When You Are Oppressed, Or Ten Weighty Reasons for Teenagers and Their Parents - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

tar-ancalime · 09-09-2004, 12:12 PM

Quote:

As for length, well I had to read Great Expectations for O-level, although I read the abridged version having left it to the final few days of the holiday.

Yeah, I was supposed to read that too, in the ninth grade. As I recall, I "abridged" it for myself: I read the first 50 pages and the last 50 pages.

Which brings me back to the thread topic: if it's so easy to avoid reading for school (and yes, still make good grades), isn't it encouraging for parents to know that their teenagers are reading and discussing literature in their free time?

Feanor of the Peredhil · 09-09-2004, 01:26 PM

Oooh... Poor Mith! You win! Where in the world could you possibly be teaching where it could be that horrible? It sounds to me like (apart from a lot of other things) they need a bit of Tolkien in their lives!

Fea

Encaitare · 09-09-2004, 09:01 PM

Wow, Mith, that's terrible. My sincerest sympathies! Were you working at a "regular" school or one for "troubled" individuals?

Hookbill the Goomba · 09-10-2004, 01:34 AM

Well then, Mith, I think you have yourself a dire problem there!
It is events of that sort that lead me to make a T-Shirt that said "Death to the none discriminated against", Being one of the few Tolkien fans in my school, I am discriminated against, so I like to make them think about how they would feel about it... However, mostly it results in my loss of limbs.

***The Barrow-Wight*** · 09-10-2004, 02:12 PM

I belive we've gotten completely off-track. Let's get it 100% back onto the topic or I'll need to close this thread.

Mithalwen · 09-12-2004, 12:58 PM

Encaitare: In the light of the above warning I deleted my answer - if you didn't read it and are interested PM me.

One "problem" with Tolkien, which might concern parents who don't generally disapprove, and actually concerns me about my own reading / online habits is just how absorbing it is.

I have a stack of books that interested me enough to buy them, lurking unread and I do have other interests but Tolkien seems to absorb the vast majority of my reading and my online time. I remember that after I first finished LOTR and the Sil, I found "single" volume novels unsatisfying. The only thing I really remember giving me anything like as much pleasure was "the Forsyte Chronicles" All nine novels and a collection of short stories. I don't think it waas merely an escapist response to adolescence since I had read and reread the Narnia books at primary school (though the affection for them hasn't lingered to anything like the same extent.

I can imagine that while parents want their children to read - reading nothing but one series of books could be a worrry. But there are far worse things (I tell myself firmly as I put down that Booker listed tome infavour of UT ...)

Encaitare · 09-12-2004, 08:25 PM

Mith-- I did read it, but didn't respond because of the warning. I'm sorry you had to go through all that.

But back on topic! I too have found myself being much more choosy in what I read, looking for books with more depth than the standard novel has. I'm currently reading "Dune" and that's living up to my expectations pretty well. It's especially affected my writing, since I would love to write fantasy but fear that I can't live up to my own high expectations.

LotR is absorbing, to say the very least. It's a huge part of my life, and my parents do get somewhat irritated at me for making constant references to it. (My dad thinks the name "Frodo" is the funniest thing ever, which I don't get, but to each his own.) But while complete obsession could be worrying, I would think that parents would consider their child's desire to delve deeper into a work to be a good thing. (Just my view. Since I'm not a parent, I could be completely wrong.) It shows a great interest in literature, and if the child makes it into HoME or similar books, an interest in the writing process. This would also depend on the parents' desires for their child: some parents don't want their children to go into the arts because it often doesn't make much money. Therefore the deep interest in fantasy literature could be seen as a waste of time.

I suppose it depends on the parent, though.

09-09-2004, 01:26 PM	#2
Feanor of the Peredhil La Belle Dame sans Merci Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: perpetual uncertainty Posts: 5,517	Oooh... Poor Mith! You win! Where in the world could you possibly be teaching where it could be that horrible? It sounds to me like (apart from a lot of other things) they need a bit of Tolkien in their lives! Fea __________________ peace

09-10-2004, 01:34 AM	#4
Hookbill the Goomba Alive without breath Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: On A Cold Wind To Valhalla Posts: 5,912	Well then, Mith, I think you have yourself a dire problem there! It is events of that sort that lead me to make a T-Shirt that said "Death to the none discriminated against", Being one of the few Tolkien fans in my school, I am discriminated against, so I like to make them think about how they would feel about it... However, mostly it results in my loss of limbs. __________________ I think that if you want facts, then The Downer Newspaper is probably the place to go. I know! I read it once. THE PHANTOM AND ALIEN: The Legend of the Golden Bus Ticket...

09-10-2004, 02:12 PM	#5
*The Barrow-Wight* Night In Wight Satin Join Date: May 2000 Posts: 4,043	Get back on topic! I belive we've gotten completely off-track. Let's get it 100% back onto the topic or I'll need to close this thread. __________________ The Barrow-Wight

09-12-2004, 12:58 PM	#6
Mithalwen Pilgrim Soul Join Date: May 2004 Location: watching the wonga-wonga birds circle... Posts: 9,461	Encaitare: In the light of the above warning I deleted my answer - if you didn't read it and are interested PM me. One "problem" with Tolkien, which might concern parents who don't generally disapprove, and actually concerns me about my own reading / online habits is just how absorbing it is. I have a stack of books that interested me enough to buy them, lurking unread and I do have other interests but Tolkien seems to absorb the vast majority of my reading and my online time. I remember that after I first finished LOTR and the Sil, I found "single" volume novels unsatisfying. The only thing I really remember giving me anything like as much pleasure was "the Forsyte Chronicles" All nine novels and a collection of short stories. I don't think it waas merely an escapist response to adolescence since I had read and reread the Narnia books at primary school (though the affection for them hasn't lingered to anything like the same extent. I can imagine that while parents want their children to read - reading nothing but one series of books could be a worrry. But there are far worse things (I tell myself firmly as I put down that Booker listed tome infavour of UT ...) __________________ “But Finrod walks with Finarfin his father beneath the trees in Eldamar.” Christopher Tolkien, Requiescat in pace

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09-09-2004, 09:01 PM	#3
Encaitare Bittersweet Symphony Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: On the jolly starship Enterprise Posts: 1,814	Wow, Mith, that's terrible. My sincerest sympathies! Were you working at a "regular" school or one for "troubled" individuals?

09-12-2004, 08:25 PM	#7
Encaitare Bittersweet Symphony Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: On the jolly starship Enterprise Posts: 1,814	Mith-- I did read it, but didn't respond because of the warning. I'm sorry you had to go through all that. But back on topic! I too have found myself being much more choosy in what I read, looking for books with more depth than the standard novel has. I'm currently reading "Dune" and that's living up to my expectations pretty well. It's especially affected my writing, since I would love to write fantasy but fear that I can't live up to my own high expectations. LotR is absorbing, to say the very least. It's a huge part of my life, and my parents do get somewhat irritated at me for making constant references to it. (My dad thinks the name "Frodo" is the funniest thing ever, which I don't get, but to each his own.) But while complete obsession could be worrying, I would think that parents would consider their child's desire to delve deeper into a work to be a good thing. (Just my view. Since I'm not a parent, I could be completely wrong.) It shows a great interest in literature, and if the child makes it into HoME or similar books, an interest in the writing process. This would also depend on the parents' desires for their child: some parents don't want their children to go into the arts because it often doesn't make much money. Therefore the deep interest in fantasy literature could be seen as a waste of time. I suppose it depends on the parent, though.