Quote:
I rarely remember a book about which I have had such violent arguments.
Nobody seems to have a moderate opinion: either, like myself, people find
it a masterpiece of its genre or they cannot abide it, and among the hostile
there are some, I must confess, for whose literary judgement I have great
respect.
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Great quote, Squatter. There are a number of people for whom I have great respect (my brother and father included) who have no time at all for LotR. So, I have no difficulty at all in accepting that LotR is not everyone's cup of tea. And it is perhaps the enthusiasm displayed by those who love the book that provokes the sometimes hostile reaction of those who do not see what all the fuss is about.
But my main problem with the final of the Big Read was the facile, and at times immature, behaviour displayed by many of those who commented adversely upon it, and also Clive Anderson's complete inability to display the impartiality required of his role.
While browsing through the BBC's Big Read forum earlier today, I came across a delightful post pointing out the irony in the fact that some of those supporting
Pride and Prejudice were, in their attempts to disparage LotR, displaying the very qualities that their favourite book pours scorn upon, and from which it takes its title. [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img] [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]