I think it's always risky to re-read a book you once passionately loved--especially something you read when you were young. In my experience, re-reading is often a recipe for disaster. But I'd been in the mood to revisit Middle Earth, and so on Bilbo's birthday, September 22, I began listening to THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING on tape. (DISCLAIMER: the September 22 thing was purely accidental. I can't remember my family's birthdays let alone Bilbo's.)
Anyhoo. I'm happy to report that I've enjoyed the journey again. The quest archetype has always spoken to me, and I'm still enthralled by the story's nature imagery. Middle Earth is suffused with starlight, and because I am the kind of person who steps outside every night just to look at the moon, I love that.
I will say this, though. When I first read FELLOWSHIP as a romantic sixteen year old girl, I thought Strider was dead sexy--all dark and moody-broody and probably leanly muscular because of all that wandering around the Misty Mountains he did. I LOVED him. I wanted him to forget Arwen, invite ME to the prom, and whisper the lyrics of "Pieces of April" in my ear.
But now I find Strider kind of pedantic--always reeling off loooooooong-winded stories about his ancestors and so on. Yawn. Also snore. Dude, I want to tell him. Lose the boring elf stories and stick with swordplay so I can get all weak in the knees about you again.
I doubt he'll listen to me.
4 comments:
I'm glad you're re-reading Tolkien, and enjoying it. He is my favorite author of all time.
By the way, I think you look awesome in your red glasses. The post you wrote about buying them, though, made me laugh so hard I read it to my family, along with Google photos.
I have never ever read LotR whatsoever, and the very thing you mention--all that elvish stuff and the poetry in a novel thing--these are the reasons why. However, I did think that Viggo Mortensen, aka Strider (am I wrong about this?), was excellent--perfectly sexy. By the time he is made the King and is forced to sing that horrible song at the end of the movie, though, I almost had to revise my view. Moral of the story: don't make Viggo Mortensen sing while being coronated in the movies, particularly at the end of a long trilogy featuring orcs. Just don't.
Isn't Viggo Mortensen Aragorn? I thought he was mucho sexy. Did he sing at the end? Good grief. There were about five endings. I don't remember the singing one.
I haven't read it since I was about 8 years old. Maybe in my case, a re-read is a good idea.
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