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I dislike Tolkien


Lord Qwerty

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I kind of like this thread and wish I had time to read it all. I feel like you lose all credibility in some discussions if you bring up not being thrilled about Tolkien.

Personally, I have fond memories of reading The Hobbit in 7th grade (have not read it since). I think The Fellowship of the Ring is painfully boring and the next two quite a bit better. I am not a big fan of his writing style, but I understand why he is so famous and think he deserves credit for what he created. But I don't think what he did puts his writing in an inscrutable position. I do get the impression from many here that is the case though. It seems like a lot of people think "well he did this first so it is better."

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I think perhaps this is the very reason why so many peopel like it. Writing it like a 'history' makes t feel a bit more 'real.' I have heard more than one fantasy geek call Lord of the Rings the "fantasy bible."

They'd be wrong. The proper equivalent is the Silmarillion,

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I think perhaps this is the very reason why so many peopel like it. Writing it like a 'history' makes t feel a bit more 'real.' I have heard more than one fantasy geek call Lord of the Rings the "fantasy bible."

Long, tedious to read but highly influential?

Sounds about right.

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I just finished silmarillion

first I watched TFOTR, then read the trilogy, then just recently reread the hobbit (first time was... 2005 I think) after finishing ADWD

I gotta say I know what OP feels.

Tolkien is really childish, and the way he narrates the story kinda bores me, it's almost shallow, specially after reading ASOIAF lol

But what to do, the book was initially meant for children, so.... I might be the one in the wrong

And I flame Martin the same way I flame Tolkien for not being thorough in some battle scenes

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  • 1 month later...

I love Tolkien. I don't love his politics or his religion, or even much of his high style, but he really is one the great writers of the 20th century. He was an anti-modernist and really was quite one of kind with his obsession about languages and his private myths that he first didn't even plan to be published. A hugely untypical writer who is the unlikely creator (or sub-creator...) of a majestic traditional and Christian epic (without ever mentioning Christinity). To blame him for not being as realistic as for example Martin is like blaming Keats for not writing like T.S.Eliot. I also love Martin, hugely, and don't expect him to write about noble elfs. Both Tolkien and Martin are evidence that fantasy writing can be great and meaningful literature.

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Tolkien is really childish, and the way he narrates the story kinda bores me, it's almost shallow, specially after reading ASOIAF lol

Cheap shot: Your argument would have stood somewhat stronger if you had not used l33t-speak for punctuation.

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I also love Martin, hugely, and don't expect him to write about noble elfs.

Um, excuse me, it's elves.

;)

Just joking. I just thought it was funny because the spelling was one of the bigger issues Tolkien had with his publishers. The publishers thought he meant elfs, but he was insistent that he wanted it spelled elves.

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Cheap shot: Your argument would have stood somewhat stronger if you had not used l33t-speak for punctuation.

Total topic derailment, but LOL IS NOT A PUNCTUATION MARK. IT JUST IS NOT,

Ever meet anyone in real life who actually says lol at the end of every sentance? I have, and yes, there was a murder.

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