(OT And Years Too Late) LoTR II

I see. Well argued, the only fly in the ointment being that you're
presenting opinion as fact. Only I get to do that.

LOL .. come on, that _had_ to be deliberate ..

D.

 

No there isn't, because 'literary merit' is as subjective as 'good' or
'bad'. We 'did' this last time around: I like brunettes; a mate likes
blondes. Neither of us is right.

D.

 

General form suggests neither of you are right, but odds are you're
wrong.

 

Yeah, yeah, but this happened _outside_ UKRM, so the law of averages
means that I have a chance of being right.

D.

 

ogden secured a place in history by writing:

Heh. I fear not...

 

'o'

 

Um. Isn't that what I've been saying for years ..?

Heh. Des *whooshed* Champ ..

D.

 

And don't touch the TV spin-off with the proverbial.

D.

 

LOL!!

S-h-i-t ....

D.

 

Sure, I'd agree with that. I've read them in French, where my reading
level is probably about on par with that of a native dolescent, and
they're OK. One of them I part-read in English (the french copy having
fallen out of my bike jacket pocket) and found it pretty much as you
say.

But I'm not sure why you'd apply this to LOTR. The characterisations
are much deeper than the 2-D films portray, and there's a lot of
empathy-generating emotional turmoil in many of them. The _basic_
plotline is very simplistic, sure, but the world it's set in is
astonishing in its detail and internal consistency. I'd actually argue
that much of this is _way_ above the head of most adolescents, and is
squarely aimed at an adult market.

--
_______
..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
\`\ | /`/ GSX-R1000K3 (slightly broken, currently missing)
`\\ | //' BOTAFOT#3, SbS#2, UKRMMA#13, DFV#8, SKA#2, IBB#10
`\|/`
`

 

I'd agree (sorry). We first did _The Hobbit_ in first or second year
(IIRC), and were advised not to read _LoTR_ until later, as it was too
'scary' for youngsters.

D.

 

arrgggghhhh - not the Potter "debate"!

They're shit - for kids - any adult reading them should be ashamed.

If you want decent multi-layered and dimensioned fantasy (crucially,
with no elves or dragons), try Joe Abercrombie's "The First Law"
series - "The Blade Itself" and "Before they are Hanged" - absolutely
fucking fantastic.

 

Well I'm glad you found it funny, but then again, IIRC, you also find
stuff like League of Gentlemen and The Office funny, as well as the
idea of practical jokes, so your SOH is clearly warped.

--
_______
..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
\`\ | /`/ GSX-R1000K3 (slightly broken, currently missing)
`\\ | //' BOTAFOT#3, SbS#2, UKRMMA#13, DFV#8, SKA#2, IBB#10
`\|/`
`

 

Challenging your assumptions, perhaps?

--
_______
..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
\`\ | /`/ GSX-R1000K3 (slightly broken, currently missing)
`\\ | //' BOTAFOT#3, SbS#2, UKRMMA#13, DFV#8, SKA#2, IBB#10
`\|/`
`

 

Thing is is that it's escapeism. Some people escape into alcohol, some
into drugs. Not being into either of those (alcohol makes my already
bad headache/migraine situation worse and drugs have never really
attracted me) I do books instead.

In an average week I get through maybe 5-6 books - usually science
fiction or fantasy. I reasonably selective about what I read (as in the
standard template bloke-in-armour-wiv-sword-and-elveses bores me rigid
and doesn't even get off the shelf..).

LoTR is a good bit more complex than HP - it was written for adults (in
a less complex age admittedly) and in a style that is markedly
different to a modern one.

Now while LoTR is by no means the best of the bunch (but it was the
precursor that lead to a whole genre) it is a good read - and head and
shoulders above HP.

If you want intelligent modern fantasy (without elveses & orcses) try
the Kushiel series by Jacqueline Carey. Very very well written,
intelligent and well worth the read.

Phil.

 

Now this annoys me greatly. Sure - I started my life (doesn't
everyone?) seeing everything in terms of simple black/white,
right/wrong but I've long since grown up past that.

Maybe you ought to apply your own sweeping generaliations to yourself
sometime. Maybe you ought to start looking past your own pidgeonholing
of other people sometime ("Phil is a religious bloke - he must be
simple" right?).

Arsehole.

And yes - that does qualify as a bite.

Phil.

 

This is probably why Champ doesn't find them interesting. Empathy isn't
something he is normally aquainted with.

Phil

 

Agreed. I've just finished them - and actually bought the large-format
of the 'before they were hanged' because that was all Borders had. Real
'I don't want to put the book down and turn out the light even though
it's 3am' stuff.

And as I've said in another post the Kushiel series is another one.

Phil

 

Wuss.

--
Krusty
www.MuddyStuff.co.uk
Off-Road Classifieds

'02 MV Senna '03 Tigtona 955i '96 Tiger '79 Fantic Hiro 250

 

I have no idea. Probably not. But I wasn't talking about Des - or
comparing you to him.

Phil.