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I am reminded of the move The Prestige, wherein Michael Caine's character explains the second act of every magic trick:
"The magician takes the ordinary something and makes it do something extraordinary. Now you’re looking for the secret. But you won’t find it. Because of course, you’re not really looking. You don’t really want to know. You want to be fooled."
I did feel like that after reading Lord of the Rings. That is, I didn't feel any need to know any more, and I did sense that all the glimpses of the greater story were better left as such and only made the story itself more fascinating. What I did crave, however, was more of JRRT's storytelling. I suppose that is why I was never overly thrilled with the Silm. I do like it, and it is very interesting and informative, but it is all too brief and sketchy for me. I much prefer the fuller, more descriptive texts of UT (overlooking all the academic interruptions). And Eru bless Christopher for finishing and publishing CoH! Yes! A fully rendered tale from the master storyteller himself interrupted only by Alan Lee's amazing artwork. Bliss!
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