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Tolkien: The Hobbit
#1
I saw this at the library sale and decided to re-read it, since I last read it about 40 years ago now. I remembered almost nothing.

I have to say that it's very slight (Or is that just by comparison to LotR?) and much more of a children's book. If his style weren't as good I probably would have given up part way through. Occasionally he directly addresses the reader, very much as though speaking to a child, and I found it very annoying. Fortunately it is mainly only in the first few pages.

I certainly didn't see the making of three movies in there. And I would say if you're thinking of re-reading, don't bother.
the hands that guide me are invisible
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#2
I read The Hobbit as an assignment in college and found it tedious and simplistic.  It turned me off of Tolkien before I could give him a fair shake.  I've caught a lot of flak from friends for never having read LOTR.  Maybe I should someday.  Like you say, The Hobbit was geared towards a younger readership.

In terms of movies, I've never seen The Exorcist, Back to the Future (none of them), or Jaws.  That tends to surprise people.  Maybe when I get tired of rewatching Ichi the Killer I'll finally give them a gander.
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#3
(08-30-2017, 12:22 PM)cranefly Wrote: In terms of movies, I've never seen The Exorcist, Back to the Future (none of them), or Jaws.  That tends to surprise people.  Maybe when I get tired of rewatching Ichi the Killer I'll finally give them a gander.
 
WTH?  You should see all those films.  But only The Exorcist 1, none of the sequels because they all suck (and The Exorcist is about barfing not sucking, kinda the opposite), Jaws 1, maybe Jaws 3-D if you can see it in 3D (might as well just skip to 3-headed Shark or Sharknado if you're going to go there), and Back to the Future 1 & 2 (especially weird now with the whole Biff/Trump thing), 3 falls apart.  

I luved Tolkien as a teen.  I still have a ton of memorabilia from the Rankin Bass Hobbit and Bakshi's LotR - posters, keychains, lobby cards - damn, remember lobby cards?  

BTW, I have a whole crate of MQ6 ad graphics for the constant stream of grindhouse flicks that went through there.  Those were the cut&paste graphics sheets that you used to send out to newspapers, prior to computers.  I should dig that box out someday because I'm sure it's packed full of memories.

Anyway, I read LotR to Tara cover to cover.  We tried to do the Hobbit, but after LotR and Journey to the West, we never finished it.  Keep in mind, her generation was brought up with Jackson's LotR, so it's out of order for her and her classmates.  And Jackson flubbed the Hobbit so painfully bad.  

What about the Silmarillion?  For some reason, that seems more your speed, KB.
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#4
DM: I never was that interested in the Silmarillion, maybe because of the length of it. After I read all the Norse myth stuff, I took a look at his Sigrid and Gudrun, but I need to brush up on the Volsungsaga before I read it, because you have to know what's going on in order to decipher some of the poetry, which I think is a stylistic choice he takes from the Norse and Anglo-Saxon kenning poems. That said, the little bit I read was really good.

Cranefly: LotR is worth it. Very far superior to the Hobbit. I re-read it a couple of years ago and enjoyed it. And I've only seen a few minutes of the the BttF movies. There are a couple of big movies from the 80s that I didn't see, but I can't think of them right now.

I did see Jaws 3-D in the theater with the Yeti's younger brother. There was a scene in the trailer where Lou Gossett yells 'Here it comes!' just before the shark breaks a huge window. It was the best part of the trailer. Sadly it did not appear the film.
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#5
Quote:You can now book one of the hobbit rooms from 'Lord of the Rings' on Airbnb
[Image: GettyImages1393574247-c7a4ee05-5488-490b...?width=800][img=750x0]https://images.radio.com/aiu-media/GettyImages1393574247-c7a4ee05-5488-490b-b94e-b23729a99038.jpg?width=800[/img]
Photo credit Getty Images


  By Stephanie RaymondAudacy


9 hours ago

Have you ever wanted to stay in a hobbit house? Well now you can.
A new Airbnb listing allows interested travelers to book a stay in one of the New Zealand hobbit hole sets used in filming "The Lord Of The Rings" and "The Hobbit."
The Airbnb listing promises the first opportunity "to stay at the original Hobbiton Movie Set" featured in the two trilogies and experience "all the magic that Middle-earth has to offer."
The set has "44 permanently constructed Hobbit Holes" and one of them, The Millhouse, will be set up to accommodate visitors next spring.
The Millhouse includes two bedrooms, an indoor fireplace, backyard, and "homey décor curated by the trilogies’ Creative Director Brian Massey." It also has a "writing nook fit for Bilbo Baggins." The home can accommodate up to four guests.
While you may be in Middle-earth, the property does offer modern amenities like television and wi-fi.
Those who book a stay in the Shire will be given a private tour of the set and "an evening banquet in The Green Dragon Inn with a feast featuring beef and ale stew, whole roast chickens, freshly baked breads, and plenty of ale."
Among the house rules: Bare feet are allowed, but wipe them first; magical rings permitted, but keep them secret, keep them safe; straying far at night is discouraged, thanks to multiple troll sightings of late; and never laugh at live dragons.
You'll have to be extra lucky to book a stay at the Shire. Only three two-night stays are available and the dates are firm: March 2-4, 9-11 and 16-18. Booking opens Dec. 13 at 4 p.m. EST.
Airfare is not included, so you'll have to book your own travel to and from Auckland, New Zealand.
The property is located "in the picturesque pastures of New Zealand's Waikato region on a 1,250 acre working farm."
Check out photos of the Shire set through Airbnb.


Shouldn't it be AirBnBn2B?

That's right, the only reason I shared this news item was to make that dumb joke. No one else would understand it like D00M...
Shadow boxing the apocalypse
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#6
I read that Tolkien was the top earner among dead celebrities this year. 500 million from the sale of the estate
As a matter of fact, my anger does keep me warm

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