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davem · 03-17-2006, 01:58 AM

I suppose that the main difference between LotR & the 'Edwardian adventure story' (as opposed to the Edwardian novel) is that LotR has survived & the EAS in the main has not. We all have an idea of what constitures an EAS, but how many of us have actually read one? Probably not many of us, for the simple reason that not many of them are still around. However, some have survived, but how they have survived is interesting.

I suppose that what is meant by an EAS is a kind of Boy's Own Adventure, where the hero is defending the Empire against its enemies, or winning fame through exploring the unknown & winning fame & treasure in 'Darkest Africa' (King Solomon's Mines, She), India (Kipling's Kim) or in wartime (Biggles). Of course, this kind of story could be found in the post-Edwardian period, but it wasn't limited to novels. Many boy's comics even into the sixties followed the same pattern (The Eagle for example).

So, we could say that the EAS survived way beyond the Edwardian period, but (almost as happened to Fairy stories), it was 'relegated to the nursery'. Both Fairy stories & the EAS came to be seen as fit only for children. Now, Tolkien, almost single-handedly, revived the Fairy story as adult literature, so one can't help wondering whether someone will manage to do the same thing for the EAS. Or maybe they have

This makes me think about Hollywood's output. Perhaps that's what George Lucas has done with Star Wars & the Indiana Jones movies - how much diffference is there between Lucas' stories & the EAS? Probably not much in fact. Have we really moved on from the EAS - did it really die? I can't help but feel it just changed its clothes & its location. That said, I don't think it survived in Tolkien's Legendarium. Tolkien maybe 'tricked' us, though, by presenting us with a story, in LotR, that (at least at the start) makes us think we are about to read an EAS (or a Boy's Own story). By the time we realise that's not at all what we're getting most of us are hooked.

Perhaps this accounts for the critics of LotR, the majority of whom don't get past the first few chapters. They read the EAS part of the story, decide they don't like it (or don't approve of it) & leave it there - hence their dismissal of it.

The interesting question is why so many of us do get drawn in to the EAS of the early chapters of LotR? When we dismiss the EAS as 'primitive' & claim we have gone beyond it in our tastes & desires, are we being entirely honest?

Having said that, I go back to my original point - 99.9% of EAS's have not survived, & most of us would probably now find them unreadable. Yet, as with Fairy Stories, it seems that there was a core of meaning & worth in the genre. Perhaps its the element of stepping out into the 'Unknown' ('Darkest' Africa' was as alien & strange as Faerie to most Edwardians). How much difference is there between Alan Quartermain going to find King Solomon's Mines, Indiana Jones seeking the Lost Ark & King Arthur seeking the Otherworld Cauldron in Preiddeu Annwn?

03-17-2006, 01:58 AM	#32
davem Illustrious Ulair Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: In the home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names,and impossible loyalties Posts: 4,240	I suppose that the main difference between LotR & the 'Edwardian adventure story' (as opposed to the Edwardian novel) is that LotR has survived & the EAS in the main has not. We all have an idea of what constitures an EAS, but how many of us have actually read one? Probably not many of us, for the simple reason that not many of them are still around. However, some have survived, but how they have survived is interesting. I suppose that what is meant by an EAS is a kind of Boy's Own Adventure, where the hero is defending the Empire against its enemies, or winning fame through exploring the unknown & winning fame & treasure in 'Darkest Africa' (King Solomon's Mines, She), India (Kipling's Kim) or in wartime (Biggles). Of course, this kind of story could be found in the post-Edwardian period, but it wasn't limited to novels. Many boy's comics even into the sixties followed the same pattern (The Eagle for example). So, we could say that the EAS survived way beyond the Edwardian period, but (almost as happened to Fairy stories), it was 'relegated to the nursery'. Both Fairy stories & the EAS came to be seen as fit only for children. Now, Tolkien, almost single-handedly, revived the Fairy story as adult literature, so one can't help wondering whether someone will manage to do the same thing for the EAS. Or maybe they have This makes me think about Hollywood's output. Perhaps that's what George Lucas has done with Star Wars & the Indiana Jones movies - how much diffference is there between Lucas' stories & the EAS? Probably not much in fact. Have we really moved on from the EAS - did it really die? I can't help but feel it just changed its clothes & its location. That said, I don't think it survived in Tolkien's Legendarium. Tolkien maybe 'tricked' us, though, by presenting us with a story, in LotR, that (at least at the start) makes us think we are about to read an EAS (or a Boy's Own story). By the time we realise that's not at all what we're getting most of us are hooked. Perhaps this accounts for the critics of LotR, the majority of whom don't get past the first few chapters. They read the EAS part of the story, decide they don't like it (or don't approve of it) & leave it there - hence their dismissal of it. The interesting question is why so many of us do get drawn in to the EAS of the early chapters of LotR? When we dismiss the EAS as 'primitive' & claim we have gone beyond it in our tastes & desires, are we being entirely honest? Having said that, I go back to my original point - 99.9% of EAS's have not survived, & most of us would probably now find them unreadable. Yet, as with Fairy Stories, it seems that there was a core of meaning & worth in the genre. Perhaps its the element of stepping out into the 'Unknown' ('Darkest' Africa' was as alien & strange as Faerie to most Edwardians). How much difference is there between Alan Quartermain going to find King Solomon's Mines, Indiana Jones seeking the Lost Ark & King Arthur seeking the Otherworld Cauldron in Preiddeu Annwn? __________________ “Everything was an object. If you killed a dwarf you could use it as a weapon – it was no different to other large heavy objects."