Chat

[Chris]

Elizabeth wrote: "May I just say Adrianja, that you've done an awesome job with this group! I'm so glad to have people to geek out with about great books:-)"

Hear, hear!

[Linda]

Hey guys! Did you all know that Alison Croggon has written a new book for kids?

[Linda]

Whoops! (blushing) I meant to add that.

JIMMY WONDERSPOON

For Ages 9-12

An adventure story in sixteen chapters and eight cats.
A book for younger readers from the author of the best-selling fantasy series, The Books of Pellinor.

[Linda]

Adrianja wrote: "So I went through reviews again today and commented trying to get people to join. I've done the first 13 pages, but there are like 200 some more. Would someone like to help me? :) I'd love to get m..."

I'd be glad to help tonight! Start with page 14?

[Linda]

Okay!

[Linda]

Done through page 20.

I'll be glad to do more tomorrow if you let me know what you have done :)

[Linda]

Gotcha! I'll do some more tonight then.

[Abigail]

agh, speaking of not being on very much, sorry i dissapeared for the past 2 months :O. school started taking all of my time :P

[Becky]

Hey,
is anyone reading Inheritance? i'm finding it really difficult to stay motivated about this book....anyone having the same difficulty? i almost gave up on the series a few times, and i never give up on a book unless i really, really don't like it! Only thing is I really want to find out how he ended it, but don;t know if it;s worth slogging through 849 pages!

[Abigail]

I started reading the first book of the Inheritance cycle when I was younger, and I had the same issue...loved the movie, but I just couldn't get through the book...I might try again sometime though...maybe we should start a group and a thread and have a readalong for the Inheritance books so we can push each other to slog through them haha...

[Becky]

but, but, torture is illegal!! i tried re-reading it before Inheritance came out and only got half way through before i put it down again!

[Becky]

wait, now i'm confused....who said they liked the film? the film is bad and as for the books....paolini doesn't seem to have a single original thought in them, but that's just my opinion.
i have a housemate who hates all fantasy books and films saying every single one of them is the same, i disagree! there are so many awesome fantasy books out there, but she bases this on Eragon and the preface to lord of the rings....eragon i get, its not the best, but LOTR? now that is a good book!!

[Sarah]

I couldn't agree more, the film was as bad as The Golden Compass...

I read Eragon and Eldest, but Brisingr has been on my bookshelf (with the bookmark somewhere in the middle) for ageeeessss. I don't know why, but it stopped interesting me - I felt like Paolini was just going through the motions, trying to make everthing 'epic' or tragic; it felt like he was trying too hard, but the best results come through subtlety... :) Maybe I'm just finding making up excuses because I'd rather than the main protaganist be a female.

[Sarah]

Aragorn is my favourite too, Maeve!!! What I also love about LOTR is all the memorable quotes and speeches...there are so many great things to remember - it's great that most of them were in the book and they put them in the movie :)

[Sarah]

Hear hear!! :D

[Becky]

I'm still making my watt through Lord of the Rings, about half way through Two Towers, but again got distracted....I'm awful for that! I envy people who have friends who read the same books as them....i'm kind of an oddball in my group, everyone else either doesn't read or only reads fiction or historical fiction!

From what i've read so far of LOTR Aragon is probably the best, but I will admit I wish I had Legolas' skills with a bow! my archery skills are rudimentary in the extreme!

[Becky]

haha! to be fair everyone does that at some point

[Becky]

I like two towers, so far it's a good book! I admit getting into the first one was quite hard, it starts quite slowly in my opinion and i found the start of the journey quite boring but once they get past Bree (can't remember if this is how you spell it) and meet up with Strider it kinda picks up the pace.

[Abigail]

wellllll (this is late---going back to Eragon) I haven't seen the movie in ages, but when I saw it I was a little girl and it had just come out...i'll have to take a look at it again and see if it's as bad as y'all say it is :D

[Becky]

it's worse if you have read the book, i know people who haven't read the book and say the film ins't so bad

[Chris]

Maeve wrote about an "annoying little girl of a hobbit" and Elizabeth wrote: "Hm, take into account though that he didn't want the task and never wanted to leave. But you're right, he is a bit of a girl at times."

As a male, I can hardly take offence at your descriptions of Frodo though I would never dream of labeling him in this way! I suppose I would have said he could be a bit of wuss, and maybe a bit uptight; certainly he doesn't seem to have much of a sense of humour. After three readings of LOTR in a little under 50 years I have to say I always thought he was a bit of an enigma, if not a nonentity; but I thought Elijah Wood at least managed to invest him with a bit of humanity in the films. Or should that be 'hobbity' perhaps?

[Becky]

I wonder what would have happened if sam had gotten the ring from the beginning....my face character from the film was always a toss up between Sam and Pippin

[Becky]

what about Aragorn?

[Becky]

so why the hell didn't he get the ring?? he was probably the strongest character

[Becky]

ah who cares, semicolons are awesome! its the Aragorn of Grammar :P

[Chris]

Elizabeth wrote: "I agree with Chris, Elijah Wood's performance as Frodo was really good and definately did give him a bit more humanity. However if you want to see Frodo who has some spunk, watch the '70s animated ..."

Long time since I saw the animated version--will now have to seek it out!

[Becky]

i haven't seen it either, i remember someone saying there was a song in it about murder?

[Becky]

Hey Maeve thanks for inviting me to join your other group, but i haven't actually read The Prince of Thorns :/ Sorry

[Chris]

You can see the trailer here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077869/
I seem to remember some songs, but they weren't memorable. The hobbits are noticeably older-looking than in the Jackson trilogy.

[Becky]

well in the book isn't frodo about 50?

[Ice]

Going back to a comment on Sam, I admire him for being so selfless, not all of us are destined for celebrity status. And sometimes looking at celebrities who would want to. I am sure Linda will understand the irony of this comment.

[Becky]

Maeve wrote: "Becky wrote: "Hey Maeve thanks for inviting me to join your other group, but i haven't actually read The Prince of Thorns :/ Sorry"

Neither has anyone else, but I was really lonely on the page for..."

Oh no! That must be a bit awkward! have you tried looking at people's reviews and inviting them through that...that's how i found this group...

[Becky]

eek! not so good...

[Ice]

Maeve wrote: "I tried, but somehow, they either speak german, or don't care for the book!!"

I would start with Fantasy Faction, there are many US and Anglo members who should prove compatible !!

[Chris]

Becky wrote: "well in the book isn't frodo about 50?"

Yes, of course, but ages are all relative in LOTR, aren't they? Aragorn, Gandalf, the elves, all live well past our common human lifespans, and even Bilbo is very sprightly on his eleventy-first birthday, living quite a few more years after that. 50 in hobbit years would be quite young in human years.

[Becky]

i thought Bilbo was unusually old at 111, or did i just get that wrong?

[Chris]

Elizabeth wrote: "I celebrate Christmas and I can't wait! But as a treat, hop on over to Youtube, there's a trailor (finally) for the Hobbit Movie! If you didn't know about it, you do now! Merry Christmas!"

Brilliant treat, isn't it!

[Becky]

I'm so excited for it!!!! but does anyone else think the dwarfs look slightly comical and cartoonish?

[Chris]

Becky wrote: "I'm so excited for it!!!! but does anyone else think the dwarfs look slightly comical and cartoonish?"

I'm sure that's in keeping with the jokey tone of the first half of the book; the first chapter, particularly, with the dwarves falling in over Bilbo's doorstep, starts as it means to go on.

[Becky]

i dunno, not really sure about that, but it still looks awesome!!

[Becky]

yeah! i actually can't wait!!

[Chris]

Elizabeth wrote: "I really love how they sing in the trailer. Gives me shivers every time:-)"

As a musician I heartily approve of the modal, primitive folksong feel of the dwarves' song in the trailer, which gives it a very timeless quality. Thank goodness there's no Disney/Pixar updating of the songs! I liked Aragorn's singing in the Return of the King, and though I know not everyone rated it I found it very moving.

[Becky]

i loved Pippin's song in Gondor! gives me shivers every time

[Chris]

Becky wrote: "i loved Pippin's song in Gondor! gives me shivers every time"

Of course! I'd forgotten that! Me too!

[Chris]

Elizabeth wrote: "Yeah, Aragorn's song and Pippin's song are two of my favorite pieces of music. These movies are wonderful in their soundtracks and hopefully the Hobbit will not disappoint.
Just so you know,there a..."

As a fellow dork, I also follow The Hobbit Movie and Peter Jackson on facebook as well as theonering.net for updates on production progress.

By the way, Elizabeth, is there a difference between a 'dork' and a 'geek'? I'm the less offensive one of the two...

[Becky]

i call them "like minded people"!! thats not at all offensive! :D

[Chris]

Becky wrote: "i call them "like minded people"!! thats not at all offensive! :D"

Yay! That's very heart-warming!

[Becky]

thank you! i think that should be the considered term for these sorts of things from now on

[Becky]

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

[Chris]

Adrianja wrote: "HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!"

Hope 2012 is everything you hope for, and more!