Christopher Tolkien to finish lost Middle Earth novel - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Lalwendë · 04-15-2007, 05:16 AM

Maybe it displays a certain level of contempt on behalf of the Sunday Times as this guy is not even one of the 'literati', he's a schoolteacher (in music, not even English!) who works as an 'adviser' for an LEA and writes in the reactionary journal also known as the Times Educational Supplement (that teachers only buy to read the job ads...). They could have at least deigned to give it to someone with some knowledge to review...

Typical Sunday paper fodder for the ever-smug Tarquins and Jocastas of Islington who will enjoy scoffing at this while filling their faces with focaccia and organic whatnot this morning...

narfforc · 04-15-2007, 05:31 AM

Hey Lal do you think it would have got into the Sunday Sport for Mikey and Britney the Manchester Chavs to understand or care about it, whilst eating left over pizza and kebab from last night, and opening the first beer of the day (well it wern't in my copy that I nicked ). Joking aside, wasn't this to be expected, isn't it always the same, some nobody trying to sound clever and arty by way of making it in to the 'literati' and acception into the 'Dead from the neck up Club'

Lalwendë · 04-15-2007, 05:39 AM

I'd laugh my head off if it was in the Sunday Sport! Mind, it would only get in there if it had nudey ladies in it or maybe some new evidence that Elvis had been found alive and well on the Moon.

I just exercised my usual Sunday morning grumps and wrote some sarcasm to send in. If they print it:

Quote:

Ooh, those awful critics.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So nice to see a 'critique' drawn yet again from the somewhat overused text "Being Smugly Sarcastic About Tolkien For Dummies", written by Edmund Wilson one dreary morning when he had a bit of a headche.

All the features you expect are here. A little snipe at the poetry, an underhand linking of Tolkien fans with spotty ne'r-do-wells, use of the word "Wagner", etc. etc. etc. I suspect I might have been able to read this review with my eyes shut.

Really, if it was necessary to produce the usual negative review which must accompany anything with the dreaded name of "Tolkien" attached it (be careful to be seen scoffing lest you lose your literati points, fair readers!), then it might be nice for once to read an original critique rather than a Review By Numbers.

davem · 04-15-2007, 06:51 AM

From the Independent:

http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/b...cle2450332.ece

Elmo · 04-15-2007, 07:43 AM

Quote:

Originally post by Davem
Here we go - Sunday Times 'review'. http://entertainment.timesonline.co...icle1639071.ece

Thing I hate about the Sunday Times reviews is that the previous week in the Culture they did all the promo saying how brilliant it would be and then the next week they slated it. Its the same with films and tv when the two idiots, Cosmo Landesman and AA Gill respectively, destroy something that the same paper had claimed was the Second Coming the previous week.

Lalaith · 04-15-2007, 09:46 AM

Who is this Murrough O'Brien?
I feel a crush coming on.

Seriously though, some really good insights. I like this, for example:

Quote:

Even the apparent irony that Turin effectively forgets his mother in the wanderings which began as a quest to find her is not a reproach to Tolkien's art but to the delusion that such quests can be carried by the power of passion alone.

davem · 04-15-2007, 11:26 AM

Wall St Journal:

http://online.wsj.com/article_email/...jQxMTI4Wj.html

04-15-2007, 05:16 AM	#1
Lalwendë A Mere Boggart Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: under the bed Posts: 4,737	Maybe it displays a certain level of contempt on behalf of the Sunday Times as this guy is not even one of the 'literati', he's a schoolteacher (in music, not even English!) who works as an 'adviser' for an LEA and writes in the reactionary journal also known as the Times Educational Supplement (that teachers only buy to read the job ads...). They could have at least deigned to give it to someone with some knowledge to review... Typical Sunday paper fodder for the ever-smug Tarquins and Jocastas of Islington who will enjoy scoffing at this while filling their faces with focaccia and organic whatnot this morning... __________________ Gordon's alive!

04-15-2007, 05:31 AM	#2
narfforc Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Muddy-earth Posts: 1,297	Hey Lal do you think it would have got into the Sunday Sport for Mikey and Britney the Manchester Chavs to understand or care about it, whilst eating left over pizza and kebab from last night, and opening the first beer of the day (well it wern't in my copy that I nicked ). Joking aside, wasn't this to be expected, isn't it always the same, some nobody trying to sound clever and arty by way of making it in to the 'literati' and acception into the 'Dead from the neck up Club' __________________ [B]THE LORD OF THE GRINS:THE ONE PARODY....A PARODY BETTER THAN THE RINGS OF POWER.

04-15-2007, 06:51 AM	#4
davem Illustrious Ulair Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: In the home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names,and impossible loyalties Posts: 4,240	Much, much better From the Independent: http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/b...cle2450332.ece __________________ “Everything was an object. If you killed a dwarf you could use it as a weapon – it was no different to other large heavy objects."

04-15-2007, 11:26 AM	#7
davem Illustrious Ulair Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: In the home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names,and impossible loyalties Posts: 4,240	Wall St Journal: http://online.wsj.com/article_email/...jQxMTI4Wj.html __________________ “Everything was an object. If you killed a dwarf you could use it as a weapon – it was no different to other large heavy objects."