J.R.R Tolkien ...

[condorlover1]

@The Amish Tyrant : That is not a new phenomenon. I believe Mrs. Caesar lived to regret nagging her husband, something along the lines of "Julius why don't you piss off down the forum and see your nice friend Brutus instead of lolling around the palace buggering your new Greek slave boy!".

 

[The Amish Tyrant]

@The Amish Tyrant : That is not a new phenomenon. I believe Mrs. Caesar lived to regret nagging her husband, something along the lines of "Julius why don't you piss off down the forum and see your nice friend Brutus instead of lolling around the palace buggering your new Greek slave boy!".

What were Caesar's last words?

"Ouch, ouch, ouch!"

 

[condorlover1]

@ The Amish Tyrant. Contrary to popular legend Caesar did not utter the words 'Et Tu Brute' when he was stabbed. What really happened was Caesar passed him a plate of dates and said 'Eat two Brute' who then stabbed Caesar since he was offended that Caesar had forgotten that he Brutus was a diabetic. Well that was the version told to me by some bloke in a blue police call box who called himself the 'Doctor' and claimed to have seen the whole thing kick off!

 

[cademars53]

I read The Hobbit when I was in grade 6-7? Back in the 80s. I then tried reading LOTR but found it too hard & boring. Seems that one is geared more towards teens/adults IMO. Anyways big fan of the series now a days. Love the movies, especially the Ralph Bakshi version as you can see. Shame it wasn't completed.

 

[BrightDarkEyes]

Thank you. There is no doubt about Tolkien's talent and his impact on literature. More importantly perhaps is how he was able to incorporate aspects of language mechanics and traditional folklores to create a universe that was self contained and capable of its own internal logic. HIs approach to world building has since been copied and expanded on by many authors who came after him. There is no doubt that he was brilliant and gifted.

In my vacation home in Nevada, I have a collection of art work from artists who contributed to the world of painting primarily during the 60s and 70s. Their artwork is clearly not for everybody. But there is no doubting that they were gifted. I enjoy these works very much. But I suffer no illusions that there are many many people who would not.

Here is a fair criticism of Tolkien: I am disappointed that he seems to relegate half of the human species - women - to background characters who rarely if ever take the lead. I say this not because I have a woke mind virus - I do not - but because the contributions women make to the foundational aspects of his lead characters are clearly worth exploring. It would have added a depth and complexity to his world building - and yes, I am aware of most of the female characters in LOTR and the Silmarillion - having read most of those works completely. Behind every great man there is a woman - even if history chooses not to write about her.

I agree. The thing about LoTR was that although there were powerful and important women in the books none of them ever spoke to each other. Also, as you mentioned they were more like background characters.

 

[telescopes]

Here‘s an odd thing about writers when they do provide female characters more time and depth in a story - especially fantasy- the writers tend to drop the female characters into roles traditionally best suited for males. Traditional and cultural influences that were significant for women are pushed aside in favor of male characteristics. It’s like saying a woman isn’t interesting unless she’s more like a man. I perceive that as weak writing where perhaps the author was unable to step up to the challenge of making a woman interesting as a woman.

 

[Hobbit's Door]

Here‘s an odd thing about writers when they do provide female characters more time and depth in a story - especially fantasy- the writers tend to drop the female characters into roles traditionally best suited for males. Traditional and cultural influences that were significant for women are pushed aside in favor of male characteristics. It’s like saying a woman isn’t interesting unless she’s more like a man. I perceive that as weak writing where perhaps the author was unable to step up to the challenge of making a woman interesting as a woman.

Mmmm Again I agree. Women do not need to be "men" to make them strong or interesting. It is a mind set that is just wrong. And takes away form the reality of how great, powerful, smart and interesting women are in there own right.

 

[telescopes]

Precisely- this is an aspect of woke culture that works against the very people the wokesters think they are promoting. It seems they always feel the need to remake people into something or someone else in order for them to be found interesting. It’s why so many of their stories fail to resonate with the mainstream audience.

 

[trouttimes]

I guess DEI wasn’t a thing 70 years ago. Get over it. Everything doesn’t have to have a “modern” spin to it. Take Tolkien for what a great body of work it is, like it or not.

 

[Hobbit's Door]

I read The Hobbit when I was in grade 6-7? Back in the 80s. I then tried reading LOTR but found it too hard & boring. Seems that one is geared more towards teens/adults IMO. Anyways big fan of the series now a days. Love the movies, especially the Ralph Bakshi version as you can see. Shame it wasn't completed. View attachment 303815

Love the poster. I had a vhs of that movie when I was a kid. And a vhs of the Rankin Bass 1977 edition of the Hobbit. Watch those movies more times then I can count.

 

[Hobbit's Door]

Loving Spiritbox, And Amon Amarth.

 

[cademars53]

Loving Spiritbox, And Amon Amarth.

Going to see Amon Amarth at end of month

 

[Hobbit's Door]

Going to see Amon Amarth at end of month

You luck dog. That should be a damn good time. Have fun my friend.

 

[trouttimes]

For those who appreciate Tolkien, the Hobbiton Piper just posted a new YouTube video that is excellent about tobacco smoking in the Hobbit.

 

[AreBee]

I have been a Tolkien fan since the Rankin-Bass version of the Hobbit came on TV when I was eight. For Christmas that year, my parents bought me the book illustrated with pics from the show that I still have. I particularly like the pic of Bilbo and his smoke rings. Oddly, I didn’t read LOTR for the first time until I was in my 20s. Didn’t pick up the pipe until just a few months ago, 25+ years later, but do feel a certain affinity with Tolkien’s characters at times when I smoke.

 

[Hobbit's Door]

That is a great book. I just got one a few years ago to add to my collection. I have a large collection of Tolkien books. I loved the 1977 hobbit as a kid and still watch it every three or so years. Now I just need the vinyl of the Rankin/Bass production The Hobbit, the complete original soundtrack. Tolkien and his writings got me in to pipe smoking. It made me interested in pipe tobacco and pipes. That is a great picture! Here is a pic of the vinyl set.

 

[Sam Gamgee]

I started smoking a pipe as a direct result of reading the LOTR books.

I can still remember the season well circa 2007: I was going through the audiobooks on my drives to and from work. I was on the night shift and stopped in at a local tobacco shop before work one day. The guy set me up with a cob and some jarred aro (that is still the best stuff I've ever smoked). I packed up the pipe, fired it up, and started my drive to work. I had to pull over once the road started spinning from the buzz!

Oddly enough, I had seen the films many times before I ever read the books, and not once did they make me want to try a pipe. But something about the books did. Perhaps pipes go better and more naturally with literature and not necessarily movies.

As a side note, and something that would likely take up an entire essay, the films were a life-changing experience for me and will always hold a special place in my heart. The extended versions were re-released within the past weeks to theaters and I took my 15-year-old daughter to see all three. It was a very powerful experience yet again, and especially so to see my daughter so affected by the story, She wept at the death of Boromir and and sat in stunned awe at the Ride of the Rohirrim, exactly as I had done years before.

 

[BingBong]

I first read LOTR in the first paperback single volume edition (still have it somewhere, disintegrated) during the summer holidays, 1969. When school recommenced that September, our English teacher asked what we had read that summer and several of us had read this new edition, it turned out. He curled his lip and denounced it as rubbish - we had wasted our time, said he. Had a bit of a rant. Obviously, we were doing something right!

Tolkien had no impact on my smoking - I'd already begun to explore anyway, cigarettes, small cigars, pipe, all grist of the same mill. The pipe didn't become a preference for many years.