Mistress Maerad
December 18th, 2007, 06:40 PM
Hi all - I thought I'd pop in and give you my two pennorth on the Tolkien question.:eek:
I make no bones about admiring Tolkien. I've read practically everything he wrote that I could get my hands on, including his translation of the old poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and other relatively obscure pieces. And the Pellinor series, like so many others, would not exist without him. The Naming/The Gift, in particular, is full of little tributes to The Master.
It does, unfortunately, mean that every now and then I've been accused of plagiarism, which does get my goat. If I'm a plagiarist, then Tolkien himself was just as bad, he stole from everywhere, as is obvious to anyone who reads the texts he used. And given I have no hobbits, elves, dwarves, magic rings, ents etc, it does seem a bit unfair. I've sometimes wondered if it's because, like Tolkien, I can actually write poetry, and I really enjoyed the world-building aspect of writing these books, to the extent of writing those extensive appendices (which were great fun).
It's not as if Tolkien is even the most important influence on those books. I am much more interested in character than Tolkien. He claimed that character didn't matter, and was a matter for drama rather than epic stories - traditionally speaking, of course, he's quite correct - you don't read Beowulf for the characterisation. Dostoevsky and the Brontes and other 19th century novels are actually just as important. Le Guin is probably a more significant influence than Tolkien, frankly, but hardly anyone mentions her: and no one except other poets has ever spotted the poets I quote in there.
But in the end, it's not a competition. I'm not going to knock Tolkien off his pedestal. But I'm very happy to be, in a writerly sense, the daughter of Tolkien.
**grudgingly mutters, "yeah, he's a great author, I have to admit it. But Alison is better, that's all I'm saying."**
It makes me mad when people say you are like Tolkien, because he probably took from other people as well. Every author gleans from what they have read, and then takes bits and pieces here and there to create a new story. I don't believe in plagiarism. :D Keep writing Alison!!!!
By the way, are you planning on writing any books after The Singing? New ideas, or based in Edil-Amarandh? I would so read it/them.....
So, back on topic. I recently read a great book entitled, THE BEAST OF NOOR by Janet Lee Carey. It was rather odd, but really good!!!!!!!!
I make no bones about admiring Tolkien. I've read practically everything he wrote that I could get my hands on, including his translation of the old poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and other relatively obscure pieces. And the Pellinor series, like so many others, would not exist without him. The Naming/The Gift, in particular, is full of little tributes to The Master.
It does, unfortunately, mean that every now and then I've been accused of plagiarism, which does get my goat. If I'm a plagiarist, then Tolkien himself was just as bad, he stole from everywhere, as is obvious to anyone who reads the texts he used. And given I have no hobbits, elves, dwarves, magic rings, ents etc, it does seem a bit unfair. I've sometimes wondered if it's because, like Tolkien, I can actually write poetry, and I really enjoyed the world-building aspect of writing these books, to the extent of writing those extensive appendices (which were great fun).
It's not as if Tolkien is even the most important influence on those books. I am much more interested in character than Tolkien. He claimed that character didn't matter, and was a matter for drama rather than epic stories - traditionally speaking, of course, he's quite correct - you don't read Beowulf for the characterisation. Dostoevsky and the Brontes and other 19th century novels are actually just as important. Le Guin is probably a more significant influence than Tolkien, frankly, but hardly anyone mentions her: and no one except other poets has ever spotted the poets I quote in there.
But in the end, it's not a competition. I'm not going to knock Tolkien off his pedestal. But I'm very happy to be, in a writerly sense, the daughter of Tolkien.
**grudgingly mutters, "yeah, he's a great author, I have to admit it. But Alison is better, that's all I'm saying."**
It makes me mad when people say you are like Tolkien, because he probably took from other people as well. Every author gleans from what they have read, and then takes bits and pieces here and there to create a new story. I don't believe in plagiarism. :D Keep writing Alison!!!!
By the way, are you planning on writing any books after The Singing? New ideas, or based in Edil-Amarandh? I would so read it/them.....
So, back on topic. I recently read a great book entitled, THE BEAST OF NOOR by Janet Lee Carey. It was rather odd, but really good!!!!!!!!