Your favourite authors, and why?

[Walker]

Interesting. The Hobbit was the first I read, and years later I read the first chapter again and found it quite funny.

I read the other Middle Earth Books too, a long time ago. I'm sure there's much in them I missed, like I missed a bit of Tolkein's dry wit when young. I read them in quick succession, a bit of binge reading back when I was a reader.

I've also tried dipping into The History of Middle-earth series, published after his death. They're a bit of a mixed bag, but do contain some interesting ideas from his early writings, in which he connected the stories of the elves with English history.

Why, I didn't even know there was such a series.

By Middle-Earth, I was referencing the realm of humans, elves, fairies, goblins, trolls and such. Those who once lived all together, the clash of their civilizations, and so on.

As I recall after The Hobbit I read the ring trilogy, and I think there was at least one other book, perhaps the one you mentioned.

Gollum was a tragic figure. He clung to the ring and the clinging carried him away.

[Maia]

Interesting. The Hobbit was the first I read, and years later I read the first chapter again and found it quite funny.

I read the other Middle Earth Books too, a long time ago. I'm sure there's much in them I missed, like I missed a bit of Tolkein's dry wit when young. I read them in quick succession, a bit of binge reading back when I was a reader.

I've also tried dipping into The History of Middle-earth series, published after his death. They're a bit of a mixed bag, but do contain some interesting ideas from his early writings, in which he connected the stories of the elves with English history.

Why, I didn't even know there was such a series.

By Middle-Earth, I was referencing the realm of humans, elves, fairies, goblins, trolls and such. Those who once lived all together, the clash of their civilizations, and so on.

As I recall after The Hobbit I read the ring trilogy, and I think there was at least one other book, perhaps the one you mentioned.

Gollum was a tragic figure. He clung to the ring and the clinging carried him away.

The Silmarillion was published a few years after he died, edited by his son. It mostly deals with the First Age. Then came Unfinished Tales, and then the multi-volume History of Middle-earth, which includes all of his earlier unpublished writings. Many of the ideas in them were later changed or discarded.

[Walker]

Didn't he also have a full-time job?

[Maia]

Didn't he also have a full-time job?

He was a professor of linguistics at Oxford.

[Harbal]

By Middle-Earth, I was referencing the realm of humans, elves, fairies, goblins, trolls and such.

You were talking about the forum, then?

[Impenitent]

Theodore Geisel - Huevos verde

-Imp

[Walker]

By Middle-Earth, I was referencing the realm of humans, elves, fairies, goblins, trolls and such.

You were talking about the forum, then?

There is a Tolkein forum?

[Harbal]

By Middle-Earth, I was referencing the realm of humans, elves, fairies, goblins, trolls and such.

You were talking about the forum, then?

There is a Tolkein forum?

I'm sure there must be loads of them, but I was referring to this forum, and its characters.

[Walker]

You were talking about the forum, then?

There is a Tolkein forum?

I'm sure there must be loads of them, but I was referring to this forum, and its characters.

That’s the thing about good writers, Tolkein being a good writer and creator of a world (which makes him an author). What he writes about the denizens of the world he creates is true both in the particular of their situational circumstance, and samely true in the general principles of cause and effect for all folks in all times, principles concerning the truth of causation that applies to similar circumstances for any grouping of folks such as: forum-isters, cowboys and cowgirls, cynics and hopeful. In other words, he writes about the struggle of good vs evil manifesting in the particular actions of characters, and while doing this, with the same words in the same ordering at the same time, he writes about the struggle of good vs evil on a grand scale, and the evil of his world appears to be so much stronger than the goodness of the vulnerable little, different types of folks and their personal struggles against fear and uncertainty, all the while rationally knowing the long odds against themselves when measured against what must be done.

[Fairy]

No one - authored by yours truly, Mr nobody.

Many authors appear, but there is only ONE reader reading writings no one ever writ.

[Harbal]

There is a Tolkein forum?

I'm sure there must be loads of them, but I was referring to this forum, and its characters.

That’s the thing about good writers, Tolkein being a good writer and creator of a world (which makes him an author). What he writes about the denizens of the world he creates is true both in the particular of their situational circumstance, and samely true in the general principles of cause and effect for all folks in all times, principles concerning the truth of causation that applies to similar circumstances for any grouping of folks such as: forum-isters, cowboys and cowgirls, cynics and hopeful. In other words, he writes about the struggle of good vs evil manifesting in the particular actions of characters, and while doing this, with the same words in the same ordering at the same time, he writes about the struggle of good vs evil on a grand scale, and the evil of his world appears to be so much stronger than the goodness of the vulnerable little, different types of folks and their personal struggles against fear and uncertainty, all the while rationally knowing the long odds against themselves when measured against what must be done.

I've read the books and seen the films, and while I find the story and characters engaging, I don't have the enthusiasm that a lot of people seem to. I've never tried to analyse Tolkien's writing in the depth you seem to have, so I couldn't say how inciteful of human nature it is. I wouldn't underestimate Tolkien's achievement with the LOTR, but It could have been a bit more "grown up", in my opinion.

[Walker]

For example of the particular and the universal at the same time, Bilbo came from similar circumstances as Buddha. Born prince with all the advantages yet that wasn’t enough. Buddha also had plenty of “Took” in him and like Bilbo, went on a quest of discovery.

I'll start with Tolkien ...

Such a wonderful writer, a creator of worlds and an intimate friend.

From The Hobbit.

"As I was saying, the mother of this hobbit -- of Bilbo Baggins, that is -- was the fabulous Belladonna Took, one of the three remarkable daughters of the Old Took, head of the hobbits who lived across The Water, the small river that ran at the foot of The Hill. It was often said (in other families) that long ago one of the Took ancestors must have taken a fairy wife. That was, of course, absurd, but certainly there was still something not entirely hobbit-like about them, and once in a while members of the Took-clan would go and have adventures. They discreetly disappeared, and the family hushed it up; but the fact remained that the Tooks were not as respectable as the Bagginses, though they were undoubtedly richer. Not that Belladonna Took 2 ever had any adventures after she became Mrs. Bungo Baggins. Bungo, that was Bilbo's father, built the most luxurious hobbit-hole for her (and partly with her money) that was to be found either under The Hill or over The Hill or across The Water, and there they remained to the end of their days. Still it is probable that Bilbo, her only son, although he looked and behaved exactly like a second edition of his solid and comfortable father, got something a bit queer in his makeup from the Took side, something that only waited for a chance to come out. The chance never arrived, until Bilbo Baggins was grown up, being about fifty years old or so, and living in the beautiful hobbit-hole built by his father, which I have just described for you, until he had in fact apparently settled down immovably."

So true as a principle, children being a blend of parents in differing proportions.

[Walker]

He did okay with whimsy.

[Harbal]

He did okay with whimsy.

He did more than okay in many respects. The background detail with language and geography etc. is astonishing; the man must have had a real passion for the undertaking. His writing style isn't really my taste, though. Had I the ability to write something anywhere near as epic as the LOTR, I would have tried to make it more mature, and definitely funnier; I think he missed a golden opportunity regarding humour. But that's just me; I don't think anything worth reading unless it makes me laugh.

[promethean75]

Please do read anything by Tim Dorsey then, Harbal. Comedy is difficult to do in writing, and this guy is like a black belt at it. If you've got the right sense of humor, this guy will have u in stitches.