April 30, 2003

HP and LotR
Andrew

It's wierd how one little article can spawn such a huge debate, isn't it?
Anyway, I agree with the idea that no fantasy writer after the time of LOTR can not be influenced by Tolkien. And it would be easy to think of the similarities that HP has to LOTR, if it hadn't been for the fact that the HP movie totally ruined the great unveiling of the LOTR movies. I mean, HP made more money that LOTR! HOW THE HECK DID THAT HAPPEN?????
But the movies aside, I just can't accept that J.K. Rowling didn't use things from LOTR, disguise them slightly, and turn them into a kiddie story. I mean, take a look at these:

HP: the mountain troll in the bathroom
LOTR: the cave troll in Balin's Tomb.

HP: a baby dragon
LOTR: Smaug, a dragon (actually from the Hobbit, but whatever)

HP: Aragog, a giant spider at the end of the second book.
LOTR: Shelob, a giant spider at the end of the second book. (Also, "Aragog" is suspiciously close to "Aragorn".)

HP: Dumbledore, an old wizard who is very wise, with a long beard
LOTR: Gandalf, an old wizard who is very wise, with a long beard

HP: The Whomping Willow, a living tree.
LOTR: the Ents, living trees.

HP: goblins at Gringotts bank
LOTR: goblins (or orcs)

HP: Harry, an orphan
LOTR: Frodo, an orphan

HP: Voldemort, a dark lord, who nobody likes to name.
LOTR: Sauron, a dark lord, who nobody likes to name.

HP: the flying car, who helps the main charactors around, and saves them.
LOTR: Gwaihir, who helps Gandalf around, and saves him.

HP: Hagrid, a very hairy guy
LOTR: Gimli, a very hairy guy

So you can see just how many quite big similarities there are in the stories. The only difference I can think of is that Tolkien was like a million times more creative than Rowling. And does anybody else think its cheesy that she calls herself "J.K. Rowling"? Could see be trying anymore to be like "J.R.R. Tolkien"?

Well, sorry for the length of this article. But I always have a lot to say.