[Gemini]

The thought that he might have meant her only occured to me the other day, but it's so obvious now....:p. HEY...epiphany... the whole Beren and Luthien thing is actualy sort of similar to Andomian and Beruldh..... hmmmm interesting.

[alison]

HEY...epiphany... the whole Beren and Luthien thing is actualy sort of similar to Andomian and Beruldh.....

Yes, it is - it's one of my nods to Tolkien - there are a few in The Gift and The Riddle. It's great that you guys are picking it up! (anyone notice the Bard Tulkan, who writes in Old Lironese, in a rather familiar verse pattern?) There's also a line from Keats in The Gift, but it's from one of his more obscure poems - and I don't expect you to get that one! I can't remember what else I put in there. But writers tend to be a bit like magpies that way.

In The Crow, which involves a city siege and battle, among other things, I was rather more concerned to be as unlike JRR as possible. How to do a siege that doesn't immediately seem like the siege of Minas Tirith? Hopefully it's _very_ different. I did some interesting research into ancient warfare on that one. Quite fascinating!

Btw Mrs Cadvan, I'm impressed that you ordered the book from here...the postage must have been a killer!

[Tari]

just as a bizzare side line there is a site where you can find out your elvish name:http://www.chriswetherell.com/elf/
mine is Larien Elendil
Maered's is Tári Tinehtelë
and Cadvan's is Huor of Dorthonion
(yes i know i'm strange but what ya gonna do :o ?)

Thatrs where i found my name:

hence Tari Minyatur
and my hobbit name is Lila Frumblefoot of Bywater

~ Tari :rolleyes:

[Lirva]

yay elvish names are fun
which Keats poem is it? i studied him for my A levels and might know it or have it in the keats collection i have
(another side line what is ur fave keats poem mine is definitely the eve of st agnes)
and alison the fact i'm going nuts aint ur fault that started happening a long time ago :D are u going to be doing any publisity stuff for the book in the uk if so where and when? (please be nottingham by random chance!)

[alison]

Damn, having said that I made a mistake - it's not Keats, but Shelley - ha! That'll teach me. It's from Prometheus Unbound.

As for my favourite Keats poem - I have a couple, according to mood. I love Ode to a Grecian Urn, and the poem about Autumn. The Eve of St Agnes is a wonderful poem too. And that poem about Isabella and the Pot of Basil (?) - I've always liked this fabulously bitter stanza about Isabella's murderous brothers -

Why were they proud? Because their marble founts
Gush'd with more pride than do a wretch's tears?-
Why were they proud? Because fair orange-mounts
Were of more soft ascent than lazar stairs?-
Why were they proud? Because red-lin'd accounts
Were richer than the songs of Grecian years?-
Why were they proud? again we ask aloud,
Why in the name of Glory were they proud?

Yes, I will be in the UK around June/July, mostly reading poetry. If you can badger people in Nottingham (a library or school or whatever) to invite me, there's no reason why I couldn't come there. They should contact Walker Books.

[Lirva]

cool see if i can
in eve of st agnes the best stanza
And still she slept an azure-lidded sleep,
In blanched linen, smooth, and lavender’d,
While he from forth the closet brought a heap
Of candied apple, quince, and plum, and gourd;
With jellies soother than the creamy curd,
And lucent syrops, tinct with cinnamon;
Manna and dates, in argosy transferr’d
From Fez; and spiced dainties, every one,
From silken Samarcand to cedar’d Lebanon.
it is just so rich in imagery and so vibrant
(also appeals to the hopeless romantic in me!!!!! :D )

[alison]

Thanks for that, Lirva, it's such a gorgeous verse it made me smile. Perhaps it explains one reason why you liked The Gift - my food fetish - lots of people have complained that there are passages that make them really hungry; and one poor woman tried to read it while she was on a diet, which she said was very difficult indeed!

[Lirva]

well i gave up chocholate for lent ( i have only recently discovered The Gift) so thankfully there was not too much choccie
i like all the little cultural details in books like what sort of thing people eat what they wear customs etc it is always something that attracts me to a book

[Gemini]

Oh you're all so learned, what with the poetry and all... i, on the other hand, am just your average yokel who went to see the Ring 2 last night. It was good, wonderful cinematography, except for the fact that everyone wouldn't shut up :mad: .... best line "I'm not your f@#*ing mommy!" lol, twas good. Yes, i love it when you describe the food, it's funny for some reason, you can just picture them drooling all over it... :rolleyes: lol :p . BTW i gave up "touching trees" for lent.... don't ask, it's an "in" joke :D .



~15 days!~ (40 posts!)

[Tari]

You know i think you have all given me an excuse to go and pick up my copies of the Gift and the Riddle and have a re-read. . . . . in between the home work of course . . . . ;) he he he.

so does this mean that my name could have been maerad in another life??? interesting.

Alison are you coming over to da West nxt yr @ all? you still have to come to da Lit Centre in Freo and meet the Master Class (we dont bite. . . . . . . :eek: much!) kidding. the west aint that bad.

Okay now must finish this darn History essay and then go and find tose books.

~ Tari