Your Morning Cup of Hersey
Merka

I would like to put forward to Katerina and Byron the radical and impossible notion that Tolkien was not perfect.

I will not deny that he was phenominal. I will not say we do not owe the creation of modern fantasy to him. But perfect? Neh.

Several times, I found his characterizations to be inadequate, Arwen a very much case in point. She is, as far as I can see, Aragorn's major motivation, but we learn nothing about her! Even in the appendices, we learn history, but anything about *her*? No.

I'm aware that what I just said will probably raise screams of outrage, but I can deal with that. So, shall I raise some more?

I adore Tolkien. But I can completely sympathize with my friends who have tried to read it and found it boring as hell. After all, how many pages does he spend describing the Plains of Rohan? To many intelligent, well-spoken people, saying that they were grassland with a few hills would be enough. Personally, I revel in the detail, but at least half of that is nostalgia from when my dad used to read to me at night.

Also, other than the hobbits, it often seems that the other characters are very. ..   hmmm. . .removed. Now, I think Tolkien did this on purpose, to enhance the sense that this was written from old journals and the Red Book. But it's often frustrating, and I wonder why there aren't more fan fiction sites out there to fill it in. (If I'm wrong about this, please, email me at istyary@hotmail.com and give me the addresses of the sites.)

I have a few more heretical thoughts on this, but I think that is enough. Suffice it to say, Kat and By, I find you rather hysterical and totalitarian. But that's okay; you probably find me insulting, disloyal and impudent.

However, as I stated before, I await these movies with bated breath, and am often heard bemoaning the fact that I must wait till Christmas to see the FIRST one. Truthfully, I think you're downing something you haven't seen, for a reason I cannot comprehend. But I'll leave it at this.

Adieux