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CuriousG
Half-elven
Sep 10 2013, 5:17pm
Post #1 of 83
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What books should be discussed next in The Reading Room?
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We just finished The Silmarillion, and The Hobbit was last year. Looking for something new!
(This post was edited by CuriousG on Sep 10 2013, 5:17pm)
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Ardamírë
Valinor
Sep 10 2013, 5:30pm
Post #2 of 83
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Something besides Middle-earth, IMO.
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Brethil had mentioned The Fall of Arthur, and I think that would be an interesting diversion away from Middle-earth. Another fun one would be Roverandom. I haven't read that in forever, and it would likely be a fun/short discussion. I think then we could do Unfinished Tales around the first of the year. I'm dying to discuss UT, so I'm hoping we can get to it sometime soon!
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CuriousG
Half-elven
Sep 10 2013, 6:25pm
Post #3 of 83
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to do the short things you mention, plus Farmer Giles, etc, then plunge into LOTR when we've completed the shorter works. I forgot to add "On Fairy-Stories" to the list.
We could probably cover all these works in a few months, then tackle LOTR in the spring. Just one option. But it all depends on who wants to lead the next book schedule and when they want to start.
Thanks for your input!
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Brethil
Half-elven
Sep 10 2013, 7:10pm
Post #4 of 83
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To get some different, shorter works out there for discussion, and then (in the 60th Anniversary year) maybe cover UT early, and then pick up LOTR.
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Rembrethil
Tol Eressea
Sep 10 2013, 9:18pm
Post #5 of 83
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Does everybody have these, though?
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I don't think that Farmer Giles, nor Roverandom are popular, even among us fans. I have Tales from the Perilous Realms, and it has about everything, minus Smith Wooton of Major, Gawain and the Green Knight, Fall of Arthur, and a few others.
I do agree vehemently that these (Farmer Giles and Roverandom) would be both fun and short, so I'm up for both.
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CuriousG
Half-elven
Sep 10 2013, 9:47pm
Post #6 of 83
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I think if someone didn't own them and didn't have the money on hand to buy them, they could borrow them from a library. They're fairly quick reads, even for a slow reader like me.
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demnation
Rohan
Sep 10 2013, 11:00pm
Post #7 of 83
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They are all so full of interesting things to talk about! There is bound to be a LOTR discussion within the coming year, so my vote would be for UT, The Letters, or one of the shorter stories.
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Ardamírë
Valinor
Sep 11 2013, 12:12am
Post #8 of 83
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of tackling some shorter works before committing to the very lengthy LOTR discussion.
If we were to do UT at some point, I think it would make sense to completely skip Narn i Chin Hurin. It would essentially be a discussion of CoH, and I think that book could be discussed by itself at some time in the future.
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Ardamírë
Valinor
Sep 11 2013, 12:15am
Post #9 of 83
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I think something like Roverandom would be great! I've only read that once, and that was when I was in middle school. It would be fun to read it again and talk through it. I've never read Farmer Giles, and I don't know what's all in Tales from the Perilous Realms. Anyway, I think that some variety would be nice. 
Maybe I would even read The Fall of Arthur. Who knows 
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Ardamírë
Valinor
Sep 11 2013, 12:19am
Post #10 of 83
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I wouldn't think that we'd have to worry about what books everyone has. If people want to join the discussion, they'll find the book somewhere. Or they'll just look it up on wikipedia and just ask questions. I think the variety would be really nice.
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Ardamírë
Valinor
Sep 11 2013, 12:24am
Post #11 of 83
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I really wanna sneak this one in before the LOTR marathon discussion.
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Brethil
Half-elven
Sep 11 2013, 12:32am
Post #12 of 83
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to mix things up a bit...especially with the 60th, we can celebrate all sorts of facets of JRRT's world, before the 'big' celebration of LOTR.
I *think* I read Roverandom way back, well before LOTR; probably about the same age you did. I read Giles and Niggle very (too) quickly, right after I finished LOTR the first time, and (as with the first Sil read of the same era) was let down that it wasn't more of the LOTR that I was newly enamored of. So I would be happy to revisit them and spend a good amount of time and chat over them.
Fall of Arthur is very enjoyable; its Arthurian, yet unique - as many of JRRT's character choices are a bit out of the accepted norms, or at least what we are used to. And the language in the alliterative form is beautiful.
In any case, in any order I look forward to sharing them with all of you!
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cats16
Half-elven
Sep 11 2013, 12:37am
Post #13 of 83
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Planning on joining you all soon.
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I really did catch The Sil at the worst time, staying too far behind you all while reading it for the first time.  But there's always another chance soon enough.
As for ME--though I have no objection to non ME material-- I'd love to do UT. I'm with Ardamíre here. (Coincidentally I'm also reading UT for the first time right now.)
I'm really liking the idea of LOTR for the anniversary, btw.
Just some thoughts from a most-of-the-time-lurker-soon-to-be-a-regular poster in the RR.
(This post was edited by cats16 on Sep 11 2013, 12:39am)
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Brethil
Half-elven
Sep 11 2013, 12:43am
Post #14 of 83
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Hope to see you in the RR soon! And remember, if you think of something you want to point out specifically in Sil, you can always post it. Discussions (like great stories) never really end.
And I would enjoy discussing UT very much as well.
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cats16
Half-elven
Sep 11 2013, 12:53am
Post #15 of 83
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Something might come up here in UT that I forgot to make a note of in Sil. Nice to have these works keep bringing back the same stories. 
OT but RR related- will the next TAS have a specific theme? I'm considering a topic, but first I need to see if it will fit in (assuming there is a theme).
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Ardamírë
Valinor
Sep 11 2013, 12:54am
Post #16 of 83
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I'm just not all that big into Arthurian legend. Nor do I really enjoy reading poetry. So I think it would be a chore to make my way through it.
Roverandom was great, though! It was a nice little adventure story. I don't think I've read anything else by Tolkien, though, that wasn't Middle-earth.
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Brethil
Half-elven
Sep 11 2013, 12:57am
Post #17 of 83
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We are probably reserving the first 'themed' TAS for the 60th FOTR publishing Anniversary - so we will be using LOTR as the theme in July 2014. For the November TAS, all topics are open. Really anything that touches on some facet of JRRT's works fits in.
Thrilled that you are considering a topic! Would love to see your thoughts, Cats! - if you have any questions you can always shoot us a note through the TAS PM.
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Brethil
Half-elven
Sep 11 2013, 12:59am
Post #18 of 83
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I think I will get Tales from the Perilous Realm this week....!!!!
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Now I am psyched to read Roverandom again!
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Ardamírë
Valinor
Sep 11 2013, 1:02am
Post #19 of 83
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Mine is packed up in a box somewhere.
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cats16
Half-elven
Sep 11 2013, 1:03am
Post #20 of 83
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Actually that fits nicely into my topic. I had a LOTR-related thing in mind. *cliffhanger*  I might wait until next summer, then. Especially since I would undoubtedly have to read the entire trilogy to find quotes and build a paper. 
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CuriousG
Half-elven
Sep 11 2013, 1:28am
Post #21 of 83
(430 views)
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Well, if someone has 7 extra sockpuppets *cough*, I can see how UT would win with 8 votes and counting. Just kidding!
I haven't even voted yet, LOL. I could go with anything. I can see people wanting a break from MEarth after the Sil, but I also think UT would be a logical sequel to the Sil since it expands on it, and we could get ME out of the way, so to speak, then do all the non-ME stuff that we want, then go on to LOTR. How would that sound? I'm glad someone noticed the anniversary coming up--that would be cool to time our reading with it! But as Wiz pointed out, we're looking at 60+ chapters, much more than a year when we break for TAS or anything else. I'm a guy. Making long-term commitments doesn't come easily.
I haven't read Arthur yet, but would be happy to and if it gets some votes (I see Brethil creating sockpuppets furiously now). I'm guessing that just about anything we read, except UT, we could do in a week, right? My copy of Roverandom is only 87 pages on small paper with big type, and it's not a heavy read, so a week there? We don't have to figure out exact schedules, but it would be good to thumbnail things. That might influence how people vote. A week or two for Arthur? A week each for Farmer Giles, etc?
On the other hand, Unfinished Tales has 14 chapters/chunks, so that's 3+ months. I'm not sure how we could do more than a chapter/week since they're all so different from each other and couldn't be combined, so we need to figure out where in the calendar we'd nestle that book.
Thanks for everyone speaking up! So much fun to have TOO MANY books to discuss.
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Elizabeth
Half-elven
Sep 11 2013, 2:14am
Post #22 of 83
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...like Leaf by Niggle and Farmer Giles of Ham can work well interspersed between major enterprises. They're a nice break (although I think Leaf is very sad).
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Brethil
Half-elven
Sep 11 2013, 2:28am
Post #23 of 83
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(*hastily pushing socks, google eyes and yarn aside*) Maybe UT starting soon?
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After #131? I can get it done in four weeks, if we want to clear an extra week to start UT.
That could take us into - early February? (with a break here and there, like Symposium 2 weeks?) And then the smaller works, like Giles, Roverandom and Niggle (maybe OFS and Arthur) after UT? And I think a week is fine for them. Like you I am fairly easy about schedule, as long as people have interest in pieces (which it appears we do!)
It seems LOTR can start early next year (late winter/early spring?) So that seems like it works in that slot regardless. If we start LOTR in March then that gives us 5 months to cover UT (ME recap) the 'other' works and then swing into LOTR.
Will chew on a sock instead of making any male commitment jokes (but still had to announce it nonetheless.)
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cats16
Half-elven
Sep 11 2013, 2:43am
Post #25 of 83
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*looks around* *gasp* I'm in Rohan!
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Wonder if I can make it to Gondor before DOS...*cracks knuckles*
Sorry, ignore my narcissistic babbling. 
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