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#761 |
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: In Eldamar beside the walls of Elven Tirion
Posts: 551
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You misunderstand me. Tolkien is my favourite author, but I wouldn't call LotR the best book ever written. The reason it's my personal favourite is because of the fairy-tale feeling you get while reading it (though certainly there is no 'fairy-tale' ending!) and because of the beautiful and historically rich world Tolkien created. So yes, no author will ever come close to doing that, but there are people who write better than him. Examples? Victor Hugo, Leo Tolstoy, Mary Ann Evans, Charlotte Brontë etc.
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"Hey! Come derry dol! Can you hear me singing?" – Tom Bombadil |
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#762 | |
Wisest of the Noldor
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I doubt there is a single "best book ever written". You can maybe talk about something being the best in a particular genre, but what criteria would determine what was the best ever?
Mind you, generally people really just mean a certain book is their favourite. Quote:
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"Even Nerwen wasn't evil in the beginning." –Elmo. |
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#763 |
Blossom of Dwimordene
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: The realm of forgotten words
Posts: 10,357
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I was wrong to say that specifically about LOTR. I meant just Tolkien in general, but most peope that I know never heard that name, but they know LOTR from the movies. There are other authors whos books I enjoy very much - sometimes even more than Tolkien. They also go very deep and emotional, but they only show a few certain situations like that, whereas Tolkien has all kinds of sides and circumstances. If I were to choose one author that I like best, I'd name Tolkien, even though others are very good as well.
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You passed from under darkened dome, you enter now the secret land. - Take me to Finrod's fabled home!... ~ Finrod: The Rock Opera |
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#764 | |
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: In Eldamar beside the walls of Elven Tirion
Posts: 551
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"Hey! Come derry dol! Can you hear me singing?" – Tom Bombadil |
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#765 | |
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: In Eldamar beside the walls of Elven Tirion
Posts: 551
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"Hey! Come derry dol! Can you hear me singing?" – Tom Bombadil |
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#766 |
Blossom of Dwimordene
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: The realm of forgotten words
Posts: 10,357
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yes, yes, and definitely YES!!!!!
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You passed from under darkened dome, you enter now the secret land. - Take me to Finrod's fabled home!... ~ Finrod: The Rock Opera |
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#767 | |
Wisest of the Noldor
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So– that's what's so bad about it.
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"Even Nerwen wasn't evil in the beginning." –Elmo. |
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#768 |
Wisest of the Noldor
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I suppose I should have put an OT warning on that post, but actually it's pretty relevant to Middle-earth, what with all the aliases people like to employ there.
Seriously, I read a wiki article once where a certain Elf-Lady was referred to as "Nerwen" throughout (presumably on the grounds that it was her "real" name) and even I found it annoying. ![]()
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"Even Nerwen wasn't evil in the beginning." –Elmo. |
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#769 | |
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: In Eldamar beside the walls of Elven Tirion
Posts: 551
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Quote:
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"Hey! Come derry dol! Can you hear me singing?" – Tom Bombadil |
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#770 |
Wisest of the Noldor
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I haven't experienced that, but I have run into a lot who mix up the movies and books quite badly, even after reading them. I think that's the way things tend to go, with adaptations in general: the version you encounter first becomes, for you, the "true" one, and it can be hard to accept that certain things weren't part of the original.
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"Even Nerwen wasn't evil in the beginning." –Elmo. |
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#771 | |
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: In Eldamar beside the walls of Elven Tirion
Posts: 551
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Quote:
![]() It's just that people like the films /so/ much, sometimes they have difficulty reading the book, because it's much less action-packed, and more like something that has to be savoured.
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"Hey! Come derry dol! Can you hear me singing?" – Tom Bombadil |
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#772 |
Guardian of the Blind
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Where The Skies End
Posts: 899
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I like Terry Goodkind's "Sword Of Truth" series and Tad Willam's "Otherland" and I might read Robert Jordan's "Wheel Of Time".
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#773 |
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: In Eldamar beside the walls of Elven Tirion
Posts: 551
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Is 'Sword of Truth' any good? I've been thinking about reading it.
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"Hey! Come derry dol! Can you hear me singing?" – Tom Bombadil |
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#774 |
Shady She-Penguin
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: In a far land beyond the Sea
Posts: 8,093
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I have almost finished Neil Gaiman's American Gods and I have to say the guy is genius.
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Like the stars chase the sun, over the glowing hill I will conquer Blood is running deep, some things never sleep Double Fenris
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#775 | |
Guardian of the Blind
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Where The Skies End
Posts: 899
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#776 | |
Drummer in the Deep
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Next Sunday A.D.
Posts: 2,126
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Quote:
Recently I read two and a half books of Mercedes Lackey's "500 Kingdoms" books, twists off of old fairy tales. The twist? The progatonistas are all quirky, headstrong and always right! Ho ho! Also they were romance novels! I was TRICKED!
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#777 |
Blossom of Dwimordene
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: The realm of forgotten words
Posts: 10,357
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I just finished reading a book called Polgara the Sorceress. It is...OK, I guess. Nothing brilliant. I like the philosophy behind the fiction, though.
*I don't know how that book got into my hands. Aparantly it's 12th in a series. ![]()
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You passed from under darkened dome, you enter now the secret land. - Take me to Finrod's fabled home!... ~ Finrod: The Rock Opera |
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#778 | |
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: In Eldamar beside the walls of Elven Tirion
Posts: 551
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"Hey! Come derry dol! Can you hear me singing?" – Tom Bombadil |
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#779 |
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: In Eldamar beside the walls of Elven Tirion
Posts: 551
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You do? Then you MUST read 'Good Omens'. It's a collab between Gaiman and Pratchett.
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"Hey! Come derry dol! Can you hear me singing?" – Tom Bombadil |
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#780 |
Child of the West
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Watching President Fillmore ride a unicorn
Posts: 2,132
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I read Games of Thrones by George R.R. Martin recently. At first I liked it...that quickly changed and I refused to stop reading it because I had come too far. I could go on for hours as to why I can't stand Martin or his work, but I'll stick to the fact the man has an interesting idea, but ruins it by having boring characters who are almost all the same in ambitions and personality. I really liked Ned Stark, but for those who have read well... I watched the first two episodes of the show and found it as boring as the book.
So to cleanse my literary palette by reading copious amounts of Terry Pratchett. I got into a few books because of Downs recommendations, but lately I've pretty much solely been living on the Disc. I must thank this site for pointing me in that directions because my life is greatly enhanced with Rincewind, Vimes, and Vetinari in it.
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"Let us live so that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry." - Mark Twain |
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#781 |
Flame of the Ainulindalë
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Funny to be about on the exact opposite opinion with Kit.
I have only now realised that I have been a waay too busy with all my work that it takes a major operation and the following sick-leave for me to have time to read books again. But I have enjoyed Mr. Martin's A Game of Thrones. Although I do agree with Kit in that many of the main characters seem to have more or less one sided minds in sharing similar ambitions. But I do like it nevertheless. Terry Pratchett and his Discworld I have found quite yawning reading. It has all the things that could make very fun reading but somehow I'm not impressed (after reading two books years ago). I mean it's like a joke that has gotten way too long. They're kind of witty and hilarious, but then again I do find them failing to be anything else. But surely I can be misguided in here as I have only read the two first ones... from what, fifty? ![]() PS. A reason to love George R. Martin: he is able to kill off his main characters every once in a while thus making the books much more "realistic" and kind of breaking the phantasy genre where every well intending hero against his own will will prevail in the end (or if he dies a martyr his cause will prevail). I just love it how he makes fool of me the reader and reminds me that there are tales much more interesting than fairy-tales...
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Upon the hearth the fire is red Beneath the roof there is a bed; But not yet weary are our feet... Last edited by Nogrod; 06-18-2011 at 02:12 PM. |
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#782 |
Wight of the Old Forest
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Unattended on the railway station, in the litter at the dancehall
Posts: 3,329
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I sort of see where you're coming from about Pratchett, Nog; he's a bit of an acquired taste, but I've found he gets better with age (as long as he still manages to battle Alzheimer's, at least
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Und aus dem Erebos kamen viele seelen herauf der abgeschiedenen toten.- Homer, Odyssey, Canto XI |
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#783 |
Flame of the Ainulindalë
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Thanks for the hint. As this might turn out the "summer of reading" after a long time, I might actually try to get a hold of those to see if my mind changes...
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Upon the hearth the fire is red Beneath the roof there is a bed; But not yet weary are our feet... |
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#784 | ||
Child of the West
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Watching President Fillmore ride a unicorn
Posts: 2,132
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"Let us live so that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry." - Mark Twain |
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#785 | |
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: In Eldamar beside the walls of Elven Tirion
Posts: 551
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If there's one complaint I have about the series, it's his pessimism about humanity. He portrays everyone as evil or selfish, with no regard for anyone but themselves and/or a couple of others. The only character I thought was free form evil was Brienne. I mean, sure, you get sick of people being black and white, but there is some good in this world, and that's a fact. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the fact that he hasn't done the typical 'good vs evil' cliché, and I think that most of his characters are well thought-out, but give these guys a break, man. At least a few characters should be leaning towards their good side.
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"Hey! Come derry dol! Can you hear me singing?" – Tom Bombadil |
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#786 |
Shady She-Penguin
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: In a far land beyond the Sea
Posts: 8,093
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Oh but there are lots of others (spoiler if you don't want to hear who are good guys) at least Ned, Bran, Jon, Samwell, Old Bear, Maester Aemon, Hodor, Meera, Jojen and Davos off the top of my head.
I personally enjoy Martin a lot (up to the point of recently being rather obsessed), and I have to disagree with Kit about the characters - they may start as slightly cardboardy, but they get so much better during the series: in fact so good that it depresses me as an aspiring writer. I really like the slowly revealed depth of characters like Jaime Lannister or Sansa Stark.
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Like the stars chase the sun, over the glowing hill I will conquer Blood is running deep, some things never sleep Double Fenris
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#787 |
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: In Eldamar beside the walls of Elven Tirion
Posts: 551
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I finally started on Harry Potter. Not because of the films, but because I've wanted to get into the fandom for a long time, but I kept getting put off by the first few lines in 'The Philosopher's Stone' and by people telling me it was a great work of art
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"Hey! Come derry dol! Can you hear me singing?" – Tom Bombadil |
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#788 | |
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: In Eldamar beside the walls of Elven Tirion
Posts: 551
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Quote:
![]() And I absolutely LOVE the way Jaime turned out!
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"Hey! Come derry dol! Can you hear me singing?" – Tom Bombadil |
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#789 | |||
Shady She-Penguin
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: In a far land beyond the Sea
Posts: 8,093
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Better to reply late than never, eh?
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Like the stars chase the sun, over the glowing hill I will conquer Blood is running deep, some things never sleep Double Fenris
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#790 | |
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
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Quote:
As far as what other fantasy books I read - I'm willing to give most things at least a try...I have The Name of the Wind, Dresdan Files, and a few others waiting to be read. I read a lot of older fantasy too, like George MacDonald's The Princess and the Goblin, and then folklore, mythology, ect... I tried to reread Narnia in the 7th grade, and hated it...too many religious overtones for me.
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Busy, Busy, Busy...hoping for more free time soon. |
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#791 |
Blossom of Dwimordene
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: The realm of forgotten words
Posts: 10,357
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@ My Twin Sister: You'll like HP, at least on the first read. It's definitely captvating. Personally, I think that series is addictive because of the tangled intrigue/connections, but it lacks depth. I put off reading it until last year for those very reasons - to prove myself first wrong, and then right again. Then HP also has some plot-based faults, but I won't give spoilers.
This really depends on the reader, because I know many HP fans of various ages. And anyways, I think it is worth reading just to know and to compare, if you get my meaning. @ Lommy: I was thinking I'm the only one here who read that book. It is rather nice, though, as I said, not brilliant IMO. I definitely agree that reading the entire series would help with the background knowledge (I can talk, I didn't read it... ![]() @ LadyB: I read Narnia in Grade 5, and at first I was addicted but then I cooled down, because it was too "simple". However, now that I'm a bit older and wiser (...or at least older ![]()
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You passed from under darkened dome, you enter now the secret land. - Take me to Finrod's fabled home!... ~ Finrod: The Rock Opera |
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#792 |
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Skyrim, again.
Posts: 820
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If you haven't read Sandman yet, you need to. The single best book I've ever read. If you have, Anansi Boys is set in the American Gods universe and I enjoyed it even better than the first one.
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Werewolves vs. Fishmen. The battle of the century. |
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#793 | |
Shady She-Penguin
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: In a far land beyond the Sea
Posts: 8,093
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Like the stars chase the sun, over the glowing hill I will conquer Blood is running deep, some things never sleep Double Fenris
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#794 | |
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
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Busy, Busy, Busy...hoping for more free time soon. |
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#795 |
Newly Deceased
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 10
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Reading and Writing my own Fantasy Book
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#796 | |
Wight of the Old Forest
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Unattended on the railway station, in the litter at the dancehall
Posts: 3,329
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Und aus dem Erebos kamen viele seelen herauf der abgeschiedenen toten.- Homer, Odyssey, Canto XI |
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#797 | |
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: In Eldamar beside the walls of Elven Tirion
Posts: 551
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Quote:
![]() A lot of people have read the Bible...anyone around here read the Upanishads? ![]()
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"Hey! Come derry dol! Can you hear me singing?" – Tom Bombadil |
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#798 | |
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: In Eldamar beside the walls of Elven Tirion
Posts: 551
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Quote:
![]() LadyBrooke: I agree. IMO romance kills a book, unless it's in small amounts. I think that is one of the (big) reasons I loved LotR so much. When I reached the end I was like "Yes, yes, yes! Such little romance!" Of course, Jackson simply had to put an unnecessary amount of it in the movies. Poor, dear Glorfindel Thinlómien: Well, not exactly 'free' of evil, but having much more of a good side to them. God, I need to start being more specific...
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"Hey! Come derry dol! Can you hear me singing?" – Tom Bombadil Last edited by Galadriel; 07-10-2011 at 11:50 AM. |
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#799 | ||
Blossom of Dwimordene
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: The realm of forgotten words
Posts: 10,357
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You passed from under darkened dome, you enter now the secret land. - Take me to Finrod's fabled home!... ~ Finrod: The Rock Opera |
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#800 | ||||
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
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I have, however, read portions of the Epic of Gilgamesh for an essay. It was weird...but I liked it. ![]() ![]() Quote:
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Busy, Busy, Busy...hoping for more free time soon. |
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