The Englishness of LOTR - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Lomelinde · 04-16-2002, 02:58 PM

The first time I read Tolkien, I was struck by how similar his style was to classic, age-old literature like Shakespeare or even Homer. The formality of the prose in all his works is often what draws or repels people to his stories. The ingenious and original ways he manipulates the English language distinguishes him from all the rest and is one of the main reasons why I read him. One actually has to think (Gasp! [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img] ) when reading Tolkien, just as if one was reading Beowulf or the Iliad. His writing style forces people who are used to modern-day, informal speech and reading to think a little deeper, "outside the box". [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

04-16-2002, 02:58 PM	#7
Lomelinde Haunting Spirit Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Ha! Wouldn't you like to know? Posts: 80	The first time I read Tolkien, I was struck by how similar his style was to classic, age-old literature like Shakespeare or even Homer. The formality of the prose in all his works is often what draws or repels people to his stories. The ingenious and original ways he manipulates the English language distinguishes him from all the rest and is one of the main reasons why I read him. One actually has to think (Gasp! [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img] ) when reading Tolkien, just as if one was reading Beowulf or the Iliad. His writing style forces people who are used to modern-day, informal speech and reading to think a little deeper, "outside the box". [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] __________________ The Dwarf breathes so loud I could've shot him in the dark, drunk, blindfolded and hanging upside down from a tree.