Thread: The Lord of the Rings

So, you can all kill me when you hear this, but I hated the books.

I read The Hobbit when I was 7, and it was okay. Not great, but okay. I started LOTR a few years ago. I didn't like it because it was so long winded, and the story line was very boring. It isn't the "old style" language was boring, it's the writing itself. He wastes too much time on describing things that are irrelivant and the story doesn't pick up speed anywhere. If you asked me what the climax was, I couldn't say. The whole stupid thing felt like a beginning.

just want to point out that the creation myth in the samirillion is closer to the hindu or norse creation myths

oh well, I felt just the opposite, I loved the writing style of Tolkienn, was enthralled with his philology and his subcreated world.
Quite literally his books, especially Unfinished Tales, quite changed my life and gave me the courage to do some hard things I simply could not bring myself to tackle before.

From the first time I read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings I have been a major fan of anything having to do with Middle Earth. I never really cared that he described his entire world, I thought it was awesome that he could create something so massive and it inspires me to try as equally hard on my own writing.

I love "The Lord of the Ring" books. The movies on the other hand were OK for those that didnt want to read the books. The movies skipped around to much. There were parts from "The Two Towers" that was in "The Fellowship of the Ring", and so on. The books were much better.

i personally enjoyed both of them while i couldn't finish lotr to the end because i have to agree it dragged on.....

It was dull. I mean, I can appreciate the extent that it shaped the modern fantasy genre, but the trilogy itself is very tedious reading. There's nothing wrong with the world, or the overall story - in fact, it's great - it's just that Tolkien is terrible at suspense and excitement. The pace is awful, and it's just tedious to read.

The in depth and meandering descriptions are all for a purpose in LOTR. Middle Earth is not a reflection of modern western culture where patience and subtlety are lost in the blare of television, movies, internet, video games, etc. I believe that Tolkien intended every single word to be just where it is for very definite reasons. With him it's all about atmosphere and setting, you just can't evoke the same kind of emotion with your typical bang, bang, non-stop action piece. This is not to say that such styles are all bad, James Ellroy is fantastic with his minimalist technique. But first and foremost, Tolkien was painting a world. Shotgun's and car chases don't require the same kind of detail.

Originally Posted by Buddhapants

Tolkien was painting a world.

Painting a world and telling a story that's actually exciting are not mutually exclusive.

You're right, Scarecrow, Tolkien's writing doesn't capture the same feel of a Hollywood suspense thriller, for which, I am undyingly grateful. Nonetheless, I found his work to be very interesting, but then I read Tolkien before the current pop-cultural mindset where buzzwords and instant gratification have been woven into the fabric of Western Civilization. Nevertheless, I found plenty of excitement when I read the Hobbit, and LOTR.

"Suspense" and "thrill" are not trademarks of Hollywood. They're not a bad thing.

Painting a world and telling a story that's actually exciting are not mutually exclusive.

Aaah! Here is something you don't see every day on internet forums...someone misrepresenting what another person says. How fresh, how enlightening. A straw man...whaddya know...

You certainly seemed to suggest that painting a world was above or better than telling an exciting story, judging from your obvious contempt of Hollywood action movies. Which, incidentally, have nothing to do with LOTR. Excitement and suspense do not require firearms or high speed chases; they just require the plot to move along a bit quicker.

sorry.. the lord of the rings sux (in my opinion) i am an avid reader of fantasy, but in fantasy, a certain amount of reality must still remain.. the characters are 2dimensional and have no REAL emotion...

the kingdoms seem to run on maigc.. they get food, coin and materials from nowhere.. mordor is a wasteland, therefore nothing can be gorwn there, but somehow.. its running fne -_^

when pippin finds the drug(sorry i forget the name) ALLLL the way away where he finds it, after the ents kick the wizards ass.. i laughed... and it happens more than once...

and how many chapters end with a dumbass hobbit being knocked unconscious

as a writer,tolkien has talent.. obviously lol.. but i just dont like them just my opinion

also.. remember you are talking about the story of lotr.. not middle earth.. middle earth is one of the best creations in literature.. ever.. but he used it too much in lotr to hide the crap story line and bland characters..

snooze.. long winded tripe