Tolkien in the News

marbretherese · Post by **marbretherese** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 11:42 am

That's fascinating, Iolanthe - I just Googled Robert Hardy - he was lucky enough to study at Magdalen under both Tolkien and CS Lewis! His story really emphasises Tolkien's linguistic ear, doesn't it! (I wonder which pub . . .

. . . do you think?)

Merry · Post by **Merry** » Fri Sep 21, 2007 4:21 pm

I just learned that 'World Carfree Day' is September 22--coincidence?

Maybe a way to start celebrating our favorite hobbits' birthday is not to drive those infernal contraptions on that day. (Good thing it's not a work day for me!)

Iolanthe · Post by **Iolanthe** » Sat Sep 22, 2007 10:05 am

Easy for me - I'm not going anywhere today

!

Merry · Post by **Merry** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 4:39 pm

TOR.n has a link to this article

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/ ... 440697.ece

about the Inklings. There are some bits I hadn't heard before!

marbretherese · Post by **marbretherese** » Wed Sep 26, 2007 10:59 am

Many thanks for the link, Merry, it is an interesting piece, isn't it?

From what I can remember reading about the Inklings, there was a hard core of regular members, some who came along when they could, and some hangers-on who wanted to be Inklings but weren't - I guess this is where the accusation of clique-y-ness (is that a word?) comes from. Tolkien and Lewis were certainly at odds with prevailing literary thought at the time, which is why so many critics panned LOTR when it first came out; even today the British literary 'elite' are aghast that the rest of the population insist on voting LOTR as favourite book or Tolkien as author of the century.

This looks like a superb book - I love the quote about Dyson & 'no more elves' - and it has glowing reviews on Amazon. Another one for the wish list!

Merry · Post by **Merry** » Wed Sep 26, 2007 2:35 pm

I laughed at the 'no more elves', too!

Iolanthe · Post by **Iolanthe** » Fri Sep 28, 2007 10:48 am

Too funny!

Thanks Merry - that looks like a fascinating book and I now have it on my wish list too. Tolkien obviously received the same kind of critical support from the Inklings as he did from the TCBS for his early poetry - bluntly critical where necessary, giving encouraging praise where it was due. Lucky man to have such friends honing his skills - even though there must have been some frosty moments

.

I read E. R. Edison's The Worm Ouroboros at university. I can't for the life of me think why I bought it and I can't remember a single thing about it

.

Philipa · Post by **Philipa** » Sun Oct 14, 2007 11:05 pm

An article but not to insightful.

Middle Earth meets Marquette: Tolkien historian lectures on campus

By Jaena Wenninghoff

Middle Earth came to Raynor Library Thursday with a lecture on J.R.R. Tolkien by Tolkein historian John D. Rateliff.

The Marquette alumnus's two-volume book, "The History of the Hobbit: Mr. Baggins and the Return to Bag End," was published last month. He said his work was aided by many of the original Tolkien manuscripts housed in the library.

"We are living in the golden age of Tolkien studies," Rateliff said, citing the vast number of books and magazines dedicated to the author's work.

Tolkien's popularity, Rateliff said, comes from his ability to engage readers.

"The style in which he chose to write … is deliberately done to spark reader participation," he said.

According to Rateliff, this participation is the result of Tolkien's ability to incorporate detail. The amount of detail he included was enough to set the foundation of the story but left much to the imagination of the reader. Rateliff said "too much detail limits applicability" and that Tolkien used the right amount.

Another thing that impacted the popularity of Tolkien's works was his ability to write as a memory as opposed to a series of events as they took place, Rateliff said. He said Tolkien wrote about "several sharp vivid scenes" just like memories to which the reader can relate.

While Tolkien's first published book, "The Hobbit," was created for his own enjoyment, according to Rateliff, Tolkien wrote "The Lord of the Rings" at his publisher's request.

"When 'The Hobbit' was published, they immediately asked him what else he had," Rateliff said.

"The Hobbit" was written 17 years prior to "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. Rateliff said Tolkien originally wrote "The Hobbit" as a stand-alone story but said it was later revised to better accommodate the sequels.

Rateliff concluded his lecture saying, "What we carry away from a book Tolkien wrote is the delight in the world he created."

Attendees of the lecture said they were intrigued by the in-depth look into Tolkien literature.

"I thought the lecture was interesting," said Logan Berens, a sophomore in the College of Engineering. "He had a lot of solid details he was able to explain thoroughly."

Sarah McElroy, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences agreed.

"He discussed several things I never knew about Tolkien," she said. "I just wish he would have said something in Elvish."

Philipa · Post by **Philipa** » Sun Oct 14, 2007 11:10 pm

Spend a weekend walking in Tolkien’s footsteps, Birmingham, Nov 9th-11th

The Birmingham Tolkien Group have announced a special weekend holiday for people to discover the landmarks that influenced The Lord of the Rings.

The BTG are offering: "...a unique opportunity to spend a weekend exploring the literary landscape of the young J.R.R.Tolkien, who spent his formative years, went to school and met his future wife in Birmingham."

The specifics are as follows: "From Friday 9th to Sunday 11th November you are invited to take the Tolkien Trail around the spaces and places that fuelled the imagination of the young boy who was to become internationally acclaimed as one of the most successful writers of the twentieth century.

"This brand new weekend builds on the success of the annual celebration of Tolkien's life and works held every May at Sarehole Mill, Birmingham, the model for Sandyman's Mill at Hobbiton. The enthusiasts behind the event, members of the Birmingham Tolkien Group, have now constructed an itinerary of walks and talks, visits and tours designed to enlighten and appeal to Tolkien fans everywhere.

"Following in Tolkien's footsteps and close to his former lodgings in Edgbaston, accommodation is at the three star Plough and Harrow Hotel where Tolkien and his new wife Edith stayed before he went off to fight in France during the First World War.

"Tolkien, like his creation, the Hobbits, 'lived for my early years in the Shire in a pre-mechanical age' - much of it still recognisable - in and around the then rural hamlet of Sarehole and now preserved within The Shire Country Park in suburban south Birmingham. In 1996 he reflected: 'I could draw you a map of every inch of it. I loved it with an intense love… I took the idea of the hobbits from the village people and children.'

"The house, where he lived so happily for four years, from 1896 with his widowed mother Mabel and younger brother Hilary, is still there. Just opposite you can visit Sarehole Mill, a dominating presence in Tolkien's childhood and now a local museum with a working water wheel. Like the Tolkien brothers you can cross the ford, ramble through The Shire along the willow-lined River Cole and venture into Moseley Bog, the inspiration for the Old Forest, now a local nature reserve complete with bronze-age burnt mounds and a magical atmosphere.

"In 1900 the family moved first to Moseley and then to Kings Heath to be closer to the tram route for him to attend King Edward's School then in Birmingham city centre. In 1902 Mabel Tolkien decided to move again to be near the Oratory Church in Edgbaston where Tolkien lived in various lodgings until he went up to Oxford in 1911. Two local landmarks, the Victorian Waterworks Tower and Perrott's Folly were his inspiration for the 'Two Towers' the second volume of The Lord of the Rings.

"Total costs for the weekend are £150 p.p. sharing or £190 single and include a welcome reception attended by the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, an 'Unexpected Party' on Saturday evening, all meals and transport and the services of expert guides throughout. Numbers are limited but bookings made before the end of September will be placed in a draw to win the room used by Professor and Mrs Tolkien during their stay."

Further information visit the Shire Productions.

Merry · Post by **Merry** » Sun Oct 14, 2007 11:12 pm

I love it that Marquette has really become the center for Tolkien studies in the US because of the archival collections. It really is a thrill to see our author's own handwritten pages and sketches--anybody who can get there should get there!--and it would be a great benefit to research to have that material close by.

Philipa · Post by **Philipa** » Sun Oct 14, 2007 11:14 pm

This is very cool!

Unique opportunity to buy a leaf on Tolkien’s Ent statue in Birmingham

The [1] Moseley Statue Group, Birmingham, are planning to create a lasting monument to celebrate legendary author [2] J.R.R. Tolkien's literary achievements, and they need your help. They sent us the following details:

"Tolkien fans everywhere will soon be able to buy into a legend by subscribing to the public appeal to finance a sculpture celebrating the internationally acclaimed author and his Birmingham roots. From October 1st, courtesy of eBay, fans can bid for a metal leaf with a personalised dedication and associate themselves with this most famous of writers."

[3] Your inscription here...The release from the Moseley group goes on to say: "The iconic, [4] controversial, 20 ft high 'Ent' statue will be located on Birmingham's [5] Tolkien Trail, close to where the author lived in Moseley Village, and between his childhood home of Sarehole, later immortalised as 'Hobbiton' and the Edgbaston of his youth. The Ent, a benign and friendly tree-like being, is depicted striding across a carpet of metal leaves towards Moseley Bog, the inspiration for the "Old Forest" in "The Lord of the Rings."

"The sculptor is [6] Tim Tolkien, grandson of JRR Tolkien's younger brother, Hilary. Tim already has a track record in creating landmark public art like his spectacular 'Sentinel' sculpture on Spitfire Island in Castle Vale, Birmingham, marking the area's association with the WWII fighter plane.

"The giant statue will be fabricated in recycled stainless steel with bronze and copper coatings. The individually wrought leaves will be embedded into a paving of resin bonded, crushed green glass at the base of the Ent. Tim will engrave each unique leaf with wording of the sponsor's choosing.

"There are a total of 400 silver coloured metal leaves, the first of which has been reserved by The Tolkien Society and some others sold to local patrons on a preferential basis. In addition there are 30 larger bronze leaves for corporate sponsors and private donors,

"The Moseley Statue Group who finally obtained planning permission earlier this year has always envisaged an international dimension to the public appeal to raise the £80,000 needed to finance the sculpture. Tolkien is a worldwide phenomenon with readers, admirers and devotees in every corner of the globe.

"For those familiar with the eBay worldwide marketplace, buying your leaf couldn't be easier. From October 1st (for 6 weeks) type 'Ent Leaves' into the search box, and you will be offered the opportunity to 'Buy it Now' on a strictly limited number of leaves. £500 will secure you a leaf, but if you are a risk-taker, you can make an offer - and take a leaf out of Tolkien's book…"

Further information visit the Moseley Statue Group

To view an image of the leaf go here.

Iolanthe · Post by **Iolanthe** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 10:55 am

What a fantastic idea! And I think a large sculpture to celebrate Tolkien is way overdue. The small bust at Exeter Collage is about it really and it's not exactly well displayed.

The Birmingham weekend looks wonderful - I really hope they carry on doing this next year. I have a concert to sing in on the 9th

.

From the Marquette article

Another thing that impacted the popularity of Tolkien's works was his ability to write as a memory as opposed to a series of events as they took place, Rateliff said. He said Tolkien wrote about "several sharp vivid scenes" just like memories to which the reader can relate.

It's just occurred to me what a wonderful device this is for us to see events through the eyes of characters instead of the Author - Aragorn talking about his using the Palantir, Merry (or was it Pippin) describing the fall of Isenguard.

Philipa · Post by **Philipa** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 6:46 pm

Interesting to read what Shippey thinks of Jackson's Tolkien.

Tolkien scholar dissects film intepretation of ‘Fellowship’
October 26, 2007

By Kerry D'Agostino
Staff Writer

In a lecture entitled "Filming The Lord of the Rings: How Peter Jackson Coped with J.R.R. Tolkien," Oxford professor and renowned Tolkien expert Tom Shippey went beyond his self-titled "cry of derision" to both criticize and, perhaps surprisingly, praise certain aspects of Jackson's films.

Shippey began his discussion of the films on Wednesday by sharing with the audience his experience at a preview showing of "Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring." It was a screening predominantly for movie reviewers and reporters, and he was surprised to see that even given the length of the film—over three hours—not one of the reporters or reviewers moved.

"No one spoke, no one ate their popcorn, no one left for the restroom. So," he concluded, "there's something there!"

The more important question to Shippey, however, was whether that "something" did or did not stay true to the original concept of Tolkien's Middle Earth.

While Shippey predicts that they spent somewhere around a million dollars per day while filming the movies, he said that Tolkien was much thriftier in the writing of his books.

According to Shippey, Tolkien often wrote on the backs of his students' reports and used a fountain pen with ink provided by his school, thus completely avoiding even the cost of paper and pen. His only expense was the loss of his spare time, a loss which, Shippey said, "I can tell you from personal experience, is worth nothing at all."

The movies, on the other hand, had an incredible budget. When that kind of money is spent, people develop similarly gargantuan expectations: right away, Jackson had a responsibility to please his audience, a concern which Tolkien did not have to bother with at all. Jackson, however, needed to find a way to make Tolkien's masterpiece attractive to a predominantly teenage audience.

In some ways, he succeeded, according to Shippey. The Council of Elrond, for example, is a 15,000 word documentation of a committee meeting in the book. This would hardly translate well on a movie screen.

Instead, Jackson presented much of the information revealed about the ring during this meeting at the beginning of the movie to a backdrop of warfare and more appetizing special effects. Shippey said he does not have a problem with this, because he believes it does not essentially deny the atmosphere of Tolkien's work.

Other scenes included in the movie, however, would never have fit into the Middle Earth of Tolkien's imagination. To illustrate his point Shippey showed two clips from "The Two Towers": a scene in which Legolas skateboards down a staircase while shooting orcs, and a clip of Aragorn tossing Gimli across a gorge.

"Tolkien would never have included this," Shippey said.

According to Shippey the greatest flaw of the movie does not relate to the characterization or even to the overall approach to the plot, but rather to Jackson's treatment of the palantir—a stone that functions like a crystal ball.

In the books, each of the four times it is used, the characters draw the wrong conclusion based on what they see, which drastically affect their eventual actions. Tolkien's theme here is supposed to demonstrate the importance of free will and not second guessing yourself, even in light of potentially frightening outcomes.

In the movie, though, the palantir is downgraded to a communication device. The idea of questioning free will is completely neglected.

With the exception of the palantir distortion, Shippey said that Jackson did capture the overall spirit of Tolkien's work.

"On the whole, I've been impressed by the movies," he said.

For Assistant Professor of English Mary Agnes Edsall, who teaches a Bowdoin English course entitled Tolkien's Middle Ages, inviting Shippey to speak at Bowdoin was important for a number of reasons.

"His work on Tolkien has been foundational in showing how these so-called fantasy novels were the product of deep erudition in language, literature, folklore, and philosophy," Edsall said in her introduction of Shippey.

According to Edsall, her course on Tolkien has been one of the most exciting she has taught at Bowdoin.

"It has generated some of the most meaningful class discussions and the most engaged essays in the best tradition of the liberal arts," she said. "Students not only participate in close reading and textual analysis with attention to historical context, but also explore the ethical issues at stake in the texts, in the analysis, and, at times, in their lives."

marbretherese · Post by **marbretherese** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 9:26 pm

Thanks for posting this, Philippa. Once again, Shippey has some fascinating insights, especially about the significance of the palantir! I hadn't made that connection and will have to go back to the books and read the relevant passages again.

While I loved PJ's films overall, certain things did grate with me: the dwarf-tossing and the skateboarding Legolas mentioned in the article were two of them (although my younger male friends loved all that "boy's own" stuff so it could be said to have done it's job as far as the films were concerned). And I know for sure that Aragorn would NEVER say "Let's go hunt some orc" . . .

Merry · Post by **Merry** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 4:31 am

Thanks, Philipa! I'm glad to learn something of what Shippey said.

To me, the greatest travesty in the films s having Aragorn say to the troops at Helm's Deep that they should show no mercy. Tolkien would have thought that that would have turned them into orcs.