What is it about Tolkien?...
 

Considering that all reading this are probably "Tolkien freaks" to some degree or other, I thought I might receive some interesting answers to a question I have lately been pondering myself.

What is it about Tolkien's amazing works that make them what they are? What part of Middle Earth captured you, in particular? Love of his heroic -or otherwise; at least unforgettable- characters? His intricate, flowing languages? The simple elegance of his writing style? The looming war on which mankind's fate hangs in the balance?

Or, simply, hobbits? Elves? The merry songs of Tom Bombadil or the poetic stories, histories, and rhymes of past great deeds? The Ring itself?

Think about it. [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

I welcome any and all opinions; only try to really pinpoint what gave Tolkien and his works that feeds your own awed admiration. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

As for my opinion...

I would have to say the story itself. As an aspiring writer, I have a special appreciation for a story (which includes rich characters, vivid descriptions, and enough reality to keep it believable) that can cause the reader to wish he were there, in Middle Earth, riding with the Fellowship or listening to the silvery sonnets of the Elves...

A story so capturing that at the end of the third volume, you wonder, Is this really the end? Really all there is? Sigh. A feeling which, by the way, it is possible to satisfy if not allay altogether by starting at the beginning and reading through them again... [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

You reach into regions beyond my vision. I love the fact that when I read his books, I slip into a real time reality, where I experience what they experience, and if a day has passed in tale, it feels like a day has passed in reality. It is enjoyable to me in that way.

Iarwain

A number of things come to mind, but one aspect that has kept me into his works for so long is the detail. Everything fits together (well, everything he was finished with). He put so much thought into each part of each story (made apparent by his responses to readers in the collection of letters we have, responses that were undoubtedly brief compared to what he could've wrote on each subject).

Helin, you touch upon my answer in your question. The sheer variety does it for me.

I think the reason I love his books so much is because he put so much backround and detail into his world.
It makes it seem more real to me when I read.

Perhaps if I would have read your posts on this thead I would have had a diffrent relpy: I agree with you legolas

I am drawn to his books mainly because of the detail (the detail he puts into the scenes, stories, etc.), the charaters (some of the best in literature), and just the world he has created. He makes Middle Earth seem almost real, and in parts of the books he acts like it is real (prologue: concerning hobbits). Which I think is an amazing talent that not many writers have out there.

Thanks so much to everyone for the great replies!! I happen to agree with you all. [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] I think this is one of those questions that really has no wrong answer. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

ALL opinions are welcome and very much desired! So keep 'em coming... [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

The background. I adore elaborate history and intricate detail. I love the way he has painted the world in full, and gone much deeper than just the story.
I also love the characters and the lands. His idea of elves was different to traditional fairy-tale elves, and while I prefer the latter, he has created an intriguing race.

*sigh* Oh gosh. I shall be honest, but that must be the hardest question I've yet seen...

I fell in love with the shire, and the Hobbits first. They are so happy, and their way of life has a simplicity that I wish still existed.
Next it was the elves, their beautiful, flowing languages and slight graceful movements, their remarkable dwelling places... And the sorrow that was sort of weaved into their very existence.
I loved all the songs and poems and tales 'of old'. They brought a depth and reality to that world that could not otherwise have existed.
After that it was the race of Men. I truly admire the way Tolkien portrayed them, noble yet fragile, and brave. Aragorn is my favourite, he is so human, -and I suppose that is why I relate to him more than anyone else- but he seems so.. worthy.. worthy of the honoured position that he was destined to fill.

In a sense, (I shall conclude, becuse I could quite genuinely go on forever in my wistful way.) it is Tolkien himself who has become my captor. Middle Earth was his, and he decided to share it. I love his writing style, the depth of his characters, his vivid discriptions, and witty dialague.
But my favourite parts of his writing are the simplest; it is the simple truths that strike me, the lessons, the words of wisdom -it is those that have burned themselves into my memory.
I wish I could meet Professor Tolkien and, if I could speak through my sheer awe, I would thank him...

EDIT: (Sorry this is so long.) But I failed to realise that I am writing as if I were there. [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] On that point I must concur with anyone else who has said so.
This tale becomes, or rather, has become very real, and indeed quite dear to me.

[ August 30, 2003: Message edited by: Arwen Eruantale ]

What is it about Tolkien's works? I believe that it's the story, and the fact that I can slip into the book and shut off from the world that I'm in. The story is so full of twists and rich with detail that it keeps me glued to the book. After I put it down, the book makes me feel like I've not only read a few pages, but that I've learned a lot as well.

How true each of these answers are!! Every different view sheds lights on merely a new aspect of my own 'awed admiration'.

Arwen- thank you for taking the time to outline in detail what I have not, even for myself. The question is indeed a hard one to answer, I am discovering. But every one of your points hit something I have always/will always feel... and when I came to 'Men' and 'Aragorn', I sat for a moment and read it again. 'Twas a sentence where every word was truly "electic and prompt". [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

To all- once again, thank you for your replies!! I look back and consider each one many times, and shall continue as long as there is yet another to read!

Yes! [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] I think this is it. I have thought about this... If Mark Twain or Clancy had tried to write the LotR novels, the results would be either silly or ridiculously clumsy. Yet their works, and many others, are remarkable accomplishments in their own right.

What makes Lord of the Rings what it is, I think, and Tolkien what he is, is that in every syllable of every book, there is something unique that makes what might have been a decided failure in the hands of another, now an enchanting world to millions of people: Tolkien loved what he wrote. It was his; he cared not for the opinions of others; he just loved it, and that came through in every word he penned, to even the smallest detail of Middle Earth and all its beloved inhabitants. And because he loved it, instead of thinking it small or strange, his readers love it, and think the same.

What keeps me returning to the book is Tolkein's writing style and the story. Tolkein is excelent in his descriptions and use of language. Every time I read the book I admire that skill. I wish my writing was as good as his and after reading a piece of my writing it seems clumsy compared to his.
Each time I read the story i know things are going to happen but I still wish that the events change. For example Gandalf falling into the depths of Khazad Dum. This keeps re-reading the book exciting for me.

Plus of course all the history, races and diferent countries.

And last but not least the map. A good fantasy book has to have a map! (otherwise the reader can get lost!)

Exactly. I love the stories, but I am most amazed by the elaborate world which Tolkien created. I feel like I can just get lost in his wonderful world. That's what makes Tolkien's stories different from other stories such as Harry Potter or Star Wars (both of which I love). Those are good stories too, but once you are done reading the HP book or watching the SW movies, that's it. With Tolkien's works, there's always more to be read, learned, analyzed...and so on.

It is truly difficult to tell the essence of Tolkien, the heart of which has captivated me. When I first read "The Hobbit" in 5th Grade, I found it quite...unique, for lack of a better word. The daring escapes, the jokes that brought a smile to my face...that was what I liked about that one. Tolkien admitted it was really the public's demand that made him decide to write "Lord of the Rings". The trilogy was what I hung on to. I learned about the painstaking detail and effort that Tolkien had composed this entirely new world. Middle-Earth had its own cultures, (awesome) languages, stories...everything that makes our world. It was then that I realized I loved those books. A young writer myself; they were more than just a good read, they were the example. The essence of Tolkien, I believe is that the real story behind his stories was that the bottom line was remarkably simple, the morals down-to-earth. They were about the struggle of good against evil, will vs. temptation, nature vs. industrialization, and most of all, that small people can do big things. What awed me was that he could put all these things together as a seemingly complex concept. That he had the rare ability to put his entire soul into his work awed me.

I agree, OddEvenstar. But rather than elaborate here, I will merely suggest you take a look at the thread called "Writers and Tolkien", as well; it addresses, obviously, this exact topic. [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] I had not noticed what a trend there is- aspiring writers are often Tolkien devotees...

However I have another question, to all who by chance might be reading not only this thread, but this post as well. [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img]

Is there any one who admires Tolkien for some reason other than his elaborate detail and elegant writing style? The amount of histories, languages, etc., which gave his world such depth, seems to be the recurring theme thus far. And so I just wondered: has any one found something other than what has become the normal answer, that feeds your love of Middle Earth? There is no right or wrong answer, of course... just curious. [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

I do! I love Tolkien's works not only for all the above mentioned reasons (the elaborate secondary world that has the inner consisteny of reality, his wonderful language etc ), but because they are full of timeless truth and wisdom.
The more I read, the more meaning I find, and the dearer the books become to me. Reading Tolkiens biography and his letters made me appreciate him even more.

But Arwen Eruantale has above written something like that as well!