If I can't be a dragon-whisperer, can I at least befriend a talking dog?
I recently came across an interesting diagram that shows various statistics about thirty famous books, including how long it took to write them. Of the thirty books included, the one that took the longest was The Lord of the Rings*. Why did it take J.R.R. Tolkien twelve years** to complete his masterpiece? Some say perfectionism... Continue Reading →
Fantasy gets a bad rap. When it's not referred to as escapist or mindless fluff, it's criticized for being unrealistic, the province of dreamy teenagers (or adults) who don't want to face the real world or deal with real life. But is that true? SPOILER ALERT: Details about the stories of Frodo Baggins, Harry Potter,... Continue Reading →
September 22nd is the birthday of both Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, characters in Tolkien's masterwork The Lord of the Rings. Here's a silly Lego clip to help you celebrate the day.
NOTE: The following discussion is about The Lord of the Rings books, not the movies. I'm concerned with what Tolkien intended, not what Peter Jackson and his friends decided to do with the story. When J.R.R. Tolkien wrote about Middle Earth, he was trying to write "a mythology for England." His story is a like an... Continue Reading →
Thanks to Hollywood, the word "hero" conjures a definite image: a muscular, stern-faced man, who is taciturn, courageous, and determined. He faces impossible odds, risking what matters most to him, in order to save others. His most prominent characteristic is his strength — physical and mental. Without it, he cannot hope to succeed. But not all... Continue Reading →
