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writer_of_minds's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This one looked right up my alley as far as being the sort of genre fiction I like, and I was rather disappointed in it.
It follows a portal fantasy formula, but has a pretty unique Earth-human main character: a leper, from an era when leprosy was somewhat understood but still not very treatable. Thomas Covenant's disease thus does not destroy him or render him a complete outcast, but exerts a heavy influence on his life. Until he unexpectedly finds himself in The Land ...
Fairly early in the book, there's a rape scene. Not only is it rather too graphic for my taste - it's not committed by an antagonist, but by the main character. Yep. To be fair, 1) he is at least half-convinced he is dreaming at the time, and 2) he eventually realizes what a horrible thing he did and tries to make restitution. It's still a pretty over-the-line choice for a protagonist, and as someone who was expecting some nice escapism, I found it jarring.
I also grew to dislike Thomas because he began to come across as so very whiny. At first I did sympathize with him! I think a man with a horrible disease like leprosy is allowed to complain and have some bitter thoughts about his life. But when he enters the book's alternate/dream universe, he is given a reprieve from his leprosy, he is hailed as a Chosen One ... and he continues complaining, avoiding responsibility, and generally being as useless as the plot will let him be.
The psychological explanation for this seems to be that he fears giving himself false hope. Overconfidence would be disastrous to his life as a leper, so he refuses to believe that he is cured or has any power. This might have been interesting in moderation, but it went on for the whoooole book. Even at the end, Thomas fails to adapt; he returns to his home on Earth seemingly having learned nothing. The book overall feels like the portrait of a man who allows himself to be defined by his limitations, and in his obsessive quest to survive, neglects to live. That makes for a depressing read.
I wish I had something to say about the alternate reality and the native characters who become Thomas' companions, but I guess I can't think of much. I remember it as a perfectly acceptable fantasy setting, with original elements ... but nothing that particularly stood out, nothing that I loved.
I had a poor enough experience with this one that I did not go on to read the rest of the series.
It follows a portal fantasy formula, but has a pretty unique Earth-human main character: a leper, from an era when leprosy was somewhat understood but still not very treatable. Thomas Covenant's disease thus does not destroy him or render him a complete outcast, but exerts a heavy influence on his life. Until he unexpectedly finds himself in The Land ...
Fairly early in the book, there's a rape scene. Not only is it rather too graphic for my taste - it's not committed by an antagonist, but by the main character. Yep. To be fair, 1) he is at least half-convinced he is dreaming at the time, and 2) he eventually realizes what a horrible thing he did and tries to make restitution. It's still a pretty over-the-line choice for a protagonist, and as someone who was expecting some nice escapism, I found it jarring.
I also grew to dislike Thomas because he began to come across as so very whiny. At first I did sympathize with him! I think a man with a horrible disease like leprosy is allowed to complain and have some bitter thoughts about his life. But when he enters the book's alternate/dream universe, he is given a reprieve from his leprosy, he is hailed as a Chosen One ... and he continues complaining, avoiding responsibility, and generally being as useless as the plot will let him be.
The psychological explanation for this seems to be that he fears giving himself false hope. Overconfidence would be disastrous to his life as a leper, so he refuses to believe that he is cured or has any power. This might have been interesting in moderation, but it went on for the whoooole book. Even at the end, Thomas fails to adapt; he returns to his home on Earth seemingly having learned nothing. The book overall feels like the portrait of a man who allows himself to be defined by his limitations, and in his obsessive quest to survive, neglects to live. That makes for a depressing read.
I wish I had something to say about the alternate reality and the native characters who become Thomas' companions, but I guess I can't think of much. I remember it as a perfectly acceptable fantasy setting, with original elements ... but nothing that particularly stood out, nothing that I loved.
I had a poor enough experience with this one that I did not go on to read the rest of the series.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape and Violence
Minor: Cursing and Sexual content