Parting is such sweet sorrow (there will be spoilers for the last few Harry Potter films)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was a wonderfully creative film with a more unique look due to a new director. But the film franchise always had the same set of Producers, and thank goodness for that. They were the real shepherds to make sure Rowling’s story stayed the course. After all, this series of stories was turning into an epic tale of good versus evil, and there were character arcs to maintain, bits that had to be dropped in to earlier films so that they could pay off in later films. When Dobby first showed up, didn’t you wonder if he was just going to be another Jar Jar Binks? Who knew that he’d be so important to the story later on, or that you’d cry at the end of Deathly Hallows part 1 when he dies? But we also had to have knowledge of the basis of the Horcruxes and the qualities of the Sword of Gryffindor and learn about Polyjuice potion and dueling and the Room of Requirement too. So Prisoner of Azkaban was followed by the Goblet of Fire, and we get our first death and our first indication of the seriousness of this epic battle in the making. We were now getting the type of high drama we’d gotten in the Lord of the Rings. This was followed by Order of the Phoenix, and another high profile death, coupled with a really spectacular duel between Dumbledore and Voldemort.
Tracy sends this in: In connection with “Lord of the Rings in Concert” at the Honda Center, author Doug Adams will join us to sign his book, a comprehensive look at Howard Shore’s score featuring an Exclusive Rarities CD of unreleased LOTR music — must for all LOTR fans. Thursday September 29, 2011 7:00 PM. Orange Town & Country, 791 South Main Street Suite 100, Orange, CA 92868, 714-558-0028. More..
This month, J.W. reports from Gen Con and reviews The Brazen Serpent Chronicles by R. Dennis Baird. To find out more about these books, visit brazenserpentchronicles.com. Be sure to check out J.W. and The Lord of the Films at www.facebook.com/lordofthefilms
Pieter Collier from the Tolkienlibrary.com writes: Exactly 50 years ago the artist Cor Blok created about 140 illustrations to accompany The Lord of the Rings, he visited Tolkien who liked his art and bought 3 pieces – the only artist who ever sold his art to Tolkien. In his letters Tolkien once said that if ever an illustrated The Lord of the Rings could be created it would have been Cor Blok who would receive the job. No such thing ever happened. However Cor Blok’s art was featured on the Dutch translation of The Lord of the Rings for 27 years, without even mentioning the name Cor Blok. Some five years ago I talked to Cor Blok and embarked on a mission to track down his art, since many were sold and lost. They were all over the world, no one knew how much there were and how they looked like. Continue reading “New Book: A Tolkien Tapestry: Pictures to accompany The Lord of the Rings”
Our friend Jason Fisher (better known here at TORN as message board member Visualweasel) has published his first book, Tolkien and the Study of His Sources: Critical Essays. Source criticism — the analysis of a writer’s source material — has long been one of the most popular approaches in exploring the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien, but there has never been a comprehensive book on the subject until now. Since Tolkien drew from many disparate sources, an understanding of these sources, as well as how and why he incorporated them, can enhance readers’ appreciation of his work. This collection of new essays by leading Tolkien scholars — including Tom Shippey, John Rateliff, Diana Pavlac Glyer, Jason Fisher, and others — describes the theory and methodology for proper source criticism and provides practical demonstrations of the approach. A must have for serious fans! Here’s what the Tolkien community is saying:
“The most exhaustive examination yet published of demonstrable, probable, and conjectural sources for Tolkien’s legendarium ransacks myth, history, astronomy, literature and popular culture for clues to Tolkien’s raw material. This collection will stimulate readers and scholars alike.”
—Verlyn Flieger, author of Splintered Light: Logos and Language in Tolkien’s World
“This critical collection provides a solid defense of the sometimes-maligned literary discipline of ‘source-hunting’ along with outstanding examples of the value of this approach in understanding the depths of Tolkien’s literary creation.”
—Douglas A. Anderson, author of The Annotated Hobbit
“A valuable book for anyone serious about Tolkien. It not only adds new, confirming material to what is known about Tolkien’s sources but covers areas of influence previously denied or underplayed.”
—Marjorie J. Burns, author of Perilous Realms: Celtic and Norse in Tolkien’s Middle-earth
Follow this link to learn more on Amazon, and good luck with the book, Jason!
