Prior to reading this book I searched for other reviews and noticed that people either loved or hated it. I ended up with rather mixed feelings after finishing the novel.
Donaldson brings The Land alive with beautiful, metaphoric descriptions. That is the strength of his work. Personally, I didn't find the anti-hero protagonist Thomas Covenant as repulsive as many other people have, on the other hand I couldn't spare much sympathy for him either, but while bitter, angry and arrogant, he feels so very human.
The beginning is strong and despite the very dark mood, I wanted to follow Thomas through his struggles. Unfortunately in the middle the story loses a lot of momentum. Towards the end it gets more wind in it's sails and the action packed finale satisfied me.
Lord Foul's bane is not an easy book. I surely missed a lot that was hidden behind the poetics and metaphors and overall darkness was at times exhausting. I was reminded of Tolkien's stories although Donaldson's style couldn't be more different.
I'd recommend this for everyone who is mature enough to read adult fantasy, just because it's so different from most novels that I've read. Hate it or love it, but have a taste of something unusual.
