[Lalaith]

I just wanted to add that the changes made to Aragorn are I think symptomatic of the changes PJ makes to too many of the characters. <BR>He seems convinced that weak, flawed characters = interesting, strong, principled or driven characters = boring. That's why Faramir was altered, that's why Theoden carried on whinging even after Gandalf had brought him out of dotage, that's why Frodo seems more like a junkie on cold turkey than the brave hobbit we know from the books. <P>I don't buy this. Book Aragorn is a sick of being a 'only a ranger'. He is incredibly driven, just burning to claim his kingship and heritage, and of course the right to marry Arwen. He also learns valuable lessons about leadership in the course of the narrative. Why is that not interesting?