The Hobbit - Chapter 01 - An Unexpected Party

[davem]

Originally Posted by Essex

re Davem's point Is this because you see the Hobbit as a Children's book and the LOTR as not one? I see the LOTR as a Children's book as well as the Hobbit. Haven't most of us here read it first when we were kids? To be fair, the Hobbit is written in a more 'childish' style - but I also see LOTR as a Children's tale - but one so good that we take it into our adult world and never let go of it........

Actually, I don't think of LotR as a 'children's' book - I don't think of TH as a 'children's' story either. The story of TH is a story & the only distinction I make is between good stories & bad stories. TH is a good story.

The reason I wouldn't include it in the Legendarium is that it was not written to be part of it, it was written a an entertainment for his children first & foremost - that doesn't make a 'children's' story, it merely means it was written in what Tolkien thought was a style they would like.

TH is too 'free', too 'unbound' by the 'logical' limits & restrictions set on the Legendarium by Tolkien. It isn't just whimsical (which BoLT is also) but it is also at times patronising (a fault which Tolkien himself acknowledged).

The Elves & Trolls of TH work very well in the self contained world of TH, but viewed in the light of the Eldar & Olog Hai of the Legendarium proper they stick out like a sore thumb.

Anyway, I've said all this before so I'll stop here before Formendacil pops up to chastise me again (even though both last time & this I was responding to specific points directed at me by other posters