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JRR Tolkien


wichmansand

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Hi there

Being an avid LOTR reader I stumbled upon some clips of what I believe to be the authors old drinking hole (I believe it to be in Oxford )I think it is the old eagle an child where he met with CS Lewis . I think the clips also have the Church where Lewis is buried ? can some one put me out of my misery

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New members are not allowed to post links on the forum, so I have removed them.

 

I'm not sure that anyone would be able to help you out with regard to whether or not the clips are of the places you specified, but you would probably find out for sure by contacting the person who actually posted the clips on youtube. Good luck finding out.

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I've only just started reading regularly. JRR Tolkien is a brilliant author. I've just read The Hobbit and The Fellowship Of The Rings which are both just a wonderful, descriptive world of fantasy. I've read the first chapter of The Two Towers as well and I think I will like it a lot.

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Tolkein & Lewis were members of an writers club (of sorts) called The Inklings. This used to meet at The Eagle & Child in Oxford, so you are correct on that. As to Lewis' grave, I don't know.

 

I can't resist adding this little bit of trivia though, as you are currently reading the two towers. It's widely beleived that the idea of two opposing towers comes from his childhood here in Birmingham. On his way to school, he would walk past two gothic style towers, one a water tower the other a folly. They are still standing, as is the water mill supposedly the basis of The Shire

 

 

Ian

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  • 1 year later...

Anybody reading (or thinking of reading) the works of JRR T. about now-ish?

 

Have just ordered an illustrated LOTR set (inclusive of the Hobbit) and I really think these may be the ones I finally read from beginning to end!

I have had so many false starts, with this series. Definitely feel drawn to this particular set, though, so it's lookin' promising ...

 

Absolutely love the films, and am looking forward to the new "Hobbit" movie, too - we can't have enough fantasy in this life! :D

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Anybody reading (or thinking of reading) the works of JRR T. about now-ish?

Nope! Sorry Booknutt, but once was enough for me. Have seen the films several times, but have only read the books once (before the films came out, just so I knew how they compared) and although they were good, I know I couldn't read them again.

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It's a bit of the other way around for me, Bookhound - it's the films that persuaded me to give the books a try - again.

 

Any comments from anyone who has read and seen both? Mostly, films of books don't have half of the same detail, but some can be very successfully shortened, staying true to the characters and stories.

 

It's going to be a few weeks till I can settle with "The Hobbit" to start me at the beginning - so any thoughts would be welcome, gang. :smile:

 

P.S. Love the mini Hobbit hardback brought out for the 75th Anniversary. Maybe I'll get one of those, too?

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The LotR books were my best mate's favourite novels from the time we were very young. He raved about them to me, and eventually bought me the trilogy. I tried to read Fellowship three times and gave up each time at the Council of Elrond. I think my main problem is that I found the start of it so annoyingly twee, even when I was younger. I finally got through it, before the films were released, and went on to enjoy the other books, but I do find it somewhat overrated. As an exercise in world building it's very impressive, but I didn't think the writing was particularly great. I think this is maybe because I read a lot of other fantasy books before finally getting around to it, so I'd already discovered other novels that I thought were better, even though they probably nicked Tolkein's ideas left, right and centre.

 

It's interesting to me that they cut certain parts from the film, like Tom Bombadil (one of the most irritating parts of the whole thing, for me), and changed other bits, some of which robbed the story of power and whatever logic was there in the first place. It was good to flick through the books after the films were released and to see how much of the dialogue was there on the page, though.

 

I have never read The Hobbit or The Silmarillion etc, and can't see myself doing so at the moment, although that might change after the new movies are released.

 

:smile:

Edited by Karsa Orlong
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I have read 'The Hobbit' and the 'Lord Of The Rings' trilogy and enjoyed both. 'The Hobbit' is a great rollicking romp in Middle Earth and a great introduction to the world, although it stands very well on it's own. I will happily read this again one day. My husband's first Christmas present to me was a beautiful hardback edition of 'The Hobbit', complete with a cd recording of Tolkein reading a few chapters, maps and postcards. :D

 

The trilogy was dense and at times tedious with detail, but worth ploughing through in my very humble opinion. I thought Peter Jackson did an amazing job of bringing the three to the screen and visually I don't think they can be faulted. I saw the films after reading the books many years before, so it would be difficult to know whether prior knowledge was an advantage or not.

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Thanks for your thoughts, everybody. :smile:

 

I received my order of illustrated Hobbit and the LOTR trilogy yesterday. I'd planned to start Hobbit in a week or two, after I've finished my current historical novel, and read two newly published books I've just received.

 

Made the mistake of flicking through them to admire the illustrations, though - and now Hobbit is calling to me from the bookshelves - ! (Isn't it so frustrating when you try to read a TBR pile in order, and they just won't wait in peace for their turn?) Maybe I'll just compromise and leave it beside my bed,and it'd be just right for a bit of relaxing "nightcap" reading - ? :D

 

Does anyone else have the mini Hobbit hardback? (the 75th Anniversary one)

What do you think of it regardng quality, illustrations, 'n other stuff?

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Anybody reading (or thinking of reading) the works of JRR T. about now-ish?

 

Have just ordered an illustrated LOTR set (inclusive of the Hobbit) and I really think these may be the ones I finally read from beginning to end!

I have had so many false starts, with this series. Definitely feel drawn to this particular set, though, so it's lookin' promising ...

 

Absolutely love the films, and am looking forward to the new "Hobbit" movie, too - we can't have enough fantasy in this life! :D

I really want to order that set myself! Paperback I think. I am going to, as soon as I can afford it, since I've cut down on buying books.

 

And yes, that set is brilliant. It demands a continuous read :) Also buy a copy of The Complete Tolkien Companion by J. E. A. Tyler :) It is a brilliant book and an absolute necessity for a Tolkien fan.

Edited by vinay87
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The hobbit and the lord of the rings were among the first proper books I read in about 1987,88 when I first went to secondary school. It was also about this time I was getting into guns 'n' roses appetite for destruction. Set school books that I remember were Mrs frisby and the rats of nimh,1984 and animal farm.

Edited by dex
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  • 2 months later...

I have read 'The Hobbit' and the 'Lord Of The Rings' trilogy and enjoyed both. 'The Hobbit' is a great rollicking romp in Middle Earth and a great introduction to the world, although it stands very well on it's own. I will happily read this again one day. My husband's first Christmas present to me was a beautiful hardback edition of 'The Hobbit', complete with a cd recording of Tolkein reading a few chapters, maps and postcards. :D

 

The trilogy was dense and at times tedious with detail, but worth ploughing through in my very humble opinion. I thought Peter Jackson did an amazing job of bringing the three to the screen and visually I don't think they can be faulted. I saw the films after reading the books many years before, so it would be difficult to know whether prior knowledge was an advantage or not.

 

quiz for you Chrissy....not fair to look it up. :)

 

What was the age of the longest lived Hobbit and name him/her.

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quiz for you Chrissy....not fair to look it up. :)

 

What was the age of the longest lived Hobbit and name him/her.

 

chrissy, if you need help maybe "bony elbows" can give you a hint. I beleieve she recently finished reading "The Hobbit".

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chrissy, if you need help maybe "bony elbows" can give you a hint. I beleieve she recently finished reading "The Hobbit".

 

If that's me you're so 'flatteringly' referring to Mr Muggle ....... :P

I have the most sieve-like memory, and have no recollection of the oldest hobbit at all :doh:

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If that's me you're so 'flatteringly' referring to Mr Muggle ....... :P

I have the most sieve-like memory, and have no recollection of the oldest hobbit at all :doh:

Well, so much for help to Chrissy from that source. :)

hint, 'he' was born in TA 2430 and died in TA 3019 making him 549 yrs old at time of death.

Edited by muggle not
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