[at-l] LOTR

[rafe@oasissemi.com (Raphael Bustin)]

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At 09:35 AM 9/19/2002 -0500, Shane wrote:

>But that's just LOTR.  The Hobbit was much better - and so was the
>Silmarillion, which is by far the best of his works.  Bilbo's journey was
>one of adventure and personal discovery - and that's what drove me out of
>Home Town, USA.  To learn about what the world was REALLY like, and not just
>to sit at home and watch TV and think that every street was like my street,
>and all the world was just like the little piece that I called home.
>
>I have never regretted those first trembling steps - and I don't think Bilbo
>did either...


I think in terms of wandering for the pleasure of it, or
the adventure, you are quite correct.  The analogy to
thru-hiking works better with The Hobbit than to LOTR.

I'm not a Tolkien fanatic -- never could get past the first
few pages of the Silmarillion.  In fact, my initial reaction
to LOTR was something like Dawg's -- I had a hard time
with it, and had to force myself to read on.

As for thinking that the world was like my street -- I never
had such illusions, not even as a child.  Most likely
something to do with being an immigrant to the USA, whose
parents had traveled far and wide just to stay alive and escape
horrific evil.

BTW, if I recall correctly, Tolkien (in interviews) rather
played down the notion that his work was a commentary
on events or people in the real world.


rafe b.
aka terrapin
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