Book vs. Movie characters

[The Saucepan Man]

Welcome to the Downs, Alaksoron. Have fun posting here. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

I disagree with you about the films, but that discussion is best left for another thread (and it is one that has been had many times on the Movies forum [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] ). One point though:

the books didn't glorify any particular orc.

I would say that Ugluk (and, to a lesser extent, Shagrat and Gorbag) are "glorified" in the Books at least to the same extent that Lurtz is "glorified" in the first film, if not moreso. They are given personalities - indeed they are characterised to a greater extent than any Orc in the films. Ugluk, for his many failings, is portrayed in the Book as an effective Orcish leader who is doing his best to carry out his orders. Lurtz is portrayed in much the same way. In fact, if anything, he is less "human" than Ugluk in that he seems incapable of forming anything that the most basic of sentences. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]