Thursday, July 18, 2013

Reading: The Two Towers

So about a year ago I decided to take my time and read all of Tolkien's books. This began with with the Silmarillion, then the Hobbit, Then the fellowship of the rings. I will be starting the Return of the King after I have finished reading Beowulf. I find that I need a little something different to read between books.

really I have enjoyed reading these books. it has been a long time sense I had read the Lord of the Rings. I've read the hobbit more times then I can count and it was the first time I had read the Silmarillion. However I have watched Peter Jackson's Lord of the rings many many times. In fact I know those movies so much that I used to turn them on when I needed back ground noise. and re reading the books has brought up something that makes me sad. First let me say that I love the movies, they are some of the best books to movies there are.

But here is what makes me sad, all my favorite parts of the books have either been cut or completely re written in the movie. Like the Ents. Wetta gives the ents a wonderful aesthetic, but I don't think jackson and company got the Ents. in the book they are wise and cautious, in the movie they are slow and stupid.  then there is the Battle of the Hornburg, I get what they did in the movie, I get it's purpose, but I like the book better when the elves don't show up.

The big one of these is the Frodo giving into the whispers of Golem and leaving Sam behind. I hate that in the movie, but in the book as Frodo and sam make their way up the stair and through the tunnel their friendship makes the whole thing something different. they know that Golem is up to something. in the movie at this point Frodo comes across as an idiot who is blow about by the opinions of someone that he knows is evil.

So I like the movies, I watch them about once every so many months, but I like the book better. All I can say to those who have been brought into the world of Tolkien by way of Jackson, what the heck are you waiting for?

till next time God Speed and Open Roads.

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