A blog for fans of J.R.R. Tolkien, from complete beginners to avid enthusiasts, exploring the author's imaginary world, influential writing and cinematic adaptations.
I’ve been meaning to do a video of great shots from both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings for quite some time now.
Finally, you can see the result in the video below. Continue reading “Epic Cinematography Trailer – The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings”
I don’t mean it disrespectfully, but what we commonly today refer to as a “troll”, Tolkien seems to have had his cheeky way at spoiling the fun in his narratives.
Case in point is this chapter’s title. Its outcome is pretty much given away.
Then again, one could easily argue the cleverness behind such revelatory titles: the need to keep on reading and find out what this “ruin” is and how the “fall” occurs.
As it happens, all the answers are given in the following … Continue reading “TTRT: The Silmarillion – Chapter Eighteen”
Yesterday I posted Part I of the Tolkien-Themed Questionnaire, which you can see here.
Behold! Now Part II awaits … enjoy 🙂
Continue reading “Tolkien-themed Questionnaire: Answers! (PART II)”
It’s taken me some time to get around doing this, but finally the time has come.
Behold the questionnaire created by Myla Malinalda (from Middle-earth News) in which Tolkien fans need to do some serious self-examination about what it the Middle-earth stories really mean to us.
The questionnaire was originally designed for The Lord of the Rings; but can easily be adapted also for The Hobbit.
It’s tough to answer a single question in short; but it’s fun and enlightening, not just to others, but to yourself as well.
Go on, treat yourself! Get busy tackling these questions now 🙂
In the meantime, here are mine … (Part II to follow) Continue reading “Tolkien-themed Questionnaire: Answers! (PART I)”
From this point onward, the narrative of The Silmarillion shifts into personal stories and specific events: of which their outcomes will somehow or other affect the whole balance of the story.
This is one of the alluring beauties of the book: Tolkien’s ability to shift between the grand-scale cosmological narratives to the intricate human (and elf) stories – weaved together as one interlocking tapestry. Continue reading “TTRT: The Silmarillion – Chapters Sixteen and Seventeen”
If you’ve done some reading about the Professor (beyond Middle-earth, that is), you may have encountered many references about Tolkien’s love for the Finnish epic tale of the Kalevala. Continue reading “Yes! It’s A New Book by Tolkien! ‘The Story of Kullervo’”
A new update from this project. The following verses continue from where I left off in update 3, here.
At this point in the story, Arthur finds himself hesitating in initiating the attack on Romeril. Thus, Gawain seizes control of a ship and sails towards the coast – hoping to win the beach with a handful of men.
The following verses also attempt to introduce the rather wonderful concept Tolkien was also aiming at including in his poem: that Gawain’s inhuman strength – aided by his shield – reached its peak at noon: giving him superior prowess in battle.
But more writing about this will follow … As always, enjoy 🙂 Continue reading “Concluding ‘The Fall of Arthur’ – Update 4”
The next two chapters in The Silmarillion – strategically placed in the middle of the book – offer a descriptive glimpse into the lands of Beleriand and the establishment of the Noldor and the other races.
They are not complex chapters to deal with, but the intricate details with which Tolkien describes every waterfall, shrub, lowland and grain of earth, might feel slightly overwhelming.
That’s where the maps come in …
Continue reading “TTRT: The Silmarillion – Chapters Fourteen and Fifteen”
Well, what can I say.
It’s been a terrible few months in terms of Hobbit-related news; and not the kind of updates we were expecting.
Lesnie’s death last April was totally unlooked-for. And whilst Christopher Lee’s recent birthday celebrations at 93 demonstrated an individual defying the norm of old age, this news still comes as a devastating shock.
Admittedly, I’m not one who can claim to have seen the majority of his impressively long (and unconquerable) filmography.
His role as Saruman – the wizard whose thinly veiled evil schemes pose a danger to Middle-earth – is naturally the first image that springs to mind when I come across his name. Continue reading “Christopher Lee: How to Live Life”
Back in 2008, before the concept of a trilogy of The Hobbit had even entered our dreams, it was Peter Jackson and (then director) Guillermo Del Toro’s idea to create a two-film story in which the events of The Hobbit took place in one film, and allow the second to become the ill-fated “bridge” film.
It’s amazing how much has changed since then: different director, no more bridge film, two films became three …
A Tolkienist's Perspective 