What else do you read??

[Eyes of Wolf]

I'm getting desperate re: presents here! My chronically-busy mum is laughing at how disorganised I'm being...usually it's the other way round.

Okaaaay!

Haha I was so excited I posted about it on the Chattery before remembering I told you here! It was really great - some flaws but generally I loved it (...have an uncomfortable feeling that may be due to nostalgia for LotR itself though). Freeman is great. Scenery porn, obviously. Second half much better than first.

[Sirkana]

Yay! I'm really looking forward to this now. Freeman suits the part so well. My only issue is that I think splitting it into three can only be a terrible idea... :/

[Eyes of Wolf]

I definitely thought so too, initially - not only because The Hobbit is short but because its scale and style are also more toned down, less epic than LotR's. But it actually works surprisingly well. The added stuff doesn't seem out of place at all, and some of the other lengthening comes from elaboration on parts of the story that are already there. There's some changes to make it have a more satisfying narrative arc as a film, too, but it doesn't feel particularly egregious or annoying to me, as a bit of a Tolkien geek myself. I still don't think it's better than the LotR films at all, but it's very good.

[Sirkana]

Mm, I wasn't so convinced; it didn't seem tightly plotted, and I can't shake off the feeling that they're only doing this so people have to buy three tickets. But, rightly or wrongly, they (and I) will, because actually all of it was really enjoyable! Freeman was superb, there was some really fantastic cinematography, the Gollum scene was great. It just really didn't need to be three hours for a third of the book.

I do find it interesting how Harry Potter's made it acceptable to split books into separate films, though. It worked really well in that case and does get rid of the frustration of having half the good bits cut. But here, it felt, I don't know - over-indulgent? I'm intrigued to see whether it'll stick, anyway.

[Eyes of Wolf]

It really didn't seem to happen before, and then suddenly HP 7 was split and then Breaking Dawn was split and then this!

I am becoming more sceptical as time goes by tbh. It was really very enjoyable, but just re-skimming the Hobbit, it's really apparent that they've made certain minor skirmishes far higher-stakes - the whole final battle scene is an elaboration on what was just hiding from riderless wolves in canon. And those battle scenes really do drag on forever in a way they shouldn't. But then the entire Necromancer subplot and the scene with the White Council in Rivendell, while completely added in for kicks, are Tolkien canon; they did happen, just not in The Hobbit and not exactly in the same time frame. Interestingly, Peter Jackson doesn't have the rights to the Silmarillion or to the HoME books etc, so adding in these plot arcs is somewhat risky for him legally.

[Sirkana]

Yes, they made them higher stakes without really giving a sense of how they tied into the ultimate aim of the quest.

That's interesting about the legal aspect of it, though I doubt anything will come of it.

[Eyes of Wolf]

The third film will probably be all the more emotionally scarring for the extra time we've spent with the characters, at least!

I agree, really doubt anyone would actually sue - though the Tolkien estate is notorious for suing faaaar more than is necessary in general.

[Sirkana]

That's a point, though the cynic in me is pointing out that plenty of things manage to be quite scarring enough without being nearly nine hours long.

Huh, I didn't know that! Strange.

Have you read any China Mieville?

[Eyes of Wolf]

And, well, the length will be a pretty scarring attribute all on its own.

Nope! Wish I had, he sounds so intriguing as a person as well as as an author - I most recently read about him in relationship to the whole SWP leadership debacle. Have you?

[Sirkana]

*snrk* Too true.

I don't follow the internal disputes of the SWP (what happened?), but he does seem like a fascinating guy. I'm reading his 'Embassytown' at the moment. Even just on the surface it's a great piece of sci-fi; really solid worldbuilidng, interesting characters. And - even better - it's all about colonialism and the nature of language! Lots of political manoeuvring and intrigue. I'd definitely recommend it.

[Eyes of Wolf]

Haha, neither do I. Only know because there were one or two articles on it in the press last week. Essentially, a female member accused a male member of the central committee of rape, and the party held an internal tribunal to decide what to do, which cleared him - and in which the worst punishment they could have handed down to him if they'd found him guilty was expulsion from the party! Apparently the woman was questioned in an intrusive way as if she was the one on trial, and no one took the case to the police. Eventually the whole thing came to light, and China Mieville was one of the more high profile members who spoke out against the party's leadership, and about sexism in the movement as a whole.

Ooh, sounds absolutely wonderful! Really want to read this now.

[Sirkana]

OK now I'm wondering how I missed that - I blame exams. Oh dear, the far left has such a bad reputation for marginalising women already, it's awful that this kind of thing is still going on. Raises my opinion of Mieville, though.

Yes read it!

[Eyes of Wolf]

There wasn't an enormous amount of coverage - the most information I found was in an Independent Owen Jones comment piece which was more broadly about the need for a unified anti-government movement. Actual articles dedicated to the story itself are fairly few.

aaaaaaaah reaaaally want to! Lucky that this half term is shorter than most, otherwise I'd already be completely knackered. Yet there is hope, for verily the February half-term cometh.

[Sirkana]

I suppose that's predictable enough. Interesting piece though.

Forsooth it doth! And may it hasten the gladness of our hearts. Or something.

Haha I know how difficult it is actually to read stuff but hope springs eternal?

[Eyes of Wolf]

Yup. My reaction to the comment piece is pretty much: yes, I agree, and for the same reasons, but I have no idea how anyone would go about achieving one, and neither do you, since all you write about is the need for it, but not the means!

We'll see. Haven't visited my favourite bookshop in *gasp* six months, so I'll be making a trip up there tomorrow lunch break as a re-entry to the world of recreational reading.