NecrosaroIII
Ask me about my terrible takes on Star Trek characters
I first discovered Lord of the Rings probably as a kid when watching The Hobbit Rankin Bass on cable, but it wasn't until 2001 that I really got into it when the Fellowship of the Ring came out in theaters. I got into Lord of the Rings pretty hard. The Peter Jackson movies came out at a really difficult time in my life, and it really resonated.
Themes and Story
I think that the single most important theme of Lord of the Rings, and the one that really resonates with me, even as a child, is the idea of enduring in the face of hopelessness really gave me courage as a child. But the book is not all bright eyed about it. Sometimes the pain is too deep. Things can get better, but can't go back to the way they were. And that stood out to me the most. Of course, that was always a major theme of the original, but I guess as a middle-aged man who has passed beyond trauma, I relate with Frodo heavily in that regard.
The story is as good as ever. While most people seem to prefer the Aragorn and Co portions of the story, my favorite sections are actually the Frodo and Sam parts. I loved the dynamics between him and Gollum. There is the truest sense of urgency in his parts. I think my utmost favorite segment though is the first half of Fellowship. Frodo's journey from the Shire to Rivendell is thrilling. And Tolkien's sense of care in describing the country side, from the familiar aspects of the Shire to the lonely road between weathertop and Rivendell was great.
Characters
As a teenagers, characters like Aragorn and Samwise appealed to me. After this most recent reading, Pipping jumped up drastically in my rankings. Sure, of the hobbits he's the least achieved. But there is one aspect of his character that I don't think any of the adaptations have really captured. Peter Jackson portrayed him as sort of an idiot, or clueless. Tolkien envisioned him as a teenager. He has not yet come of age, and is such he is portrayed as the least "world ready" of the Hobbits. He's a fun character when you think of him that way. Kind of dumb, preoccupied and clumsy like an awkward 16 year old. Not baffoonish.
Of course Gandalf, is the best though.
Strangely enough, Aragorn dropped a bit in my estimations after this reading. He's still pretty awesome, but quite a few decisions he makes turn out disasterous. Especially early on. Still love the dude though.
Frodo... I feel for Frodo and love him. I think he's a wonderful character. I love how he represents the sort of educated class Tolkien inhabited. Yes, he fails. But I love his vibe. I really appreciate his "normal person doing extraordinary things"
World Building
I've read a ton of fantasy and sci fi since reading LotR, and I've yet to see anyone do it better. Tolkien was master class at it. It might seem kinda of basic now, but there is so much depth there. So much little attention to detail. It might seems sort of basic now, but it still feels so realized. I wish I could write a world like he could.
Certain things do stand out though. The world does feel somewhat empty in places. Like the lands between Rohan and the Shire. We're told there are villages in places such as Rohan, but never really hear any details and the characters go through great stretches of isolation. But that doesn't necessarily mean it's a bug in the text. Just gives Middle-earth a sort of lonely feeling.
Adaptations
Peter Jackson's trilogy mostly hits the mark, but it's not the end all be all. I think there are worth parts of all adaptations. I think he misses the mark on a few things, but what he pulled off is commendable. I think my biggest problem is how he handled Denethor... but minor squabbles.
People are down on the Bakshi film... Honestly, I don't think it's terrible. There are certainly awkward things about it, but it's not the worst thing ever made. Just kinda clumsy. Ditto for Rankin Bass's movie.
In fact, regarding the Rankin Bass movie, it does quite a few things WELL. But it was a mistake just to do an adaptation of RotK. I adore Orson Bean as Frodo (He's a wonderful Bilbo too). And I'll be god damned if its songs aren't bangers (Their Hobbit had better songs). I love "It's so Easy Not to Try".
My favorite adaptation is the 1981 BBC radio broadcast. Ian Holm is my favorite Frodo, and Bill Nighy is fantastic as Sam (I think Sean Astin probably scribed some of Nighy's choices).
Themes and Story
I think that the single most important theme of Lord of the Rings, and the one that really resonates with me, even as a child, is the idea of enduring in the face of hopelessness really gave me courage as a child. But the book is not all bright eyed about it. Sometimes the pain is too deep. Things can get better, but can't go back to the way they were. And that stood out to me the most. Of course, that was always a major theme of the original, but I guess as a middle-aged man who has passed beyond trauma, I relate with Frodo heavily in that regard.
The story is as good as ever. While most people seem to prefer the Aragorn and Co portions of the story, my favorite sections are actually the Frodo and Sam parts. I loved the dynamics between him and Gollum. There is the truest sense of urgency in his parts. I think my utmost favorite segment though is the first half of Fellowship. Frodo's journey from the Shire to Rivendell is thrilling. And Tolkien's sense of care in describing the country side, from the familiar aspects of the Shire to the lonely road between weathertop and Rivendell was great.
Characters
As a teenagers, characters like Aragorn and Samwise appealed to me. After this most recent reading, Pipping jumped up drastically in my rankings. Sure, of the hobbits he's the least achieved. But there is one aspect of his character that I don't think any of the adaptations have really captured. Peter Jackson portrayed him as sort of an idiot, or clueless. Tolkien envisioned him as a teenager. He has not yet come of age, and is such he is portrayed as the least "world ready" of the Hobbits. He's a fun character when you think of him that way. Kind of dumb, preoccupied and clumsy like an awkward 16 year old. Not baffoonish.
Of course Gandalf, is the best though.
Strangely enough, Aragorn dropped a bit in my estimations after this reading. He's still pretty awesome, but quite a few decisions he makes turn out disasterous. Especially early on. Still love the dude though.
Frodo... I feel for Frodo and love him. I think he's a wonderful character. I love how he represents the sort of educated class Tolkien inhabited. Yes, he fails. But I love his vibe. I really appreciate his "normal person doing extraordinary things"
World Building
I've read a ton of fantasy and sci fi since reading LotR, and I've yet to see anyone do it better. Tolkien was master class at it. It might seem kinda of basic now, but there is so much depth there. So much little attention to detail. It might seems sort of basic now, but it still feels so realized. I wish I could write a world like he could.
Certain things do stand out though. The world does feel somewhat empty in places. Like the lands between Rohan and the Shire. We're told there are villages in places such as Rohan, but never really hear any details and the characters go through great stretches of isolation. But that doesn't necessarily mean it's a bug in the text. Just gives Middle-earth a sort of lonely feeling.
Adaptations
Peter Jackson's trilogy mostly hits the mark, but it's not the end all be all. I think there are worth parts of all adaptations. I think he misses the mark on a few things, but what he pulled off is commendable. I think my biggest problem is how he handled Denethor... but minor squabbles.
People are down on the Bakshi film... Honestly, I don't think it's terrible. There are certainly awkward things about it, but it's not the worst thing ever made. Just kinda clumsy. Ditto for Rankin Bass's movie.
In fact, regarding the Rankin Bass movie, it does quite a few things WELL. But it was a mistake just to do an adaptation of RotK. I adore Orson Bean as Frodo (He's a wonderful Bilbo too). And I'll be god damned if its songs aren't bangers (Their Hobbit had better songs). I love "It's so Easy Not to Try".
My favorite adaptation is the 1981 BBC radio broadcast. Ian Holm is my favorite Frodo, and Bill Nighy is fantastic as Sam (I think Sean Astin probably scribed some of Nighy's choices).
