March 9, 2004

Re: What I See When I Read
Danny

When I read the books the many times before the movies came out, my imagination had only succeeded in painting vague ideas for what most characters actually looked like. I didn't have a really fixed idea of a detailed Frodo down to the color of his eyes etc. Same goes for Aragorn, Gandalf etc. My imaginations vision of what places looked like was very much the same. The ideas and images shifted and varried every time I read. Having the films has changed that, but it has not been in a bad way. It has actually enhanced my reading now. My minds eye can now envision a Frodo, Aragorn, Gandalf, Legolas etc etc. Interestingly enough, it is not an exact replica of the cast, but their portrayals did help fill in the vagueries of my imagination. Same thing goes for Moria, Rivendell, Lothlorien, Minas Tirith, Rohan, Isengard, Minas Tirith etc etc. So for me the movies have entirely enriched and improved the reading experience.