Does LotR have cross-cultural appeal? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Bêthberry · 08-08-2005, 10:27 AM

I have certainly noticed this in the chat room, Sauce. There are a good many Dutch Downers and Scandinavians along with those from English-speaking countries. I cannot recall any French chatterers, although Tolkien's dislike of the French and his attitude towards Celtic--he preferred Welsh and to my mind rejected Celtic mythology in favour of Anglo-Saxon lore--could have some influence there. Also, given that English is the required language--and real English, not chat-speak--it is not surprising there are so few other linguistic heritages represented in chat.

One point to be considered about the books is the quality of the translation into other languages. We have Tolkien's thoughts on various translations, but if the books aren't 'page turners' in a person's native language, they won't attract many readers. And if the books don't have 'cultural correlates' in other languages, they will be difficult to translate effectively. I wonder if book sales info is available for various countries, both for English and translated forms.

I'll let others weigh in before I add any more thoughts.

08-08-2005, 10:27 AM	#2
Bêthberry Cryptic Aura Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 6,003	I have certainly noticed this in the chat room, Sauce. There are a good many Dutch Downers and Scandinavians along with those from English-speaking countries. I cannot recall any French chatterers, although Tolkien's dislike of the French and his attitude towards Celtic--he preferred Welsh and to my mind rejected Celtic mythology in favour of Anglo-Saxon lore--could have some influence there. Also, given that English is the required language--and real English, not chat-speak--it is not surprising there are so few other linguistic heritages represented in chat. One point to be considered about the books is the quality of the translation into other languages. We have Tolkien's thoughts on various translations, but if the books aren't 'page turners' in a person's native language, they won't attract many readers. And if the books don't have 'cultural correlates' in other languages, they will be difficult to translate effectively. I wonder if book sales info is available for various countries, both for English and translated forms. I'll let others weigh in before I add any more thoughts. __________________ I’ll sing his roots off. I’ll sing a wind up and blow leaf and branch away.