Will The Hobbit do damage to the books?

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Zigûr

It was Gandalf's quote to Pippin from the films, "The Return of the King" specifically, about death; the one that repurposes Frodo's arrival in Valinor, with "all is turned to silver glass" and so forth, and misleadingly uses it to describe some kind of pleasant "afterlife" (as opposed to quiet contemplation in the halls of Mandos).

Unfortunately, a lack of distinction between books and films was an inevitable consequence of the movies' popularity.

To those who haven't read the books, or are only familiar with them through a single reading, it would seem the films are the definitive version of the story.

To me, that line of Blanchett-Galadriel's along the lines of "even the smallest person can change the world", has stuck in my craw because it wants to put itself forward as the "inner meaning" of LOTR.

[Zigûr]

Originally Posted by Inziladun

Unfortunately, a lack of distinction between books and films was an inevitable consequence of the movies' popularity.

Quite so; it's the official representatives (or at least the publishers) getting in on it that rankles me.

[Nerwen]

Originally Posted by Zigûr

Quite so; it's the official representatives (or at least the publishers) getting in on it that rankles me.

Are you sure it's not just a mistake by a lowly intern? I mean, instead of being a directive from higher up?

However, the fact that there apparently wasn't a crackdown on this kind of thing after the much worse example you gave earlier does suggest the publishers are unconcerned about the issue- at the very least.

[Zigûr]

Originally Posted by Nerwen

Are you sure it's not just a mistake by a lowly intern? I mean, instead of being a directive from higher up?

However, the fact that there apparently wasn't a crackdown on this kind of thing after the much worse example you gave earlier does suggest the publishers are unconcerned about the issue- at the very least.

I daresay it was just someone from their social media team, but yes I still think it's very poor form that something "official" can be involved in perpetuating this kind of misinformation and misrepresentation.

The thing that irks me (that no one in the comments on the page appears to have grasped) is that attributing a line of film dialogue (albeit one derived from the books) to Professor Tolkien himself is simply sloppy and unprofessional. Of course, it appears that anyone taking objection is simply told "well the movies were inspired by the books so it doesn't matter." It doesn't make it any less misleading, however.

EDIT: Actually I notice that the post doesn't specifically say "-J.R.R. Tolkien" underneath, it just says "J.R.R. Tolkien" and his dates, so it's technically not presenting it as a quote, and I'm making more of a deal out of this than I should. I still think it's peculiar to quote the films (and an idea from the films, which implies that mortal death is like going to some kind of paradise, which isn't what Professor Tolkien actually wrote) in relation to an author who had absolutely nothing to do with the films.