November 20, 2014
It's been over a decade since The Lord of the Rings trilogy of films were released and made Peter Jackson a shitload of money. I believe that the movies were meant to be appreciated by a wider audience than might otherwise read the source material, but I still found them a little confusing. I didn't even really quite grasp the fact that the ring that Frodo possessed was the most important ring, and I certainly had no clue why Merry and Pippin ended up in Gondor in the midst of a battle (and who was fighting whom, by the way?). Was I too stoned during my single viewings of each of the films, or what? I think I've addressed before, though, how I'm not a big movie watcher. I much prefer books, of course, but I can also binge-watch certain shows on Netflix for hours. Go figure.
I could go on and on, but I'm already off track. So I think the last movie for The Hobbit is coming out soon, or something. That's like 80 years after the book was originally published. Tolkien, who made his living as a professor of language history (he was an expert on Anglo-Saxon influences on the development of English), published this first part of The Lord of the Rings about 20 years after The Hobbit. I might imagine that his extensive writings on Middle Earth (certainly his own fantastical version of the real sort of history that he studied and taught) and his other, lesser-known works, were a beloved hobby for him, but he was able to finally write the whole famous trilogy after he retired from his career. Not knowing much about Tolkien's other works, I'm really just speculating here.
The rewrite of the Gollum chapter in The Hobbit is explained by Bilbo in this book. I think the original read that he got the ring from Gollum as a gift after beating him in his riddle game, because that's the lie that Bilbo owns. Gandalf had been suspicious of the ring since the beginning, but it's not until many years later that he learns of its true deadly nature.
Bilbo is actually fairly prominent in the first part of the book. He is admired but held in some suspicion by fellow hobbits in the Shire, but is admired and respected by many outside of the Shire, for his involvement in the events of the previous book. Gandalf convinces Bilbo to leave his heir, his favored younger cousin Frodo, the powerful ring when Bilbo decides to leave the Shire for good. Bilbo is, of course, more than reluctant.
It's many more years before Frodo is sent on his quest to destroy the powerful ring, the one ring that, if back in the possession of its creator Sauron, an evil wizard (or something) that is steadily regaining power in Middle Earth, will bring the kingdoms of men, elves, and probably all the species of intelligent creatures great and small, to his command. He and Sam (his very faithful servant), Merry, and Pippin encounter many dangers and adventures on the way to Rivendell, and that of course is not the extent of it for this book.
Tom Bombadil and his wife Goldberry are not included in the movies, of course. I have a hard time deciding if Bombadil is awesome, or really fucking obnoxious. He's always singing and prancing around, and he's all-powerful in his neck of the woods. He wants only to live in peace and comfort, and it is doubted that he will venture from there to fight against Sauron's forces. Jackson and others involved in the making of the movies must have felt him more annoying than fun, obviously.
More is explained about the histories of men, dwarves, and elves in this book. The friendship between Gimli (one of the better developed characters; he looks like mini-Hagrid in the movies) and Legolas is meant to symbolize a coming of peace between elves and dwarves, who have a tumultuous history, in better times. Since the second and third movies continue to follow these characters to Gondor, even after Sam and Frodo depart for Mordor alone, I know that the books will have a lot more about these characters and creatures.
Tolkien made his living learning about and teaching ancient history, so it makes sense that he would have fun creating his own whimsical, imaginary histories and worlds and languages. Millions of people have had fun in Middle Earth as well. Tolkien's works have been a prominent part of "nerd culture" for decades, long before those movies came out. I found the first of The Lord of the Rings trilogy to be delightful (and Sam is still my favorite character), and while I'm not clambering to read the second one, I'll probably get to it in the next year.
No comments:
Post a Comment