LOTR vs. Other Fantasy

[alatar]

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

(I know that in the downs there are lots of WoT fans so I didn't mean to insult anybody or anybody's favourite book; this is just my opinion...)

I won't insult WoT readers, as I am/was one of them too; however Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series is garbage. The five thousand books in the series (or was that the number of characters and storylines? ) started with some promise, then went over to the dark side of money grabbing.

However, like most accidents, I continued to read them even after they went into the tank as I was hoping, just hoping that the series would turn around. It's like watching a B-movie at 4 AM in the morning; you continue to watch as "it just can't be this bad throughout the whole movie," yet, like every other time, it is.

And that's not the worst of it. Jordan and his fans can love the WoT; whatever suits you. Just please, please do NOT rate it equal to LOTR! Or if you must, first make sure that I have been securely restrained and adequately sedated. You also might want to keep on hand a wooden stake and some silver bullets.

Pepper spray is good to have too.

But hey, who am I and what have I gotten published?

[Cailín]

Originally Posted by alatar

And that's not the worst of it. Jordan and his fans can love the WoT; whatever suits you. Just please, please do NOT rate it equal to LOTR! Or if you must, first make sure that I have been securely restrained and adequately sedated. You also might want to keep on hand a wooden stake and some silver bullets.

I never got the WoT-shipping people. I must admit I just don't like Robert Jordan all that much. He's so full of himself and yet he cannot even seem to finish a story. How can you write a good book if you always postphone writing the final sentence?

(Yup, this is personal.)

[Boromir88]

Mith...

It is derivative of Tolkien but Tolkien used myth as inspiration. He did not invent the idea of the Elves going into /coming from the West. Tuartha de Danaan anyone?

Which I clearly explain in my post before...

Also, it happens all the time. Everything that can be written has been written, nothings completely original, you can always take a part of a book (or movie for that matter) and draw it back to a previous work.

And also, why I hold no resentment to the young, promising author...

For me, it's not that big of a deal. I saw an interview Paolini did on the Today Show and he mentions Tolkien as being his biggest influence when writing the books.

So, Paolini comes out and acknowledges Tolkien as his influence, his inspiration. Which should be touching to Tolkien fans like ourselves.

[AragornII]

It,s funny, one thing I noticed about elves is that many people see them as tiny, short little magic workers, associated with Santa and the like. Once you get to Tolkien, he changes them into an actual race that is, in some ways, superior to men. They fight, make art, are sometimes bigger than men, totally the opposite from the "stereotype" elf.

[Mithalwen]

Originally Posted by Boromir88

Mith...

Which I clearly explain in my post before...

I wasn't disagreeing with you - SInce I have read the book, I thought I would comment - and I was pointing out to Alcarillo that Tolkien did not invent the specific idea of Elves being linked to the west.