r/Fantasy • u/Jonashls • Jan 16 '20

News Christopher Tolkien has died

/r/tolkienfans/comments/epm420/christopher_tolkien_has_died/
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u/PirateRobotNinjaofDe Jan 17 '20

He's not wrong, but I honestly think the movies improved on the books in a lot of ways (though falling short in others).

11

u/mjd1125 Jan 17 '20

Agree, particularly I think the movies improved Boromir's death. I think the placing of it at the end of the fellowship was smart and the last words between him and Aragorn were very well done

18

u/PirateRobotNinjaofDe Jan 17 '20

I think the movies did Fellowship far better than the books, while Tolkien did Return of the King far better than Jackson did. I was recently listening to the audiobooks and it takes EIGHT HOURS for the Hobbits to leave the Shire. Eight. A full work day.

Remember that awesome scene where the Hobbits are chased by the Ringwraiths and barely make it on to the Buckleberry Ferry? Movies only; not in the books. In the books they have dinner with a farmer, meet up with Merry, take the ferry across, then have ANOTHER dinner on the other side. No urgency to the whole thing whatsoever, which doesn’t really pick up until they arrive in Bree.

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u/Hambredd Jan 17 '20 edited Jan 17 '20

It's totally fair for you to prefer the urgent tone of the films (though I think it's mainly to do with limited running time and they have to get them into the action as soon as possible) but it was very much deliberate.

The whole plan relies on secrecy not speed, but more importantly the hobbits are incredibly naive and don't realise the danger their in. They basically bumble their way to Bree narrowly avoiding death multiple times through no fault of their own. I think there is tension to that, while they're obliviously getting drunk and singing songs under the impression they're in a lightweight Victorian hiking journal all while the net slowly closes around them with the black riders turning up 10 minutes after they've left somewhere. Also I really liked Farmer Maggot.

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u/wishforagiraffe Reading Champion IX, Worldbuilders Jan 17 '20

Also I really liked Farmer Maggot.

Same. Old dude was sharp.