What is so great about The Lord of the Rings?
+3
Ringdrotten
Pettytyrant101
Radaghast
7 posters
Page 1 of 1
What is so great about The Lord of the Rings?
Anybody know of Quora? I'm subscribed to it, though I honestly don't remember how
Anyway, here's an interesting post where the author claims he has no idea why people like LotR but knows why he does and goes on to make a good case for why anyone should:
http://www.quora.com/The-Lord-of-the-Rings-books-movies-and-creative-franchise/What-is-so-great-about-The-Lord-of-the-Rings?__pmsg__=+MGN6aWFENFJHYkd3WjVuTUN2bEI6YS5hcHAudmlldy5wbXNnLmFsbC5Mb2dnZWRJbkZyb21MaW5rOltbMzg0ODkzNTZdLCB7fV0*
Anyway, here's an interesting post where the author claims he has no idea why people like LotR but knows why he does and goes on to make a good case for why anyone should:
I have to admit, I've never been entirely sure why people are so enamored of The Lord of the Rings. I know why I am, but it's not at all for its nature as an action-adventure story.
f you watch the LotR movies, that's what you'd think they were about. The battle and action sequences get a lot more screen time than they do in the books. That's partly the nature of the medium, but I think that's what a lot of people see in the books as well, and I just don't.
http://www.quora.com/The-Lord-of-the-Rings-books-movies-and-creative-franchise/What-is-so-great-about-The-Lord-of-the-Rings?__pmsg__=+MGN6aWFENFJHYkd3WjVuTUN2bEI6YS5hcHAudmlldy5wbXNnLmFsbC5Mb2dnZWRJbkZyb21MaW5rOltbMzg0ODkzNTZdLCB7fV0*
_________________
The wolf one hears is worse than the orc one fears.
http://helob.deviantart.com/gallery/
https://stopthesecrecy.net/
Radaghast- Barrel-rider
- Posts : 1748
Join date : 2013-06-12
Location : The place where that thing is.
Re: What is so great about The Lord of the Rings?
Sorry Rhaddy, sounds interesting but too much faffing, signing, having to pick 6 other subjects that interest you, just to read one post!
_________________
Pure Publications, The Tower of Lore and the Former Admin's Office are Reasonably Proud to Present-
A Green And Pleasant Land
Compiled and annotated by Eldy.
- get your copy here for a limited period- free*
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yjYiz8nuL3LqJ-yP9crpDKu_BH-1LwJU/view
*Pure Publications reserves the right to track your usage of this publication, snoop on your home address, go through your bins and sell personal information on to the highest bidder.
Warning may contain Wholesome Tales[/b]
A Green And Pleasant Land
Compiled and annotated by Eldy.
- get your copy here for a limited period- free*
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yjYiz8nuL3LqJ-yP9crpDKu_BH-1LwJU/view
*Pure Publications reserves the right to track your usage of this publication, snoop on your home address, go through your bins and sell personal information on to the highest bidder.
Warning may contain Wholesome Tales[/b]
the crabbit will suffer neither sleight of hand nor half-truths. - Forest
Pettytyrant101- Crabbitmeister
- Posts : 46822
Join date : 2011-02-14
Age : 53
Location : Scotshobbitland
Re: What is so great about The Lord of the Rings?
Oh, I guess you have to sign up to read them. I assumed you had to sign up to post something. Also, I'm signed in when I click on the email link and I'm not sure how to sign out
Anyway, I'll just paste it here:
Anyway, I'll just paste it here:
Joshua Engel wrote:I have to admit, I've never been entirely sure why people are so enamored of The Lord of the Rings. I know why I am, but it's not at all for its nature as an action-adventure story.
If you watch the LotR movies, that's what you'd think they were about. The battle and action sequences get a lot more screen time than they do in the books. That's partly the nature of the medium, but I think that's what a lot of people see in the books as well, and I just don't.
Here's the way I'd put it: the amazing thing about The Lord of the Rings is what Tolkien called "secondary creation". It's the idea that the writer isn't just making up a story and asking you to suspend your belief in the real world so that you can tolerate the fact that it's not real. Rather, Tolkien wants to create a world so rich and deep that you don't have to suspend disbelief. You instead come to a secondary belief in his secondary creation.
Tolkien's world is self-complete in a way no author before or since has ever been. LotR is only the tip, a little piece of that world that pokes up to where you can see it. Even if you never read another word of Tolkien outside of the pieces published in his lifetime (LotR and The Hobbit), you can feel that the rest of the other world is out there. There are passing, unexplained references to Turin and the Silmarils and literally thousands of other names dropped in such a way as to make you realize that there's a fully-worked out story behind it.
And during Tolkien's lifetime, you never did. Some of it is published in The Silmarillion, which he never completed. Few people will ever read it; it's even denser and harder to read than LotR. Reading LotR isn't about actually knowing all of those back stories. It's about knowing that they exist, and that there are even more stories behind them, some of which were little more than notes jotted onto scraps of paper. Tolkien created and revised his world obsessively, and that's what makes it so riveting.
Flipping through LotR the other day I noticed that just the index of the list of songs and poems goes on for several pages. These are poems and songs in dozens of styles and even languages: Hobbit doggerel, poems in both Quenya and Sindarin, fragments of epic verse, different styles of Mannish poetry in Rohan and Gondor... on and on and on. It feels like what it's supposed to be: hundreds of authors contributing separately over thousands of years. But it isn't: it's the secondary creation of one man who created thousands of characters to populate his world.
And then there's the languages. This is the crown jewel. Tolkien created two separate but related Elvish languages, and it can be said that he wrote the whole world in order to give these languages a place to be. Languages need stories; they need myths. The stories are part of the language as much as the words are.
Language is history: nobody knew that better than Tolkien. He was an expert in the history of English, and spoke several English ancestors fluently. The only Gothic poetry in the entire world was written by Tolkien. The language of the Rohirrim is based on Old English, and even if you don't know that, you can feel it. (Actually the culture is more Gothic than Old English, though few outside philological circles would know that.)
Tolkien's secondary creation is so deep that you crave to know more. You can look in the Appendices, and if you like them, undergo the Mount Everest that is The Silmarillion. But even if you don't, even if they were never published, they are the reason that The Lord of the Rings is so utterly brilliant. There's more beyond that, for the reckless and foolhardy. You can spend a lifetime reading his back stories. It's as though he managed to genuinely fill a world, all by himself.
_________________
The wolf one hears is worse than the orc one fears.
http://helob.deviantart.com/gallery/
https://stopthesecrecy.net/
Radaghast- Barrel-rider
- Posts : 1748
Join date : 2013-06-12
Location : The place where that thing is.
Re: What is so great about The Lord of the Rings?
Thanks Rhaddy, I entirely agree with them.
_________________
Pure Publications, The Tower of Lore and the Former Admin's Office are Reasonably Proud to Present-
A Green And Pleasant Land
Compiled and annotated by Eldy.
- get your copy here for a limited period- free*
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yjYiz8nuL3LqJ-yP9crpDKu_BH-1LwJU/view
*Pure Publications reserves the right to track your usage of this publication, snoop on your home address, go through your bins and sell personal information on to the highest bidder.
Warning may contain Wholesome Tales[/b]
A Green And Pleasant Land
Compiled and annotated by Eldy.
- get your copy here for a limited period- free*
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yjYiz8nuL3LqJ-yP9crpDKu_BH-1LwJU/view
*Pure Publications reserves the right to track your usage of this publication, snoop on your home address, go through your bins and sell personal information on to the highest bidder.
Warning may contain Wholesome Tales[/b]
the crabbit will suffer neither sleight of hand nor half-truths. - Forest
Pettytyrant101- Crabbitmeister
- Posts : 46822
Join date : 2011-02-14
Age : 53
Location : Scotshobbitland
Re: What is so great about The Lord of the Rings?
Very well put, and he nailed it for the most part. There are other things I like about LotR as well, but this is the core of it, I guess. What he describesis what makes LotR stand out, why you compare every new fantasy series you read to LotR even if you don't intend to. It's a bitter-sweet thing, really; knowing you've (probably) read the greatest fantasy story ever written leaves you with the knowledge that there will (probably) never be one quite like it
_________________
“The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want for nothing. He makes me lie down in the green pastures. He greases up my head with oil. He gives me kung-fu in the face of my enemies. Amen”. - Tom Cullen
Ringdrotten- Mrs Bear Grylls
- Posts : 4607
Join date : 2011-02-13
Re: What is so great about The Lord of the Rings?
The basic point reminds me a bit of that quote by Christopher Tolkien.
Just said with different words. For me what they clearly did with adapting the books was limit them to action adventure stories. Though they are still epic romantic action adventure stories because that is what the basic story in the books is. But the movies have certainly been limited in relation too the books.
They eviscerated the book by making it an action movie for young people aged 15 to 25.
Just said with different words. For me what they clearly did with adapting the books was limit them to action adventure stories. Though they are still epic romantic action adventure stories because that is what the basic story in the books is. But the movies have certainly been limited in relation too the books.
_________________
“We're doomed,” he says, casually. “There's no question about that. But it's OK to be doomed because then you can just enjoy your life."
Bluebottle- Concerned citizen
- Posts : 10099
Join date : 2013-11-09
Age : 38
Re: What is so great about The Lord of the Rings?
"They eviscerated the book" - CT
I don't agree with this, but that's an epic thing to say
I don't agree with this, but that's an epic thing to say
_________________
“The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want for nothing. He makes me lie down in the green pastures. He greases up my head with oil. He gives me kung-fu in the face of my enemies. Amen”. - Tom Cullen
Ringdrotten- Mrs Bear Grylls
- Posts : 4607
Join date : 2011-02-13
Re: What is so great about The Lord of the Rings?
I happen to agree with that epic statement
_________________
The wolf one hears is worse than the orc one fears.
http://helob.deviantart.com/gallery/
https://stopthesecrecy.net/
Radaghast- Barrel-rider
- Posts : 1748
Join date : 2013-06-12
Location : The place where that thing is.
Re: What is so great about The Lord of the Rings?
I agree absolutely.
_________________
Pure Publications, The Tower of Lore and the Former Admin's Office are Reasonably Proud to Present-
A Green And Pleasant Land
Compiled and annotated by Eldy.
- get your copy here for a limited period- free*
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yjYiz8nuL3LqJ-yP9crpDKu_BH-1LwJU/view
*Pure Publications reserves the right to track your usage of this publication, snoop on your home address, go through your bins and sell personal information on to the highest bidder.
Warning may contain Wholesome Tales[/b]
A Green And Pleasant Land
Compiled and annotated by Eldy.
- get your copy here for a limited period- free*
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yjYiz8nuL3LqJ-yP9crpDKu_BH-1LwJU/view
*Pure Publications reserves the right to track your usage of this publication, snoop on your home address, go through your bins and sell personal information on to the highest bidder.
Warning may contain Wholesome Tales[/b]
the crabbit will suffer neither sleight of hand nor half-truths. - Forest
Pettytyrant101- Crabbitmeister
- Posts : 46822
Join date : 2011-02-14
Age : 53
Location : Scotshobbitland
Re: What is so great about The Lord of the Rings?
Stuff and nonsense!
Anyway, I found a little memento of mine recently:
I think this is from my second viewing, but I can't remember who went with me...
Best guess is that it was some three-number combination of my mom, my dad, my younger sister, my older brother, or my niece. But... I'm not entirely sure.
I do remember putting in ear-plugs for a couple hours before the movie, so that when the movie started and I took them out my senses would be especially overwhelmed. I don't know where I got that idea from.
Anyway, goes to show how bloody long they kept RotK in theaters! February 23rd and still going on.
Anyway, I found a little memento of mine recently:
I think this is from my second viewing, but I can't remember who went with me...
Best guess is that it was some three-number combination of my mom, my dad, my younger sister, my older brother, or my niece. But... I'm not entirely sure.
I do remember putting in ear-plugs for a couple hours before the movie, so that when the movie started and I took them out my senses would be especially overwhelmed. I don't know where I got that idea from.
Anyway, goes to show how bloody long they kept RotK in theaters! February 23rd and still going on.
_________________
"The earth was rushing past like a river or a sea below him. Trees and water, and green grass, hurried away beneath. A great roar of wild animals rose as they rushed over the Zoological Gardens, mixed with a chattering of monkeys and a screaming of birds; but it died away in a moment behind them. And now there was nothing but the roofs of houses, sweeping along like a great torrent of stones and rocks. Chimney-pots fell, and tiles flew from the roofs..."
Forest Shepherd- The Honorable Lord Gets-Banned-a-lot of Forumshire
- Posts : 5625
Join date : 2013-11-02
Age : 33
Location : Minnesota
Re: What is so great about The Lord of the Rings?
What's your opinion of the ear-plug strategy? Does it have the desired impact?
_________________
Halfwise, son of Halfwit. Brother of Nitwit, son of Halfwit. Half brother of Figwit.
Then it gets complicated...
halfwise- Quintessence of Burrahobbitry
- Posts : 20546
Join date : 2012-02-01
Location : rustic broom closet in farthing of Manhattan
Re: What is so great about The Lord of the Rings?
It was quite effective, at least for the first minute or so. And then I think it was the same as if I hadn't bothered.
_________________
"The earth was rushing past like a river or a sea below him. Trees and water, and green grass, hurried away beneath. A great roar of wild animals rose as they rushed over the Zoological Gardens, mixed with a chattering of monkeys and a screaming of birds; but it died away in a moment behind them. And now there was nothing but the roofs of houses, sweeping along like a great torrent of stones and rocks. Chimney-pots fell, and tiles flew from the roofs..."
Forest Shepherd- The Honorable Lord Gets-Banned-a-lot of Forumshire
- Posts : 5625
Join date : 2013-11-02
Age : 33
Location : Minnesota
Re: What is so great about The Lord of the Rings?
{{ Sticking this here as its not worth its own thread, just a thought about Gandalf. He is a bit of an artist.
You have his fireworks, now normal fireworks would be impresive enough to hobbits that dont normally see any, but Gandalfs fireworks are somehting else, they are hugely creative- flights of singing bnirds, flowers that melt away into scent as they reach your nose, a smoke mountain and dragon.
And at the Ford it is Gandalf who adds the white horses and riders to the foam, they dont do anything, they're is absolutely no reason for them but he sticks them in there anyway and then makes sure, like any artist who want some recognistion for their work, to make sure to point out to Frodo that he did add them- "If I may say so, I added a few touches of my own: you may not have noticed, but some of the waves took the form of great white horses with shining white riders."
Can anyone think of other instances where Gandalf shows off his creative side for no other reason than do so? }}
You have his fireworks, now normal fireworks would be impresive enough to hobbits that dont normally see any, but Gandalfs fireworks are somehting else, they are hugely creative- flights of singing bnirds, flowers that melt away into scent as they reach your nose, a smoke mountain and dragon.
And at the Ford it is Gandalf who adds the white horses and riders to the foam, they dont do anything, they're is absolutely no reason for them but he sticks them in there anyway and then makes sure, like any artist who want some recognistion for their work, to make sure to point out to Frodo that he did add them- "If I may say so, I added a few touches of my own: you may not have noticed, but some of the waves took the form of great white horses with shining white riders."
Can anyone think of other instances where Gandalf shows off his creative side for no other reason than do so? }}
_________________
Pure Publications, The Tower of Lore and the Former Admin's Office are Reasonably Proud to Present-
A Green And Pleasant Land
Compiled and annotated by Eldy.
- get your copy here for a limited period- free*
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yjYiz8nuL3LqJ-yP9crpDKu_BH-1LwJU/view
*Pure Publications reserves the right to track your usage of this publication, snoop on your home address, go through your bins and sell personal information on to the highest bidder.
Warning may contain Wholesome Tales[/b]
A Green And Pleasant Land
Compiled and annotated by Eldy.
- get your copy here for a limited period- free*
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yjYiz8nuL3LqJ-yP9crpDKu_BH-1LwJU/view
*Pure Publications reserves the right to track your usage of this publication, snoop on your home address, go through your bins and sell personal information on to the highest bidder.
Warning may contain Wholesome Tales[/b]
the crabbit will suffer neither sleight of hand nor half-truths. - Forest
Pettytyrant101- Crabbitmeister
- Posts : 46822
Join date : 2011-02-14
Age : 53
Location : Scotshobbitland
Re: What is so great about The Lord of the Rings?
Smoke rings.
He does like to show off his powers. Protection and intimidation with the ford. Joy, wonder and amusement with fireworks, and just playfully boasting with dancing smoke rings. But never to gain more power for himself.
He does like to show off his powers. Protection and intimidation with the ford. Joy, wonder and amusement with fireworks, and just playfully boasting with dancing smoke rings. But never to gain more power for himself.
_________________
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
One does not simply woke into Mordor.
-Mrs Figg
"Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth."
-Marcus Aurelius
#amarieco
One does not simply woke into Mordor.
-Mrs Figg
"Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth."
-Marcus Aurelius
#amarieco
Amarië- Dark Planet Ambassador
- Posts : 5434
Join date : 2011-06-10
Age : 43
Location : The Dark Planet Embassy, Main str. Needlehole.
Re: What is so great about The Lord of the Rings?
{{ How could I forget his smoke rings?! I do like this side to Gandalf and its often overloooked, I certainly overlooked it. But then I also really like his crabbit side which is sadly underplayed in the films in place of friendly twinkly eyed Gandalf who I dont like anywhere near as much. Give me 'swift in anger, quick to laugh' Gandalf any day }}
_________________
Pure Publications, The Tower of Lore and the Former Admin's Office are Reasonably Proud to Present-
A Green And Pleasant Land
Compiled and annotated by Eldy.
- get your copy here for a limited period- free*
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yjYiz8nuL3LqJ-yP9crpDKu_BH-1LwJU/view
*Pure Publications reserves the right to track your usage of this publication, snoop on your home address, go through your bins and sell personal information on to the highest bidder.
Warning may contain Wholesome Tales[/b]
A Green And Pleasant Land
Compiled and annotated by Eldy.
- get your copy here for a limited period- free*
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yjYiz8nuL3LqJ-yP9crpDKu_BH-1LwJU/view
*Pure Publications reserves the right to track your usage of this publication, snoop on your home address, go through your bins and sell personal information on to the highest bidder.
Warning may contain Wholesome Tales[/b]
the crabbit will suffer neither sleight of hand nor half-truths. - Forest
Pettytyrant101- Crabbitmeister
- Posts : 46822
Join date : 2011-02-14
Age : 53
Location : Scotshobbitland
Re: What is so great about The Lord of the Rings?
I guess I needed a cry or something, because I just had a really good one: nose stuffed up, tears running down my face, the kind of crying that you don't do in front of other people.
It happened after that montage at the end of the video. It's a really good sequence and I guess I had all this stress bottled up inside about some stupid stuff going out here.
It happened after that montage at the end of the video. It's a really good sequence and I guess I had all this stress bottled up inside about some stupid stuff going out here.
_________________
"The earth was rushing past like a river or a sea below him. Trees and water, and green grass, hurried away beneath. A great roar of wild animals rose as they rushed over the Zoological Gardens, mixed with a chattering of monkeys and a screaming of birds; but it died away in a moment behind them. And now there was nothing but the roofs of houses, sweeping along like a great torrent of stones and rocks. Chimney-pots fell, and tiles flew from the roofs..."
Forest Shepherd- The Honorable Lord Gets-Banned-a-lot of Forumshire
- Posts : 5625
Join date : 2013-11-02
Age : 33
Location : Minnesota
Re: What is so great about The Lord of the Rings?
Yeah I remember watching that clip not long ago. It's not just the right montage, it's the right music, plus the lead up of two hobbit-like characters doing battle against the forces of megalithic media and triumphing against all expectations. I think I had a similar reaction.
_________________
Halfwise, son of Halfwit. Brother of Nitwit, son of Halfwit. Half brother of Figwit.
Then it gets complicated...
halfwise- Quintessence of Burrahobbitry
- Posts : 20546
Join date : 2012-02-01
Location : rustic broom closet in farthing of Manhattan
Similar topics
» Lord of the Rings Humour: Parodies, Satires and More
» Oscars and Lord of the Rings
» Lord of the Rings rating?
» Adapting Lord of the Rings
» How often do you read Lord of the Rings?
» Oscars and Lord of the Rings
» Lord of the Rings rating?
» Adapting Lord of the Rings
» How often do you read Lord of the Rings?
Page 1 of 1
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum