The Tolkien Under Age Club - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

ninja91 · 09-25-2006, 12:30 PM

I'll take your advice! I am sure that The Sil will turn out well..(it is Tolkien... how can it not!?) I just have to finish up Eragon because the movie is said to come out in the near future. Also, I put in Sphere and Congo by Michael Crichton. I will go with those last, because fantasy is almost always better.

Volo · 09-25-2006, 10:58 PM

Sil is my favorite book, if I were you, I'd toss Eragon out of the window and start reading Sil... I was really shoked when I read Eragon, and even more shoked when I heard that they were making a film out of it... Eragon is a book that has most of the things mentioned here that I have read... Well, ok, after LotR, but there sure is a difference.

ninja91 · 09-26-2006, 05:29 AM

Eragon is definitely not the best book I have read, thats for sure. But when I am already 300-something pages into it, I might as well close the window and curl up by the lamp...

Firefoot · 09-26-2006, 01:49 PM

Come on, Eragon isn't that bad...

For myself, I enjoyed it. It may not be the best piece of fantasy out there, but it's not as bad a book as some people make it out to be. The biggest problem I had with it was the ridiculously hard to pronounce names. Names that look like five or six syllables and are supposed to be three.

ninja91 · 09-26-2006, 06:05 PM

Dont get me wrong, Firefoot. It is a really good story. And yes, the unpronouncable names and places kind of messed me up.

Imladris · 09-27-2006, 12:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Volo

Sil is my favorite book, if I were you, I'd toss Eragon out of the window and start reading Sil... I was really shoked when I read Eragon, and even more shoked when I heard that they were making a film out of it... Eragon is a book that has most of the things mentioned here that I have read... Well, ok, after LotR, but there sure is a difference.

All stories (good, bad, and mediocre) have at least some of the attributes in that link, so having those attributes is not a reason to toss a story out the window (unless you'd like purposeless stories to come in vogue or Mary Sues as main characters, etc)...it's only tossworthy if those things are written poorly and made into little cardboard puppets to prance across a stage saying,

Look at me look at me! I'm the [insert Epic Element of choice]

Quote:

The Sil will turn out well..(it is Tolkien... how can it not!?)

Well, even good writers have bad eggs. Just the way it is. I remember reading the Sil a year or two ago. I hated it because it got caught up in details and, in my opinion, seemed to loose sight of the story (a chapter that was a geography lesson?

).

Thinlómien · 09-27-2006, 12:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Imladris

Well, even good writers have bad eggs. Just the way it is. I remember reading the Sil a year or two ago. I hated it because it got caught up in details and, in my opinion, seemed to loose sight of the story (a chapter that was a geography lesson?

).

Yes, not all Tolkien-lovers love the Sil, but it's certainly worth a try. (I love it as much as LotR, so I'd say it'd be a great loss not to read it.) When you've tried it, you can come to love it (like me and so many others) or to not like it (like Imladris here and some other people). Neither opinion, of course is more valuable.

Firefoot · 09-27-2006, 05:30 AM

I don't think I will ever love the Sil the way I do LotR or even the Hobbit. Certainly, there are parts and characters that I really enjoy, but it's not quite the same, somehow. It does still rank up there with my favorite books, though, but that didn't happen with the first reading; I think it took me two to really understand it. All the many names caught me up in the first time; the index and family trees were my best friends. (So Fingolwho was the son of Finwhat? Remind me why this guy was important?

)

ninja91 · 09-27-2006, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Imladris

Well, even good writers have bad eggs. Just the way it is. I remember reading the Sil a year or two ago. I hated it because it got caught up in details and, in my opinion, seemed to loose sight of the story (a chapter that was a geography lesson?

).

I know that the Sil reads almost like an Arda history textbook, but if I dont read it like its an assignment, I'll most likely end up enjoying it. A lot.

Thinlómien · 09-28-2006, 02:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ninja91

I know that the Sil reads almost like an Arda history textbook

No it isn't! It's an epic myth and fairytale and told in a manner according to that. It is a story and is written like one, not a boring and "official" history text.

EDIT: Just noticed: Happy Birthday Firefoot!

ninja91 · 09-28-2006, 05:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

No it isn't! It's an epic myth and fairytale and told in a manner according to that. It is a story and is written like one, not a boring and "official" history text.

Not boring

. I meant that (because I have really only skimmed it and taken excerpts out) I dont know how the book reads overall. Sorry for my harsh anti-Sil words.
Also, does it flow like a regular book? Or can you switch up the chapters and you will have the same story (i.e. chapters like "of elves and their origin" or something like that)

Firefoot · 09-28-2006, 05:35 AM

I wouldn't switch up the chapters. Although they are more self-contained than in other books, there is enough continuity that you would be in danger of getting lost.

Thanks, Lommy.

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09-25-2006, 10:58 PM	#2
Volo Silver in My Silent Heart Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: the great beauty Posts: 1,611	Sil is my favorite book, if I were you, I'd toss Eragon out of the window and start reading Sil... I was really shoked when I read Eragon, and even more shoked when I heard that they were making a film out of it... Eragon is a book that has most of the things mentioned here that I have read... Well, ok, after LotR, but there sure is a difference.

09-26-2006, 01:49 PM	#4
Firefoot Illusionary Holbytla Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 7,547	Come on, Eragon isn't that bad... For myself, I enjoyed it. It may not be the best piece of fantasy out there, but it's not as bad a book as some people make it out to be. The biggest problem I had with it was the ridiculously hard to pronounce names. Names that look like five or six syllables and are supposed to be three.

09-27-2006, 05:30 AM	#8
Firefoot Illusionary Holbytla Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 7,547	I don't think I will ever love the Sil the way I do LotR or even the Hobbit. Certainly, there are parts and characters that I really enjoy, but it's not quite the same, somehow. It does still rank up there with my favorite books, though, but that didn't happen with the first reading; I think it took me two to really understand it. All the many names caught me up in the first time; the index and family trees were my best friends. (So Fingolwho was the son of Finwhat? Remind me why this guy was important? )

09-28-2006, 05:35 AM	#12
Firefoot Illusionary Holbytla Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 7,547	I wouldn't switch up the chapters. Although they are more self-contained than in other books, there is enough continuity that you would be in danger of getting lost. Thanks, Lommy.