[Abyss]

Abyss, on 22 March 2023 - 02:02 PM, said:

Tiste Simeon, on 21 March 2023 - 02:46 PM, said:

Abyss, on 21 March 2023 - 02:29 PM, said:

If people are engaged we could keep it going as the 'old' half of the book club. I wouldn't mind trying The Silmarillion in earbook, if only to see whether i can stay awake and finish it this time.

Fairly soon there will be an audiobook version read by Andy Serkis!

very clever casting, that.

worry, on 22 March 2023 - 02:37 PM, said:

It's just lembas bread and Serkises!

...but the fans revolt all the time.

[Macros]

Finally starting.
Decided not to travel with my beautiful trilogy edition and so lifted a paperback of the Fellowship at the airport (felt reasonably confident it would be there)
Cracked open the first page, bear in mind I read this book easily 15 and more times in my teens and early 20s, but haven't read it in over 10 years? Just reading that opening line of the poem, three rings.... Gave me chills and little shiver of excitement. So looking forward to this read now

[Macros]

Welcome to the house of Tom

[worry]

Macros, on 31 March 2023 - 01:53 PM, said:

Welcome to the house of Tom

Are we supposed to read Tom Bombadil's songs like they're in the vein of Madness?

[flea]

Macros, on 31 March 2023 - 01:53 PM, said:

Welcome to the house of Tom

Bomadil apparently speaks largely in verse:
https://alasnotme.bl...d-toms.html?m=0

It's kind of hilarious when Elrond dismisses him in "The Council of Elrond" chapter. It also calls to mind Monty Python: Let's not go to Camelot; it is a silly place.

[Macros]

I loved Tom this one time through, I've liked and disliked him over the years but this time something was just wonderful about him.

Maybe contextually this time I held him and Goldberry up as a vision of how we should be, cutting out social media and daily deluge of bad news some how is what it made me think of

[QuickTidal]

Grumble....my new hardcover copy of FOTR has not arrived yet (in process from my order) so I'm not starting yet....but I'll have some catchup to do with you people when it arrives finally.

[Aptorian]

Starting Fellowship of the Ring this evening.

Thought I'd write my expectations before going in

I'm worried I won't like it.

I read Lord of the Rings somewhere around 1999-2000. It's one of those classic works, like Dune, Foundation, Hyperion Cantos, etc., that I've often thought of rereading. I barely remember the LOTR books at this point and am curious what'll think.

I believe LOTR is some of the first fantasy I ever read. I remember reading Raymond E Feist's Riftwar books shortly after and enjoying them much more. I suspect I may have felt LOTR was a bit too long winded, a bit too much travelling, but I can't remember.

Much like Star Wars I find the popularity and nerdy nerd discussion around the series a bit off-putting. But maybe I'm about to be blown away.

I think I also originally read the books in Danish. So Tolkien's English prose might be more of an experience this time around.

[Aptorian]

There's a twenty page foreword in my Kindle edition from 2004, that's nothing but a chronological recollection of all the revisions there's been of the books.

Nerds! NEEERDS!

Edit: My god it just goes on and on. A fiftieth anniversary chapter, a notes from the author chapter, several sections about Hobbits, pipe weed and the Shire! 50+ pages of foreword and prologue!

This post has been edited by Aptorian: 04 April 2023 - 06:05 PM

[Macros]

I skip the foreword, it's waffle. Just jump to "Three rings....."

Haven't had much reading time, just at Bree now and Frodo has stuck his..... Foot in it.

Thing pick up apace once they finally leave the Shire and Tom's land, I'm not going to be pretentious and try speculate if this is intentional by the author or not, I just like it because it's almost like they're getting out into the big bad world and things just start to move, like their lives have been so sheltered and niave thus far

[Tiste Simeon]

I liked the introduction. Tolkien was so grumpy about people allegorising his work.

"It's just a story, no deeper meaning!"

[Aptorian]

I found that passage fun as well. It's easy to read all kinds of meaning into a story like LOTR, written during that era. Especially when it's as celebrated an author as Tolkien. But sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

I just finished the first chapter. Compared to modern fantasy, a surprisingly low key start. You know a new writer couldn't have resisted a prologue about Sauron facing off against what ever king bested him, vowing to return and get his revenge.

Instead it's just a birthday celebration.

[Aptorian]

Finished the second chapter. And man, that's a heck of a second chapter for a book and a series. So much setup and exposition. You can't help but get sucked in to the telling and the promise of adventure.

Imagine also reading this in a time when fantasy was still a fairly new concept for new readers.

[Macros]

Just arrived as Lothlorien.
Knowing what's coming the fall doesn't pack quite as much punch, and I'd argue the movie portrays a better emotional fall out than that passage of the book.

But still, my progress is slow only due to a lack of time, it's not dragging at all

[Macros]

That's a wrap.

Still superb.

One always wonders why they didn't simply take the high pass east of Rivendell and shoot straight down? But as the man himself said, it's a book, stop analysing it.

Boromirs madness is actually well foreshadowed, even as simple as Galadriels gift, a circlet of gold. I feel sad his redemption is nigh.

Book 2 for next run of book club?