A couple of months ago I reread The Eye of the World, by Robert Jordan (who is a good author). It is a book of the fantasy genre that I enjoy and have enjoyed several times (I'm guessing four or five times), but as I read it this time I noticed that I was anticipating what I was reading. I don't mean just story line, but even sentences and phrases, or even whole paragraphs. As a result it became more tedious to read and began to lose some of the enjoyment I have taken from it previously.
This month I have been rereading that masterpiece of fantasy, The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R Tolkien. This is another book I have reread several times (probably seven or eight times). This book I discovered still has not become predictable. The mastery Tolkien has over words is phenomenal. The result being that while I know the general story (as any should who has read a book that many times) the lines of prose, the phrases and the paragraphs are new to me still, and it is wonderful.
For instance in each book there is a scene where the characters are traveling by boat down the river and encounter immense ancient statues flanking the river. Jordan gives a description of what is seen and the mind visualizes that. Tolkien on the other hand gives a bit of description and then gives a history and impact of the statues on the characters and the mind explodes in wonder.
Tolkien was a master of language. He created several languages: at least two elvish tongues, plus the twisted elvish of Mordor, and also the language of the dwarves. I don't know that he completed the Entish language, but it was a least started. He was fluent in middle english, which is unreadable to the students of modern english. He was fluent in old norse, and several others languages. His knowledge wasn't just in the writing but in the very sounds of language. The names of Characters and places where chosen to evoke different ideas in the reader. The dwarf names are short and tend toward guttural sounds: Gimli and Gloin. The Elvish names a lofty with lots of "ah" and "eh" to slow down the reader: Legolas, Elrond, Galadreil, Celeborn. The Hobbit names even when complex shorten to match the character: Meriadoc to Merry, Peregrin to Pippin, or just Frodo, Bilbo, and Sam. This is just to give a few examples.
One last thing I'ld like to mention is the poems. The first time I read The Lord of the Rings in middle school I skipped, probably, all of the poems. Of course at the time I did not know anything about poetry and all I was really interested was plot. Now I read the poetry. It is some of the best poetry I have ever read. Aragorn and Legolas compose a poem after Boromir dies that is heart wrenching, absolutely wonderful. If I remember correctly the poem is in the second chapter of The Two Towers.
If you have not read this book I encourage you try it out. If you have seen the movies and think you don't have to read the books you are sadly mistaken. The movies have the plot, but the real brilliance is the language and the way it is written. If you have read this book, return to it again. It is better with each read, and this time read the poems, and read them aloud.
Pax Tecum
If you have not read this book I encourage you try it out. If you have seen the movies and think you don't have to read the books you are sadly mistaken. The movies have the plot, but the real brilliance is the language and the way it is written. If you have read this book, return to it again. It is better with each read, and this time read the poems, and read them aloud.
Pax Tecum
