Re-reading Lord Of the Ring.

[Jacob]

The first movie of the Lord Of the Ring trillogy is comming closer (as is Christmas - YAY) and the hype as gotten to me so I got the LoTR books out from my shelf and I'm just about to start on the third book. Anyone else reading this in the process of re-reading LotR? Or have recently read LoTR? I find myself wanting to dicuss it the experience, which is in some ways rather different from when I last read the series in "Pre-WOT" days.

[Elin]

Well, LotR must be the books I have reread the most... I first read them when I was in second or third grade, and I must've reread them 5 - 10 times (I haven't kept count). Must've been a couple of years since I did it last, though...

Are you reading in English or Swedish? I got used to doing it in Swedish, though I've heard the Swedish translation is bad compared to the original.

[Jacob]

Yea, I'm reading the books in Swedish. It's the same copies that my father used when he read to me in front of the fireplace when I was 7 or such. I brought them with me when I moved away from home. My father said something about that when he saw them in my bookshelves, but I consider those books to be a part of my childhood and rightfully mine :-)

Between then and now, I've re-read the LoTR once (although other Tolkien books twice or so). The first re-read was when I was in my late teens. My view of the books have changed abit over these re-reads, of course. When I was little, it was Gandalf that was THE character. All magic, power, mystery. Galadriel was high on the list too. And Glorifindel. The second time I read the books (when I read them myself for the first time), it was alot about reminicing about my childhood in a way. The magic was still there and all, although not at all in the same way. Different characters came into view as more important to me. The "high, mighty and mysterious" were still up there though. Sam was abit of a bore I though. If was after this re-read that my thirst for more fantasy came too. Uponto this point, the only fantasy I'd been in contact with was Tolkien, C.S. Lewis (my sister read Narnia to me when I grew up) and Astrid Lindgren. Though Astrid Lindgren has never been someone that I've catigorized as a fantasy author in my mind (then or now), some of her books really are fantasy.

Anyway, I'm now on my second re-read of LoTR and I find that my perspective has changed very much indeed. Gandalf for one, no longer carry's the magic that he once did. A very very arrogant character with little or no depth whatsoever really. Sam on the other hand, I find to be a very interesting character. The magic is still there, but it's colours have changed drastically.

And yea, I read in Swedish, but plan to get English copies. I don't think that the Swedish translations are bad though. I think that they are much better translations by far than most any other translated fantasy. I think that with Tolkien, when his books were translated, the publisher treated the books with respect and got a quality translater that also treated the works with respect. With most publishers and modern fantasy writers, there isn't that much respect at all. Every publisher wants to get the Swedish licence for publishing fantasy writers, but it's all because of the money from sales (Fantasy sells) and has nothing to do with respecting the books or the genre as a whole.

[Gina]

I just re-read Tolkien because of the movie too. It looks like it's going to be a great movie but nothing is better than your own imagination (that's just my opinion).

So not to lose my image of things I definetly had to re-read the books.

:D

[Jacob]

Oh, I'm far from sure that my experience in seeing the movie will be better for re-reading the books. Sure, I've got my own images, but if these aren't the same as the ones in the movie, won't that rather serve to spoil the movie abit? I'm sure that you, like I, have sat through many many movies based on books and felt that they weren't at all that good because the characters looked all wrong (compared to what you'd imagined yourself) or because of deviations in the script compared to the book etc.

On the other hand, I think that I've already incorperated Ian MacKellan (sp?) into being Gandalf. An all around good choice, I think. He's a very good actor and his accent is marvelous! Mind, I could probably have accepted Ian M in the role of Saruman or someone like Denethor too.
I can't remember the other actors names (Elijah Woods as Frodo), but I do think that most will be good. I'll probably have the hardest time with the Elves. I have a really hard time believing that they can find someone to fill my image or Galadriel e.g. Or Elrond...or Glorifindel. But maybe it's all about the lighting:)

[Gina]

I'm not sure what her name is, the girl that is playing Galadriel but that is not the way I pictured her and there's something to say for the hobbits looking like little kids, at least to me anyway...

I kind of pictured them manly looking and a bit more stubby. Of course no offense to the movie since not everyone is supposed to have the same vision, hence the "Wonderful world of Reading".

Somehow I don't think making movies out of books like Tolkien is giving any credit to the mastery of the writer. The directors do their own interpretations of the book.

Imagine a movie of WOT, that would be absolutely spectacular but, do you think will ever capture the essence of WOT in a 2 hour movie? :rolleyes:

Overall, I personally rather not see to many books on film, with the exception of course of STAR WARS :D "All Time Favorite Movie Series" :D

[Jacob]

Oh, I'd have a much much harder time with WOT the movie. Partly this depends on the fact that in WOT, the "magic" is very real and actually happening which would recuire absolutely spectecular FX to say the least. In LoTR, when you really think about it, there isn't THAT much magic actually taking place for us to see. We are told about how immensly powerfull people are and that you can feel their power etc. but when you get down to it, what do these people actually do? And I do think of the hobbits as being abit like young men/boys. They are depicted as such too. Remember, Frodo is the ring bearer which has slown down his ageing alot. Merry and Pippin ARE young, not yet come of age as Hobbits count it. (they age and mature slower than humans).
And I also picture the hobbits as being mostly rather "innocent" in their view of the world. Boyingshly innocent, perhaps:)

[Jacob]

I do agree that making movies out of books often isn't such a great idea. But...we all have a choice, none of us actually HAS to see these movies and if you've not actually read the book in question and have no intention of ever reading it, I guess these movies may be quite good no matter how well they follow the authors intent or not Some people (unfortunately) just don't like to read.

[Elin]

Gaah... Sorry, Jacob, I meant to reply to that long post of yours but I've just been too busy. (Or maybe I'm just trying to beat your record in procrastination...:)). I have an assignment in multilinear algebra that's due soon, plus I foolishly agreed to talk to 130 high school students tomorrow about what it's like to study math... I have to prepare that now.

[Mike]

procrastination...
Ehh??? Did you just swear?!

[Elin]

Ehh??? Did you just swear?!

Who, me? :)

Main Entry: pro·cras·ti·nate
Pronunciation: pr&-'kras-t&-"nAt, prO-
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): -nat·ed; -nat·ing
Etymology: Latin procrastinatus, past
participle of procrastinare, from pro-
forward + crastinus of tomorrow, from cras
tomorrow
Date: 1588
transitive senses : to put off intentionally
and habitually
intransitive senses : to put off intentionally
the doing of something that should be done
synonym see DELAY
- pro·cras·ti·na·tion
/-"kras-t&-'nA-sh&n/ noun
- pro·cras·ti·na·tor /-'kras-t&-"nA-t&r/
noun

[QuirkyTemplate]

Man the movie is going to friggin ROCK!!

I can't wait!

... I think I soiled myslef.

[balefire]

Originally posted by QuirkyTemplate
... I think I soiled myslef.

Why, what were you doing at your computer instead of the washroom? ;)

[GWINNA]

I actualy have to get around to reading The Lord of the Rings! Never had the pleasure, probably should get around to it.

[Jacob]

You've not read The Lord of the Rings??? Some people are just weird :rolleyes:

It IS a very good book (It's not really a trilogy, you know, just one book divided into several covers). Quite hard core in a way (if I understand the meaning of that word) though and I think that alot of mainstream fantasy readers may find it abit hard going. To put it this way: If you find Eddings simple writings to be the hight of fantasy fiction, you might find LoTR abit hard going. None the less, it's worth going through it all. There is alot of depth in J.R.R.'s writings that I think someone like you can apreciate. Alot of the youngest readers may never notice this depth, I think. I know I didn't see the depth the first time I read Tolkien.

[balefire]

Originally posted by Jacob
You've not read The Lord of the Rings??? Some people are just weird :rolleyes:

It IS a very good book (It's not really a trilogy, you know, just one book divided into several covers). Quite hard core in a way (if I understand the meaning of that word) though and I think that alot of mainstream fantasy readers may find it abit hard going. To put it this way: If you find Eddings simple writings to be the hight of fantasy fiction, you might find LoTR abit hard going. None the less, it's worth going through it all. There is alot of depth in J.R.R.'s writings that I think someone like you can apreciate. Alot of the youngest readers may never notice this depth, I think. I know I didn't see the depth the first time I read Tolkien.

I haven't read The Lord of the Rings either. Just put it down to my usual procrastination (by the Light, I really need to do something about that character defect. Ah well, I'll worry about that another time....)

Eddings is pretty light, WOT much heavier. Judging from the thickness of LoTR, I assume it would be the same.

[Elin]

Anyone else been in line for LoTR tickets? :)

I got up at 4 am and went down with a couple of friends to sit in line around the building (they started selling tickets at 8 am). Lots of people were in sleeping bags and had spent the night... I'm not quite that much of a fanatic, though. Anyway, it was nice - sitting in a cozy down jacket and drinking hot chocolate... And we got tickets for the 00.01 show on the 19th. :)

[LaughingTurtle]

I don't know, those first few days in which the movie comes out, the theatures will be PACKED! Even though i really like movies, i enjoy them more in a less crowed situation, esp. without (noisy kids, talking people, cell phones, etc.). I'll probably wait a week or two after it comes out to go see it.


Good for you Elin. :D

[Jacob]

Originally posted by Elin
Anyone else been in line for LoTR tickets? :)

I got up at 4 am and went down with a couple of friends to sit in line around the building (they started selling tickets at 8 am). Lots of people were in sleeping bags and had spent the night... I'm not quite that much of a fanatic, though. Anyway, it was nice - sitting in a cozy down jacket and drinking hot chocolate... And we got tickets for the 00.01 show on the 19th. :)

Couldn't those tickets just have been booked on the internet? :rolleyes: Hot cocoa is good though, and when it's really cold, that's an excelent excuse to get really close to people of your choice for the sake shared body heat :)

And balefire: LotR is a fair bit "heavier" than WOT I'd say, though that depends abit on how you read the books. Silmarillion of course, is a goodly bit "heavier" still.

[QuirkyTemplate]

Wow ... I didn't know they were already selling tickets. Gotta get me some!

[Elin]

Couldn't those tickets just have been booked on the internet? :rolleyes:

Well, no - they didn't start selling tickets on the internet until 13.00 that day, I think. Besides, we'd have missed the atmosphere... you know, all the people in cloaks and so on. There was even one guy in chainmail (it's a wonder he didn't freeze to death).

Hot cocoa is good though, and when it's really cold, that's an excelent excuse to get really close to people of your choice for the sake shared body heat :)

That's true. Being cold might have its uses. ;)

[QuirkyTemplate]

Some dude was in chain mail?! Where'd he get it man? I need me some of that! Beat down some street punks.

[Elin]

Some dude was in chain mail?! Where'd he get it man? I need me some of that! Beat down some street punks.

Well, it's not like it was full-body armor... just a chain mail shirt. And I have no idea where he got it.

Anyway, some of the clothes looked like they were made up on the spot, but there was one guy who had these really cool elaborate clothes. Guys in medieval clothes are just sooo handsome... *swoons*
;)

[Ulk]

QT, i'm sure you could order some from the internet somewhere, probably wouldnt even be that hard to find.

[Jacob]

Hmm....I remember Sofie telling me that all I needed to get that Midievil (clothes) look was to wear a jute sack with holes cut for my arms...would wearing a jute sack with holes cut for my arms make me really handsome? ~sigh~ s'pose not :-(

[Ulk]

Well I think you'd look dead sexy Jacob :D

[QuirkyTemplate]

>looks to Ulk<

>looks to Jacob<

>looks to Ulk again<

... nevermind, things are getting strange.

[LaughingTurtle]

what do you mean getting strange.....things have always been strange here!! :D

[QuirkyTemplate]

Yeah, that's true.

[Jacob]

Yea, but you'd think I look dead sexy no matter what I wore (or not), Ulk. You're abit tall for my taste though, sorry :rolleyes:

[LaughingTurtle]

Which only means that your just the right size for me Ulk....;)



~~wakes up from his VERY disturbing nightmare~~

Whow...I gotta cut down on those midnight,......errr glasses of water, yes that's it.

[Ulk]

tall eh? hey, is this because i'm a guy Jacob? cos if it is, i'll sue your ass so fast!! :D

thanks LT, but i'm really more of a one man kind of man. now, off to have sex with my g/f

[Jacob]

Originally posted by Ulk
tall eh? hey, is this because i'm a guy Jacob? cos if it is, i'll sue your ass so fast!! :D


Oh I see! So it's only my ASS you want then? I'm DEEPLY hurt! Or I would be.

ROFL!

[Ulk]

LOL, well it is your best feature

[Elin]

*reads what came of that remark about medieval clothes*
LMAO!
:D

Hmm....I remember Sofie telling me that all I needed to get that Midievil (clothes) look was to wear a jute sack with holes cut for my arms...would wearing a jute sack with holes cut for my arms make me really handsome? ~sigh~ s'pose not :-(

Försöker du tigga komplimanger eller? ;)

[Elspeth]

I'm really looking forward to the LOTR movie as well (now that I've seen Harry Potter--with my younger cousins! I had an excuse!). From what I've seen of the previews and promo stuff, the guy who plays Strider looks perfect for the part (Strider's always been one of my favorite characters, him and Sam). However, I hope that they use some kind of computer editing/blue screen stuff/fancy camera work to manipulate the characters' apparent heights, because Elijah Wood is too tall to be a hobbit (aren't they supposed to be about 4 feet?).

Even more than a LOTR movie though, I'd like to see a live action version of The Hobbit (that cartoon one somebody did a few years ago sucked). It's always been my favorite Tolkien book.

[Neume]

I just read LOTR for the first time, after having seen the movie 6 times <g> in theatres, and I must say, Return of the King is a WONDERFUL novel. Tolkien is truly the mast of fantasy... even if RJ is still my fav author :)

Neume