What breaks the enchantment? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

littlemanpoet · 06-02-2005, 08:44 PM

Excuse me for looking up at all the raised noses around here. You can see a lot of ugly nose hair from way down here.

Here is another case of broken enchantment. I was reading The Council of Elrond, specifically Gandalf's description of Orthanc. By the time I got done with the paragraph, it occurred to me that Tolkien usually reserved such detailed descriptions to the narrator's voice. Having Gandalf go into such extreme detail, spoken, even in Council, seemed mistaken to me. Gandalf didn't talk like that anywhere else, and shouldn't have here. I tease myself with the notion that the 70 something year old Tolkien might have read that paragraph and winced, or at least shaken his head, saying something like "what a wordy blighter".

Something else associated with this: I actually prefer that the enchantment be broken for me in such cases, because it attests to a felt change of consciousness which I value. I can still enjoy the story for the most part, but I enjoy the felt change of consciousness even more. If you don't know what felt change of consciousness is, check out Owen Barfield.

Whatever.

06-02-2005, 08:44 PM	#25
littlemanpoet Itinerant Songster Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: The Edge of Faerie Posts: 7,066	Excuse me for looking up at all the raised noses around here. You can see a lot of ugly nose hair from way down here. Here is another case of broken enchantment. I was reading The Council of Elrond, specifically Gandalf's description of Orthanc. By the time I got done with the paragraph, it occurred to me that Tolkien usually reserved such detailed descriptions to the narrator's voice. Having Gandalf go into such extreme detail, spoken, even in Council, seemed mistaken to me. Gandalf didn't talk like that anywhere else, and shouldn't have here. I tease myself with the notion that the 70 something year old Tolkien might have read that paragraph and winced, or at least shaken his head, saying something like "what a wordy blighter". Something else associated with this: I actually prefer that the enchantment be broken for me in such cases, because it attests to a felt change of consciousness which I value. I can still enjoy the story for the most part, but I enjoy the felt change of consciousness even more. If you don't know what felt change of consciousness is, check out Owen Barfield. Whatever.