I am not a Lord of the Rings (LotR) fan, neither the movie nor the books.
I read The Hobbit when I was 19 or 20, and loved it. I'm a huge Fantasy genre fan, and it has a great story, with great writing. Naturally, I followed it up with an attempt to read the LotR series, and failed not far into the first book. It was sooooo boring. Tolkien drags on and on and on and on and on (kind of like a Peter Jackson movie...oh wait, he directed the LotR movies, go figure). It is as though Tolkien wants the reader to have no imagination of their own, and he drones on for like seven pages about the rolling green hills. Seriously, I know what rolling green hills are, and if the ones in my imagination aren't identical to those that you have in our mind, the story isn't going to crumble and fall apart.
The LotR story is awesome, I just found the books to be poorly executed. I think Robert Jordan would have done a much better job.
The movies are another story all together. Directed by Peter Jackson, the movies were a mix of amazing special effects, and brilliant battle scenes. But seriously, could Frodo get any whinier? The entire movie is him bitching and moaning... The. Entire. Movie. If the books were like that I'm glad I never read them. Who wants this whining pathetic protagonist? Why couldn't the story be about Gimli, Legolas, or Aragorn? A character that is worthy of being the protagonist of such an epic trilogy. Frodo just left me with a bad taste in my mouth. There is little wonder I am such a Conan fan. Now there is a true protagonist.
In conclusion, just because I am a nerd, it doesn't mean I have to like The Lord of the Rings. And no, I can't be kicked out of the Nerdhood, the League of Nerds, or the Guild of Geeks, because of it.
So in conclusion. The Lord of the Rings would have been better if J.R.R. Tolkien allowed his readers to take advantage of their own imaginations without having to endure countless pages full of adjectives, and if it had a protagonist worthy of being a hero.
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4 comments:
Whether you like the LotR or not, is up to you. And I dont mind one way or another. :) But I think that your post brings up an interesting point....
"Why couldn't the story be about Gimli, Legolas, or Aragorn? A character that is worthy of being the protagonist of such an epic trilogy."
The point is, that Frodo is believable. Are any one of us worthy heros in our own epic journeys? Each and every one of us has an important role to play, even those of us who are snively and whiney and weak. And yes, the journey can be hard, nearly impossible... but the secret is, that deep inside we have what it takes!
Just my 2 cents.... take it or leave it. :)
Thanks for Sharing.
@Rebecca, I was actually thinking the same thing.
Perhaps Tolkiens desire was to write a story about an ordinary person who was able to do extraordinary things.
@Chris, the bible is full of whiny, unworthy protagonists.
Well said Miss Rebecca and Mr Nathan. Though I would rather watch a movie about a character who I can strive to be like instead of a hero who is broken just like me. :)
I think if I had watched it with what you are saying in mind, I could have appreciated Frodo a little more. As it was, I just wanted to see the battle scenes. :)
I shall have to rewatch them with those thoughts in mind.
And as for the Bible, it has its whiny little dudes, and its larger than life heroes. Both of which have their time and place. I tend to enjoy the stories of the non-whiny ones. :)
Anthony watches the trilogy by fast forwarding anything that isnt a battle scene... so he can relate. ;)
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