Is Lord Of The Rings Really That Great

[kegasaurus]

Originally posted by Lucky Joe
As for saying I have a lack of taste, that's just silly. Who is to say one persons taste is right and anothers wrong, the whole point of taste is that it's a very personal thing that we decide for ourselves.

Keep Smiling
Lucky Joe

If it tastes like crap, spit it out.

 

[Bear]

I've never been a huge Tolkien fan. As I've said before, I appreciate him more than I actually enjoy him. Many agree that his strength lies within his world-building, but IMO, that was also his weakness. Sure, his world was thought and described in great detail, but at what cost? I think he sacrificed too much of the story's pace for the background and history. Also, his characters were mostly archetypes, which I'm not crazy about. They're books that should be read, and they are certainly impressive, but I certainly don't hold them amongst my favorites.

To most fantasy fans, this is blasphemy, I know. But each to their own, they always say, and that's mine.

 

[ObtusePunubiris]

"Is LotR really that great"? That's actually a really tough question for me. I've been thinking about it for a while, and here is what I have come up with.

More questions:

Did I enjoy reading it? Yes
Would I recommend it? Yes
Should every fan of fantasy fiction read it? Yes
Is it a classic? Yes
Will it still be a classic in 50 years? Yes
Is Tolkien the father of modern fantasy? Yes
Is it the most important fantasy series ever written? Yes

Is it the best fantasy series ever written? No

Even so, I guess the answer to the overall question is YES. It really is that great. There are several other fantasy series that I have enjoyed more, but none of them have had the impact on the genre that LotR has. I don't think greatness can be measure solely by how much one enjoyed the books. There are simply too many other factors to consider.

Is LotR the greatest fantasy series ever written? No, but it is the blueprint . That alone makes it great.

 

[Loras Tyrell]

Arrr... I wish people wouldn't take me so seriously all the time

See the at the top of my post? Means I'm kidding.

 

[Ickle Lulu]

yes Lord of the Rings is really that great.
i agree with Mith, elves especially were described in such a way as to make the reader almost believe in them.
The creation of Middle Earth was Tolkien's life's work. Have you seen the detail of the maps and drawings that he made to show others what he imagined? - Amazing!
He has done what no other writer (to my knowlege) has done, that is created a world's complete set of history books, with accounts of great and small events that happened which would be of interest to the reader.
It is only through reading all of the Middle Earth related books in the right order in terms of history that you can fully understand and appreciate the depth of Tolkien's work.
I'll go further than saying that the creation of Middle Earth was Tolkien's life's work. Middle Earth was his life.