I love his drawing style.

Tolkien was a pretty rare fellow. Not only could he speak half a dozen languages (some of them extinct), he was incredibly imaginative, a master of the written word, a decent artist, and gave Hitler the verbal smackdown in a letter one time.

How many drawings of the same scene do you need to write a book?

Anyone ever tried to re-read the hobbit after the age of 14? Painful read.

/childrens book
//look forward to Peter Jackson maturing it a bit

bravian: Anyone ever tried to re-read the hobbit after the age of 14? Painful read.

On the contrary, I find the twee, fairy-tale-read-aloud-by-your-grandfather sort of style to be entirely part of the book's charm.

As for Peter Jackson maturing, I doubt it.

Uh, the first one isn't from "The Hobbit".

I would smile too if I could fly ... and eat dwarves like god intended.

Back in grade school, friends were reading The Hobbit.

Thought I'd be cool and try and find something he'd written and that was relatively unknown by my friends.

Found the Silmarillion.

And almost died from choking on it.

Znuh: Found the Silmarillion.

while i enjoyed that overall, much of it read like the old testament.

and i have a horrible time translating the maps from that book to the maps in the LotR books. then again, i'm not very bright.

Blasphemous Knave: bravian: Anyone ever tried to re-read the hobbit after the age of 14? Painful read.

On the contrary, I find the twee, fairy-tale-read-aloud-by-your-grandfather sort of style to be entirely part of the book's charm.

As for Peter Jackson maturing, I doubt it.

Try reading the very last section of Rateliffe's "History of the Hobbit". It has the first 5 or 6 chapters of The Hobbit that Tolkien re-wrote in the 60s to be more in the style (with much tighter continuity) of Lotr.

If any of those ever go on the auction block, my kids' college funds are in big trouble.

SilentStrider: bravian: Anyone ever tried to re-read the hobbit after the age of 14? Painful read.

didn't read it for the first time until I was in my 20's. I enjoyed it.

Well you were in the 8th grade....

Rev.K: Andrew Wiggin: Znuh: Found the Silmarillion.

while i enjoyed that overall, much of it read like the old testament.

and i have a horrible time translating the maps from that book to the maps in the LotR books. then again, i'm not very bright.

The Silmarillion is a bit of a slog through the first 80 pages, but it is without question, my favorite Tolkien book.

I'm super excited for The Hobbit, but a good chunk of that excitement is because I think doing The Hobbit will move New Line closer to doing The Silmarillion.

It would be tough as f*ck, don't get me wrong, but if anyone can do it, Jackson can.

And after The Hobbit movies make New Line another billion, I'm sure they're going to take a look at The Silmarillion and say "yeah, let's do it".

I'm going to be a skeptic on this one. Granted, I read the Silmarillion around 6th grade or so, and loved it, but as a movie? I guess it could be done, but it would involve a lot of building a movie on the idea of the book, rather then trying to translate it to the screen. That could be good (and for that matter, probably the only way it could make money), but it could also be bad - think "I Robot" kind of bad.

A really good path would be a series of films, or a mini-series with each focusing on a small set of events from the book. Considering the books epic-style plot really covers even more ground then LotR, there's no way even a 3 1/2 hour Directors Cut makes it work.

Rev.K: I'm sure they're going to take a look at The Silmarillion and say "yeah, let's do it".

there are certain parts that they could make into a few movies. children of hurin being one. the more i think about it the more i liked it, but can we leave out the parts about gardening?

TommyDeuce: A really good path would be a series of films

that's what i meant to say, but i'm word retarded.

Andrew Wiggin: Znuh: Found the Silmarillion.

while i enjoyed that overall, much of it read like the old testament.

and i have a horrible time translating the maps from that book to the maps in the LotR books. then again, i'm not very bright.

IIRC, there was a major geological upheaval when the Valar overthrew Morgoth and again when Numenor was destroyed, which means that the geography of the 3rd Age would be very different from the geography of the 1st Age and 2nd Ages.

Blasphemous Knave: On the contrary, I find the twee, fairy-tale-read-aloud-by-your-grandfather sort of style to be entirely part of the book's charm

And this is exactly why The Hobbit > Lord of the Rings ∞> The Silmarillion

Some of the drawings look a little rough.

Needs more Trogdor.

this is probably common knowledge to the tolkies out there...but...

why wasn't Beorn in the LotR?

Samwise Gamgee: Tolkien was a pretty rare fellow. Not only could he speak half a dozen languages (some of them extinct), he was incredibly imaginative, a master of the written word, a decent artist, and gave Hitler the verbal smackdown in a letter one time.

Yeah but could he speak Esperanto?

Andrew Wiggin: this is probably common knowledge to the tolkies out there...but...

why wasn't Beorn in the LotR?

Because he was dead by then.

stevetherobot: Andrew Wiggin: this is probably common knowledge to the tolkies out there...but...

why wasn't Beorn in the LotR?

Because he was dead by then.

i guess that's a good enough reason. :)

The All-Powerful Atheismo: Samwise Gamgee: Tolkien was a pretty rare fellow. Not only could he speak half a dozen languages (some of them extinct), he was incredibly imaginative, a master of the written word, a decent artist, and gave Hitler the verbal smackdown in a letter one time.

Yeah but could he speak Esperanto?

Why would anyone want to speak Esperanto?

As long as this:



is the soundtrack to a Silmarillion movie, I'm entirely in.

/niiiiiiiightfaaaaaaaall
//quietly it crept in and changed us all

Came for Trogdor ..am disapoint

SnakeMan: Rev.K: TommyDeuce: I'm going to be a skeptic on this one. Granted, I read the Silmarillion around 6th grade or so, and loved it, but as a movie? I guess it could be done, but it would involve a lot of building a movie on the idea of the book, rather then trying to translate it to the screen. That could be good (and for that matter, probably the only way it could make money), but it could also be bad - think "I Robot" kind of bad.

A really good path would be a series of films, or a mini-series with each focusing on a small set of events from the book. Considering the books epic-style plot really covers even more ground then LotR, there's no way even a 3 1/2 hour Directors Cut makes it work.

Absolutely. It couldn't possibly be a single movie. It would require a pretty heavy amount of artistic license to string the storylines into a more linear timeline. Again, very difficult to do, but I think Jackson could do it.

There's just so many scenes that could be so epic on the big screen. Imagine seeing The Fall of Gondolin *NERDGASM*.

To me, it could have even more of a fantasy feel to it since the gods and lesser-gods of Valinor factor into the story so heavily.

I want to see the storming of Angband by Beren and Luthien in disguise as a werewolf and a vampire bat, respectively. And I want to see the epic battle between Huan the Hound of Valinor and Wolf-Sauron. Make it so!

Oh Yeah.
I want to watch the Naugrim tear their beards, and a 100-foot-tall Morgoth slamming Grond down on the host of Feanor. And Earendil's boat. And Ungoliath.

All of that.

/best to compare the Silmarillion to the entire Greek mythos, including the Illiad and the Odyssey. It's not internally consistent, it was never intended to be internally consistent.

bigmattress: The All-Powerful Atheismo: Samwise Gamgee: Tolkien was a pretty rare fellow. Not only could he speak half a dozen languages (some of them extinct), he was incredibly imaginative, a master of the written word, a decent artist, and gave Hitler the verbal smackdown in a letter one time.

Yeah but could he speak Esperanto?

Why would anyone want to speak Esperanto?

Because... there's.... someone.... someTHING.... on the wing.....

Blasphemous Knave: bravian: Anyone ever tried to re-read the hobbit after the age of 14? Painful read.

On the contrary, I find the twee, fairy-tale-read-aloud-by-your-grandfather sort of style to be entirely part of the book's charm.

As for Peter Jackson maturing, I doubt it.

I remember my mother reading it to my brothers and me when we were going on long summer vacations. a chapter a night before we called it a night. I need to pick the whole series up again and reread it.

Careful, gnomies, don't get burninated...

bigmattress: The All-Powerful Atheismo: Samwise Gamgee: Tolkien was a pretty rare fellow. Not only could he speak half a dozen languages (some of them extinct), he was incredibly imaginative, a master of the written word, a decent artist, and gave Hitler the verbal smackdown in a letter one time.

Yeah but could he speak Esperanto?

Why would anyone want to speak Esperanto?

There's this great little hole in the wall joint in Saratoga Springs NY called Esperanto's. They make these pizza/burrito things that are literally the greatest food on the planet (after at least 5 beers).

THAT is why you want to speak Esperanto.

flaminio: Careful, gnomies, don't get burninated...

[i51.tinypic.com image 640x443]

THATCHED ROOF COTTAGES!!!!

Jim.Casy: bigmattress: The All-Powerful Atheismo: Samwise Gamgee: Tolkien was a pretty rare fellow. Not only could he speak half a dozen languages (some of them extinct), he was incredibly imaginative, a master of the written word, a decent artist, and gave Hitler the verbal smackdown in a letter one time.

Yeah but could he speak Esperanto?

Why would anyone want to speak Esperanto?

There's this great little hole in the wall joint in Saratoga Springs NY called Esperanto's. They make these pizza/burrito things that are literally the greatest food on the planet (after at least 5 beers).

THAT is why you want to speak Esperanto.

Since I'll probably never be in Saratoga Springs, it's still no reason form to want to speak Esperanto.

WE ARE AT MEME-POTENTIAL FACTOR 8

toobsok: As long as this:

[3.bp.blogspot.com image 400x400]

is the soundtrack to a Silmarillion movie, I'm entirely in.

/niiiiiiiightfaaaaaaaall
//quietly it crept in and changed us all

Time Stand Still on the Iron Hill!

A song about the duel between Morgoth and Fingolfin!

stevetherobot: Andrew Wiggin: Znuh: Found the Silmarillion.

while i enjoyed that overall, much of it read like the old testament.

and i have a horrible time translating the maps from that book to the maps in the LotR books. then again, i'm not very bright.

IIRC, there was a major geological upheaval when the Valar overthrew Morgoth and again when Numenor was destroyed, which means that the geography of the 3rd Age would be very different from the geography of the 1st Age and 2nd Ages.

I don't even recall the 3rd age map being in the Silmarillion. I think they all ended on the western side at the Grey Mountains which is the coast in the 3rd age. But it's been a while since I've read it. Working on Children of Hurin now.

I did get my dad a book on the Geography of Middle Earth that is pretty cool if you are interested in that sort of thing.

Spade: stevetherobot: Andrew Wiggin: Znuh: Found the Silmarillion.

while i enjoyed that overall, much of it read like the old testament.

and i have a horrible time translating the maps from that book to the maps in the LotR books. then again, i'm not very bright.

IIRC, there was a major geological upheaval when the Valar overthrew Morgoth and again when Numenor was destroyed, which means that the geography of the 3rd Age would be very different from the geography of the 1st Age and 2nd Ages.

I don't even recall the 3rd age map being in the Silmarillion. I think they all ended on the western side at the Grey Mountains which is the coast in the 3rd age. But it's been a while since I've read it. Working on Children of Hurin now.

I did get my dad a book on the Geography of Middle Earth that is pretty cool if you are interested in that sort of thing.

Different maps are in different editions. My copy includes the tale of the war of the rings at the end and as such contains maps of beleriand, numenor, and middle earth east of the blue mountains.

Cool.


/That is all.