she is sexually attracted to Covenant - he's her father. There are hints of incest, and yet the author skirts past it and never really explains it or delves into it or anything. I'm putting it down to Elena's mental instability.
Another mystery to me is Covenant's bargain with the Ranyhyn in the first book. I just don't get it. What is the bargain? How does it save him or absolve him from anything? It's referenced again here, and still doesn't make sense. I understand what he tries to do with Elena more - get her to accept final responsibility for the Land in his place. Still pretty flimsy though!
A good book though - more coherent and developed than the first, a definite improvement.