Tolkien in the News

marbretherese · Post by **marbretherese** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 6:38 pm

I'm amazed that Pullman regards Tolkien characters as "two-dimensional" and also that Mark Abley regards Pullman as Tolkien's equal in "adventurousness, the moral weight, the sheer audacity of his writing". I read the first of Pullman's trilogy and couldn't get any further. The characterization was simply not good enough for me to care what happened in the second and third books. I got more caught up in the Harry Potter stories than the Pullman ones!

I also find Lewis's Narnia stories somewhat two dimensional now, although i loved them as a child - Librislove's comment "subtle as a train wreck" puts me in mind of the last Narnia book where Lewis suddenly writes off the main characters in a train crash to make his point.

I've got no intention of seeing the film!

Merry · Post by **Merry** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 7:09 pm

And marbretherese, the first volume is the best one!

Spoilers below, if you really care!

I really don't think Pullman's characters are any better than Lewis'. Just as an example, the evil Mrs. Whatever, Nicole Kidman's character: she is one of the most chilling characters I've ever read, and then undergoes some kind of moral change having to do, I guess, with newly-emerging maternal feelings, and ends up giving her life for her daughter. How this moral transformation comes about, though, escaped my reading and I don't care enough to go back to look for it. I guess this makes her complex, but she is also incomprehensible. I understand Gollum better!

Merry · Post by **Merry** » Tue Dec 18, 2007 10:09 pm

I know our rule here is no extended talk about the movies, but we might have to break it: it appears to be confirmed that PJ will direct 'The Hobbit'!

PJ Agrees to Direct Hobbit

2010 release for the first movie, 2011 for the second. Woo hoo!

Edited to say: Oops! Guess I didn't read this carefully enough before I posted it. But why would he let anyone else direct it?

marbretherese · Post by **marbretherese** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 10:27 am

Merry, this is great news, even if PJ isn't at this stage planning to direct it himself: he'll make sure it's in good hands - hopefully one of the team I've got to know via the extras on the extended DVDs!

Iolanthe · Post by **Iolanthe** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 11:07 am

This is just fantastic

! I'm sure that PJ et al will make sure that we have films just as great as LorT, even if PJ doesn't direct himself. Huge chunks of LotR were directed by second and even third and fourth crews with other directors so he knows how to pick 'em and oversee the grand scheme of things.

Riv Res · Post by **Riv Res** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 2:58 pm

I think it may be time to break with tradition and open a thread in The Hobbit forum to discuss all the very interesting rumors surrounding this new PJ endeavor in greater detail.

Philipa · Post by **Philipa** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 1:51 am

Sites that shaped Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings'

Christopher Middleton hits the Tolkien Trail and sees the places that inspired the legendary author.

The darkness creeps up on you in Moseley Bog. Even during the daytime, you can't see much sky through the rotting canopy of branches, so the onset of dusk is for the most part indiscernible.

Once in the grip of evening, the bog takes on a more sinister personality. And you understand what JRR Tolkien meant when he wrote: "The trees do not like strangers. They watch you. They are usually content merely to watch you, as long as daylight lasts." He was writing, in Book One of The Lord of the Rings, about the mysterious Old Forest, haunt of the ageless Tom Bombadil. But the woodland that inspired this description was Moseley Bog, the shadowy marsh behind the house where Tolkien lived as a small boy.

That house was 264 Wake Green Road. Like the bog, it forms part of Birmingham's little-known Tolkien Trail, which takes you to landmarks the author used in his books, including the Two Towers - of Edgbaston, not of Middle Earth.

It is 70 years since The Hobbit was published and Tolkien introduced to the world of the Shire, home to Bilbo (and later Frodo) Baggins. It is only in recent years, however, that readers have come around to the idea that the model for this peace-loving countryside oasis was not rural Somerset or Cornwall but an area that today stands in the middle of built-up Birmingham.

The first stop on the trail is Sarehole Mill (known in The Hobbit as the Great Mill), where, between the ages of four and eight, Tolkien and his younger brother Hilary spent many happy hours exploring and being chased away by the bad-tempered miller (as did the young hobbits in the books).

During the winter months, Sarehole Mill (now a museum) keeps its doors closed, but its towering brick chimney still makes a powerful impression, even when glimpsed though gaps in the undergrowth. As for the low, wooden perimeter fencing, it does little to deter those wanting to get a peek at the thick, green pond that laps against the mill's foundations.

By contrast, the house that was the Tolkien family home from 1896 to 1900 is a bit of a disappointment. Not only is it minus a blue plaque and closed to visitors, but there's not even an artificial hobbit among its many flowerpots. Altogether more atmospheric is the bog, which is reached via a row of hobbit-sized bungalows and encircled by a wooden walkway that enables you to walk round without getting muddy.

You could hardly call the Tolkien Trail over-exploited. Despite the seismic success of the Oscar-winning, big-screen trilogy, references to Tolkien are limited to respectful mentions on the nature reserve noticeboard, as opposed to US-style "This Is Tolkien Country" billboards. And despite Moseley Bog being ripe for little, hairy-footed replicas of Merry, Pippin and Sam, the solitary man-made attraction is a full-length crocodile, carved out of a tree trunk.

Instead, the natural forces of damp and mould have been allowed to create their own unique tableaux, featuring armies of wounded and fallen trees, fighting (and in many cases failing) to stay upright in the sodden ground. Meanwhile, hordes of hungry creepers seek out any opportunity to drag once-powerful branches down into the mud.

It comes as quite a relief to extract oneself from this place of murk, and set off to the other side of the city, in search of the fabled Two Towers (as per the title of The Lord Of The Rings Volume Two).

Anyone who has seen the films will be struck by the similarity between the 96ft Perrott's Folly, a lighthouse-like brick structure on Waterworks Road, and the awe-inspiring fortress of Isengard, lair of the evil wizard Saruman and his orcs. The same applies to the Edgbaston Waterworks Tower, just a couple of hundred yards down the same road. A century ago, this would have been churning out sinister Mordor-like plumes of smoke from the engine room down below. Today it is dormant, but still doom-laden.

It is anyone's guess as to which real-life structure applies to which fictional tower in Tolkien's trilogy. Traditionally, the phrase "two towers" is taken to refer to Minas Tirith, home of the kings of Gondor (and location for the final, decisive battle), and to Minas Morgul, the fortress from which Sam and Frodo watch the black-clad orc armies march out to do battle.

At the same time, though, there is a confusingly large number of other towers, including Orthanc (later Isengard), Cirith Ungol (near the lair of the giant spider Shelob) and Barad-dur (from where Sauron's all-seeing eye looks out). What is beyond dispute, however, is that after the young Tolkien moved to nearby Stirling Street the horizon would have been dominated by these two imposing towers.

"He'd have looked out of his bedroom window, and there Perrott's Folly would have been," says a passing schoolteacher, on a Middle Earth pilgrimage from his home in Worcester. "Though it wasn't really a folly in the strictest sense. It was built by a local landowner so he could sit at the top and survey his estate for miles around." Today we may only be a short bus ride from Birmingham town centre, but a century ago all this would have been fields. It is said that Tolkien was shocked by the extent of industrialisation when, in 1933, he returned to his childhood haunts. Yet nothing could uproot the image of rural perfection left by his childhood.

"I lived, for my early years, in the Shire", he once declared to a friend. "In a pre-mechanical age."
# For details of the sites on the Tolkien Trail, see birmingham.co.uk

Found here.

marbretherese · Post by **marbretherese** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 11:16 am

That's it - we've been talking too long about doing this, Iolanthe - Birmingham is only about an hour or so's drive from us - we'll grab Jonick, set a date and go!!!

Iolanthe · Post by **Iolanthe** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 5:45 pm

Absolutely!!! I was thinking the same thing. We'll have to find out when Sarehole opens again and head there with our cameras

.

Just for interest, here is a link to info and a pic of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perrott's_Folly

Darn. For some reason I can't get the software to recognise a link

. You'll all have to copy and paste the address in.

Philipa · Post by **Philipa** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 10:02 pm

First "Hobbit" edition to go under the hammer

LONDON, Feb 8 (Reuters Life!) - One of the first editions of J.R.R. Tolkien's classic "The Hobbit" is expected to fetch more than 30,000 pounds ($58,560) when it goes up for auction next month.

The book, published in 1937 and featuring a range of black and white sketches, was signed by Tolkien and dedicated to his close friend Elaine Griffiths.

Tolkien had first written "The Hobbit" for his children but after reading the transcript, Griffiths thought it was so good she handed it to publisher, George, Allen and Unwin.

The story, which follows the quest of Bilbo Baggins to reclaim stolen treasures from the dragon Smaug, went on to become a cult classic, selling more than 100 million copies in 40 languages.

Just 1,500 first edition copies were ever printed.

Also in the Bonhams sale will be the first foreign language version, translated into Swedish in 1947, as well as the last known photograph of the author, said to have been taken by his grandson, Michael, in 1973 just before he died.

"The Hobbit" is expected to be turned into a Hollywood film.

It was the precursor to the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy which went on to become a blockbuster.

Iolanthe · Post by **Iolanthe** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 5:43 pm

Good Lord

. That's a huge sum, though I'm betting it will go for even more in the end!

Philipa · Post by **Philipa** » Thu Feb 14, 2008 12:36 am

Yes, I bit depressing. My only hope is that a Tolkien lover will purchase it and cherish it dearly.

Hey, let's pool our monies together...

Philipa · Post by **Philipa** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 7:58 pm

Tolkien Society News

A call for papers, 2008 Seminar: Freedom, Fate and Choice in Middle-earth

The theme for this year's seminar is "Freedom, Fate and Choice in the Middle-earth writings of J. R. R. Tolkien". Papers are sought on a wide range of topics related to this theme, including concepts such as free will and doom. The Middle-earth material ranges from The Silmarillion and The Children of Hurin through the twelve volumes of the History of Middle-earth and Tolkien's Letters to The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.

The seminar will be held in late June or early July, in the London area. It will either be in central London, or a venue in West London, accessible by public transport from central London. More travel details and a confirmed date and venue will be published in the March Amon Hen, along with a booking form.

If you want to offer a paper, please contact Christopher Kreuzer as soon as possible at crlkreuzer AT blueyonder DOT co DOT uk.

marbretherese · Post by **marbretherese** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 5:05 pm

Iolanthe wrote:Good Lord . That's a huge sum, though I'm betting it will go for even more in the end!

You were right, Iolanthe - it fetched £60,000 and went to an anonymous bidder!

The Swedish edition went for £1560 and the last photo of Tolkien for £864.

Here's a link to the full story:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7302101.stm

Tolkien's Hobbit fetches £60,000

A 1937 first edition of JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit has been sold at auction to an anonymous bidder for £60,000 - twice what it was expected to reach.

The Hobbit was Tolkien's most successful book, establishing his name as an author, and came before the longer Lord Of The Rings trilogy.

Maps, photographs and manuscripts were also on sale at Bonhams in London.

The copy of The Hobbit is inscribed to Tolkien's friend Elaine Griffiths, who had originally helped get it published.

Tolkien had intended the book for his children but after reading it, Ms Griffiths recommended it to publishers George Allen & Unwin.

Favourite tree

The first edition of 1,500 quickly sold out and it has since sold more than 100 million copies worldwide.

The auction also included the first foreign language edition of The Hobbit, translated into Swedish in 1947, which fetched £1,560. It had been expected to reach £400 to £800.

The last known photograph of Tolkien, taken by his grandson Michael on 9 August 1973, was sold for £864.

The photograph - which was expected to fetch up to £600 - shows the author in the Oxford Botanical Gardens leaning against his favourite tree, the Black Pine he named Laocoon.

It was a gift to Elaine Griffiths from Tolkien's daughter Priscilla, who wrote on the back "For Elaine with love from Priscilla".

Tolkien, who was raised in Birmingham, spent most of his life as an academic in Oxford, before retiring to Dorset with his wife, Edith.

After she died he sold up and moved back to Oxford.

Iolanthe · Post by **Iolanthe** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 10:41 am

That's one keen collector! I wish I had a first edition tucked away somewhere

.