"just a book" or "a descriptive treatise on an imaginary ecosphere " ?

[lindil]

His style and depth are amazing. Star wars is great, but give me a break. Nothing written (fictional) will ever match the authenticity and originality of Tolkien.

I also read the Star Wars EU [ the expanded Universe, what happened to Luke and co. after the Return of the Jedi, now 25 or so years past the movies] - purely for entertainment, although it is growing less and less enjoyable and may soon be discontinued. And it is true, it is pulp sci-fi compared to The Master.

When I read Tolkien, I am learning so many things simultaneously: Writing, Myth, Virtue[s], subtle use of speech and language, the power of story, and of course the many smallre scale occurences, which he describes as no other can; such as music and the state of longing too name a few.

Lyta gave us:

If a book plucks that thread--the universal thread that reaches beyond the intellectual and into the spiritual and aesthetic realms, then it is more than "just a book!"...and sorry for the ramble!

Beautiful Lyta, 'plucks the universal thread', I like that.

Gwaihir, I believe you are right. Galpsi's many, many posts are inexplicable for the 'just a book' line to be really the heart of it.


Beren:

Tolkien has influenced my life more than any book. While, not a religion per-se, it influences one just as a religion would. [...]It's life-altering, life-touching, and life-guiding.

Very well said, even his later drafts and works in progress, letters and miscellaneous notes almost always stand head and shoulders above others. What did CS Lewis say? 'He had been inside language' or some such.

GtW again:

Tolkien is truly incomparable, as you'd agree, lindil?

Yes, although I have a few other writers I love for the power and use of words and story [ Williams' Otherland and a few things by John Crowley spring to mind without effort], none can or have woven a web as rich and diverse, as profound and poignant as JRRT's many volumes of the Legendarium.

As goldberry said of Tom, 'He is Master'.

Thanks for the replies. It was such an unusual line from Galpsi - I thought it would make a nice spingboard, any other jumpers?

by the way the original quote and inspiration came from the recently resurfaced who knows there Trolls thread. A true wonder of the early downs. See many of the original BD'ers [BW himself, Mr. Underhill, Burrahobbit, Gwaihir the Windlord, etc.] rip it up. [img]smilies/cool.gif[/img]

[ July 25, 2003: Message edited by: lindil ]