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***Gilthalion*** · 06-17-2001, 05:23 AM

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Re: Re:

Regarding "Atlas Shrugged," "The Fountainhead," "Objectivism" --Ayn Rand

Try reading the Ecclesiastes, then tell me what you think! " Vanity! All is vanity!"

Obviously I do not agree with Rands conclusions! It is her perceptions and indictments against "the system" that people find similar to my viewpoint. An awful lot of what passes for virtue and altruism today, is what is known in Christianity as "works of the flesh." Again, read the very short teachings of Solomon, and see if that does not leave Ms. Rand in the dust. I find (what I know of) her diagnosis of the ills of western civilization to be fairly accurate. Her atheist conclusions and resultant philosophy are brilliant, but to my view, flawed. Marx was right about the problems with Capitalism. His solution, Communism, was terrible! I suspect Rand is in the same boat. But I am ignorant.

Desert Island Books
That is probably the most telling criterion! Faced with a shelf of all of the above, a Bible and LOTR would be grabbed without hesitation as my plane fell from the sky!

EGADS!
I see nothing to explode over! We're talking personal opinions about works of literature, after all! While Moorcock and many others do not write in Tolkien's style, they do write in his genre.

Impact
The reason LOTR makes it to the top of the popular lists is that it is popular and has been for nearly half a century! Tolkien's work has staying power. 50 years from now, Brittany Spears will not be nearly as popular as today, unless there are tremendous advances in plastic surgery and geriatrics! Besides, I seriously doubt if even today, at the height of Miss Spears's popularity, there are fewer fans of Tolkien, or that she has as much diversity in her fandom. (P.S. Does she write her own lyrics, design her own costumes, correograph her own dances (which look suspiciously like moves from Michael Jackson to me), play her own instrument, direct her own band, etc.? I daresay Miss Spears is little more than a creature of the industry. A talented young lady who was picked to be injected with silicon and made into what she is today.)

THE CAREER OF BRITTANY SPEARS

"Who is Brittany Spears?"

"Get me Brittany Spears!"

"Get me someone just like Brittany Spears!"

"Who is Brittany Spears?"

Tolkien's Style of Writing
Oddly enough, I find that many of the places where the author deliberately used somewhat archaic prose forms and grand descriptions are among the best examples of his work.

Tolkien wrote with a style that changed according to the situation. When one is writing of the Riders of Rohan, sweeping down to the battle before Minas Tirith, you don't want a flat recitation of events. When one is writing of a towering castle of impregnable might, raised by the arts of a lost civilization, or by the supernatural powers of an ageless evil and overpowering adversary, one does not give the sort of descriptions one might find in an architect's summary.

Sure, lift them out of context and they seem out of place, especially if compared to the freeze dried pablum of most of the authors of this day. But when the effort is taken as a whole, the "purple prose" is not only good, it is necessary!

It is fitting to write of life in the Shire with a light touch, and of the death of valorous warriors with the grandest words of the grandest language ever spoken by mortal men.

I spoke recently at a Vietnam Veteran's Memorial. Assembled were a lot of folk, who if half their size, would have looked very much at home in the Shire. But there were also honor guards of old veterans (one had a heart attack, standing uncomplaining in the hot sun beside his old mates, as they had in the days of their peril, holding his flag until he could stand no longer), flybys of jets and of a Coast Guard helicopter low over the crowd timed with exacting precision, young men and women prepared to walk in the mighty footsteps of the heroes we were there to honor.

Tolkien wrote of home and hearth, of life and death, of grave risk and sacrifice, and of blood-bought freedom and victory over the evil of a day.

"Purple prose" indeed!

<center><font face=verdana size=1> http://www.barrowdowns.comBarrow-Downs</a>~http://www.geocities.com/robertwgardner2000Bare Bones</a>~http://pub41.ezboard.com/btarostineruhirTar Ost-in-Eruhir</a>~http://www.geocities.com/robertwgard...ilthalion.htmlGrand Adventures</a>~http://www.barrowdowns.com/fanfichobbits.aspThe Hobbits</a>~http://www.tolkientrail.comTolkien Trail</a> </center></p>

06-17-2001, 05:23 AM	#37
*Gilthalion* Hobbitus Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: South Farthing Posts: 635	<font face="Verdana"><table><TR><TD><FONT SIZE="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Hobbitus Emeritus Posts: 431</TD><TD><img src=http://home.att.net/~robertwgardner/lotrmap.gif WIDTH=60 HEIGHT=60></TD></TR></TABLE> Re: Re: Regarding "Atlas Shrugged," "The Fountainhead," "Objectivism" --Ayn Rand Try reading the Ecclesiastes, then tell me what you think! " Vanity! All is vanity!" Obviously I do not agree with Rands conclusions! It is her perceptions and indictments against "the system" that people find similar to my viewpoint. An awful lot of what passes for virtue and altruism today, is what is known in Christianity as "works of the flesh." Again, read the very short teachings of Solomon, and see if that does not leave Ms. Rand in the dust. I find (what I know of) her diagnosis of the ills of western civilization to be fairly accurate. Her atheist conclusions and resultant philosophy are brilliant, but to my view, flawed. Marx was right about the problems with Capitalism. His solution, Communism, was terrible! I suspect Rand is in the same boat. But I am ignorant. Desert Island Books That is probably the most telling criterion! Faced with a shelf of all of the above, a Bible and LOTR would be grabbed without hesitation as my plane fell from the sky! EGADS! I see nothing to explode over! We're talking personal opinions about works of literature, after all! While Moorcock and many others do not write in Tolkien's style, they do write in his genre. Impact The reason LOTR makes it to the top of the popular lists is that it is popular and has been for nearly half a century! Tolkien's work has staying power. 50 years from now, Brittany Spears will not be nearly as popular as today, unless there are tremendous advances in plastic surgery and geriatrics! Besides, I seriously doubt if even today, at the height of Miss Spears's popularity, there are fewer fans of Tolkien, or that she has as much diversity in her fandom. (P.S. Does she write her own lyrics, design her own costumes, correograph her own dances (which look suspiciously like moves from Michael Jackson to me), play her own instrument, direct her own band, etc.? I daresay Miss Spears is little more than a creature of the industry. A talented young lady who was picked to be injected with silicon and made into what she is today.) THE CAREER OF BRITTANY SPEARS "Who is Brittany Spears?" "Get me Brittany Spears!" "Get me someone just like Brittany Spears!" "Who is Brittany Spears?" Tolkien's Style of Writing Oddly enough, I find that many of the places where the author deliberately used somewhat archaic prose forms and grand descriptions are among the best examples of his work. Tolkien wrote with a style that changed according to the situation. When one is writing of the Riders of Rohan, sweeping down to the battle before Minas Tirith, you don't want a flat recitation of events. When one is writing of a towering castle of impregnable might, raised by the arts of a lost civilization, or by the supernatural powers of an ageless evil and overpowering adversary, one does not give the sort of descriptions one might find in an architect's summary. Sure, lift them out of context and they seem out of place, especially if compared to the freeze dried pablum of most of the authors of this day. But when the effort is taken as a whole, the "purple prose" is not only good, it is necessary! It is fitting to write of life in the Shire with a light touch, and of the death of valorous warriors with the grandest words of the grandest language ever spoken by mortal men. I spoke recently at a Vietnam Veteran's Memorial. Assembled were a lot of folk, who if half their size, would have looked very much at home in the Shire. But there were also honor guards of old veterans (one had a heart attack, standing uncomplaining in the hot sun beside his old mates, as they had in the days of their peril, holding his flag until he could stand no longer), flybys of jets and of a Coast Guard helicopter low over the crowd timed with exacting precision, young men and women prepared to walk in the mighty footsteps of the heroes we were there to honor. Tolkien wrote of home and hearth, of life and death, of grave risk and sacrifice, and of blood-bought freedom and victory over the evil of a day. "Purple prose" indeed! <center><font face=verdana size=1> http://www.barrowdowns.comBarrow-Downs</a>~http://www.geocities.com/robertwgardner2000Bare Bones</a>~http://pub41.ezboard.com/btarostineruhirTar Ost-in-Eruhir</a>~http://www.geocities.com/robertwgard...ilthalion.htmlGrand Adventures</a>~http://www.barrowdowns.com/fanfichobbits.aspThe Hobbits</a>~http://www.tolkientrail.comTolkien Trail</a> </center></p> __________________ Please read my fan fiction novel THE HOBBITS. Wanna hear me read Tolkien? Gilthalion's Grand Adventures!