POLL: Is Thomas Covenant a poor excuse for a man?

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So, for all those whove read The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen Donaldson:

The Chronicles really gripped me and I loved them. However, I cannot say that I, in any way, liked the lead character... or rather, I suppose in a sick way I did, but I thought that he was in no way a hero. In fact, amplify by 6 fold him on his best day and you may end up with an anti-hero!

That said, he was perfect for the book, and realistic. I even understand why he did the things that he did, but that cannot justify those actions (in order to not spoil the book for those who haven't read it, let me say this: so you guys rememb what happened with "Lena"?)>

So, here's the question: Do you think that Thomas Covenant was a poor, self-indulgent, pathetic excuse for a human being? Or was he bad, but not that bad?

(Like I said though, this doesn't mean that you still don't love him)

Poll Information
This poll contains 1 question(s). 7 user(s) have voted.
You may not view the results of this poll without voting.

Poll Results: Is Thomas Covenant a poor excuse for a man? (7 votes.)

Is Thomas Covenant a poor excuse for a man? (Choose 1)
* Yes, poor excuse for human being! - 43% (3)
* Simply put, no! - 29% (2)
* Mmm, bad, but not to that extent. - 29% (2)

 

It's not so much a question of good or bad. He was put into a world that he did not believe was real; in essence, he felt that he was dreaming. Therefore he did not want to become taken in by this false world with it's cure for his leprosy, only to wake up and return to his reality. As a result, he did everything he could to avoid becoming attached to the dream. IMO, he was being pragmatic

 

I always had many conflicting feelings for Covenant: fascination, loathing, annoyance, understanding, pity and many many more. As has been said he is a rather ordinary man. As for what he did to Lena, well, there are many reasons, none of them is an excuse but there was many reasons behind them and I would be hard pressed to completely condemn him for it, not that I condone it.
That event was a brilliant way to get the reader to think though, to make the reader see that this is not some ordinary novel. The chronicles of Covenant always had a strange appeal to me, I havent read them in many years and I am thinking of rereading them. Donaldsson was one of the forerunners in fantasy literature and his works are still original, some say that a measure of a writer is how much people steal from him and plenty has been borrowed and stolen from Donaldsson.

 

dmc... I appreciate your opinion and your sincere view of the situation, but you fail to realise that the book was, yes, about Covenant. More accurately, I supposse you could even say that it was about what the situation brought out in him. But, in no way, vould you just leave it at the book, because that would just create an impotence of thought and action.

Splunge... Yes, I think that he did think that the world was false. However, you have to remember that that changed. When Linden, in the Second Chronicles, asked him whether it was real or false, he couldn't answer her, because, even though he wanted (needed) to believe it to be false, he still, in his core, felt otherwise. That's what always made him weak, the fact that he couldn't decide it either way. For example, when IU used to play AD&D, and roleplayed a character that was very much like myself, I wouldn't have done anything as vile enough to condemn me in reality.

jaocqin... I totally agree with your post, but I still think that Covenant was vile.. The most horrid part, I suppose, being that I could understand him to the extent that it made me feel just as vile. I don't have much sympathy for him, but I suppose I empathise a little bit too much.
Also, did know that Terry Pratchet is the most stolen author. The implications of that is scary!

 

Did Thomas Covenant really think That the Land was just a dream? Hmmm... Why then did he feel torment and guilt for his actions even in what he considered the real world?
He had a ready excuse for every despicable, cowardly, craven, and downright pathetic action he took in a world that so readily accepted him no matter what he did.