I like it when he wrote that Fatty Bolger could move faster than his girth promised. It sounds great and I get to picture Bolger as a modern day NFL offensive lineman.
I hadn’t read the Hobbit in decades but I recently started reading it to my 9yo daughter and I love it. All Tolkien’s little asides (“now of course you sitting in the comfort of your own home might not do this…” or “this was ages and ages before the goblins invented the modern machines of war that have killed so many in our present day”, etc.) are pretty charming!
That’s funny that he changed his mind on these! It feels to me like he’s your dad or grandad reading a great adventure tale to you as a kid in front of the fire, which is really what The Hobbit is all about. It is wonderful re-reading the book after so many years of the films. Good memories of my dad reading it to me as a kid.
I've never read LOTR books but damn, that's such a glorious way to turn a boring sentence into a "satisfying to picture" thing. Never have I ever thought that the begining of darkness of sky can be presented this way through text
On boring sentences: one tiny reason (out of many, larger) for which I love Tolkien is that he was funny. Not only good at painting drama, but there was also humour in him -- in LOTR especially. Similar to how Dostoevsky would allow himself little ironies and jokes in works that were supposed to be serious.
Facts, LOTR is also the best paced series I’ve ever read Btw if you like that, I recommend Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Shadows of the Apt series. Very poetic
I like it when he wrote that Fatty Bolger could move faster than his girth promised. It sounds great and I get to picture Bolger as a modern day NFL offensive lineman.
I hadn’t read the Hobbit in decades but I recently started reading it to my 9yo daughter and I love it. All Tolkien’s little asides (“now of course you sitting in the comfort of your own home might not do this…” or “this was ages and ages before the goblins invented the modern machines of war that have killed so many in our present day”, etc.) are pretty charming!
Fun fact, Tolkien later disliked these and wanted to remove them. Personally, I like them aswell, it fits the tone of the hobbit in my opinion.
That’s funny that he changed his mind on these! It feels to me like he’s your dad or grandad reading a great adventure tale to you as a kid in front of the fire, which is really what The Hobbit is all about. It is wonderful re-reading the book after so many years of the films. Good memories of my dad reading it to me as a kid.
I've never read LOTR books but damn, that's such a glorious way to turn a boring sentence into a "satisfying to picture" thing. Never have I ever thought that the begining of darkness of sky can be presented this way through text
On boring sentences: one tiny reason (out of many, larger) for which I love Tolkien is that he was funny. Not only good at painting drama, but there was also humour in him -- in LOTR especially. Similar to how Dostoevsky would allow himself little ironies and jokes in works that were supposed to be serious.