01-25-2018, 12:29 PM
(01-25-2018, 11:38 AM)Bengalzona Wrote: Read all the books about 40 years ago (including the Silmarrilion and Bestiary). Seen all the movies. The books are a slog, even more so in today's world where we have a lesser appreciation for language. But it is a definitely a worthwhile read.
Part of the problem with the read is that there are layers of complexity. You can read it once to just get the base story. And that is definitely worthwhile as it is a great story. But like Shakespeare and the Bible, if you put some time in to study as you read it, you find there is a whole new level of ideas that Tolkien was trying to communicate. Tolkien was a languages expert and a professor at Oxford U. specializing in Anglo-Saxon and Early English. There were a lot of early language terms strewn about the books that Tolkien was trying to revive in addition to creating new languages (such as Elvish). The second level is equally fascinating as the first.
As far as the Hobbit, I'm not a fan of the Peter Jackson movie trilogy. It sort of shows all that is wrong with movie making today ("make it bigger and better and darker, and make more money!). The one-hour Rankin Bass animated movie from the 70's encapsulated the story and captured the original charm far better, IMO. The "Hobbit" was supposed to be a story you could share with kids. My son was horrified with the movie and wanted to leave after a half hour because of the violence and darkness of it. It is a movie for adult-children.
Yep that animated movie was what I grow up on that and my dad reading me the hobbit as a bed time story...
Was kinda disappointed the orc/goblins didn't resemble the ones from that movie lol.
there was also a LOTRs one in the same fashion but it was only the Return of the king....
There was a cell shaded type LOTR animated movie in the past as well
