More! More! More! - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Lalwendë · 08-23-2006, 05:50 AM

Personally I like the way that there a lots of shifting details around the edges of Tolkien's work. For one, it denies any pain in the bum Mr Logic type to come along and lay down the law about everything, as there are just so many points to be argued over! And also because it allows the imagination room to grow and breathe within Middle-earth; possibly one of the reasons why so many readers are taken with the place - it seems all the more 'real' for remaining unexplored by us.

Yes, I'd love to know the final word on exactly what Saruman was up to with his experiments with Light, but I'm also pleased that we don't know, as I'm able to think about it, to consider, and to speculate.

Why did Tolkien not write more than he did? Frankly I'm amazed that he managed to write what we have got! He must have had an incredible mind to keep all that complex, interweaving information in his head (no PCs with databases!), and he was a perfectionist, paying a great deal of attention to detail, rather than giving us silly made-up-names and thinly painted places.

Its also worth remembering that Tolkien was not a full time writer holed up his house, devoting all his time to his novels, he was also an academic, part of a cut-throat world of intellectual one-upmanship and will have had to devote much of his time to maintaining the position he held. Not only that but he had the practicalities of tutoring and raising a family, running a house, meeting friends. During the 60s there was the additional burden of all those letters to read and write. I seem to remember reading something about how he could not ignore a letter or a question and aimed to answer as many as possible. So maybe the fans, in a way, have only themselves to blame if they wanted more!

Raynor · 08-23-2006, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boromir88

He just stops and leaves The Silmarillion to rest.

I wouldn't agree; he wrote about the Elder Days all the way till 1970, as noted in Late Writings, HoME XII, for example.

Quote:

So, are you somebody who likes the 'glimpses' we get in LOTR? Is that what makes the story 'magical.' Or are you driven to wanting 'more, more, more' , because of these 'glimpses?' And after reading the Silmarillion, 'going to the untold places, people...etc' did it destroy that magic (for you) that is established in The Lord of the Rings?

Tolkien stated in the On Fairy-stories essay that magic [_in_ the stories] should not be explained away and I guess it can be inferred that too much explanation would also negatively affect the magic _of_ the stories. That being said, I am not satisfied with glimpses

08-23-2006, 05:50 AM	#1
Lalwendë A Mere Boggart Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: under the bed Posts: 4,737	Personally I like the way that there a lots of shifting details around the edges of Tolkien's work. For one, it denies any pain in the bum Mr Logic type to come along and lay down the law about everything, as there are just so many points to be argued over! And also because it allows the imagination room to grow and breathe within Middle-earth; possibly one of the reasons why so many readers are taken with the place - it seems all the more 'real' for remaining unexplored by us. Yes, I'd love to know the final word on exactly what Saruman was up to with his experiments with Light, but I'm also pleased that we don't know, as I'm able to think about it, to consider, and to speculate. Why did Tolkien not write more than he did? Frankly I'm amazed that he managed to write what we have got! He must have had an incredible mind to keep all that complex, interweaving information in his head (no PCs with databases!), and he was a perfectionist, paying a great deal of attention to detail, rather than giving us silly made-up-names and thinly painted places. Its also worth remembering that Tolkien was not a full time writer holed up his house, devoting all his time to his novels, he was also an academic, part of a cut-throat world of intellectual one-upmanship and will have had to devote much of his time to maintaining the position he held. Not only that but he had the practicalities of tutoring and raising a family, running a house, meeting friends. During the 60s there was the additional burden of all those letters to read and write. I seem to remember reading something about how he could not ignore a letter or a question and aimed to answer as many as possible. So maybe the fans, in a way, have only themselves to blame if they wanted more! __________________ Gordon's alive!