Are the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant Essential Reads? (Part 1 of 3)

The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, by Stephen R. Donaldson, is one of the foundational epic fantasy series of the genre. It’s also one of the most polarizing.

This is the first of three videos discussing the First, Second and Final Chronicles in the series. In this video I cover the First Chronicles, which were published as a trilogy in 1977 consisting of Lord Foul's Bane, The Illearth War, and The Power That Preserves. Please note that I've tried to keep the review spoiler-free, so there isn't much discussion of plot details.

0:38 My introduction to Thomas Covenant
1:35 What distinguishes the trilogy from earlier fantasy works?
2:56 What makes the trilogy great?
3:44 What's frustrating about it?
4:31 How initial expectations can shape reader enjoyment
5:01 Covenant isn't the protagonist in his own story
5:27 Conclusion

Links to my reviews of the Second and Third Chronicles of Thomas Covenant:

Second Chronicles:    • Are the Second Chronicles of Thomas C...  
Third (and Last) Chronicles:    • The Final Chronicles of Thomas Covena...  

Other videos introducing different parts of my book collection are linked below.

Channel Overview:    • Welcome to the library ladder!  
Children’s Books Overview:    • 150 Years of Classic Children's Books  
Science Fiction Overview:    • Rare and Classic Science Fiction Books  
Fantasy Overview:    • Classic Fantasy Fiction Books - A que...  
Mystery Overview:    • Classic Whodunits and Noir Fiction  
Adventure Overview:    • Classic Thrillers and Adventure Ficti...  
Horror and Weird Fiction Overview:    • Classic Horror and Weird Fiction - Yo...  
Literature Overview:    • Classic and Modern Literature from th...  
Antiquarian Nonfiction Overview:    • Antiquarian Books About the World (a....  
Illustrated Books Overview:    • The Golden Age of Book Illustration, ...  


Artwork credits for this video:
mirk0.deviantart
Allen Morris


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