MovieChat Forums > J.R.R. Tolkien Discussion > Called a terrible writer

Called a terrible writer

posted 2 years ago by Jes' Sayin' (6444)
16 replies | jump to latest

https://www.giantfreakinrobot.com/ent/tolkien-was-a-terrible-writer.html

I would suggest rather that the terrible writer is the author of the piece, SCKYLAR GIBBY-BROWN. Too bad she doesn't even know how to spell her own first name, but seriously, she praises the book for being such a great example of world building, but by the same token complains about too many descriptions, too many outside rambles and side trips and discursions. Why doesn't a professional editor realize that the two things are different sides of the same coin, that those very things she complains about are exactly what makes the book great? You wouldn't get that kind of believability without them.

[–] DoctorThirteen (14440) 2 years ago

Sounds like someone trying to boost their own cred and show how edgy they are by 'taking on' a true giant of English literature. So who's next, Shakespeare? Dickens? Austin?

[–] ShogunofYonkers (77999) 2 years ago

I completely agree. His work speaks for itself, people still discuss his writing a couple of generations later.

The characters, the various cultures of the different races, the geographical details…Honestly, The Shire would be a dream come true to live in.

The brotherly behavior between Sam and Frodo is one of my favorite relationships in all of fiction, we should all be blessed with a great pal and perfect wingman like Samwise Gamgee, that Sam was a sport and a good fighter.

[–] Otter (24464) 2 years ago

People have called Tolkien a terrible writer for years! Mostly low-level writers or wannabes, who are jealous as hell of his continuing popularity, and who are bitter that people still love the work of someone who just wrote as a hobby while their own genius is unrecognized.

So... more of the same?

[–] nyctc7 (43907) 2 years ago

I haven't read the article, but I must say I could never get into Tolkien, though I haven't tried in many years. I found his stuff the work of the overeducated writer.

[–] Befus (497) 2 years ago

Maybe you're just an undereducated reader.

[–] nyctc7 (43907) 2 years ago

Fuck You. How's that for undereducated.

[–] ShogunofYonkers (77999) 2 years ago

WOW, that escalated quickly😄!

I really loved The Hobbit and LOTR and have reread all of the novels many times.
I thought Tolkien had a fantastic imagination and a superb descriptive style.

However, The Silmarllion bored me to death, it’s one of the few books I’ve quit on, I simply couldn’t finish it. The characters were not compelling and I quickly lost interest in all of it, I gave that book away.

Farmer Giles Of Ham and The Adventures Of Tom Bombadil are good short prose and fiction stories, not very substantive, but you get the feeling that Tolkien was just having some fun…pretty good fiction in any event.

[–] nyctc7 (43907) 2 years ago

I liked The Hobbit

[–] ShogunofYonkers (77999) 2 years ago

I’ve read The Hobbit four times, it’s one of my favorite stories.

My take was that Bilbo Baggins was approaching early middle age and financially pretty comfortable when all of a sudden a bunch of maniac Dwarves and a mysterious Wizard crashed his tidy little tunnel with tales of great adventure and heroism.

It’s almost a ‘mid-life crisis’ story, Baggins oversleeps and has to run out to meet the Dwarves and Wizard, almost like he has to earn his modest wealth and comforts.

Bilbo is a cool character, he’s scared to death but keeps going on, maybe to prove something to himself.

[–] Otter (24464) 2 years ago

You have NO room to talk about escalating quickly.

[–] ShogunofYonkers (77999) 2 years ago

And you have no room to tell me what I have room for.

[–] Befus (497) 2 years ago

I think I can rest my case on this one.

[–] [deleted] 2 years ago

The best version of the lord of the rings is the movie Willow, written by George Lucas.

[–] DoctorThirteen (14440) 2 years ago

Just curious, has Lucas ever acknowledged having read LOTR? I've seen so many people accuse him of ripping it off.

[–] [deleted] 2 years ago

I remember reading somewhere that Lucas asked the family that owned LOTR for the rights to do the movie and they said no so Lucas just omitted the ring from the story. Lucas also made it so Willow is a story of the good celtic people versus the evil germanic people. And that is all Lucas needed to do to not get sued.

[–] DoctorThirteen (14440) 2 years ago

Ah, interesting. Thanks!