I am growing tired of this. Shortly after the films started coming out it became fashionable in circles of self-styled intellectuals to fall out of love with Tolkien. Of course they are free to do that, but don't present it as an objective truth or a sign of excellent taste. It makes me somewhat nauseous.
I have long been planning a proper long post on this tendency, but I never seem to find the time. I am sure it will come one of these days. For now, though, this will have to do:
Piffle and poppycock.
Edit: I realise that I appear to confirm precisely what the man said in the blog, but I think you know me well enough to realise it is simply time constraint.
I have long been planning a proper long post on this tendency, but I never seem to find the time. I am sure it will come one of these days. For now, though, this will have to do:
Piffle and poppycock.
Edit: I realise that I appear to confirm precisely what the man said in the blog, but I think you know me well enough to realise it is simply time constraint.
I still think there are some valid points that are raised, both in the essay and elsewhere. No fiction should be sacred, but instead tested. As long as such works pass their tests, they endure. There are certainly elements in Tolkien's fiction that I think should be scrutinized more closely, but that process is not to necessarily validate or invalidate what he wrote, but to see how the Text still functions a half-century or more after its initial publication.
Illusions fall like the husk of a fruit, one after another, and the fruit is experience. - Narrator, Sylvie
Je suis méchant.
Je suis méchant.
Tolkien as a sacred cow of fantasy
28/07/2010 10:02:39 PM
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Nonsense, at least in part
28/07/2010 10:19:19 PM
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I know there is a polite difference of opinion here
28/07/2010 10:40:42 PM
- 1024 Views
Have to agree.
28/07/2010 11:38:37 PM
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It seemed to be that way with Harry Potter just when after it had started to get big.
29/07/2010 09:44:53 AM
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*cough* Twilight *cough*
29/07/2010 10:15:13 AM
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I was gonna mention that one too.
29/07/2010 10:35:17 AM
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Mmm. I read an interesting article actually...
29/07/2010 08:24:04 PM
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That's a fair point, I guess...
29/07/2010 09:18:13 PM
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mmm, except it's relevant to Bella too.
29/07/2010 10:43:03 PM
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That's my point, it's pretty much only relevant to Bella - only there is it shown prominently. *NM*
29/07/2010 10:59:54 PM
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Of course, since she's the main character, it matters rather a lot, yes? *NM*
30/07/2010 09:39:07 AM
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How much do you have to read to form an opinion?
29/07/2010 12:23:28 PM
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To the end
29/07/2010 12:59:25 PM
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my reading time is too scarce to think that way
29/07/2010 01:21:26 PM
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I agree, but HP is a good example of something you should keep reading
29/07/2010 08:27:20 PM
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and I will
29/07/2010 09:13:03 PM
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The books mature as Harry does. You should really give it another shot *NM*
29/07/2010 03:00:37 PM
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He doesn't want to, so why should he? It's not like you or he is losing anything now
29/07/2010 06:15:58 PM
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It is a case of the "someone is wrong on the internet" thing, only much older
29/07/2010 06:27:07 PM
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well you have not failed completely
29/07/2010 06:50:15 PM
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Re: well you have not failed completely
29/07/2010 06:53:38 PM
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one quick question
29/07/2010 07:38:00 PM
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how many books do I have to read to get to the grown up books?
29/07/2010 06:42:37 PM
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None of them are "geared towards grown ups" - it's still a YA series.
29/07/2010 07:03:24 PM
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They're all "light reading" for adults, geared towards YA readers.
29/07/2010 08:29:01 PM
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Re: It seemed to be that way with Harry Potter just when after it had started to get big.
29/07/2010 08:45:58 PM
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it's not supposed to be on par with adult fantasy.
29/07/2010 08:49:16 PM
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I'd argue it's better than Jordan and others from a literary standpoint.
29/07/2010 09:14:07 PM
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I have always thought Jordan had some interesting themes but they were often ignored...
29/07/2010 09:27:12 PM
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I agree Tolkien should not be a sacred cow or put on a pedestal overmuch.
28/07/2010 11:10:37 PM
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I completely agree that there should be no sacred cows, and that applies to Tolkien.
28/07/2010 11:13:39 PM
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all art forms have sacred cows
29/07/2010 01:38:26 AM
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Yeah, it was the line about women waiting at home while their men went to war that made me laugh.
29/07/2010 06:44:34 PM
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Disappointing.
29/07/2010 04:41:34 AM
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I think you are ignoring the key fact that the Silmarillion was never published by Tolkien.
30/07/2010 01:48:14 PM
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I find the Tolkien lovers to be obnoxious in their never ending masturbatory praise of his works.
30/07/2010 06:09:42 AM
- 1011 Views