Top Ten

[Otto]

Good observation.

Maybe it needs to be re-told in a modernized language in a few
decades, like Grimm's fairytales.

I'd tried to read some of those tales to my daughter when she was
small, but my Grimm's is in the original language -- no way.

When the LOTR-movies came out I'd tried to read the books again, but after
some pages I decided that there's other, more important stuff to read. And
I'm not 14 anymore.

Will, have you ever tried "Bored of the Rings" by H.N. Beard and D.C. Kenney
(The Harvard Lampoon, 1969)?

Otto
(going to finish Franzen's book tonight, in English. Good read for
grown-ups, but not in my top ten list!)

> Thanks to the various folks who tried to explain to me the magic of
> Tolkien. I'm fascinated by the notion of the book(s) as an
> amalgamation of myths from all over the world.
> However, I have to confess that I still find the
> writing turgid and style-less.
>
> Here is an observation:
>
> Apparently LORD OF THE RINGS very popular on college campuses in the 50s.
> I know it was very popular among nerdier high schoolers in my day -- the
> 70s. Today it is all the rage among my son's elementary school set.
>
> Perhaps forty years from now, fifth graders will be playing with Slothrop
> action figures?
>
> -- Will
>