Quote:
Originally Posted by bthrowsnaill
Dennis, I also find it interesting that the movies haven't affected your enjoyment of LOTR. I agree that they got the images right in the sense that they were faithful to the novels and based on some of the best Tolkien inspired artwork. My mind's eye view of the imagery of Middle Earth had been so magical though - I don't even know how to describe it. I suppose it would be something like a heaven/nirvana/paradise visualization but for me it goes beyond just visual. Tolkien somehow allows me to experience a sense of the perfection and beauty of ME that I've never experienced in another fantasy novel. I think it has something to do with his linguistic expertise, his command of myth, etc., etc.
Bill
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That's a reasonable attitude.
As mentioned, the induced visuals aren't what I'm rereading for. Curiously, I think visually. Sight is my primary sense, I navigate by visual landmarks, and when I'm asked a technical question, my impulse is the reach for a pencil and paper to draw a diagram. This falls down with people like my SO, who do not think visually and make no sense of the pictures I draw. I must find other metaphors to explain the concepts.
But while Tolkien evokes wonderful pictures, I don't get the visuals of the films overriding my own. It's more of a blend, simply because I
do think Jackson pretty much got it right. I'm rereading for style and mood. For example, I used to fast forward through the section set in the Dead Marshes because it was intensely creepy. More recently, I've come to admire the craft involved in
making it that creepy. I'm rereading for
language, not pictures, and Jackson's films don't get in the way. (Another reason I like the films is how much of Tolkien's language Jackson managed to leave
in.)
But then, I'm one of the folks who have have spent more time in the Appendices of LoTR than in the books themselves, intensely curious about the back story and the events of the First Age, and there was a time when I could do pretty fair Quenya calligraphy, and wished I knew more words to write.
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Dennis