CelticsStrong
Other Discussions => Entertainment => Off Topic => Other Entertainment / Hobbies => Topic started by: Eja117 on June 24, 2018, 12:35:41 PM
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I tried to write this poll broadly because his son Christopher Tolkien is/was highly involved in this stuff. I've started the Silmarillion and wow is it different so far.
I figured some of you could educate us a bit
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I remember when I read the Silmarillion as a teenager, I was just blown away by how fully-realized the Tolkien universe was, and then to realize how the major characters in LOTR fit into that, and how all of the depth of LOTR was just a sliver of the whole story...it was so cool.
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I voted for FOTR, as a large chunk of that book takes place in the Shire and in the Wild—places that seem familiar (and comforting) to me as a native Mainer.
As for the Silmarillion, I didn't get far the first time I tried reading it, mainly because the lack of dialogue made it seem very dense to me. But later on, after I'd gotten deeper into the world of Middle-Earth, I went back and tried again, and I found it pretty fascinating—especially since Tolkien was a Christian, as am I, so the entire Illuvatar/creation aspect was very intriguing.
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I voted for FOTR, as a large chunk of that book takes place in the Shire and in the Wild—places that seem familiar (and comforting) to me as a native Mainer.
As for the Silmarillion, I didn't get far the first time I tried reading it, mainly because the lack of dialogue made it seem very dense to me. But later on, after I'd gotten deeper into the world of Middle-Earth, I went back and tried again, and I found it pretty fascinating—especially since Tolkien was a Christian, as am I, so the entire Illuvatar/creation aspect was very intriguing.
This all makes total sense to me
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I've read the first 4 on the list along with Children of Hurin. My favorite probably being Two Towers. I'm not sure why. Perhaps because I read all 3 more or less back to back and found FOTR a bit dry and by the time I finished ROTK I was pretty much LOTRd out. I don't have any great analysis for you all. I enjoyed Children of Hurin but didn't love it.
Like a poster above mentioned I too found Silmarillion hard to get into and only made it a short way in. Although after reading this I may give it another shot.
Does anyone have any recommendations for the rest of the list? What should I read next?
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I've read the first 4 on the list along with Children of Hurin. My favorite probably being Two Towers. I'm not sure why. Perhaps because I read all 3 more or less back to back and found FOTR a bit dry and by the time I finished ROTK I was pretty much LOTRd out. I don't have any great analysis for you all. I enjoyed Children of Hurin but didn't love it.
Like a poster above mentioned I too found Silmarillion hard to get into and only made it a short way in. Although after reading this I may give it another shot.
Does anyone have any recommendations for the rest of the list? What should I read next?
I haven't read The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún or the History of Middle Earth, but among the others, Unfinished Tales has some pretty cool stuff.
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The Hobbit will always be my favorite, because it was my entry to that world.
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I wanted to ask you all this question. Gollum shows a willingness and ability to track Frodo across a continent going into extremely dangerous places.......but for whatever reason for 60 years he never attempts to sneak into the Shire to get the ring back when Bilbo has it. Probably the easiest place to go he never goes. Also....I'm a little lost on how and why the enemy got him. How did they know he had the ring? How did they know anyone had the ring? And how did they catch him? Doesn't seem like an orc could do it. Seems like it would have had to be a nazgul. Or perhaps there are some orcs that are far more able than I gave them credit for.
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Turin Turambar is a great story and tragic, thought stolen as it resembles elements of the Kalevala. Mine is Lord of the Rings as a whole.
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A ten year old was telling me recently that the geography of the Hobbit was metaphorical for personal growth
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A ten year old was telling me recently that the geography of the Hobbit was metaphorical for personal growth
I've never heard that. From what I know of Tolkien, Middle Earth was to him an "actual" place—fictitious, but absolutely a "real" land in his imagination, not simply a metaphor.
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I wanted to ask you all this question. Gollum shows a willingness and ability to track Frodo across a continent going into extremely dangerous places.......but for whatever reason for 60 years he never attempts to sneak into the Shire to get the ring back when Bilbo has it. Probably the easiest place to go he never goes. Also....I'm a little lost on how and why the enemy got him. How did they know he had the ring? How did they know anyone had the ring? And how did they catch him? Doesn't seem like an orc could do it. Seems like it would have had to be a nazgul. Or perhaps there are some orcs that are far more able than I gave them credit for.
Iirc, wasn't Sauron able to detect the presence of the ring when anyone would wear it, kind of like a homing beacon? Christ those books were beyond atrocious, lol ;D.
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I wanted to ask you all this question. Gollum shows a willingness and ability to track Frodo across a continent going into extremely dangerous places.......but for whatever reason for 60 years he never attempts to sneak into the Shire to get the ring back when Bilbo has it. Probably the easiest place to go he never goes. Also....I'm a little lost on how and why the enemy got him. How did they know he had the ring? How did they know anyone had the ring? And how did they catch him? Doesn't seem like an orc could do it. Seems like it would have had to be a nazgul. Or perhaps there are some orcs that are far more able than I gave them credit for.
Guesses: he didn’t know where the ring was. He searched, but was drawn like a magnet to Mordor, like all evil. He was captured because of Sauron’s eye, and perhaps because of the connection amongst ring bearers.
That doesn’t fill up 60 years, though.
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I wanted to ask you all this question. Gollum shows a willingness and ability to track Frodo across a continent going into extremely dangerous places.......but for whatever reason for 60 years he never attempts to sneak into the Shire to get the ring back when Bilbo has it. Probably the easiest place to go he never goes. Also....I'm a little lost on how and why the enemy got him. How did they know he had the ring? How did they know anyone had the ring? And how did they catch him? Doesn't seem like an orc could do it. Seems like it would have had to be a nazgul. Or perhaps there are some orcs that are far more able than I gave them credit for.
Guesses: he didn’t know where the ring was. He searched, but was drawn like a magnet to Mordor, like all evil. He was captured because of Sauron’s eye, and perhaps because of the connection amongst ring bearers.
That doesn’t fill up 60 years, though.
I just assumed he knew where it was because he told the enemy under torture.
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The Hobbit will always be my favorite, because it was my entry to that world.
I relate to this so much. I genuinely loved Thorin's company and all the dwarf antics. I love the original animated film too.
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Sometimes I think I'm the only one in the world that sorta likes the Hobbit movies more than the LOTR movies
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Sometimes I think I'm the only one in the world that sorta likes the Hobbit movies more than the LOTR movies
You may be, haha. I wanted to like the Hobbit movies, but they didn’t do it for me.
The extended cut LOTR movies are fantastic.
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Sometimes I think I'm the only one in the world that sorta likes the Hobbit movies more than the LOTR movies
You may be, haha. I wanted to like the Hobbit movies, but they didn’t do it for me.
The extended cut LOTR movies are fantastic.
Movies? MOVIES?
*wanders off screaming*
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man the Silmarillion is difficult. It seems like the Maiar are these angel type immortals, yet they can killed, yet they can't.
I have a long ways to go