[at-l] OT LOTR vs. HP

[rbenhameda@home.com (Rami)]

Leslie asks:
OK, compare LOTR with Harry Potter for us, please.

Rami says:
This is probably better left to people who don't mix up
characters,
but....

LOTR:  half a century of loyal, loving fans; honor, duty,
hardship,
triumph and failure.

The story is about a job bigger than any one person, even Elves
and
Wizards, which is undertaken by the underdog of all time with 8
friends
to help him.  It's about discovering a strength bigger than
yourself and
living up to your destiny.  The world of middle earth is complete
with
history, language, prejudice, love, secrets, hope, and evil
malice.


Frodo is the adopted heir of Bilbo and inherits the Ring after
Bilbo
leaves Bag End for good.
Gandalf discovers it's the one ring and puts Frodo on the road
away from
the shire.
The council of Elrond decides the ring must be destroyed but no
one of
power dare touch it and the fellowship of 9 is born.
The 9 try to get close to Mordor where the ring was made in order
to
destroy it, and along the way loose some members and become
separated.
2 go to Mordor with help from a third, while 5 go toward
Isengard,
Gondor, Rohan, and the Battle Front
(End of book one)
Frodo and Co. are tested again and again while entering Mordor
Pippin, Mary, Legolas, Gimli, and Aragorn see the battle
building, make
allies and friends, become soldiers, meet Ents, prepare for war
and
Aragorn prepares and reveals himself.
(end of book two)
War is met, the Ent's take up root and march to battle, the
Steward of
Gondor stands tall again, Wormtongue and Sauroman are trapped,
Gollum
tricks, Sam cries, Frodo is bitten, The Eye seeks the Ring, The
armies
mass and attack, The King Returns, Frodo looses a finger and
Gollum
regains his Precious, the tide turns, and the battle is won.
The fellowship re-unite, and then turn on their way home.
The shire is cleaned out and restored to peace, and finally the
last
verse of the traveling poem is spoken before Frodo sails across
the sea:
- Still round the corner there may wait
a new road or a secret gate;
And though I oft have passed them by,
A day will come at last when I
Shall take the hidden paths that run
West of the Moon, East of the Sun.

(as I said b4, this was probably better left to others, feel free
to
correct /  dispute as needed)


HP:	A decade of loving fans and the stories aren't yet finished

Classic Cinderella story where the boy discovers he's more than
he
thought.  Family pride, self doubt replaced with confidence and
strength, super-hero friends and super-villain enemies.


The story is about the boy who lived thru a death spell cast by
the most
powerful evil wizard ever, then is never taught his own story.
When he gets an invitation to wizard school, he begins to learn
that he
has something to be proud (and sad) about.
As he grows as a Wizard, he isn't crippled by arrogance or the
knowledge
that some things just can't be done.
He takes on the bad guys and defies the rules to do what he
thinks is
right and never gets defeated.


Harry is the son of James and Lilly Potter who are good wizards
who are
killed by Voldemort.  Harry lives while V. is nearly destroyed.
Harry is taken to live with abusive non-magic aunt and uncle
until he's
11 and can go away to wizard school
He finally learns who he is, makes friends, makes enemies, finds
strength and overcomes evil only to be sent back to the Aunt &
Uncle at
the end of the school year.
(end of book one)
Back to school, more magic, more friendship, more history, more
bad
guys, winning the fight against evil and then back home to the
Aunt &
Uncle again.
(end of book two)
Back to school, more magic, more history, more bad guys, more
friends,
winning the fight against evil and then back home to the Aunt &
Uncle
again.
(end of book three)
Back to school, oops! No school!, challenge, test, friends,
enemies,
secretes, tricks, MURDER!, Escape, fear, back home to the Aunt &
Uncle
again.
(end of book four)


Comparing the two:

Really not the same IMO, The stories are of a different age.
HP is fast paced and chock full of tease->payoff scenes with one
or two
major themes running and building thru the whole story to an
ending.
LOTR is an epic in the style of Homer.  There are hints of things
that
are never revealed in the books and tragedy even though the good
guys
win out in the end.  It's about the end of an age and the sadness
that
accompanies the thrill of being there for the end.

The Hobbit is just a "Get ready" for LOTR.  It's importance is in
learning some history and placing the ring in the shire.  Once
you
finish it, wait a few (weeks, months, years, whatever) to let it
soak in
b4 reading LOTR.
Then, when you start, read all three back to back to back as
that's the
way they were meant.

The end


-r