LOTR Or The Hobbit II? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Inziladun · 11-18-2012, 08:51 AM

In reading The Fellowship of the Ring, specifically the first chapter, A Long-Expected Party, one can detect a marked difference in tone from the rest of the book. It has a lighter feel, closer to The Hobbit. Tolkien ultimately decided against that approach, and in the second chapter of the completed work, The Shadow of the Past, a darker and more serious theme emerges.

Indeed though, when delving into the HOME tome The Return of the Shadow, it seems Tolkien's original conception of the "sequel" to TH was in fact in that vein: very hobbit-centric, fairly light-hearted, and shorter than LOTR became in the end.
For example, Strider the Dúnadan was originally "Trotter", a "wild hobbit" who was related to Bilbo and had been one of those in the Shire moved by Gandalf to go off adventuring.

What I'm wondering is this: do you think the Hobbit sequel would have been as well-received as LOTR if Tolkien had stayed with the first concept in keeping the comic tone and feel closer to its predecessor? Would Tolkien have thus been labeled a "children's author"? Would a mere retread of The Hobbit have affected the chances of any of the greater work, ie The Silmarillion being published and / or taken seriously?

11-18-2012, 08:51 AM	#1
Inziladun Gruesome Spectre Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Heaven's doorstep Posts: 8,037	LOTR Or The Hobbit II? In reading The Fellowship of the Ring, specifically the first chapter, A Long-Expected Party, one can detect a marked difference in tone from the rest of the book. It has a lighter feel, closer to The Hobbit. Tolkien ultimately decided against that approach, and in the second chapter of the completed work, The Shadow of the Past, a darker and more serious theme emerges. Indeed though, when delving into the HOME tome The Return of the Shadow, it seems Tolkien's original conception of the "sequel" to TH was in fact in that vein: very hobbit-centric, fairly light-hearted, and shorter than LOTR became in the end. For example, Strider the Dúnadan was originally "Trotter", a "wild hobbit" who was related to Bilbo and had been one of those in the Shire moved by Gandalf to go off adventuring. What I'm wondering is this: do you think the Hobbit sequel would have been as well-received as LOTR if Tolkien had stayed with the first concept in keeping the comic tone and feel closer to its predecessor? Would Tolkien have thus been labeled a "children's author"? Would a mere retread of The Hobbit have affected the chances of any of the greater work, ie The Silmarillion being published and / or taken seriously? __________________ Music alone proves the existence of God.