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Voronwë_the_Faithful
Doriath
May 18 2009, 9:12pm
Post #1 of 10
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Arda Reconstructed Review in MythLore
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I mentioned a little while ago that there was going to be a review of Arda Reconstructed in the new issue of Mythlore written by none other than our own Jason Fisher. Well the issue is out, and the Mythopoeic Society has posted the review (all the reviews from the issue, actually), on their website.
It is generally a positive review, overall, but I certainly don't escape the visualweasel's sharp claws in a number of places. Since one or two people here had expressed an interest in reading the review, here it is:
http://www.mythsoc.org/.../arda.reconstructed/
'But very bright were the stars upon the margin of the world, when at times the clouds about the West were drawn aside.'
www.arda-reconstructed.com
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squire
Gondolin
May 18 2009, 9:36pm
Post #2 of 10
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Thank you, Voronwe and VIsualweasel
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I see I am going to have to get this book. Once I told a friend that if I ever spent money on the patently unnecessary History of Middle-earth volumes, he should shoot me with a silver bullet - but that was long ago.
One thing continues to bug me in this area. Why do so many of us Tolkien fans and scholars continue to refer to Christopher Tolkien as "Christopher" while calling his father "Tolkien"? The younger man is in his 80s, an eminent scholar and editor in his own right, and we do not even begin to know him either personally, or as a media celebrity might be known (cf. good buddy Pete, the director of the New Line film trilogy, nka Mr. Jackson). It feels vaguely familiar and disrespectful for us to keep the poor gent in the short pants of the precocious boy "Christopher" that inhabits his father's letters from the 1930s and 1940s.
In my Encyclopedia articles, I used the convention of "CT" after one keyed use of "Christopher Tolkien" - and J R R Tolkien became "JRRT". If that is too abbreviated for a journal review, perhaps "C. Tolkien" would do?
squire online:
RR Discussions: The Valaquenta, A Shortcut to Mushrooms, and Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit
Lights! Action! Discuss on the Movie board!: 'A Journey in the Dark'. and 'Designing The Two Towers'.
Footeramas: The 3rd TORn Reading Room LotR Discussion; and "Tolkien would have LOVED it!"
squiretalk introduces the J.R.R. Tolkien Encyclopedia: A Reader's Diary
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visualweasel
Nargothrond
May 18 2009, 9:55pm
Post #3 of 10
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Of course, I don't think it's ever meant to convey either familiarity or disrespect, but I see the point you're making. To me, "CT" and "JRRT" is a bit "outliney", and not really suitable for fully developed discussions in prose (as opposed to discussions in Powerpoint with bulleted lists, or even threaded online conversation). On the other hand, to use "C. Tolkien" repeatedly feels unnecessarily verbose. Like it or not, squire — and please believe me, I am not trying to be dismissive — I think a consensus has formed that "Christopher" and "Tolkien" are the accepted (and acceptable) standard for identifying CT and JRRT.
Jason Fisher
Lingwë - Musings of a Fish
The Lord of the Rings discussion 2007-2008 – The Two Towers – III.4 “Treebeard” – Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
“On Fairy-stories” discussion 2008 – “Origins” – Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
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Voronwë_the_Faithful
Doriath
May 18 2009, 10:26pm
Post #4 of 10
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I had "CT" throughout my manuscript, before changing it
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Squire, that is definitely an issue that struggled with. Initially, all of my references to Christopher Tolkien (after the first one) had "CT" whereas the comparatively fewer references by name to J.R.R. Tolkien had "Tolkien" (it is, I think, probably more common in my work that JRRT is referred to as "his father" or some similar designation than actually by name). In the end, I decided that the oft-repeated CT just seemed wrong, that repeating "Christopher Tolkien" every time felt reduntant, and that "C. Tolkien" seemed stilted. In the end, I somewhat reluctantly settled on calling him Christopher. Certainly, no disrespect was or is intended.
'But very bright were the stars upon the margin of the world, when at times the clouds about the West were drawn aside.'
www.arda-reconstructed.com
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Tolkien Forever
Mithlond
May 19 2009, 12:04am
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What's the big deal in a name?
Folks are just trying to differentiate between the two.
No big thing what you write to do that.
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Tolkien Forever
Mithlond
May 19 2009, 12:32am
Post #6 of 10
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I think it's a good review & a good book......
Both pretty fair.
Both FAR beyond my scope of knowledge. 
Although I agree with Viz on the 'cutting the females' part.
I think such things are sometmes viewed under an unequal light by our oversensative society, especially by somebody in Voromwe's profession, where looking for such social injustice is his buisness..
And, a GREAT use of 'Christopher' & 'Tolkien' to tell father & son apart. 
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squire
Gondolin
May 19 2009, 12:48am
Post #7 of 10
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No disrespect, of course, but I can't help...
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Hobbity
Christopher Tolkien goes
Hobbity, hobbity,
Hobbity, hobbity, hob.
Whenever I tell him
Politely to stop it, he
Says it’s an editing job.
If he stopped editing,
he couldn't go anywhere,
Poor little Christopher
Couldn't go anywhere. . . .
That's why he always goes
Hobbity, hobbity,
Hobbity,
Hobbity,
Hob.
Us Two
"Let's look for dragons," I said to Pa.
"Yes, let's," said Pa to Me.
We crossed the river and found a few -
"Yes, those are dragons all right," said Pa.
"As soon as I saw their beaks I knew.
That's what they are," said Pa, said he.
"That's what they are," said Pa.
"Let's frighten the dragons," I said to Pa.
"That's right," said Pa to Me.
"I'm not afraid," I said to Pa,
And I held his hand and I shouted "Shoo!
Silly old dragons!"- and off they flew.
"I wasn't afraid," said Pa, said he,
"I'm never afraid with you."
So wherever I am, there's always Pa,
There's always Pa and Me.
"What would I do?" I said to Pa,
"If it wasn't for you," and Pa said: "True,
It isn't much fun for One, but Two,
Can write forever, says Pa, says he. "That's how it is," says Pa.
Vespers
Old man kneels at the foot of the bed,
Droops on the little hands little grey head.
Hush! Hush! Whisper who dares!
Christopher Tolkien is saying his prayers.
God bless Baillie. I know that's right.
Wasn't it fun in the bath tonight?
The cold's so cold, and the hot's so hot.
Oh! God bless Daddy - I quite forgot.
If I open my fingers a little bit more,
I can see Adam’s dressing-gown on the door.
It's a beautiful blue, but it hasn't a hood.
Oh! God bless Adam and make him good.
Dad wrote a book, and I lie in bed,
And pull the book right over my head,
And I shut my eyes, and I curl up small,
And nobody knows that I'm there at all.
Oh! Thank you, God, for a lovely life.
And who was the other I had for a wife?
I said "Bless Daddy," so what can it be?
Oh! Now I remember. God bless me.
Old man kneels at the foot of the bed,
Droops on the little hands little grey head.
Hush! Hush! Whisper who dares!
Christopher Tolkien is saying his prayers.
squire online:
RR Discussions: The Valaquenta, A Shortcut to Mushrooms, and Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit
Lights! Action! Discuss on the Movie board!: 'A Journey in the Dark'. and 'Designing The Two Towers'.
Footeramas: The 3rd TORn Reading Room LotR Discussion; and "Tolkien would have LOVED it!"
squiretalk introduces the J.R.R. Tolkien Encyclopedia: A Reader's Diary
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dernwyn
Forum Admin
/ Moderator
May 19 2009, 2:06am
Post #8 of 10
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Oh, good heavens, squire!
ROFL!
Now I've got Kenny Loggin's "House at Pooh Corner" tumbling through my brain! 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
"It struck me last night that you might write a fearfully good romantic drama, with as much of the 'supernatural' as you cared to introduce. Have you ever thought of it?"
-Geoffrey B. Smith, letter to JRR Tolkien, 1915
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FarFromHome
Doriath
May 19 2009, 7:54am
Post #9 of 10
(1006 views)
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Farewell, friends! I hear the call.
The ship’s beside the stony wall.
Foam is white and waves are grey;
beyond the sunset leads my way.
Bilbo's Last Song
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Voronwë_the_Faithful
Doriath
May 20 2009, 3:50pm
Post #10 of 10
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I made a few brief comments in response to the review here.
'But very bright were the stars upon the margin of the world, when at times the clouds about the West were drawn aside.'
www.arda-reconstructed.com
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