Potter and the Precioussssss
22/01/2004 09:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
izmeinaTossed this little morsel to the Dementors in the dungeonses and thinks - well why not add to the Izzie green credentials and do a bit of recycling since just about all the Izzie friendses have read one or the other or both and most likely countless times too.
Iz will get fed to the nasty horrid orcses for this but thinks that while Tolkien is an infinitely better storyteller - Iz gives the gold gong to Ms Rowling for being the better writer!
Izzie first read the Potters at the end of 2001 and found herself up till 3 in the morning and leaving the dishes in the sink and the weeds in the garden.
The Ring story on the other hand, had heard so so much about it but never seemed to be able to get round to reading it. I simply loved the first movie, even though knowing only the absolute basics of the story ie in one sentence with words of one syllable made it hard to follow at times.
The wonderful book "Tolkien's Rings" by David Day with those gorgeous Alan Lee illustrations made this serpent even curiouser and curioser. Among other things, it explained some of the ancient ring legends that were sources for Tolkien.
So it was with great anticipation that Iz picked up a copy of the Precious -saving starting it for the auspicious occasion of Halloween 2002. Was a bit wary - what if it is so damned unputdowneable that you end up reading it instead of studying for those nasty examses in two weeks time?
Needn't have worried! Had to literally force myself to get through the first two chapters.
But 3 weeks later came across the BBC audio version in the local library and absolutely adored it. A bit too much singing and stuff at times but it was utterly addictive. So much so that when the nasty goblinses in the library would not let Iz renew it again, went out and got our own Precioussss and paid the princely sum of 20 hours of Izzie wages to acquire it. Yesssss - half a whole weeks' wages.
Now that I have seen all three movies and loved them, really is time to give the guy another chance. At first I thought it was just a personal thing like the Izzie allergy to Charles Dickens and Jane Austen, but since then have met several creatures who like the 'fantasy' 'epic' 'myth' whatever genre in general and they have secretly admitted that they found his style terrribly tedious and either gave up or forced themselves to finish it as a matter of honour! And then there is another who lost count after the 13th time but thinks she may have read it about 20 times! (How did she fit in the rest of her life, Izzie wonders)
But peeking at the appendices of ROTK, cannot help but be amazed at the lengths this guy went to with the detail and background stuff. Well and truly way beyond the call of duty.
So there is no doubt in Izzie's mind that Tolkien is way up there with all those Greek and Roman legends in the creation of a damned good riveting story but she just infinitely prefers to hear it told by some one else.
Iz is curious to hear how other folks found Tolkien's tale telling style and what sort of difference it makes (if any) when reading it in languages other than English
Iz will get fed to the nasty horrid orcses for this but thinks that while Tolkien is an infinitely better storyteller - Iz gives the gold gong to Ms Rowling for being the better writer!
Izzie first read the Potters at the end of 2001 and found herself up till 3 in the morning and leaving the dishes in the sink and the weeds in the garden.
The Ring story on the other hand, had heard so so much about it but never seemed to be able to get round to reading it. I simply loved the first movie, even though knowing only the absolute basics of the story ie in one sentence with words of one syllable made it hard to follow at times.
The wonderful book "Tolkien's Rings" by David Day with those gorgeous Alan Lee illustrations made this serpent even curiouser and curioser. Among other things, it explained some of the ancient ring legends that were sources for Tolkien.
So it was with great anticipation that Iz picked up a copy of the Precious -saving starting it for the auspicious occasion of Halloween 2002. Was a bit wary - what if it is so damned unputdowneable that you end up reading it instead of studying for those nasty examses in two weeks time?
Needn't have worried! Had to literally force myself to get through the first two chapters.
But 3 weeks later came across the BBC audio version in the local library and absolutely adored it. A bit too much singing and stuff at times but it was utterly addictive. So much so that when the nasty goblinses in the library would not let Iz renew it again, went out and got our own Precioussss and paid the princely sum of 20 hours of Izzie wages to acquire it. Yesssss - half a whole weeks' wages.
Now that I have seen all three movies and loved them, really is time to give the guy another chance. At first I thought it was just a personal thing like the Izzie allergy to Charles Dickens and Jane Austen, but since then have met several creatures who like the 'fantasy' 'epic' 'myth' whatever genre in general and they have secretly admitted that they found his style terrribly tedious and either gave up or forced themselves to finish it as a matter of honour! And then there is another who lost count after the 13th time but thinks she may have read it about 20 times! (How did she fit in the rest of her life, Izzie wonders)
But peeking at the appendices of ROTK, cannot help but be amazed at the lengths this guy went to with the detail and background stuff. Well and truly way beyond the call of duty.
So there is no doubt in Izzie's mind that Tolkien is way up there with all those Greek and Roman legends in the creation of a damned good riveting story but she just infinitely prefers to hear it told by some one else.
Iz is curious to hear how other folks found Tolkien's tale telling style and what sort of difference it makes (if any) when reading it in languages other than English
Re: Writing Styles
Date: 2004-01-24 09:30 pm (UTC)Iz likes to listen at midnight when it all seems much realler and spookier.
Since everything has to be conveyed through sound, there would be no sense of missing anything that you would certainly get with the movies.
Treebeard in the movies comes across as a kind cute cuddly sort of creature. In the audio he is also kind but much much sadder and wearier. It was almost an Izzie hankie moment. Iz is now convinced she was an Ent in a previous incarnation.
Must agree with Arwen about TTT. Lots of Gollum and Treebeard and was pleasantly surprised to see that the writing style seems much simpler and infinitely less tedious than the awful first chapters of FOTR.
It was only because the movies and audio versions were so good that Iz decided to give the books another chance.
So far have got as far as Treebeard but had to take a sneak to the Marshes and Gollum's evil scheming.
"We hates the Baggins"
Yessss and Iz thinks there are oodles of books to be read and not enough time and if we hates a particular writer's style then it is silly to persist unless forced to.