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Dain · 03-06-2003, 06:07 PM

Well, I just finished Return of the King again, and I remembered why I don't remember what happens at the end very clearly, and why I like the other two books better. Yes, there is a great battle, and some good stuff at the beginning of Book V, but after everything's over, he really speeds through a lot of stuff. And his overall tone seems to change all over the place. Near the beginning, he's following Pippin around the city very closely, and we see things from the hobbit's eyes and we are drawn into his world. Then we go to the Mordor bit that has been discussed here, and it gets a bit dry, repetative and I felt strangely detatched from what is supposed to be the climax of the whole epic. Then, after the ring is destroyed, Tolkien adapts the "historian" tone again for a while. Everything becomes more formal and old-fashioned. Then, he absolutely rips through the journey home, and his prose looses all of its richness. I was very disappointed with the Scouring of the Shire--I'd remembered it being better than it was. Did he just get tired of writing and try to wrap it all up as fast as possible? [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img] And Legolas and Giimli disappear from the tale in RotK, so no wonder I like TT best...

[ March 06, 2003: Message edited by: Dain ]

03-06-2003, 06:07 PM	#13
Dain Wight Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Iron Hills Posts: 127	Well, I just finished Return of the King again, and I remembered why I don't remember what happens at the end very clearly, and why I like the other two books better. Yes, there is a great battle, and some good stuff at the beginning of Book V, but after everything's over, he really speeds through a lot of stuff. And his overall tone seems to change all over the place. Near the beginning, he's following Pippin around the city very closely, and we see things from the hobbit's eyes and we are drawn into his world. Then we go to the Mordor bit that has been discussed here, and it gets a bit dry, repetative and I felt strangely detatched from what is supposed to be the climax of the whole epic. Then, after the ring is destroyed, Tolkien adapts the "historian" tone again for a while. Everything becomes more formal and old-fashioned. Then, he absolutely rips through the journey home, and his prose looses all of its richness. I was very disappointed with the Scouring of the Shire--I'd remembered it being better than it was. Did he just get tired of writing and try to wrap it all up as fast as possible? [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img] And Legolas and Giimli disappear from the tale in RotK, so no wonder I like TT best... [ March 06, 2003: Message edited by: Dain ] __________________ Only I have looked through the shadow of the Gate. Beyond the shadow it waits for you still: Durin's Bane.