By Jake Weatherill from Lewisham Branch
Hi there. I suppose I should introduce myself, I am Jake, I am a Library
assistant at Lewisham Library.
I have in my time, written for a couple of websites, so I thought it might be nice to dust off my old aspiring writers hat and gush about some of the books I love. Today I will talk about The Lord of The Rings (LOTR). I don't ever think I could truly have the words to convey how important a book this is to the Fantasy genre, nor how well crafted it is.
I have in my time, written for a couple of websites, so I thought it might be nice to dust off my old aspiring writers hat and gush about some of the books I love. Today I will talk about The Lord of The Rings (LOTR). I don't ever think I could truly have the words to convey how important a book this is to the Fantasy genre, nor how well crafted it is.
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| Trench fever spared Tolkien to write Hobbit Author Bruxelles, Simon de Date Saturday, Dec. 20, 2014 Times Digital Archive |
What does Lord of The Rings mean to me? That's a much
easier question to answer. This book had a profound influence on my tastes
growing up, without it I don't think I would of given Fantasy Fiction a
chance. It would push me into hobbies that I never would have looked at, and
towards books that tell of fantastic places that drive the imagination wild.
There's also alot to be said for its philosophical impact on me.
Whenever things feel bleak it's something I go back to as a source of comfort. It reminds me of the importance of not just fighting for what you believe in, but never losing perspective on why it's worth fighting for. That seemingly little things like hope, compassion and love are what make the world spin so are what you should hold on to. All I can really say is if you have read it I hope this makes you want to re-read it. Oh and if you haven't hopefully this can sway you to take the plunge.
Whenever things feel bleak it's something I go back to as a source of comfort. It reminds me of the importance of not just fighting for what you believe in, but never losing perspective on why it's worth fighting for. That seemingly little things like hope, compassion and love are what make the world spin so are what you should hold on to. All I can really say is if you have read it I hope this makes you want to re-read it. Oh and if you haven't hopefully this can sway you to take the plunge.
Recently I finished
George R R Martin's A Dance with Dragons. It admittedly took me longer than I should have to
get round to reading the A Song of Ice & Fire (ASOIAF), but now I am hooked.
Like any self professed geek, I have found myself binge watching YouTube
channels and devouring blogs dedicated to the series that I can find.
I've enjoyed In Deep Geek
who gives fantastically deep analysis of Tolkein's work, and for
the scope of the timeline CiviliationEx.
All of which makes one thing very clear, Martin idolises J.R.R Tolkien.
All of which makes one thing very clear, Martin idolises J.R.R Tolkien.
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| Jake's bookshelf |
It makes perfect sense, Tolkien is after all the godfather of modern Fantasy
Fiction, with The Lord of The Rings (LOTR) widely considered to be his seminal work.
On the surface the appeal of it is plain to see. The classic tale of good Vs evil, filled with fascinating races, terrifying monsters, and sinister villains, however this is often an oversimplification. Firstly let us look at the characters, a lot of the classic literary archetypes are their in the plot. The wise old man, the valiant hero, the loyal friend.
On the surface the appeal of it is plain to see. The classic tale of good Vs evil, filled with fascinating races, terrifying monsters, and sinister villains, however this is often an oversimplification. Firstly let us look at the characters, a lot of the classic literary archetypes are their in the plot. The wise old man, the valiant hero, the loyal friend.
Yet when you dig
deeper these characters are ultimately more nuanced. Yes, Gandalf represents
the wise old man, yet it is he who shows compassion and interest in those
often overlooked, or in some cases completely forgotten about, by the wider
populous of Middle-Earth such as the Hobbit's.
Aragorn may seem the perfect fantasy hero, yet he is more than just a simple warrior. He is a healer, a member of the race of Men raised amongst the Elves, racked with self doubt as to whether he is worthy of the legacy of his fore-bearers and his own ability to lead.
Sam arguably is more than just Frodo's loyal companion, but in many ways is the true hero of LOTR.
He constantly rises to face the challenges that occur, unswayed by his honest fear of what he faces. Without him the quest would fall apart. That's without getting into characters like Imrahil, Beregond, Erkenbrand and Glorfindel who don't make the film version, but are incredibly pivotal in the books. But the ability of Tolkein to create these complex and layered characters goes further.
Aragorn may seem the perfect fantasy hero, yet he is more than just a simple warrior. He is a healer, a member of the race of Men raised amongst the Elves, racked with self doubt as to whether he is worthy of the legacy of his fore-bearers and his own ability to lead.
Sam arguably is more than just Frodo's loyal companion, but in many ways is the true hero of LOTR.
He constantly rises to face the challenges that occur, unswayed by his honest fear of what he faces. Without him the quest would fall apart. That's without getting into characters like Imrahil, Beregond, Erkenbrand and Glorfindel who don't make the film version, but are incredibly pivotal in the books. But the ability of Tolkein to create these complex and layered characters goes further.
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| Tolkien, John Ronald Reuel (1892–1973) Oxford Dictionary National Biography
Podcast from ODNB |
Those who fight for the side of good are not
inherently good themselves. Denethor raises the question of how far the means
justify the ends repeatedly within the text. Those like Gollum, who we are
supposed to take to be unquestionably evil, are also more than they seem.
Is
he truly someone who should be reviled? Or is he a victim of forces outside of
his control that have made him into what he becomes? These aren't questions
Tolkein provides answers for directly, preferring instead to present the
evidence then allow the reader to draw their own conclusions.
The truly
beautiful thing that Tolkein does however is remind you of what really
matters. It's easy to get wrapped up in the battles, scrapes and adventures
our heroes undertake, yet despite all this he makes it clear that these are
merely proxies necessary to defend what's truly important.
Friends, family, night's in the pub, life and love, to him these are the things we're fighting for. More than that these are the things we live for. Things that make life itself beautiful, and in times like these it's a powerful reminder to hold those dear.
Friends, family, night's in the pub, life and love, to him these are the things we're fighting for. More than that these are the things we live for. Things that make life itself beautiful, and in times like these it's a powerful reminder to hold those dear.
Without being spoiler-y this is never more evident than with the ending of the
trilogy. It's bittersweet, but still holds these principles to it's core. If
you have seen the silver screen version don't expect that ending to be what
you get. I could wax lyrical about why you should read LOTR for hours, whether
it be the characters, the narrative, the fundamental themes that Tolkein wants
us to consider when we read.
I haven't even mentioned his ability to paint scenes within the text that range from beautiful to terrifying, or the landscapes he creates within Middle-Earth. The rolling plains of Rohan, the stark industrialised Isengard, the majesty of Minas Tirith, and the dark forboding of Mordor.
I haven't even mentioned his ability to paint scenes within the text that range from beautiful to terrifying, or the landscapes he creates within Middle-Earth. The rolling plains of Rohan, the stark industrialised Isengard, the majesty of Minas Tirith, and the dark forboding of Mordor.
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| Tolkien's Map of Middle Earth(Jake's Collection) |
Fancy giving The Lord of The Rings a try? You can find it here in our
E-Library
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