"Rings" voted one book to rule them all

Does exactly what it says on the tin. Some of the nonsense contained herein may be very loosely related to The Sisters of Mercy, but I wouldn't bet your PayPal account on it. In keeping with the internet's general theme nothing written here should be taken as Gospel: over three quarters of it is utter gibberish, and most of the forum's denizens haven't spoken to another human being face-to-face for decades. Don't worry your pretty little heads about it. Above all else, remember this: You don't have to stay forever. I will understand.
Post Reply
User avatar
Big Si
School Bully
Posts: 6747
Joined: 19 Nov 2002, 00:00
Location: Glesga Central

Image

LONDON (Reuters) - Fantasy epic "The Lord of the Rings" has been picked as Britain's favourite read.

The BBC's "Big Read" campaign ended on Saturday with a resounding victory for one of the most enduring classics of the 20th century, a labour of love by Oxford academic J.R.R. Tolkien.

The quest for the best read attracted 750,000 votes -- and almost a quarter of them went to "The Lord of the Rings."

Second in the hotly fought contest was Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice.

Third was "His Dark Materials" by Philip Pullman, fourth was Douglas Adams' "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" and fifth was JK Rowling's "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire."

The contest began in April when around 140,000 people nominated books as part of the campaign to encourage reading to form a list of 100 national favourites.

They were whittled down in a contest that sparked widespread debate about the strengths of British literature over the ages. Sales soared and so did library lending figures for the short-listed books.

Among those celebrating Saturday's victory on live television was Tolkien's grandson Simon who said: "It is an unbelievable honour for me to be here today and for my grandfather to be so loved in this way.

"He died when I was 14 but he was very significant in helping me through difficult times.

"I would ask him endless questions about 'Lord of the Rings.' I was a bit of a pain but he did his best with me. He was great."

As for the abiding appeal of the epic, Simon Tolkien said: "He had absolutely no idea of where it would be today."

Tolkien's saga has now found a whole new generation of fans with the trilogy of "Lord of the Rings" movies which have been world box office blockbusters.

8) :notworthy:
Wyrd bið ful aræd...

mybelgiannemesis
Top
User avatar
James Blast
Banned
Posts: 24699
Joined: 11 Jun 2003, 18:58
Location: back from some place else

Where was Pukoon in all this?
"And when you start to think about death, you start to think about what's after it. And then you start hoping there is a God. For me, it's a frightening thought to go nowhere".
~ Peter Steele
Top
User avatar
emilystrange
Above the Chemist
Posts: 9031
Joined: 03 Nov 2003, 20:26
Location: Lady Strange's boudoir.

Gormenghast rules my world...
I don't wanna live like I don't mind
Top
User avatar
emilystrange
Above the Chemist
Posts: 9031
Joined: 03 Nov 2003, 20:26
Location: Lady Strange's boudoir.

or rather, IS my world...
I don't wanna live like I don't mind
Top
User avatar
Andy TG
Overbomber
Posts: 2588
Joined: 30 Jan 2002, 00:00
Location: Wherever I Am At The Time......

I lost count as to how many times I voted for "THHGTG" ;-)
This Is Not Ordinary S & M
This Is M & S S & M
Top
User avatar
James Blast
Banned
Posts: 24699
Joined: 11 Jun 2003, 18:58
Location: back from some place else

THHGTG radio series was boss, the telly was good, but what will the Hollywood CGI version be like?

regards
Hotblack Desiato of Disaster Area
"And when you start to think about death, you start to think about what's after it. And then you start hoping there is a God. For me, it's a frightening thought to go nowhere".
~ Peter Steele
Top
User avatar
Thea
Overbomber
Posts: 2346
Joined: 13 Feb 2003, 12:29
Location: Aboard me ship....
Contact:
Contact Thea

i'd have liked HHGTTG to have won too. but i'll settle for LOTR.

anything but harry potter...
Top
User avatar
CellThree
Slight Overbomber
Posts: 1730
Joined: 14 Feb 2003, 22:05
Location: 4200 miles from my record collection
Contact:
Contact CellThree

Wonder if LOTR would have been top if there hadn't been films?...
24.24.2.489 Deceased
Top
User avatar
Big Si
School Bully
Posts: 6747
Joined: 19 Nov 2002, 00:00
Location: Glesga Central

CellThree wrote:Wonder if LOTR would have been top if there hadn't been films?...
I'm sure it was top in some polls before the films :?
Wyrd bið ful aræd...

mybelgiannemesis
Top
User avatar
MrChris
Slight Overbomber
Posts: 1413
Joined: 21 May 2003, 11:34
Location: A Forest

Many, many polls, including the Waterstones book of the century poll a few years ago. This is always great fun, because the critics HATES the fact that it always wins. They hates the nasty, twisted little book...
Chris

---------------------------------------------
Again and again and again...
Top
User avatar
moonchild
Utterly Bastard Groovy Amphetamine Filth
Posts: 620
Joined: 27 Aug 2003, 15:39
Location: Portugal

CellThree wrote:Wonder if LOTR would have been top if there hadn't been films?...
I think not. Few percent of ppl in Portugal didn't knew or read Tolkien before the films were made.
This is now kind of a fashion...
Top
User avatar
markfiend
goriller of form 3b
Posts: 21181
Joined: 11 Nov 2003, 10:55
Location: st custards
Contact:
Contact markfiend

moonchild wrote:
CellThree wrote:Wonder if LOTR would have been top if there hadn't been films?...
I think not. Few percent of ppl in Portugal didn't knew or read Tolkien before the films were made.
This is now kind of a fashion...
I hate to disagree, but... LOTR has sold more copies than any book other than the Bible. And as Big Si and MrChris have pointed out, it regularly wins "best book" polls here in the UK.

It was bound to win.
The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.
—Bertrand Russell
Top
User avatar
MrChris
Slight Overbomber
Posts: 1413
Joined: 21 May 2003, 11:34
Location: A Forest

It may not have been well read in some countries, perhaps if it was translated fairly recently. But it has sold a HUGE number of copies, and Tolkein has regularly been voted favourite author in Britain at least. I know the film has led to more people discovering his books, but as you could judge by walking into any British bookshop even five or ten years ago, they were selling extremely well back then too.

I think that Tolkein has many faults, and I don't think it's the best book ever written by a very long way, but I also get annoyed by the utter snobbery of literary critics who dismiss it as 'silly' and unimportant. In terms of the BBC's Big Read, many of the critics who said it was silly - because it was unrealistic, had no bearing on the real world, and contained lots of people with long ears and silly names - also defended Harry Potter, His Dark Materials and the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Doh!
Chris

---------------------------------------------
Again and again and again...
Top
User avatar
mh
Above the Chemist
Posts: 8119
Joined: 23 Jun 2003, 14:41
Location: A city built on rock 'n' roll

If you look at some of the criticisms as well, they are just plain untrue. Two in particular:

"It has no women" - it does, and 2 of them in particular (Galadriel and Eowyn) are pretty kick-ass. Admittedly, they're in more peripheral roles, but there's a world of difference between that and none.

"The goodies all win out safe and sound" - they don't. There's an incredible amount of loss and grief at the end, with Frodo in particular being unable to enjoy the victory. In fact, in spite of the victory practically everything that was fought for ends up being lost.

Tolkien himself said "those who have read the book, (or at any rate, reviewed it)" (my italics), implying that a lot of the negative reviews it received were based solely on preconceived prejudice, and that the reviewers didn't even bother to read it. It's like the old "I hate (insert band name), I've never listened to any of their songs" - how can you know that you hate them if you don't know what they sound like???

OK, so I'm a massive fan meself, but I can and do see it's flaws (and what are flaws for me may well be the best bits for others). I'm mostly prepared to let them pass cos as a whole, the book is very relevant and the wealth of background detail makes it a convincing story.

A lot of it is probably down to literary snobbishness - like, how dare anyone write a socially relevant book that is both interesting and readable as well?!?

Phew!!! Rant over.
If I told them once, I told them a hundred times to put 'Spinal Tap' first and 'Puppet Show' last.
Top
User avatar
markfiend
goriller of form 3b
Posts: 21181
Joined: 11 Nov 2003, 10:55
Location: st custards
Contact:
Contact markfiend

What mh said.
mh wrote:"The goodies all win out safe and sound" - they don't. There's an incredible amount of loss and grief at the end, with Frodo in particular being unable to enjoy the victory. In fact, in spite of the victory practically everything that was fought for ends up being lost.
Indeed.

At one point Galadriel (or maybe Elrond) talks about "fighting the long defeat"; all the Elves accomplish is a brief respite so that they can escape into the West. '"They are sailing, sailing, sailing over the Sea, they are going into the West and leaving us," said Sam'.

It is a book filled with a wistful longing for beauty that has gone away. As Tolkien himself said (about the author of Beowulf, but the words can apply to his own writing), "He was telling of things already old and tinged with regret, and he expended his art on making keen the touch that sorrows have, which are both poignant and remote"

Edit: 100th post! No longer Road Kill!
The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.
—Bertrand Russell
Top
User avatar
MrChris
Slight Overbomber
Posts: 1413
Joined: 21 May 2003, 11:34
Location: A Forest

There's another very familiar, boring criticism which is often made as well, which is that the book sees world divided into 'basically good people' and 'basically bad people'. I'm not trying to vindicate Tolkein's views of the ideal social order, which often look aristocratic, undemocratic and just possibly involve disparaging views of women and other races. But the idea that there is no moral complexity in Tolkein's work is ridiculous. To believe this you have to ignore what happens to Bilbo, Frodo, Boromir, Gollum, Saruman, the Dunlendings, etc etc. All are plagued by self-doubt, pride, greed and vanity at various times. Hell, after Sauron shuffles off even the orcs change their ways. Sorry, that was a minor spoiler, I guess.
Chris

---------------------------------------------
Again and again and again...
Top
User avatar
Big Si
School Bully
Posts: 6747
Joined: 19 Nov 2002, 00:00
Location: Glesga Central

markfiend wrote:Edit: 100th post! No longer Road Kill!
Congrats! :notworthy:
Wyrd bið ful aræd...

mybelgiannemesis
Top
User avatar
moonchild
Utterly Bastard Groovy Amphetamine Filth
Posts: 620
Joined: 27 Aug 2003, 15:39
Location: Portugal

markfiend wrote:I hate to disagree, but... LOTR has sold more copies than any book other than the Bible. And as Big Si and MrChris have pointed out, it regularly wins "best book" polls here in the UK.

It was bound to win.
In UK that's for sure. But not in Portugal. I read this kind of stories for many many years ago, and only now the ppl is starting to search for more books of Tolkien or Feist or even Terry Pratchett.
Before the films, it was few ppl that looked for those kind of books...
Top
User avatar
Mrs RicheyJames
Overbomber
Posts: 4128
Joined: 10 Feb 2003, 00:33
Location: Rick Astley's house. Trying to find out why he chooses to look like Timsinister.

markfiend wrote:
moonchild wrote:
CellThree wrote:Wonder if LOTR would have been top if there hadn't been films?...
I think not. Few percent of ppl in Portugal didn't knew or read Tolkien before the films were made.
This is now kind of a fashion...
I hate to disagree, but... LOTR has sold more copies than any book other than the Bible. And as Big Si and MrChris have pointed out, it regularly wins "best book" polls here in the UK.

It was bound to win.
Yeah but Westlife and other crap and frightful bands always win best band etc....Doesn't actually make em good!!
Only a paand.
Top
User avatar
mh
Above the Chemist
Posts: 8119
Joined: 23 Jun 2003, 14:41
Location: A city built on rock 'n' roll

MrChris wrote:There's another very familiar, boring criticism which is often made as well, which is that the book sees world divided into 'basically good people' and 'basically bad people'.
Oooh yeh. The quote about the fallen baddie when they see the Elephant in Two Towers is a classic example. You can paraphrase it as something like "was he really bad or did he just fall into the wrong company and get led astray?"

There's another place where Gandalf (I think) says that even Sauron was not evil in the beginning. And he does also say that while he would use the Ring out of a desire to do good, he would turn out worse in the end.
If I told them once, I told them a hundred times to put 'Spinal Tap' first and 'Puppet Show' last.
Top
User avatar
Big Si
School Bully
Posts: 6747
Joined: 19 Nov 2002, 00:00
Location: Glesga Central

For the LOTR fans on the forum, fancy a new avatar? :wink:
Wyrd bið ful aræd...

mybelgiannemesis
Top
User avatar
James Blast
Banned
Posts: 24699
Joined: 11 Jun 2003, 18:58
Location: back from some place else

No, but thanks... any Walter Matthau "ya dumb bas'tid!"?
"And when you start to think about death, you start to think about what's after it. And then you start hoping there is a God. For me, it's a frightening thought to go nowhere".
~ Peter Steele
Top
User avatar
Big Si
School Bully
Posts: 6747
Joined: 19 Nov 2002, 00:00
Location: Glesga Central

Red Sunsets wrote:No, but thanks... any Walter Matthau "ya dumb bas'tid!"?
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&l ... gle+Search :roll:
Wyrd bið ful aræd...

mybelgiannemesis
Top
CorpPunk
Pirate of Penzance
Posts: 882
Joined: 29 Sep 2003, 05:48

Is it unforgivably geeky of me to admit that I bought my tickets for the third LOTR movie two weeks in advance? Cos I did. :P
Top
User avatar
khepri II
Gonzoid Amphetamine Filth
Posts: 385
Joined: 21 Jul 2003, 08:57
Location: Location

CellThree wrote:Wonder if LOTR would have been top if there hadn't been films?...
or in previous times, if Melbourne House hadn't been around. That was my route into the Hobbit :wink:

this is a fairly essential resource. Even gets a mention in the last LOTR book 8)

http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/east ... books.html
Just remember this. This rabble you keep talking about does most of the working, paying and dying in this community.
Top
Post Reply

Return to “General Chat”