Is there a "right age" to read the Chronicles?

StevieG · Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2014 10:57 pm Post subject:

I have the first in one huge omnibus. Definitely not edited - why on earth would it be edited?? It's big, but manageable. I also have the second chrons in one huge edition. I bought them both in Sydney when I met my only real life watcher - Shaun das Schaf Smile

I used to have individual books for both Chrons 1 & 2, and they were awesome versions from my family. I borrowed them for my first reread a number of years ago, and they were tragically accidently thrown out in the garbage collection - I can't exactly remember the details now, but I did post the story in "How are you feeling" once, although I doubt I could find that post now! Anyway, they were a great set from the 80s and I was suitably crushed to discover what I'd done.

(PS. DrPaul, you're an Aussie? Yay for another one on the Watch!)
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Avatar · Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2014 4:40 am Post subject:

The first volume of both my first and second chrons are pretty beat up. In fact, my LFB's cover is pretty much held together by tape.

My copy of WGW doesn't match the covers of the rest of the 1st 2 chrons, and for the last chrons, they're all the trade paperbacks with the UK covers, except for FR which LuciMay sent me as the US hardcover.

--A
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peter · Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2014 9:51 am Post subject:

it will sit well in *my* hands then Iolanthe. [Do you rmember 'Ser Visal'......]
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....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'

We are the Bloodguard

Iolanthe · Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2014 9:54 am Post subject:

Vaguely. It is some time since I read the short stories! Confused

Must read them again sometime - the ones I liked anyway.
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peter · Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2014 8:11 am Post subject:

Ah, beat up copies of books - you've got to love them; way better than that pristine, never been touched thing of new books. It's my day off and I'm off to search through 2000[?] books in piles for a copy of Gilden Fire I know is in there somewhere. All for the sake of saving two quid on e-bay. {Then cooking 'roast' for Wifey - how good a day is that?}
_________________
http://jhfv.blogspot.co.uk/

....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'

We are the Bloodguard

StevieG · Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2014 11:51 am Post subject:

Peter, I might pop around if that's ok - I do love a good roast and a chronicles chat Smile

Gimme 24 hours! I'll even bring a copy of Gilden Fire just in case.

As for the last Chrons, I have a paperback of Runes, and hard covers of the rest.
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Hugs and sh!t!! ~ lucimay

Rau Le Creuset · Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2014 3:50 pm Post subject:

My LFB is in half right now. My dad gave them to me, and thats how I learned about the books. My Dads has acidic reading hands though, so whatever book he touches begins to deteriorate.. they are really old copies so that doesn't help.

Another point I'd like to make though is that SRD likes to make his endings special in a way that is not only story relatable.. they are meant to echo in your mind. The first time I read TPTP I really didn't understand what it all meant. I thought the final battle was just a mash of words. Maybe my imagination has grown alot since then. I'm not sure, but I definitely get a lot more out of them now.
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peter · Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2014 12:34 pm Post subject:

Always welcome StevieG - bring over a couple of 'chilled ones' as well will you! Wink

_________________
http://jhfv.blogspot.co.uk/

....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'

We are the Bloodguard

DrPaul · Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2014 6:23 am Post subject:

StevieG, yes, I'm an Australian, born in Melbourne, then spent much of the 1980s in Sydney before moving to Brisbane for 25 years and then relocating to the Gold Coast last July.

DrPaul · Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2014 6:25 am Post subject:

And judging by Spoiler:

the copious quantities of roast legs of lamb and roast chooks that the Ardent provisioned our heroes with in AATE, I suspect that the Insequent might be Aussies as well, or at least have similar tastes in cuisine.

peter · Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2014 10:00 am Post subject:

Iolanthe · Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 10:10 am Post subject:

chicken?
_________________
I am playing all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order!

"I must state plainly, Linden, that you have become wondrous in my sight."

StevieG · Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 10:54 pm Post subject:

Correct, Io!

Until now, I didn't realise it wasn't a universal term.

kvickie · Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2014 4:06 am Post subject:

Currently I have my 16 year old daughter reading the first chronicles, she is the same age I was. I made sure she had mastered The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter first, to be sure she was ready for the language. She love Thomas Covenant, says she likes that he is so "angsty".
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The difference between genius and stupidity is genius has limits.

Cord Hurn · Posted: Sat Jul 26, 2014 6:01 pm Post subject:

Rabs · Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2015 4:35 am Post subject:

I was 15-16 years old when I first read the Chronicles, and I instantly fell in love with them with the first chapter of Lord Foul's Bane. During this time I also tried to read LOTR and never finished them. Tried again a few years later and completed them but still didn't care for them. I respect Tolkien for what he did for fantasy but I think Donaldson is better by far. An opinion I find that isn't at all popular. Wink

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wayfriend · Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2015 2:16 pm Post subject:

I knew as soon as I read LFB that it was better than LOTR. Well, better in several important dimensions, anyway. Each has it's virtues. But the Chronicles is a more profound story, hands down.

By which I mean, around here you're opinion is well respected (if not universally agreed to).
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peter · Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2015 5:07 pm Post subject:

I'm a big LOTR fan but I'm with you in thinking The Chrons to be superior stories.
_________________
http://jhfv.blogspot.co.uk/

....and the glory of the world becomes less than it was....
'Have we not served you well'
'Of course - you know you have.'
'Then let it end.'

We are the Bloodguard

DrPaul · Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2015 12:01 am Post subject:

I think LOTR and the Chronicles are different kinds of stories, which means I don't attempt to compare them. However I do have a private joke that the First Chronicles is LOTR written by Dostoyevsky.

Avatar · Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2015 5:25 am Post subject:

Agree that it's better, not that I don't love LotR as well. As DrPaul says, different stories though, so only comparable in fairly general ways.

--A
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It's easy to judge. It's more difficult to understand.