Our Sponsor Sideshow Send us News
Lord of the Rings Tolkien
Search Tolkien
Lord of The RingsTheOneRing.net - Forged By And For Fans Of JRR Tolkien
Lord of The Rings Serving Middle-Earth Since The First Age

Lord of the Rings Movie News - J.R.R. Tolkien

  Main Index   Search Posts   Who's Online   Log in
The One Ring Forums: Tolkien Topics: Main:
'How We Became Middle Earth: A Collection of Essays on The Lord of the Rings'

Starling
Half-elven


May 25 2008, 4:41am

Post #1 of 12 (369 views)
Shortcut
'How We Became Middle Earth: A Collection of Essays on The Lord of the Rings' Can't Post

Has anyone seen or read this book? I just got home from the library with it. It was published in 2007 by something rather cute called Walking Tree Publishers.
It looks pretty interesting, and a quick skim of the index gives me about 14 TORn references. There is even a section written by a certain Erica Challis.
It is a series of essays related to the films being made in NZ, fandom, cultural considerations and so on; and at 400 odd pages there is plenty to keep me going for a while.
It's the first time I've seen it, so straight away I wondered whether anyone here had read it.


Ataahua
Forum Admin / Moderator


May 25 2008, 4:53am

Post #2 of 12 (255 views)
Shortcut
I haven't, [In reply to] Can't Post

but I'd be interested to know what you think of it.

Celebrimbor: "Pretty rings..."
Dwarves: "Pretty rings..."
Men: "Pretty rings..."
Sauron: "Mine's better."

"Ah, how ironic, the addictive qualities of Sauron’s master weapon led to its own destruction. Which just goes to show, kids - if you want two small and noble souls to succeed on a mission of dire importance... send an evil-minded b*****d with them too." - Gandalf's Diaries, final par, by Ufthak.


Ataahua's stories


Starling
Half-elven


May 25 2008, 5:09am

Post #3 of 12 (315 views)
Shortcut
Be prepared [In reply to] Can't Post

for a longish wait. Wink
I'm so tired with work lately, I seem to only get through a couple of pages of a book a night...
Yay! Just remembered next weekend is a three-dayer. That should give me a bit more reading time.


dernwyn
Forum Admin / Moderator


May 25 2008, 12:43pm

Post #4 of 12 (251 views)
Shortcut
Of course, you know [In reply to] Can't Post

that Erica Challis is "our own" Tehanu, whose receiving of an erroneous cease-and-desist order barring her from the filming sites led to her becoming a guest there, and - the rest is history!

Here's the link to its Amazon listing. Looks interesting; do give us a review!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"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


Rosie-with-the-ribbons
Forum Admin / Moderator


May 25 2008, 2:26pm

Post #5 of 12 (238 views)
Shortcut
I have it!! [In reply to] Can't Post

I went to New Zealand to visit the LOTR-locations in 2005/2006. And our tourguide Anne Buchmann, has also a chapter in the book. She has done her doctoral-thesis on Filmtourism in New Zealand That's why I bought it. I've read a bit of it. Some parts are a bit difficult to get through. It really are essays, and not stories. But it is fun to read the stories behind the big-story.


Annael
Immortal


May 25 2008, 2:38pm

Post #6 of 12 (245 views)
Shortcut
oh, I have to get that . . . [In reply to] Can't Post

thanks for alerting me to it!

It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters in the end. - Ursula Le Guin

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967


Silverlode
Forum Admin / Moderator


May 25 2008, 9:25pm

Post #7 of 12 (219 views)
Shortcut
Heh.... [In reply to] Can't Post

According to Amazon, 29% of people who view that page go on to buy "Tolkien's Shorter Works".

*snicker*

Silverlode

"Of all faces those of our familiares are the ones both most difficult to play fantastic tricks with, and most difficult really to see with fresh attention. They have become like the things which once attracted us by their glitter, or their colour, or their shape, and we laid hands on them, and then locked them in our hoard, acquired them, and acquiring ceased to look at them.
Creative fantasy, because it is mainly trying to do something else [make something new], may open your hoard and let all the locked things fly away like cage-birds. The gems all turn into flowers or flames, and you will be warned that all you had (or knew) was dangerous and potent, not really effectively chained, free and wild; no more yours than they were you."
-On Fairy Stories


Starling
Half-elven


May 26 2008, 7:06am

Post #8 of 12 (238 views)
Shortcut
You know you're dealing with essays when the titles are ones like: [In reply to] Can't Post

Whose Middle Earth is it? Reading The Lord of the Rings and New Zealand's New Identity from a Globalized, Post-Colonial Perspective (Daniel Smith-Rowsey)
or
The Weight of Existence: A Camusian Analysis of Frodo's Journey (Gerald A. Powell)
or
Breaking of the Fellowship: Competing Discourses of Archives and Canons in The Lord of the Rings Internet Fandom (Robyn Anne Reid)
or my personal favourite:
Lord of the Games? Father and Son Review The Lord of the Rings Video Games (Kenneth and Simon Henshall)

Phew! Wink


lola
Registered User


May 28 2008, 11:50am

Post #9 of 12 (201 views)
Shortcut
just wondering... [In reply to] Can't Post

This might sound like a bit of an odd request, but... would it be possible for you to tell me what the chapter headings/essay titles are in the book? I'm doing my master's dissertation on the LOTR film adaptations, and honestly there are that many books out there on the subject that I just cannot tell which ones are relevant to my (disturbingly specific) topic. And with only the short blurb on amazon to go by, I've ended up with quite a few books that are very interesting but sadly not useful at all...


Starling
Half-elven


May 29 2008, 7:15am

Post #10 of 12 (194 views)
Shortcut
Ok, here goes... [In reply to] Can't Post

The book is in six parts followed by a conclusion.
As there are 24 sections it would take me all night to give you the individual title of each essay, but I can give you the gist of it:
Forward
Part One: The Research Fellowship of the Ring
An introduction, contributors, insider's views (including Erica Challis from TORn, and Daniel Reeve)

Part 2: A World Consumed by Two Towers
Section 1: Film Tours and NZ's Post-Colonial Identity
Perceptions of NZ by overseas audiences, cultural perspectives, illusion and reality
Section 2: Modernity, Ecology, Space and Environmentalism
The illusion of space and place in the films, digital, relevance of LOTR, and 'ecocritical' reading of the films
Section 3: The Pilgrims in and Beyond the Tale:
Analysis from differing perspectives eg: Zen Buddhism

Part 3: Where Does the King Return To?
Section 4: Interpretations Forever
Eucatastrophe, Inheritance and resistance in the context of LOTR and Harry Potter. power and surveillance

Section 5: Tale after Tale
Analysis of extended editions, internet fandom

Section 6: Lord of the Games
Reviews of games, online middle earth

Conclusions;
Waiting for the King to Return, A Journey to Erewhon or a journey to Nowhere

I have only just started reading it. "Whose Middle-Earth is it?" got me a bit grouchy, due the the author's rather sweeping statements related to race and gender and how they are depicted in the films.

Anyway, I hope this is of some help.


lola
Registered User


May 29 2008, 12:15pm

Post #11 of 12 (158 views)
Shortcut
excellent, [In reply to] Can't Post

thanks for that Starling!
So what are these sweeping statements that frustrate you?


Starling
Half-elven


May 30 2008, 8:56am

Post #12 of 12 (170 views)
Shortcut
Hopefully you will get to read it and decide for yourself but [In reply to] Can't Post

I just got a bit irritated by what the author wrote about how Tolkien treated his women characters, and that PJ should not expect women to be happy with the way they are portrayed in the movies because only three women get lines and two of them are mostly 'mooning' over Aragorn. As has been discussed around here a lot, there are different kinds of strength.

Then the author moans that the Haradrim rider is killed before he gets to say a line. I know we view things through the lens of our times, but I think this author made some simplistic arguments, rather than discussing the issues in a thoughtful manner.

 
 

Search for (options) Powered by Gossamer Forum v.1.2.3

home | advertising | contact us | back to top | search news | join list | Content Rating

This site is maintained and updated by fans of The Lord of the Rings, and is in no way affiliated with Tolkien Enterprises or the Tolkien Estate. We in no way claim the artwork displayed to be our own. Copyrights and trademarks for the books, films, articles, and other promotional materials are held by their respective owners and their use is allowed under the fair use clause of the Copyright Law. Design and original photography however are copyright © 1999-2012 TheOneRing.net. Binary hosting provided by Nexcess.net

Do not follow this link, or your host will be blocked from this site. This is a spider trap.