From the Bookshelf of The Sword and Laser…

The Sword of Shannara (The Original Shannara Trilogy, #1)

Terry Brooks

Start date: February 1, 2016

Finish date: February 29, 2016

Why we're reading this: I say so!
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Feb 07, 2016 Melani rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: bookclub-picks, epic-fantasy

I don't know if I'm just to old, but this was terrible. and boring. and badly written. and I love Tolkien so it's not just the endless descriptions. I'm actually sorry I picked this one up. ...more

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Apr 23, 2013 Tom rated it really liked it

A re-read, 20+ years after the first time... maybe 30+ years? Sheesh. This book is old and so am I.

So I didn't remember a lot of things. For instance, I completely forgot about Panamon Creel and Keltset, two pivotal characters.

I admit that I look at this book through the nostalgic eyes of the 13 year old kid I was around the time this came out; but I don't get all the hate foisted upon it here in Goodreads. Sure, it's derivative of the Lord of the Rings and yes, there have been hundreds of book ...more

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Aug 10, 2010 Matthew rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-book

Published in 1977, the Sword of Shannara is a classic fantasy novel about as prototypical of fantasy as one can get. When you picture in your head the sort of D&D adventures of kids from the 70's and 80's this is the type of story that you get out of it. Almost quaint by today's standards, this story is of a chosen but unlikely hero who must follow his band of misfits to save the world from pure evil. In your cast of characters you have your human hero, a quick talking dwarf, a wizard, elegant e ...more

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Jan 30, 2016 Joshua rated it liked it · review of another edition

I enjoyed the story quite a bit, but when describing what characters were thinking or feeling, it just be came too wordy, and often redundant or containing unnecessary recapping of the story. It caused the story to drag a bit at times, and for me to actually think at a few points, "alright, I get it..." Also, the recapping of what happened a couple chapters earlier is as unneeded as it is is on modern TV shows when they do it after every commercial break. ...more

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