Stephen Donaldson’s opening volume in the Chronicles
of Thomas Covenant Lord Foul’s Bane is, if anything, divisive for fans of
fantasy. The strict manner in which the
book follows Joseph Campbell’s monomyth will see them at ease in the
familiarity of the story’s development or dismayed at the lack of originality
when set alongside the plethora of epic fantasy available today. There’s also potential the parallels to The Lordof the Rings will entice or put off readers.
What’s not discordant, however, is the moral message burning at the
heart of Covenant’s story. Still poignant
today, it and the relative quality of the writing are the main reasons
Donaldson’s series was once king of the fantasy charts.
Lord Foul’s Bane, and the Chronicles as a whole,
is portal fantasy. Though Donaldson
doesn’t identify the gateway in the opening volume, events begin and end in the
real world. The focal point of the book
is Thomas Covenant. One day discovering
he has leprosy, his wife and the other townsfolk alienate him, “unclean” the
word on their lips. Encountering a
mysterious beggar while paying the electric bill one day, the next thing
Covenant knows he’s standing atop a pinnacle of stone, looking out over an
idyllic land. Let the fantasy begin.
Called simply the Land, the world Covenant suddenly
finds himself in is fully Tolkien in flavor.
Magic works in organic fashion, the people live rustic lives, rivers
wind through green hills—everything seems a caricature of what the good life
was. Most importantly for Covenant,
there’s also no disease. Though
protesting it a dream, Covenant and the wedding band he still wears are
declared sacred by the locals. A great
darkness swallowing the Land, he is subsequently taken on a quest to meet the
great council and decide the fate of mankind.
The surreal nature of the Land overwhelming, it is Covenant’s rejection
of life there which is the real engine driving the quest.
The similarities more than passing, many more of the
motifs of The Lord of the Rings can be found in Lord Foul’s Bane, e.g. quests,
dark lords, rings, magic, etc. But to be
fair, Donaldson’s hero is cast from a far different mold than Tolkien’s. Precisely an anti-hero, it’s difficult to
have sympathy for Covenant’s travails.
The belief he’s dreaming, and subsequently that actions have no
consequences, causes him to behave in anti-social fashion and commit despicable
acts. His antics at times vile beyond
belief, undoubtedly some readers will close the book forever upon reading some
of them. But for those with the patience
to wait and learn Donaldson’s intent, a certain understanding does arise. Without spoiling matters, suffice to say Lord Foul’s Bane is a very personal story that belies comparison to Tolkien
only on the surface, everything below a character study of alienation and
vindictiveness in the light of goodness.
In style, Donaldson proves himself a better than
average writer. There are more than a few
nice turns of phrase to complement internal monologue, the descriptions are
well visualized, and plot movement is smooth and consistent. The neologisms in the Land will be annoying
for some readers. For example hurtloam as a healing earth, diamonddraught as a kind of spring wine,
or the name Saltheart Foamfollower, a giant who befriends Thomas, all appear
regularly. As immature as they may seem,
the word pairings are intentional as Donaldson’s aim is to emphasize the
idyllic nature of the Land in contrast to our gritty real world. He succeeds, albeit in awkward fashion.
The book’s problems lie in Donaldson’s overly
predictable plotting. Details of the
story unique and interesting, the overall movement of the plot is, however, far
from original. Campbell’s work taking center stage, Covenant’s quest will prove
interesting for fans who read only high fantasy, his quest following the
monomyth to a T. However, for those
looking for something fresh or new, Lord Foul’s Bane may not be a good
option. With each page, one can almost
see Donaldson going through Campbell’s checklist, cast out of group, check, undergo
trials, check, etc., etc.. Instead of
being one of the few as it was when published in 1977, Donaldson’s strong
effort has unfortunately become mixed up with the many faces of epic fantasy since.
In the end, Thomas Covenant and Lord Foul’s Bane
will not be for everyone. Firstly,
Covenant is one of literature’s great anti-heroes, which means more sensitive
readers will be repulsed by his actions.
Readers open to the context Donaldson is placing him will, however,
empathize with the story and be curious how it develops. Secondly, the thirty-five years that have
passed since Donaldson started writing the series have not helped cement its
originality. Quest fantasy of the purest
variety, those who have read a lot of the genre but not Covenant’s story may
not find anything inventive other than Covenant himself. To Donaldson’s credit, however, the quality
of writing and world building are better than most. It would be nice to say the say the same of
the plot, but Campbell already identified the idea.
