Thomas Covenant, hero?

[Seafoam Understone]

I take your point Joy about Tolkiens focus on his world .. but I think that this focus was also for the benefit of his characters and the reader .. the Hobbits who had never before strayed beyond Hobbiton and Bilbo and Sam particular not even beyond the Shire So for them .. yes it was a scary journey .. but also a discovery of a greater world beyond the small one they were accustomed to ..

I actually really appreciated Tolkiens depth of description for me it made his creation all the more real and interesting to me ..

But I know of some that dont like FotR because of this ..

The same can be said of TCTC - LFB .. the first book in the series .. even SRD himself concedes is over wordy for some ..

Personally I enjoyed this quality in SRD too

Methinks that this has gone OT but an interesting thread none the less.
Tolkien wrote a great series of novels that is without a doubt. The same honorific goes to SRD and several others.
Each writer has his/her own style to present their story. Go to a Storytelling Festival and pay attention to how each narrator tells his/her story. Same goes for the written prose.
Comparing the styles of the authors is pointless IMO. Both gentlemen presented the world with a fantastic realm for us to dive into so in order to escape (briefly) the pressures of everyday living.

Honor them both and appreciate their individual styles.

Whenever I want to critique something I (try to remember) to ask myself... "Can You Do Better?" if I can answer (honestly) yes then I'll go ahead and critique something that I don't like. I don't answer yes that often.

[Blue_Spawn]

"The Hobbit" stank.

And yes...yes, I could do better.

[duchess of malfi]

I challenge you to prove it.

[Blue_Spawn]

....

Okay...have you read "The Hobbit"???

[duchess of malfi]

many times.

[Worm of Despite]

Blue_Spawn, Maybe if you give a reason for your statement about The Hobbit then you’ll help others understand your position. Otherwise, it just comes off like you're insulting the book instead of giving an intelligible opinion to discuss.

[Landwaster]

I've read it many times too. I like it.

[Blue_Spawn]

Look, I don't know about "The Lord of the Rings," but the "Hobbit" is definetly not worth so much appreciation.

My major problem with the book is the plot. The whole story is forced, Bilbo being literly pushed into going on an "Adventure." It didn't feel natural. The whole idea of adventure for the sake of having an adventure itself, is very bothersome to me. It made me loose much interest in the book.

The nature of the Quest is also not very intruiging. The dwarfs (was it?) set on a quest to reclaim wealth and money. Not to save the earth, or their lives, or committ something really valuable, but to get rich. There were very few connections between the sub-adventures, many being just obsticles in the company's path. Now, I understand that it would be only natural in this type of plot, but that is the thing that annoys me. I like to see purpose in events that relate to the understanding of the main plot.

Spoiler

Finally, the thing that bothered me the most was the totaly anti-climatic ending. Where the character that kills the Dragon, who, I take it is supposed to be a major part of the story (him, eliminating the main obstecle and all), pops out of nowhere, takes out a big black arrow and shoots the thing.

Some of the things that I did like about "The Hobbit" was Biblo's internal conflict towards the end of the book. That, and the fact that in "The Hobbit," Tolkien was the first one to manifest the Celtic Mythology into a fantasy genre, and the detail he put into the world. Thats why I don't criticize the LotR (other than that I have only read bits and pieces of it).

[Landwaster]

Cool, makes much more sense now you've elaborated!

The Hobbit was originally written as a story for Tolkien's children. Its not meant to be Pullitzer material (or whatever award books get!).

But I found it a fun romp.

Don't mind me, though, I still enjoy the Wishing Chair books

[Worm of Despite]

It's a common misconception that Tolkien wrote The Hobbit for his children. He did in fact read it to them as he was writing it in 1937, but:

The author always insisted, however, that neither "The Hobbit" nor "The Lord of the Rings" was intended for children.

"It's not even very good for children," he said of "The Hobbit," which he illustrated himself. "I wrote some of it in a style for children, but that's what they loathe. If I hadn't done that, though, people would have thought I was loony."

"If you're a youngish man," he told a London reporter, "and you don't want to be made fun of, you say you're writing for children."

[Skyweir]

thats interesting indeed .. i was of the opinion that JRR sent one of his works in amongst letters that he wrote to them during WW1 when he was in service .. Now I know that this wasnt the entire works but I had the impression if formed the foundation of his series.

interesting .. and my memory isnt so good as to remember more lol

but i have heard soemthing similar in a documentary some years ago I saw ..

"If you're a youngish man," he told a London reporter, "and you don't want to be made fun of, you say you're writing for children.

hahaha I love this comment!!

[Landwaster]

Hmm fair enough ... then all that's left for me to say then is ... he meant it to be a tale from later times that was originally (in the fantasy middle-earth) bandied around AS a children's tale.

[Skyweir]

though he did write LotRs in a similar vein to the author of Princess Bride .. fictional yet indeed to represent a british histography/mythology .. whatever that word is .. didnt he? lol

[Furls Fire]

"The Hobbit" was what got me into Fantasy Fiction. It was an 8th grade reading assignment many many moons ago when I was in school. (This 40th birthday business really has me rattled). And I LOVED it. Still love it, my kids love it. From there it was on to LOTR, Sillmarillon, Book of Lost Tales..

Then, it was on to TCTC.

The Hobbit is a great ride. I love it to this day. "Riddles in the Dark" is my favorite chapter. The "linking" chapter if you will to LOTR.

I'll say it again...Tolkien is the Godfather of Fantasy, he opened the door for people like Donaldson. No one took Fantasy seriously until LOTR.

And it all began with one little hobbit who ran out of his door one morning, forgetting his hankerchief....

[Skyweir]

LOL

SRD himself paid respect to Tolkien as being the influence that inspired him to write fantasy ..

[Furls Fire]

he sure did...many many times

[Worm of Despite]

Yep, The Hobbit is the gateway for many-a-reader into the wondrous world of fantasy. It's a simple book, but I like that. As a beginning book, I don't want to be bogged down by epic-ness and portent or I'll come off feeling either overwhelmed or resentful, thinking the book pompous. But The Hobbit was the exact opposite and I very much enjoyed it as the entry-level book in fantasy, as I call it.

[kevinswatch]

I didn't like The Hobbit either. Heh. And while the movies are fun to watch, I really don't see what people love so much about the Lord of the Rings. They're just so boring to read. I'm only through the first half of the first book. The characters are too perfect and everything is too dry Good verses Evil. Give me some character development. And the main bad guy is just a giant floating eye. I think they're a good, entertaining series, from what I've seen from the movies, but I don't see them as "The Greatest Books Ever Made" like some people like to claim. Give me Covenant any day.-jay

[Forestal]

totally with u on this one jay.

[Furls Fire]

blasphemy!!!