Meeeeeeeeeeme

[tarion_anarore]

I was tempted to have my excuses, but keep them mental, where they wouldn't count, but I've decided that I have nothing better to do (that's a lie) than this meme. (Okay, so really I should be doing the reading for my seminar tomorrow morning, but I just got back from International Business, which gave me a massive headache. Interesting stuff, but

Comments

[dawn_felagund]

Finrod says that he's not surprised. His ass alone is reason to love him right away.

On Beren and Luthien, I've always found the consensus to be that this story just ... doesn't work. Especially among hardcore Silm fans, in my experience, unless I'm just tainted from hanging out with a bunch of Feanatic. :^P But, in a way, I feel bad for Tolkien because I know he thought Beren/Luthien was the most beautiful, mythic, perfect story to end all stories, but many of his fans seem not to feel that way. I just imagine fifty years from now popping onto ff.net and seeing most fans say, "Yeah, we hate Meryth." Provided anyone besides me and a select few equally crazy people ever even know who Meryth is! :^P

[tarion_anarore]

Finrod says that he's not surprised. His ass alone is reason to love him right away.

I didn't have the illustrated version. .........................Yeah. Sure.

(You know, I re-read your postcard from Puerto Rico the other day while going through my Stuff; Finrod was harassing people even then!)

But, in a way, I feel bad for Tolkien because I know he thought Beren/Luthien was the most beautiful, mythic, perfect story to end all stories, but many of his fans seem not to feel that way.

Maybe - well, almost certainly! ;) - I hang out with a bunch of Feanatics too. Though when I read opinions on the Facebook group I'm on, Beren/Luthien seems to be popular (and Turin. O.o). I was thinking, "Anyone out there not like Beren & Luthien? Bueller?"

I think it doesn't work because it's the Most Perfect Story of all Perfect Stories. It has odds of happening around 98-1 (if we're nice), and it does not fit at all with the feel of the rest of the Silmarillion. The characters *coughLuthien* are too black and white. She also seems to have

[dawn_felagund]

You pretty much summed up my opinion on Beren & Luthien. I always get the feeling that if that story wasn't in the book but was found by a fan and posted on ff.net, taken in the context of the rest of the Silmarillion, I can imagine all the trolls there going, "omg so ooc thsi is not cannon at ALL!!1!11one!11!" Tolkien's world has always come off to me as magical without being overtly so, i.e. without people turning into bats or lulling dark lords to sleep with stripper-pole dances or how many freakin' times does she magically heal Beren? Turin needed her! The most overt instance of magic that I can think of after that is the duel of songs between Finrod and Sauron, and even that is more grounded ... I mean, it's not like Finrod and Sauron break into a fight with Magical Mystical Lightsabres or anything.

Also, Finrod asked me to offer you this icon of him singing to a group of scruffy men in need of baths after lurking in the bushes in watching them sleep.

[tarion_anarore]

Tolkien's world has always come off to me as magical without being overtly so, i.e. without people turning into bats or lulling dark lords to sleep with stripper-pole dances or how many freakin' times does she magically heal Beren?

Exactly! As much as I love Harry Potter, that sort of spell-casting, incantation-chanting magic just does not work for me in Tolkienland. And yes, it was so a stripper-pole dance! And totally lame to boot. More like she shocked him into stupor by taking off her bra. Maybe if Maedhros had just whipped it out, he'd have been able to regain at least one silmaril. Unless Morgoth only swings towards girls. With the Duel of Songs, it has enough Real-Type Stuff to make it believable - or at least believable to the point of accepting the gist of the story, even if one might wonder if it's straight fact or it there's a little poetic illustration.

...Are you sure Finrod and Sauron didn't break into a fight with their Magical Mystical Lightsabres?? O_o (Yeah. I went there

[dawn_felagund]

Finrod just went off to the bathroom, so I think it's safe to say that he liked it. At least he didn't just turn to the wall and surreptitiously unzip is pants like he usually does.

I've always thought that there was some authorial invention to the Duel of Songs too. After all, Finrod loses with mention of the kinslaying; it's not like Sauron zaps a magic beam at his head. The event--and its associated guilt--are very real and would certainly have an impact on our little blond hero.

Yep. Finrod's back. That didn't take long ...

[tarion_anarore]

O_o Oh dear...

Though a magic beam to the head could explain a lot about pervy!Finrod...;) But yes, I agree that mentioning the kinslaying ruined Finrod's act for psychological reasons that didn't necessarily have anything to do with magical songs.

PS, don't let Finrod hear you say the 'H' word. It might stroke his ego.

[dawn_felagund]

Oh, and Meryth wants me to ask you if he can teach archery and falconry at Meryth's Center for Kids Who Can't Read Good & Wanna Learn To Do Other Stuff Good Too.

[tarion_anarore]

Of course! It is Meryth's Center for Kids Who Can't Read Good & Wanna Learn To Do Other Stuff Good Too, and I think it's safe to say that archery and falconry both fall neatly into the "other stuff" category. ;)

[meryth]

Well, then. Good. I was afraid you had more in mind grammar and calculus, riveting subjects to be sure, but not precisely my specialty.

[tarion_anarore]

Well, from a student's perspective, I'd rather learn archery than grammar (or finance, as the case might be).