Why I Like Tolkien

[Lush]

I realized this tonight: Above all, the reason why I am drawn to Tolkien is because by using simple examples, he was able to name those things that are forever in the back of my mind-matters regarding the future of the world, and what can and cannot be done about it. There is a Russian proverb that says, "No true artist speaks in vain." My instincts tell me that the writing of Tolkien has more worldy truth in it that meets the eye, even a trained eye.

[Aragorn2002]

The reason I'm drawn to him is because the his bboks teah the lesson of hope is the LotR series.
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[Lush]

Oh no, I knew I should have deleted this thread!!! Lol, this is a major flashback to that time right after I got into college, when I ditched homework in favor of over-dramatic music after too many bottles of beer.

Actually there is a great thread by Estelyn Telcontar on the importance of the word "hope" throughout the LOTR.

Here it is. (http://forum.barrowdowns.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=002408)

[Helkahothion]

Dear Lush,

I am drawn to Tolkien because of the battle (well at firsth) I that kind of battle. At least that was fair. Now a days it's just BANG and your dead.

I staid because of the elves. I love elves. I can't stop reading about elves. I like all the races anyway. I guess it's the entire world that draws me to this place.

I hope you keep it up lush cause this could get very interesting.

Greetings,

Anuion
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[Carrûn]

I would say I'm attracted to the world of Tolkien most because of how it's incredible depth allows me to completely immerse myself in another world.

As far as the battles being fair I would much rather get shot once in the head and get it over with that get cut up. Broadswords seldom actually take off a head with one stroke. Battle might have been more honorable (but all war is hell anyway) but death was slower.

[ January 14, 2003: Message edited by: Carrûn ]

[Aratlithiel]

Hmmm...why Tolkien? For me it's always been the writing and character development. I must be able to get to know the characters in any work in order for me to have any feeling for them and to care about what happens to them. Just as Tolkien was able to create a world and a history to go along with it, so too was he able to create living beings to populate it. And I say living beings in all sincerity - these characters live for me each time I pick up the books. Tolkien has such a way with a turn-of-phrase that he manages to almost literally reach out and suck me into Middle-earth and keep me there until he's good and done.

And believe it or not, although I've heard many complain that the trilogy is too long, I actually think it's too short. I remember the first time I read it - I had no idea that there were Appendices at the end of the book and I reached the end of The Scouring of the Shire thinking I still had hundreds of pages yet to read. I almost cried when I realized I was done before I was ready. To this day I still preserve hope that somewhere among Tolkien's lost works there are more Frodo stories and that I'll get to see them before I die.

I've read this trilogy (along with several other Tolkien works) dozens of times and never tire of them. In fact, even after I've re-read yet again, I find it difficult to put it back on the shelf until I've flipped through for a couple of days to go over some of my favorite passages. Maybe if I'm good and go to heaven, there will be a never-ending tale of Middle-earth waiting there for me.

[lanrete]

I've read only LOTR and am in the middle of The Hobbit. I can't say that I love Tolkien, but I do love Middle-earth and the friendship theme in LOTR.

[Helkahothion]

Dear lanrete,

. I can't say that I love Tolkien, but I do love Middle-earth and the friendship theme in LOTR.

Well that stuff IS Tolkien so indirectly you love the guy. smilies/wink.gif

Greetings,

Anuoin
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[Atariel]

Tolkien the man was a great guy; he had a HUGE imagination, and knew exactly what to do with his time. And the worlds. Well...

Elves! I can't get enough of Elves! And hobbits! They are total country bumpkins without the whole fox-hunting thing. And the men of Rohan! reflecting upon my Swedish roots (1/4 of my total blood count), the Nordic thingy just makes me feel so, well, happy! And Minas Tirith! Doesn't Minas Tirith sound so lovely, in a stone sort of way? And Valinor! Oooh, i simply ADORE Valinor, with all its pretty buildings, and golden bells. and Rivendell! Oooh, i love Rivendell even more than i love Valinor. And Aragorn! Ooooh, he's so INTELLIGENT!!!! i could go on, but i won't encumber you with anything like that.

Ho hum. Anyway, Tolkien. Yes. Brilliant. Total genius. CS Lewis was a fool to make him angry. Thankyou very much for writing it, man, cos you've certainly made my day!

[Balin999]

With your leave, I will try to give a definition why I like/love/admire Tolkien.

First of all, Tolkien's style of writing is just uncomparable.
He can describe things in such a way that you can actually see them in your mind.
For example: Rohan, you can actually smell the gras by reading the description!
Or Fangorn, the old forest, or Gimlis explanation of the caves of Helm's Deep! I think I read it 5 times before I could go on (but then, I really like everything that has to do with caves).

Second, the LotR is a story that is uncomparable, too. (IMO) There are so many themes in it, of love, of friendship, war, death, tragedy, joy, treason, ....
and the whole story just grips you page by page, you can't let go of it. You always want to read on, you live and die with your favourite characters, some of them almost becoming your friends as you travel with them down south to find their destiny. You can actually lose yourself in the story, for example on a day where you have nothing else to do but reading the books.

Third, you can read it 300 times, and it won't get boring. You discover something new everytime you re-read it. Some parts you can't remember, some parts you can never forget.
And I think that there is a lot of wisdom in the story, such kind of wisdom your grandfather tells you while you're still a small kid, Gandalf talking to Frodo in "the shadow of the past", for example. And his famous "do not deal out death in judgement" sentence, one of the wisest things I ever heard in my life.
And Tolkien tells us that nothing is that bad, when you got a good friend at your side. (frodo and Sam, the Fellowship).
Well that's all for now, I'm sure I will find more later on.
Yours, Balin.

[Gorwingel]

The world is amazing, so detailed, this guy was amazing. The charaters you learn to love so much, and yes the books are not too long! They are way too short! At the end of LOTR I was sad that I had to say goodbye to the adventures of all these wonderful charaters that I love so much. I wanted to hear more, exactly what happened to them.

[Balin999]

I just found this thread, and I think it would be interesting to revive it since I would like to read more opinions here.
Well, let's give it a try.

[Hilde Bracegirdle]

I love Tolkien because besides producing work that is intensely interesting, his stories though they are fiction, have a deeply honest and real feeling about them. At times I feel they more believable than real life, with motives and characters so well drawn!

[Inziladun]

I don't like to break it down too much, but......
I suppose the vivid language in LOTR (and even more so in the Silm) is one of the attractions for me. The English language seems so degraded in the everyday use of today that the elegance and clarity of the writing shines that much more. The same basic story would not have been as good written by a less accomplished linguist.

[Balin999]

The same basic story would not have been as good written by a less accomplished linguist.

I agree. The book is much better to read if you're reading it in English (than for example in German). I've read it a few times in English, and when I startet to read it in German again, it was like a children's story.

[yavanna II]

wHY Tolkien?

He had the talent, er, skill, that he gave his elf minstrels--I close my eyes and see Beren watching Luthien dance, I almost see the Silmarilli and the Star of Earendil.... he could make his readers feel like they were there in the very spot where his characters are.

And in the LotR, I'd almost never get depressed, because even while Gandalf is angry, or the Doors of MOria won't open, Merry and Pippin or some other hobbit would cheer themselves up.

And I see Galadriel as the gorgeous elf, blonde, tall, and queenly, and almost feel her lament in the chapter "Farewell to Lorien". I felt her sadness, and her fear that she was sundered from her home... though I felt this after I read the UT and the Sil and then reread LotR....

Tolkien made use of his words magically, and the Old English stuff... BLAH. Totally magnificent.

I suppose the vivid language in LOTR (and even more so in the Silm) is one of the attractions for me. The English language seems so degraded in the everyday use of today that the elegance and clarity of the writing shines that much more. The same basic story would not have been as good written by a less accomplished linguist.

[Lush]

Oh my. This thread lives. Thank you for your contributions. I felt so silly and emotional when I opened it, and I feel silly emotional now. It's always wonderful to share these thoughts with others.