Kevin's Watch

I have tried the Silmarillion - it's not a story, it's a bloody history book. I have enough trouble remembering real history, let alone stuff that never happened. Don't get me wrong, the depth of that world, and of JRRT's work, astounds me - but it's not for everyone, just as Donaldson is not for everyone. I got through LOTR, but it was a struggle because of those ruddy hobbits - the only part that went by quickly was the first half of ROTK.

Have not touched Runes since I last posted. I am farther along than I thought, but it will still be a while before I finish.

Alynna Lis Eachann wrote:Think Covenant will ever get anything named after him?

Didn't someone who had to go to the bathroom in one scene say that they had to use "the Covenant"?

Ok, that was a bad joke, heh. Sorry.

Yeah, that's right, I called LotR stupid. And I don't take it back, either, heh. So there. Hey, it's just an opinion. The thing just isn't my style. I enjoyed the movies, though.

Shouldn't you all be glad that I'm not just some dime-a-dozen LotR nut? If I was, you'd all be at "Yet Another LotR Fan Forum" right about now, heh.-jay

Yep, SRD's biggest inspiration is "stupid".

*Restrains her fingers from typing, finding it appalling that Professor Tolkien has been called "stupid", not just once, but twice.*

Yeah, that's right, I called LotR stupid. And I don't take it back, either, heh. So there. Hey, it's just an opinion. The thing just isn't my style. I enjoyed the movies, though.

OK, I'm with Jay on this one. I've tried twice to read the Hobbit and once on FOTR, and I can't stand it. But the movies were great. It's a great story, but JRRT's writing style drives me insane.

dlbpharmd wrote:It's a great story, but JRRT's writing style drives me insane.

Exactly

Guys, stop. You're turning Furls into a Raver!

dlbpharmd wrote:OK, I'm with Jay on this one. I've tried twice to read the Hobbit and once on FOTR, and I can't stand it. But the movies were great. It's a great story, but JRRT's writing style drives me insane.

Sweet, someone agrees with me. So I'm not just some nut. Heh.

(Takes deep breath)Stupidstupidstupidstupidstupidstupidstupidstupidstupidstupidstupid. Heh. There, happy?

Seriously though, it's not that big a deal. When I'm calling it stupid, I hope you know that I'm mostly kidding. I like the story and I think everyone here can agree that the story is good. It's just that JRRT's writing style is not for everyone. Heh. Personally, it just bores me to tears. Plus, when people act like a work of literature such as the Lord of the Rings is something High and Holy like the Bible, and can not be criticized at all, that's just asking for me to call it stupid. Heh. Nothing is perfect.

Also, personally, I think someone like SRD does a lot better when it comes to developing characters so they are human and believable. SRD's characters have flaws just like everyone else. Many of JRRT's characters are just perfect, and that just bothers me. Stories that have some great and holy character like Aragorn who has no flaw just aren't my style. I'm a guy whos like to read about character development.

Heh...great. Seems like I opened up a whole can of worms with this one. So, if anyone's counted, I believe this is twice so far I've divided the Watch on issues. The first was with my "I hate Linden" campaign, and now this with my "Lord of the Rings is stupid" line. Hehe.-jay

(Please have mercy on me. Heh.)

P.S. Linden is stupid.

I'm the opposite. I pick up anything by SRD and I can't put it down until I've finished it. I read so damn fast I was through LOTR in a few weeks (had all 3 books in one volume). Hey, I read the Hobbit at school...

I read very fast, Satansheart. Very fast for everything except Lord of the Rings and the First Chrons. The Chrons because it's heavy going, the Rings because it puts me to sleep.

kevinswatch wrote:

dlbpharmd wrote:OK, I'm with Jay on this one. I've tried twice to read the Hobbit and once on FOTR, and I can't stand it. But the movies were great. It's a great story, but JRRT's writing style drives me insane.

Sweet, someone agrees with me. So I'm not just some nut. Heh.

(Takes deep breath)Stupidstupidstupidstupidstupidstupidstupidstupidstupidstupidstupid. Heh. There, happy?

Seriously though, it's not that big a deal. When I'm calling it stupid, I hope you know that I'm mostly kidding. I like the story and I think everyone here can agree that the story is good. It's just that JRRT's writing style is not for everyone. Heh. Personally, it just bores me to tears. Plus, when people act like a work of literature such as the Lord of the Rings is something High and Holy like the Bible, and can not be criticized at all, that's just asking for me to call it stupid. Heh. Nothing is perfect.

Also, personally, I think someone like SRD does a lot better when it comes to developing characters so they are human and believable. SRD's characters have flaws just like everyone else. Many of JRRT's characters are just perfect, and that just bothers me. Stories that have some great and holy character like Aragorn who has no flaw just aren't my style. I'm a guy whos like to read about character development.

Heh...great. Seems like I opened up a whole can of worms with this one. So, if anyone's counted, I believe this is twice so far I've divided the Watch on issues. The first was with my "I hate Linden" campaign, and now this with my "Lord of the Rings is stupid" line. Hehe.-jay

(Please have mercy on me. Heh.)

P.S. Linden is stupid.

I don't know where to begin. I'll just leave it short, and say that the characters in LOTR do develop (especially Frodo); they're just not as flawed and human as SRD's. But come on, LOTR is the archetypal fantasy book that set the standards. How out of place would it look to have a Thomas Covenant or a Linden Avery type of character in that fantasy setting? The book is based in a lot of ancient myth, so the characters themselves are going to have some mythical, heroic qualities, as well (Gandalf, anyone?)

All the major characters in Lord of the Rings had something that endeared me to them (Sam's humor and faithfulness, etc.). Again, it's not psychological stuff like Covenant, but there's something human there, and that something human is congruous to the book. The characterizations in Covenant would just look out of place in Tolkien's story and setting.

And how is it you think SRD makes great characters, but Linden is stupid?

Heh, ok. I'm just saying that the whole totally heroic and perfect characters thing isn't my cup of tea. It makes a good story, sure, but when I read I tend to want more. SRD's flawed characters make things much more interesting.

Sure, The Lord of the Rings is good and old and classic and it set the standards for fantasy. And while there are lot of people out there who praise this thing to high heaven, I just hope you realize that there are also people like myself who find problems with it. Heh.-jay

P.S. Linden is an exception. Heh.

kevinswatch wrote:Sure, The Lord of the Rings is good and old and classic and it set the standards for fantasy. And while there are lot of people out there who praise this thing to high heaven, I just hope you realize that there are also people like myself who find problems with it.

My making mention of LOTR's archetypal nature was a part of my "the characters are supposed to be mythological" argument, rather than me proclaiming "the Tolkien books are best ever dude!"

Yeah, sorry, that was my bad. I wasn't really referring to you. I should have made it clearer. I was more referring to the many other Tolkien Obsessed people I know in real life. People who do nothing except talk about how great LotR is...heh. So maybe some of my stubornness for the Lord of the Rings is simply my getting tired of hearing people around me say how great it is, heh.-jay

(They even have a class at my university called "JRR Tolkien - Writer of the Century". It sort of cheeses me off. I've been wanted to join the class just so I can walk in with a t-shirt that says "JRR Tolkien - The poor reader's Stephen R. Donaldson")

Loved the Hobbit, hated LotR.

Baradakas wrote:Loved the Hobbit, hated LotR.

What next? "Loved Lord Foul's Bane, hated the Illearth War"?

BTW, I've been reading Trinity by Leon Uris for 7 years now. I'm on page 42.[/quote]

Have you read 'The Haj'? It's a real eye opener. I've heard it called a one sided picture of the middle east...but it helps me understand a little better. It seems like a 'must read' these days.

Jasmina wrote:Have you read 'The Haj'? It's a real eye opener. I've heard it called a one sided picture of the middle east...but it helps me understand a little better. It seems like a 'must read' these days.

I haven't, but I've heard it was excellent. I'd also recommend QB VII by Uris. Absolutely gripping book about the Holocaust.