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Mithalwen. New is new. Period. Something which has been around in slightly other form for some time now cannot be described as new. Its like being pregnant or dead. Either you are or you are not. The fact is that the origins of COH mean nothing in this regard. The book was sold by the designated publishers of the Tolkien Estate and marketed as a new book. In fact, if you look at the websites which promoted the book you will see that the word NEW - the first new JRRT book in thirty years - was a major part of the advertising campaign. That is an undeniable fact.
According to your reasoning, if I have not seen a certain TV show that has already been shown many times, it is new to me. In that regard, everything can said to be NEW according to someone who was ignorant or not aware of it. That is stretching the definition of NEW to something even Orwell did not comtemplate.
You do realize that the contract between JRRT (and now his heirs) and his publishers gave him far more monetary payback and artistic control than almost every other author. The idea that the Estate stands there powerless and impotent while the mean old money-grubbing publishers milk the books with movie-tie ins is naive at best, ridiculous at worst.
The fact is a simple one. The publishers sold four to five more times the number of books each year for the four years of the film cycle. The royalty checks to the Estate were higher because of the movie-tie ins. Had there been no movies and no tie-in movie stills as covers, the Estate would never had reaped that extra bonanza. That is a fact if you go back and look at sales for the previous 20 years.
You say Jackson insulted the fan base. How can he willingly go about to do that and expect to have a hit film? The fact is this --- there are a small number of hardcore book purists who hate the films and take that tact as is their right. But hundreds of millions of people bought tickets to the films and obviously were happy with them. Insult indeed!
Regarding charitable donations. Someone was good enough to provide the links to the people who received those monies. Yes, many were deserving and worthwhile. Among others were groups dedicated to Tolkien research and study. So some of the money was kept within the same circles while lableing it as charity. Its there money to do as they want. Fine.
All I want is to stop the double talk. When I bring up the fact that CT does not like the films I am told by others here that that is not true - that CT is silent and without a posive position. Then others want to use the opposition and feelings of CT to show that the films were not very good. You cannot have it both ways folks. Pick a side - any side - just stay on it and stay consistent.
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